Warmth | ✔️ #wattys2021

39. serendipity

"Ms. Marts?"
The nurse called her name, after one hour and a half of pain in the waiting room of the London bridge hospital.

George helped her getting to the treatment room and then left her to it. She sat alone in the bright yellow room for five more minutes and when the doctor came in life surprised her for the third time that day.

"Ok so...Ms. Marts, you reported-" The doctor said and stopped once she looked up from her clipboard.

"Adeline hey!" She said, but Adeline already recognized her seconds before, how couldn't she? She looked so much like her brother. And while Mia sounded happy to see her, she was afraid she'd hold a grudge against her after all of what happened with Adam. Adeline was proved wrong immediately though when she hugged her lightly.

"Hi Mia!" She answered a bit overwhelmed. Her exe's sister looked the exact same as the last time they've met, beside from the white coat of course. Her facial features very flattering, similar to Adam's, her makeup light, her brown hair was up in a bun and she had a slim figure.

"Although I'm very happy to see you again, it's not really the best occasion...I see you've hurt your ankle. How did that happen?"

"I was very ecstatic because I got a call saying I got a job and me and my friend jumped up and down?" She said laughing knowing how terribly idiotic that must sound to her. At the same time, she hoped that with her knowing about the job the information would somehow make its way to Adam. A pathetic attempt to cause a 'please don't go' scene, as if he'd even care for her anymore.

"Oh okay..." She said laughing along.

"...well congrats. So, please lay down for me so I can see if you need a splint, does anything else hurt?"

"Thank you and no, it's just the ankle."

Adeline said and laid down flatly on the doctor's couch.

Mia was nice in her role as a doctor, moved quickly, as doctor's always do but still tried to be as accurate as possible. She examined her foot, moved her leg back and forth and it hurt a whole lot but the conversation she initiated during it distracted her from her pain gladly.

"So where will you work then? You have your masters in writing, don't you?"

"Yes, rhetoric writing. The company is called Thompson Enterprises, it's a big marketing company in Bristol."

"Bristol? Wow, congrats!" Her reaction surprised her, it was so close to what Nora said when she told her but they have only met once. Gotten along, for sure, but why would it affect her? Mia sounded happy about it on the surface with a hint of concern behind it. And suddenly wild images in her head were created that made her heart beat faster.

What if she reacted that way because she knows something she doesn't? Does Adam perhaps want her still? Does he regret his words? Would he be sad about her move?
"Okay, so from what I see it's not just sprained, it could be broken but I'll send you up first to do an X-Ray and then we will know more."

"Okay, thank you Mia!"

In the end Adeline went home with a broken ankle, a splint and pain killers. But also with a good feeling, she got the job and she didn't have a moment to be happy about it yet. The irony of a broken bone but a fixed smile followed her until she went asleep.

*

On Wednesday night Adam got a call from his sister. It was almost 4 am and she never called that late, not even when she was on her night shift so he was worried.

"Mia? Everything okay?" He asked just having taken the call after being disrupted from his sleep, still sounding very sleepy.

"Did you know Adeline will move to Bristol?" She asked straight forward.

"What? You call me at 4:21 to ask me shit like that? She is not moving, she just moved in with George!"

"Hey, I'm not talking shit, watch your dirty mouth baby brother!" His sisters and mum truly were the only woman who could put him in place like this. Mia never really recovered from having to watch his brother when they were younger, sometimes she still spoke to him the way she did back then.

"Okay I'm sorry, it's just...you woke me!" He grunted. "So, what are you saying? Adeline is moving?"
"Well, yes she was a patient of mine at the beginning of my shift-"
"Is she okay?" He asked in shock and interrupted her quickly and relentlessly. "Yes, she just broke her ankle in a very laughable way, but she will live for sure."
"Oh." He said. Sometimes he forgot that her life also went on without him in it. And in this place particularly he wished he would still be a part of it to help her get better, like she did back then.

"So, what I was saying is, she told me she got a job and it's in Bristol."
"Okay." He said flatly only processing the news.

"Oh, come on, don't act as if you don't care, you fucking love her and if you wouldn't be such a coward, you would stop her."
"I was terrible to her, I'm sure she doesn't care much for me anymore, nevertheless I'm not sure if she ever really did."

"Just...talk to her? Alright?"
"We'll see."
"Good night, Adam, love you." She said without further questions, ignoring his questioning attempt to fulfill her suggestion.

"Love you too."