I'm Here for You, Always

Chapter 4

 As we arrive at the apartment building, the outside is luxurious. It is a white clean building with neatly trimmed grass. Matt helps me out of the car carefully. Putting his hands under my legs and around my waist. The inside of the building looks even more opulent. The floors seem to be made of marble. He pushes the elevator button and we silently wait. When the elevator comes, he carries me inside.

"Up to the third floor," he says.

"This place is amazing!" I tell him.

"How did you afford this place?" I ask.

"Well when you live on a doctor's salary, it isn't as hard as you think." I laugh.

"Very true," I say.

The elevator opens and we walk down the hallway to the third apartment down. Apartment 3B. Matt sets me down for a little while as he fumbles for his keys in his scrub pants. I have to lean on the wall so that I don't fall.

"Here they are," he says.

He opens the door then picks me back up. We walk into his apartment and he sets me down on his leather, brown couch. I look around to see clothes scattered and in piles. His sink is full of unwashed dishes.

"What's up with your apartment?" I ask.

"Well I'm at work all the time so I'm not here often. I only come here to eat and sleep. I don't have a lot of time to clean my apartment. And before you say anything you will not be cleaning anything. I will not have you ripping your stitches. Got that?" he says.

"Got it," I say as I put my hands up in surrender.

"Good. I'll be right back," he says as he leaves the room. A few moments later he returns. His hands behind his back.

"What ya got there?" I ask. "Just presents," he says. He slowly pulls his hands out from behind his back and reveals a blanket and a purple neck pillow.

"I know you'll probably not be getting around as much so you can at least be comfortable, right?" he says ecstatically.

"Thanks. I say. I move to the arm of the chair and he props my neck behind the neck pillow.

"How does that feel?" he asks.

"Great," I tell him.

"Good. It's about dinner time so I'll order some take-out and we can maybe watch a movie or something," he says.

"Yeah, that sounds great," I say, nervously.

Matt orders the food then leaves to go get it. When he returns we pick a movie.

"I know your favorite is The Fast and the Furious, so do you want to watch that or my pick?" he asks. "Um, your pick," I say. "Okay we'll watch Transformers 2," he says.

"Okay," I say.

The smell of the food is making me nauseous. I know he won't let me escape without eating at least something small. Matt puts the movie in and he gives me a small box of vegetable lo mein with chopsticks. I slowly open the box and start playing with the noodles. My head filled with noise. In the background, the movie previews play. Matt looks at me struggling. He pauses the movie.

"You can do this Izzy," he says encouragingly, rubbing my back.

"I really can't. The smell is making me nauseous." I say.

"Okay, okay," he says as he moves the food away.

"Maybe this is a little too soon," he says. I feel so embarrassed. I try to slowly get up, but Matt's hand holds me in place.