The Dress - an Iain de Caestecker Fanfiction

Chapter 13: Check Up

Check up day. You could do this. Just go in, get your clean bill of health, and go back to work on Monday. But what if they found something? What if you weren't alright? What if there was some sort of permanent damage? What if—

"How are you? You look like you're thinking too hard." Iain breaks through your thoughts. He insisted on driving you so you wouldn't have to go alone.

"A little worried. Just a lot to think about... If something goes wrong." 

"Nothin'll go wrong." He reaches over and takes your hand. "You know you've been healing up and you said you're starting to feel normal again. So don't worry."

"But what if—"

"We'll deal with it. There is nothing your doctor will tell you that we can't handle." You stare at him, "what?"

"You said 'we'." You could hardly keep the wonder out of your voice. 

"Of course I did. You remember taking care of me when I was sick? I don't intend to take off when you're needing help. That's not what friends do." Your eyes tear up slightly and you give his hand a squeeze.

After the doctor has performed every conceivable test to determine your mental and physical health, you are sitting alone in the cold office, the scratchy hygiene paper crackling with every twitch and swing of your legs, the door opens suddenly, making you jump. 

"Well, miss Y/N," the doctor begins, "looks like you follow instructions well, you're healing up perfectly."

You let out a breath you didn't realize you were holding,

"You shouldn't have any lingering side effects, but if you find yourself having persistent headaches, especially migraines, you should come back for some additional work. But honestly, I don't expect to see you back any time soon. You're good to go." He smiles reassuringly,

"So, I'm okay to go back to work?"

"I would take it easy for a little while, no stunts, as little strenuous activity as you can manage, and make sure you keep taking care of yourself otherwise, so plenty of rest." 

You smile, utterly relieved, and thank your doctor, but as you walk back out to the car with Iain you have decidedly mixed feelings. You've been itching to get back on set with everyone, but you are still having issues retaining your dialogue, you can quote half a paragraph, but as soon as one word slips, you are lost. 

"Hey, it'll work out just fine. You may be rusty, but it'll come. Try not to worry about it." How was he so good at reading your mind like that? He kisses the top of your head, trying to reassure you, and opens the car door for you. In the few seconds your alone in the car as he walks around to his door, Nicky's words from two nights ago stick out in your mind. You realize, and maybe you already knew, he wasn't just sticking with you as a friend. 

He still loves you.