CHAPTER 9 (Eighty-two days inside)
The next several weeks consist of the same thing, day in and day out; with the exception of all the stolen kisses Alec and I sneak. I go to school with Connor and Claire, and then I go to “work.” It can’t really be called work though. Alec has me filing but he makes sure I don’t get much done.
Today I get my cast off. I’m not too excited about that, because it means I’ll need to go back to running soon. On the upside, it also means on our next day off we’ll be able to explore the “sewer system” further. Alec’s been trying to talk me out of it every time I bring it up but I give him ‘the look’ and he quickly changes the subject.
“Alec, you really don’t have to take off work. I can get there on my own you know.” Alec is insisting that he go with me to get my cast off. Deep down though, I really do want him to go, I just don’t want to come across as needy.
He playfully tugs at my hair inching closer. He closes the door to the office with his foot and a lump forms in my throat. He takes hold of my cheek in his hand and puts his lips to my ear. His breathing on my neck sends shivers down to my toes. “I’m pretty sure you can get there on your own. It’s just that…” He nibbles at my ear. “…I will pretty much make any excuse to spend more time with you.” The huskiness of his voice makes me melt. He takes a step back furthering his distance and speaks as if what just happened didn’t. “So, are you ready to go.”
I take a deep breath and put my hair behind my ears. I will myself not to speak for fear of sounding like a mouse and nod my head. It's been a couple of weeks but our relationship, at least that's what I'm calling it, still seems brand new.
He opens the doors and we make the short journey to the doctor’s office. In the elevator his lips find mine in a greedy manner, and when it dings, he composes himself like nothing happened leaving me speechless and breathless.
I sign in on the clipboard at the front desk and we sit down to wait. I pick up a magazine and flip through it. I find a crossword puzzle and fold back the page. “Okay, smarty-pants. Let’s see how you are at crosswords!” I say a little too smug. “Alright, seven down: To go astray or diverge. It’s eight letters.” I tap the pen I got from the sign in sheet on my chin. I look over to Alec who has a funny expression on his face. “What,” I challenge, letting a small laugh come through.
“Oh, nothing. I just like watching you while you’re thinking. You get these cute little lines between your eyes.”
I roll my eyes, “Oh really, do I? Okay, smarty-pants what’s the answer,” I ask, knowing full well he won’t know it.
“Aberrate,” he says simply.
I raise my eyebrows at him in response. “Lucky guess,” I say as I write it in. “Okay, next one, and this one is going to be really hard.” I scan the side column looking for one no one would ever get. “Ah, here we go. You ready?” I don’t wait for him to respond before starting. “A morbid fear of sounds or the fear of your own voice. Fifteen letters, starts with an ‘A’.” There, I think, that should keep him busy.
“Acousticophobia.” He says cockily.
“What!” I yell a little too loudly. I soften my tone when other people start looking at me. “How on earth did you know that?”
Alec just shrugs his shoulders.
I scribble in the answer. “Either you’re the smartest person I’ve ever met, or you’re pulling my leg. Which is it? And I expect an honest answer!”
Alec tries to keep from laughing but he’s not doing a good job.
“What?” I say as his laughter becomes contagious. I playfully slap him on the arm. “Tell me!” I say.
“Okay, okay, you don’t have to get all violent on me!” Alec tells me playfully. “I spent a lot of time in the waiting room the first several days you were in the hospital. Got tired of watching reruns of boring old soap operas so I did all the crosswords.”
“Willow Mosby,” a voice from the other side of the room calls. I glance up to see a plump nurse looking around the room.
“Here,” I say holding up my hand.
Before I can stand up, Alec puts his hand on mine. “You want me to go with you? You know, to hold your hand and stuff?”
I don’t really need to give it much thought. “Yeah, sure, if you want to.” I catch a gleam in his eye. Of course he wants to.
I lead the way over to the nurse and she puts us in a small room off to the right. She lays my chart down on the table and turns to leave. “The doctor will be with you in a minute,” she says as she turns and walks out, shutting the door behind her.
I take a quick glance around the room and get really nervous when I see this mean saw looking thing hanging on the wall. “You don’t think that’s for me, do you Alec?” I turn to him as my anxiety increases ten-fold.
Alec sees this as a sign to comfort me. He takes my hand gently from my lap and wraps it in his. I slump into him finding immediate comfort.
It doesn’t take long before the doctor comes in. He’s wearing the typical white lab coat. He has white hair that is sticking up all over the place and bottle-cap glasses. He looks at me over the rim, “And you must be Willow. I’m Dr. Pain. Please, don’t think I’m being funny, that’s my real name. Got the birth certificate to prove it.”
I try to let out a small laugh, but my mouth won’t let me. I squeeze Alec’s hand a bit harder and he rubs the side with his thumb in a comforting gesture.
The doctor begins shuffling around the room gathering tools and cloth and that dreaded saw readied to be used. I can’t seem to take my eyes off the blade. The doctor wheels the tray over to where I’m sitting and pulls the rolling chair over as well.
“Now, just trust me, this won’t hurt a bit,” the doctor tells me.
Yeah, trust a doctor named Dr. Pain. Not going to happen.
He reaches for my arm and I reluctantly give it to him. “Oh,” he exclaims when he sees the small mural painted on my cast. “You want me to cut around this for you? It would be such a waste of good art.”
I nod my head and try to smile. “Yes, it’s very special to me,” I reply. My heart is picking up speed and I work to keep from going into a panic attack.
The second I hear the saw blade turn on I close my eyes and put my head in Alec’s chest.
“Now don’t move, okay?” The doctor asks me, shouting above the noise. A sound of cutting wood penetrates my ears and my brain is screaming, danger, step back! I try not to flinch as I hear the plaster cracking on my arm. It doesn’t take more than ten seconds before I feel the cool air hit my arm for the first time in what seems like months. I look down at my pale weak arm that hasn't made an appearance in a while. It’s really skinny compared to my other arm and looks kind of funny.
The doctor turns off the saw and hangs it back up out of the way. I bend my wrist cautiously, thankful there’s no pain. It just feels weird. I turn my arm slightly and see a small bruise that has almost dissipated as well as a three inch long scar. That must have been where I had the surgery.
“Just make sure you take it easy for the next few days. I’m going to give you a sling to wear while you adjust to not having the cast on. After that, you’ll be good to go.” The doctor hands me my empty cast and leaves the room with the door still propped open. He returns a second later with another navy sling. He helps me put it on then leaves.
“Well, I guess we can go,” Alec says while helping me up. I clutch the cast as we leave. He puts his arm around my waist. As we walk away I wonder about us. Are we in a relationship? I don't ask though. For right now, I feel good with how things are. I don't need a label to tell me how I'm starting to feel about him.