Work of Art

Chapter 33

Nick left school that day like usual, having forgotten all about Alice's foreboding words. Like usual, she headed to her car in the parking lot, then waited in the heavy end-of-school-day traffic. The snow that had hardened into ice slowed traffic down even more considerably. 

By the time Nick arrived at the hospital, she was thoroughly annoyed because of the time she had lost due to the slowed traffic. To make up for it, she hurried out of her car, quickly grabbing her paint bag from the trunk and power walking to the front doors. Nick's eyes were trained on the front entrance, the cold air practically burning her lungs as she hurried across the blacktop. It was a fairly slow day for the hospital it appeared; even despite the icy conditions, there were only a few cars in the front lot. As she hurried across the lot, she couldn't help but think she really ought to start working out more, with how out of breath she was and how sore her legs were--

As soon as the thought crossed her mind, her sore legs were no longer underneath her.

"Shit!" she yelped as she found herself splayed awkwardly on the ground, another surprised scream leaving her mouth as she landed awkwardly on her right leg, the contents of her painting bag partially spilled beside her.

Grace, seated at the front receptionist's desk, looked up quickly as she heard the two screams pierce the air in succession.

"Nick!" she exclaimed as she hurriedly stood and quickly made her way out the front doors, watching her step much more carefully than Nick had.

The girl was still on the ground but had pulled her legs into a more comfortable position in front of her and she was quickly picking up all of her spilled painting supplies. She barely felt the icy water seeping through her jeans in her stunned state.

Grace reached her in less than in minute, squatting down to help her collect her art supplies from their scattered positions in the parking lot. "Are you all right?" she asked worriedly as she did so.

"Yeah," Nick replied, "I think just a little startled." "And maybe bruised," she added on after a brief pause.

Grace straightened herself and extended a hand, "Let me at least help you up."

Nick took her hand to brace herself to stand atop the icy patch, left leg first and then...

"Oh fuck!" she exclaimed, not even caring to apologize for her language.

Grace looked at the girl concerned, looking her over quickly. She stood firmly on her left leg, but her right was carefully lifted above the ground. "Oh dear," she sighed to herself.

"Can you walk?" she asked louder.

Nick took a deep breath. "Yes?"

"Here, give me your bag and put your arm around my shoulder."

And with that, the pair hobbled toward the front doors.

Carlisle was sitting in his office, catching up on the load of paperwork he had missed in the past two days of his absence when he froze. What his ears were unable to pick up, his body detected. The hairs on his arm stood as a strange sense of panic overtook him and he quickly stood. Returning to an acceptably human speed, Carlisle left his office to go investigate.

The first thing he noticed when he entered the front waiting room was Grace's unusual absence. The second was the whir of the front door swinging open as a result of the handicapped button being pressed. The sound and movement immediately drew his eyes.

"Oh good, Dr. Cullen!" Grace loudly spoke, sounding relieved.

Before the woman could even ask, Carlisle was at Nick's other side. He deftly grabbed her other arm and put it up around his shoulders. Nick wasn't short by any means, but it was still a reach to comfortably place her arm around his neck. Had Nick's ankle not been drawing her full attention, this fact would not have slipped her mind. Grace let go of the girl, letting the doctor take the lead.