Rhekker - Saved

(6)- Stepping Away

Dr Charles stood in the doorway of Ava's room. "Still no sign of him?" he asked her. It had been a few days since Ava had disclosed her decision to leave Chicago, and after Connor's abrupt exit, she hadn't heard from him since. He hadn't come back, or even asked about when he could see her again. It was like he was avoiding her again, just as she had always feared he would.

"No," Ava replied, shaking her head. It was stupid of her to think that he would actually show up to see her. After hearing the news that Ava wouldn't be returning to work at the hospital, Connor had left the room, and not come back since. "He's not coming, again," Ava sighed. She knew it, he wouldn't be coming to see her and there wasn't a lot she could do about it. After all, she was confined within the psychiatric ward because, for some reason, everyone was still convinced that she was crazy.

"Don't give up hope just yet," Dr Charles said, in a hopeful attempt to reassure her. It didn't work. "You know, he might show up today. Maybe he's just running late. He returned to work a few days ago. I have no doubt that he's probably very busy right now." Dr Charles nodded. "Don't give up on Connor, yet. He might still come to see you." Ava didn't agree with that, she knew that he wasn't going to come.

"He won't come," Ava answered, and she knew it. Connor had taken what she said badly, and he was now going out of his way to avoid her. "He isn't coming back to see me. It's because I told him about my decision." Ava paused. She had already discussed this choice at great length with Dr Charles. "About my decision to leave Chicago and work somewhere else. Judging by the fact that he hasn't come back, I don't think that he's too happy about it."

"I imagine that it's very hard for him," Dr Charles replied, trying to rationalise Connor's response. "The two of you were very close for a while, and he definitely still cares about you. I mean, he has to, because he tried so hard to come and see you." Dr Charles looked at Ava, sympathetically, which was a look that she hated. "I think that keeping his distance from you might be the easiest thing for Connor right now, given everything that happened, and now this. I think he just doesn't want to come to the terms that you are, in fact, moving away from Chicago."

Ava nodded. She understood it, to a degree, but she just still couldn't completely see Connor's point of view. Yes, he could definitely be bothered by her decision, but to just walk out of the room like that and not come back at all, for days. There was distancing yourself, and then there was distancing yourself. "I get that," Ava said. "But I'm stuck here. I can't leave. I can't tell him that if he just came back to see me, that I would explain everything to him."

Dr Charles sighed. "I think that you're forgetting something, Ava," he said. "Or someone. You know, I'm sure that if I mentioned to Connor that you needed to see him and talk to him, I'm sure that he wouldn't mind coming down here for a few minutes, to hear you out." He nodded. "Connor may be frustrated with your decision right now, but he's not unreasonable. I'll talk to him. I'll mention it."

"Thank you," Ava said, gratefully. Dr Charles really had supported her throughout the situation, listening to her, providing resolutions for any of her issues. When she first came to the psychiatric ward, Ava had felt completely humiliated by the entire experience. She didn't want anything to do with it. Now, she was still conflicted, but at least she could admit that it was helping her. She was seeing things clearer now, the reason why she did what she did.

"Of course," Dr Charles replied, nodding. "But you never know. Perhaps Connor is on his way right now. He could have just been held up with a difficult surgery. You know, yourself, how difficult that can be." Dr Charles leaned his head out of the door to look down the hallway, both ways. Connor was nowhere to be seen. "Don't give up on him yet, Ava," Dr Charles reminded her, firmly. "He could still come. He may still show up." She seriously doubted that would happen.