Like Teacher, Like Student /// A Doctor Strange Fanfiction

Chapter 20

"You're really cool, Christine. Like. Super cool."

"Oh boy, I think those pain meds are working extremely well. I probably should've just given you a Tylenol."

Casey waved a hand through the air like a Jedi doing a mindtrick. "No, nah, this is cool."

Christine smiled. "You really like that word."

Casey laughed. "Right now, yeah. Did you like Stephen? I think he like likes you." It sure seemed like he did. "What do you see in him?"

"Kiddo, maybe we should talk about that some other time," Christine said, her eyebrows raised. She glanced away and then focused back on Casey. "Did he say he likes me or something?"

"Nooo, it's just—" Casey fluffed her fingers through her blue and black hair. She examined a lock of it. Huh, she needed more dye. "I can tell."

"I never could," Christine mumbled, or that's what Casey thought she said. "Stephen's not texting back. I have to go check on some other patients, will you be okay in here by yourself?"

"Yes, nice. I almost fell into the scary nightmare basement with the laundry, so I'm pretty tired. Might nap." Casey smiled and nodded, bobbing her head in time to music that she wasn't sure was actually in the room. Was her phone going off? Nope. Hmm. The walls were an ugly shade of blue grey and there weren't any pictures. It was better than the basement in the Sanctum. "I don't like the basement. You guys should decorate in here."

"I'll mention it to the board of directors," Christine said, a bit of a smile on her face. "I guess you're feeling better, at least."

"Loads." Casey bounced her foot against the pillow it was resting on.

Christine made a face at her. "Stop that. It's not magically healed, it's still sprained. Be careful with it." An x-ray had shown that Casey's ankle wasn't broken but the sprain was, according to Christine, severe. Casey felt like it was severely better now that she was on pain meds. She brushed Casey's hair out of her face, her touch gentle and kind and like a mom's. Or what Casey thought that would feel like. "I'll be right back, okay?"

"Hey, wait," Casey said as Christine started to leave. She pushed up on her elbow. "Thank you, Christine. For being cool and nice and stuff."

"You're welcome. Get some rest, and don't move around. No magic."

She saluted. "No magic, no moving. Got it." Once Christine was gone, she flopped back onto the gurney, one arm behind her head to act as a pillow. It had been a long day. And she could still hear music. Where was Stephen? Maybe he was never coming back. No, he'd come back for her.

Casey wasn't sure when she fell asleep, but she woke up to muffled voices on the other side of the door.

"--just a kid. You don't even like kids! And you adopted one? What were you thinking?"

"It's more complicated than that—"

'Don't drag her into your crazy magic world, Stephen. Don't do that to her."

"It's not like I planned this."

Casey swung her legs over the side of the bed. There was a twinge of pain from her sprained ankle, but it was ignorable. Tolerable. Yay pain meds. Why were they fighting? Personally, Casey felt like Christine didn't totally understand, but she appreciated that Christine cared. That was nice.

"I can hear you!" she called, "Through the door. It's just a door. It's not soundproof." Maybe she should eavesdrop or something, but she honestly didn't want to hear them argue. At least not about her. It seemed like it was about her.