If Not for You (Completed)

Chapter 2: Kale

2 Kale

Of all people, in all places, of all times, it had to be Kazzi Inman to bulldoze me down with a red Honda. She'd come out of nowhere. A flash of color, a flare of pain, then her face, staring down at me from a place of total confusion. If not for the pain, I'd have been sure it was a dream.

Part of me, a part I had snuffed out and buried deep within me, was slowly roaring to life, overjoyed at seeing her again. It was all I could do to keep it clamped down. I had cut her out for a reason, and I refused to let us get as close as we once had been.

I could hear her crying in the bathroom, muffled as though she had her hands clamped over her mouth. I didn't want to hurt her, but I had to hurt her to keep her from becoming attached to me, no matter how much I hated it. To see her anything other than happy broke something inside of me, and against my better judgment, I considered getting up and going to her. I was saved by the doc though and frowned as he entered the room.

"How are you feeling, Kale? Much pain?" He asked, and I shrugged, not looking at him.

Actually, my entire torso was throbbing in a tempo I couldn't keep up with, but I didn't say that, and a second later Kazzi came out of the bathroom, red-faced and sniffing, but trying hard to hide the fact that she'd been crying. The doctor eyed her as she stood outside the bathroom door, seeming to keep intentional space between us.

"Are you alright?" He asked her, and though she sniffed, she nodded.

"Absolutely. How is he?" She asked and avoided looking at me as she wound her arms around herself.

She was wearing black dress pants that hugged her butt and a plum purple blouse, short-sleeved and low-necked to offer a teasing glimpse of cleavage that sent an unwarranted feeling of arousal in me.

"He'll be alright." The doc said, then turned to me. "You've got a broken rib, Kale. Nothing too severe, but it's going to make it uncomfortable for you to breathe and move, so you'll need to really rest for the next week or two. You understand?"

I nodded and folded my arms over my aching torso as I let out a tired breath, wincing as I did so. He was right about that part at least.

"How's your pain right now?" The doctor asked again, interrupting my thoughts, and I shrugged.

"Bad enough, but I've dealt with worse." I mumbled, not looking at Kazzi.

The doctor nodded. "Okay, we'll get you something for it anyway." Then he turned to Kazzi. "Can I speak to you privately for a minute?"

She nodded, still not so much as offering me a glance before she stepped out. I could hear them talking through the cracked door a second later.

"Is he really okay?" Kazzi asked him, and despite my being a dick to her, I could hear the concern in her voice.

"If he takes it easy, he will be." The doc answered. "We've had some issues with Kale over the years, so I worry about him going back out on the streets in this condition."

I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms, staring at the floor as I continued listening.

"What kind of issues?" Kazzi asked.

"He's been in our psyche ward a half a dozen times in the past decade, for everything from depression to attempted suicide. Granted, he's checked himself in every time, so he's aware of the issue, but it doesn't really change anything when his situation isn't changing."

Through the crack, I could see Kazzi nod as the doctor continued.

"It's been a couple years since he's been in, but that doesn't mean he's out of the woods. I'm afraid an incident like this, partnered with a lack of support in his life, may set him on a rebound for suicidal tendencies."