I'll Be There

4 | better off

"I can tell you're not doing your skincare routine," Olivia playfully scolded Spencer as she moved around his room, getting his medications and blankets ready for the night.

It had been almost two weeks since her first visit, and one visit quickly turned into two, which eventually turned into her alternating nights with Grace to take care of  Spencer. She figured it was too much for one person to handle, so she might as well help the working mother where she could.

"How do you expect me to follow a twenty step routine when I can barely move my arms?"

"Hmmm, fair enough," she contemplated as she poured his nightly pills into a paper cup.

During her visits, they had naturally eased back into their friendship. Or at least Olivia felt so. Spencer knew that this new dynamic was heavily contingent on their conversation never going deeper than surface level, but for now he was just happy to have her around.

"Open," Olivia held the paper cup up to his mouth, tipping it over when he parted his lips. Without thinking, he took a sip of the water she held up next and swallowed the pills.

"How much longer until the casts come off?" she asked as she picked up the iPad, scrolling to make sure she hadn't missed anything on tonight's agenda.

"Doc said another two to three weeks. I have a check-up on the 12th. They're doing x-rays, and if everything looks good, I get these bad boys off," he explained.

"I bet you're excited about that," she gave him a smile before looking back at the screen.

"I'll finally be able to get back to weights. I gotta start light, but still -"

"Um, Spencer?" Olivia interrupted his plans.

"Yea?"

"Why hasn't shower been checked off yet?"

"Yea uh, Marc had to leave early today, and we didn't get to it. He won't be back until Monday, and my mom's staying the weekend to help me." 

She hadn't even considered how he had been showering the past few weeks, but it made sense that his professional caretaker was helping him out. Besides brushing his teeth, her tasks so far had been pretty impersonal - give him his meds, prepare a snack when the late night cravings kicked in, hand him the remote. There was one time that she had to help him switch out of his shirt, and that had been one thing, but helping him shower definitely pushed the limits of "friendship." 

"It's either you or my mom, aaand one option is gonna be a lot less awkward," he went on.

 "We can make it fast," he quickly added after surveying her face.

"Ok, but underwear on."

"Who said anything about taking them off?" he tilted his head at her, his face serious.

"Well, I just assumed," she stuttered, feeling the heat rise in her cheeks, "I mean, it's a shower..."

"I don't need to know what you're doing with your other friends," he said, taking it a little further, "but I don't go showing off for just anybody."

"Neither, do I, I -" she started, her eyes wide in defense, "ok, just tell me how we're gonna do this."

His booming laugh filled the room as he broke character, "you getting flustered never gets old, Liv."

She glared at him as she put the iPad down, her grip on his shoulder a little more aggressive than usual as she unstrapped his slings. After folding them, she made her way to the bathroom without him, continuing her silent treatment.

"You were definitely thinking about it though," he teased once he caught up with her.

"No, I wasn't," she smacked his shoulder, finally letting out a laugh.