The Red Eye [Open Novella Contest 2023]

Chapter 10

If you'd asked Donna, she would have admitted that she almost forgot about the boy she drove to her apartment in the days that followed. She probably should have thought about him more, but life has a way of sending odd messages your way.

It was a few days until Christmas, and Donna was at the clinic. Again. Thankfully, it was just a check-in appointment. She had gone in, paid her copay, and waited like a normal patient. For some reason, with the restructuring, the G.I. department was on the same floor as the gynecologists and pediatricians. Little kids and babies stared wide-eyed at her as their parents carried them past.

"It's a baby!" a toddler squealed when she saw a newborn in the arms of its father-- easily identified by the T-shirt he was wearing that read DAD. Every parent and receptionist in the room giggled. Donna looked down at her phone and swallowed hard. It wasn't often that she felt lonely, introverted as she was. But sometimes, especially at medical appointments, she wished that someone was there with her. She remembered how she had taken it for granted when her mother or father had brought her to the doctor, answered the doctor's questions, and had taken her back home. When she was in high school, at a time when she wasn't even considered sickly, it had been like clockwork: every time school was out for the day, or there was an early release day, her mother would pick her up and take her to some appointment or another: the dentist, the therapist, the dermatologist. Her mother had always made a point of getting the earliest possible appointment of the day on days when school was out, so she could take Donna to the appointment and take her home and only miss the first few hours of the workday. The planning required must have been monumental. Her mother was good like that.

Donna scratched at a rash on her wrist and looked away from a little boy who was staring at her. When she was finally called to the back, the appointment was like all the other ones were. Thankfully, it was a quick appointment, and Dr. Kumar just pressed on her stomach before letting her go, asking her to message her in two weeks to check in. Donna put her boots and coat back on, and opened the door.

"Oh, and Donna?" Dr. Kumar said, making her turn around. He gave her a smile. "Try and have a happy Christmas."

Donna made herself smile. "Thank you," she said. She turned back to the hallway, and she dropped the gloves she was holding. The boy was looking at her phone, and didn't notice her at first, but seemed to feel that someone was watching him and looked up. His eyes widened and they stared at each other for a long time.

He looked a little better during the day than he had at night. He still had a nose cannula in and was wearing lounge clothes just like Donna, but his hair was freshly combed.

"Donna?" Dr. Kumar said, making them both break out of their reverie.

"So that's your name," the boy said. "I realized when I got back here that I never learned it."

Donna swallowed, trying to wet her throat. "And I still don't know yours."

Dr. Kumar walked to the doorway, and looked between Donna and the boy.

"Do you two know each other?" he asked.

"Sort of," Donna said at the same time as the boy said, "Yes."

Now, the doctor looked a little amused. "Caleb, what have I told you about fraternizing with my patients?" he asked in a 'just-messing-with-you' tone.

"Caleb?" Donna said, looking back at the boy. "So that's your name."

Caleb grinned. "Personally, I'd prefer 'Your Dream Boy," but sure."

A weird, strangled laugh came out of Donna as she choked on her tongue. "Nice one," she said.

"Thanks for the tea," Caleb said.

"You hardly drank any."

Caleb tilted his head a little, reminding Donna of a puppy. "Yeah, but that's not the point, is it?"

Donna smiled. "I guess not."

Dr. Kumar seemed to get that he was not going to figure out what was going on here. "Donna, check in with me like we talked about, and let me know if you need anything."

Donna nodded and straightened her bag on her shoulder. "It was nice seeing you again," she said to Caleb, and took a few steps down the hall before she was stopped.

"Wait," Caleb said, his voice suddenly serious. Donna turned back. The boy looked around frantically, then grabbed a pamphlet and a pen off a display off the wall and scribbled something on it. He ran to Donna. "Just in case..." his voice trailed off. "Well, you know. I liked what you said, by the way. About not feeling like a real person. I never really thought about it that way, but you're right." And he handed her the pamphlet. Donna looked at it, and saw a phone number written on the top of it.

She really, really didn't know what to say.

"Okay," she said quietly. "Thank you."

Donna put the pamphlet in her bag and left the hospital.