enemy to doctor - the hating game

5 - needles, needles...

"I read the records. Listen to me Lucy. I don't know what the hell you were thinking, going paintballing 11 days after a pretty big surgery as it seems to me. What was it? Like 6 hours?"

"Seven."

Josh releases a tense breath pushing a fist against his lips.

"You haven't even gotten the threads pulled. Your abdomen is covered in hematomas. And the wounds are inflamed. I know that you're a strong woman, god stronger than any woman I've ever met but that was not the right decision. The incisions they made were- not minor ones. They were working on organs and that requires time to heal. At least a month. The blood that you threw up earlier-
It could either be a result of the missing fluid in your stomach or an inner bleeding."

Oh fuck.

"I can't make a diagnosis about that. But my brother can. We'll give him a visit first thing tomorrow in the morning. But I still believe that this is nothing I can't take care of right now."

I watch his eyes part from mine and follow them as they look onto what is laying inside of his lap. A big plastic bag filled with some liquid and inscriptions on the bag itself. He opens the kit and- oh no.

Oh nonononono.

"Josh, what the hell do you think-"

My eyes widen as he takes out an IV and puts on a pair of gloves. Then he takes the plastic cap of the needle.

"It's the only way of getting something in your system. And you need this something in your system. Now."

His fingers are already on my arm and he's pulling it onto his lap inspecting the crook of my elbow for a suitable vein. I think I'm going to faint.

"Close your eyes. I'll tell you when to take a deep breath. I'll make it quick I promise."
He strokes my arm, reassuringly. And his eyes are full of genuines. So i do what I never ever thought in my deepest dreams I would do. I trust Joshua.
To put a needle in my arm.
He sprays something onto the vein and wipes it clean. Then suddenly his grip strengthens around my elbow and-

"Breathe in Shortcake. And don't move for me, okay?"

I breathe in and clench my eyes shut as I feel the needle pushing through my skin. I wince and Josh strokes a finger over my skin. A few seconds pass.

"One more time Luce, I gotta push the tube in deeper."

So I breathe in again. And this time I sob. It takes a few more seconds for him to fully get the tube up my vein, then I open my eyes to see Josh pulling out the needle from the tube inside of my arm and putting it into one of those metal trays. He takes a long white bandage and starts wrapping it around the IV, careful not to hurt me.
Still, a singular tear runs down my cheek and he looks up at my face just in time to wipe it away with his thumb. Then he attaches the bag to the tube now hanging out of my arm and places it on a pillow next to me.

"Good job Luce," he says while resting his hand in the curve of my collarbone "you're good now. It's okay, it's all going to be okay. We'll figure out how to deal with this."

I smile. It's a sad smile.

"I owe you I think."
He lifts his brows obviously questioning my statement.

"I think you're delirious Shortcake." He winks. "You need to eat something. The stuff I gave you reacts better with your body if there's food in your system. Ramen sounds good?"

Now that he mentions it and the fear from the IV and everything seems to calm, I actually feel a slight appetite.

"Yes, Ramen sounds just fine."
He nods and then walks into the kitchen to prepare exactly what I need right now. Still, I don't forget about my abdomen and the pounding pain radiating from the broken skin.
So I push myself onto my elbows and slide a hand to my shirt, pulling it up. It's just now that I realize the red spots on the once white shirt. They're still wet.