Soulless

Eight | The Cherry on Top

Lunden Evergreen

Looking confused, he shut the door behind him before the nurse came back, and I opened my palms. I stare down at them, embarrassed, and then at him.

"I have to get stitches, and I don't want to do it alone; you don't have to stay, but." He shook his head and shrugged. Stepping beside me he took my palms into his hands to stare at them.

"I don't mind; being alone is not fun." He lifted my palm close to his eyes and then glanced back at me, "How long have you been doing this?"

"I don't realize I'm doing it until someone else points it out or if I look down and see my palms. It's kind of an unconscious thing when I get anxious all of a sudden or I'm stressed" The nurse practitioner returned with a kit in hand and sanitizer.

As she placed the wipe against my hand causing a stinging sensation to be felt. I closed my eyes tight as I saw the needle. Now, I wasn't afraid of most things in this life, but needles were one of them.

"Could you tell me before you stitch it up?" I opened my eyes to her, nodding and sharpening up the needle. I think I'm going to be sick. They made me squeamish.

"Ok, I'm going to do it now," She warns me, and I close my eyes in fear; as the needle goes in, I find myself pressing against his chest.

Now, a new fear fills me, the one where I'm hugging my professor in fear of needles. I felt his arm wrap around my back and hand on my shoulder, squeezing me as I hissed in pain from the numbing needle.

I didn't expect it, the the entire time he held me tight. No words shared just me with silent tears. I hated needles since I was a child; nurses literally had to pin me down.

"Alright, Lunden, it's all stitched up." I opened my eyes and sat up, nodding, "Do you meet with someone about this? I know evidently you have emotional support like your boyfriend here." I felt my face pale from her words, and immediately, I shook my head.

"Oh, we are not together." He quickly cut in.

"But I do have support; they know about this," I reassure her, and she nods.

"I'm just going to send you a referral to someone. It's really important, you could get infections or sick or even worse. Just want to make sure you are being safe, Lunden." She excused herself, and I took a deep breath, staring at my palms.

"I'm sorry for leaning against you; that was totally inappropriate." The first time I ever apologized to Atlas was to Dr.Thayer.

"It's alright, Miss Evergreen."

"It's Lunden," I offer and slowly stand from the chair. Thank you for being here again when you didn't have to." The Nurse comes back in and hands me some papers to sign.

Then, soon, me and Dr.Thayer parted ways.

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The alarm blared, and my hand slammed against my phone. There was a clattering sound, which I solved as my phone had fallen off the bed. I reached for it on the nightstand to find it missing, confirming my suspicions.

I groaned, reaching for the ground. I collected my phone and turned off the ear-bleeding alarm. I hated today already. As I sat up, I remembered what it consisted of my mother and me on campus.