What Lies Beneath The Clearing

13.5

"Hold on, you what?" Jay came to an abrupt stop in his stride after listening to Lennox's colourful opening to their conversation.

'I just thought you should know I'm at the hospital, dad wanted to have me checked out after I woke up without a cast on my leg this morning' she'd explained.

Yet Jay didn't feel as though she'd explained anything at all, and was resisting the urge to abandon his rookie and drive straight to the hospital.

"What do you mean you woke up without a cast?"

"Well I don't know what happened, one minute I was asleep, the next dad's sticking his stethoscope in my face telling me to wake up, I didn't even know anything was different until he asked me where it was. I thought he was being stupid."

"But you're okay, right?"

"Oh yeah, I'm fine, there's nothing wrong with me. Anymore, that is."

"So your leg is fixed? It's okay?"

"Yeah, seriously it's like I never did the damage, and my arm is fine too, I'm not in any pain, I can walk now which is nice, oh my God you have no idea how much I missed it-"

"Lennox, just...how is that possible?"

"Honestly? I don't know. But I'm healthy. The hospital proved it, all my tests came back fine."

"Why didn't you call me as soon as you went to the hospital? How long have you been there?"

"We got here around 7, I think?"

"7? Lennox it's past 10 you didn't think to call me sooner?"

"I...well, I didn't...I didn't know I had to." Lennox's sudden nerve in her voice told Jay that he was being a little more intense than he needed to be.

He stopped pacing as he sighed. "You're right. You didn't, I'm sorry, I'm just...I didn't sleep that well, it was a long night I don't need to take that out on you, I'm sorry."

"Well are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine."

"Really? Because you don't sound fine."

Jay's eyes closed as he tried to keep his mouth shut, but he knew she'd just keep asking until he told her what was wrong.

"Chelsea and I broke up. I got home last night and my apartment was cleared out, she was gone."