enemy to doctor - the hating game

9 - the clinic

A touch on my shoulder and a cool breeze awaken me. I open my eyes and meet a pair of blue ones.

"We're here Luce."

I attempt to sit up and feel a hand on my back helping me in the motion. I'm still dizzy from the sleep and take a few more seconds to adjust to the light and pain in my body.

"It hurts."

"I know. I'll take care of it inside. Come here."

Again I'm being lifted out of the car and rest my head upon Josh's chest as he closes the door with his leg and starts walking toward a massive gate. It automatically opens and reveals a big white mansion with a grande inner courtyard. Before even arriving at the tall entrance door made out of almost black wood, it swings open and a man comes into sight.

"Hey Josh. Come inside."

"Hi Pat. Thanks for helping me on such short notice."

"Always brother. It's my day off so I'm completely free. Place her on here."

A white stretcher comes into my sight and then I'm laying on it. Josh's brother comes into my sight and takes my hand to shake it gently.

"Hi. I'm Patrick, Josh's older brother. I'm a surgeon and doctor at the Saint Mary Hospital. "

"Hello" I rasp. "I'm Lucy. Thank you for helping me."

"No need to thank me. I help where and whenever I can." His smile is warm and I immediately feel a little relieved. They look so similar.

"Let's go into my office."

Josh grabs the stretcher and starts pushing it down the hallway into the right side of the building. After entering a second hallway we finally walk through a door. Into a literal doctors office. The feeling of comfortability vanishes within a blink as I take in the white surfaces and all the different devices. The worst though are the hospital smell and the bright lights. I immediately wish myself back into Josh's apartment.
They stop the stretcher in the middle of the room next to a metal table filled with different- stuff.

"She said she was in pain when we got here. I already placed an IV so that's not necessary anymore but it slipped halfway out."

Josh makes his way to my left and rolls up my sleeve to show my IV to his brother.

"No problem, just remove a needle from a new IV and insert it in hers and just push it in again."

They both walk to a sink and wash and disinfect their hands, then come back and put gloves on.
Josh starts to remove the tape and bandaging from my elbow crook while his brother seems to be searching for something.
My heart starts to beat faster again as I see Pat handing a long needle to Josh. Our eyes meet for a second but then his attention is on my arm once again. I feel him putting the needle into the tube in my arm until I feel a sharp pinch.
I flinch and Josh's eyes flash to mine.

"Sorry Shortcake. Breathe in for me."

I take a big shaky breath.

"And slowly out."

I clench my eyes shut as the needle once again enters my flesh and slides deeper. A pained sound escapes me and my muscles begin to tense.

"Done. Pat, can you bandage and tape this properly so that this doesn't happen again?"

"Sure, on it."

This is so much worse. Everything that happened in Josh's apartment yesterday was horrible but he was there for me the whole entire time. He gave me time and made me feel safe. But this here. Being in this sterile white room is what makes the realization hit. I star up at the ceiling while Pat puts tape and a bandage around my elbow crook. Then Josh appears with a bag with liquid that he hangs upon a steel rack. I can feel the cold fluid making its way through my veins just seconds later.

"Hey, Luce."

Suddenly I feel a warm hand on my cheek and turn to the right where Josh is leaning over me.

"I know how you must be feeling. This environment and all the things we're doing with you- I just want you to tell me whenever u need a break. When  you want to get out of this room or get some fresh air, just tell me okay?"

A little tear escapes the corner of my eye. God why am I so sensitive.

"Okay" I whisper.

"Alright, so Lucy? I'll explain to you now what exactly we will do."

My head shoots back towards Pat who is holding, surprise surprise, another needle in his hand.

"First we'll take your blood and send it in. I should get a result within less than two hours. Meanwhile I will clean the wounds and stitched areas and see if some cover up work needs to be done. Then I'll numb everything and make an ultrasound. Josh, can you take her blood? Im gonna go and get some desinfection and numbing stuff out of the surgery room."

Damn, a surgery room? What is this. A private hospital??

"Sure. Where are the butterflies?"

"Take this one. I'll be back in a few minutes."

Josh walks over to a cabinet and takes out a few utensils before placing them in a metal tray.
When he returns his facial expression is pained.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

"Nothing, I'm just wondering when the hell I will be able to stop hurting you."

He rolls up my sleeve and tightens a band around my upper arm.

"It's okay, I-"

"I know it needs to be done and it's for the best but fuck, this shit is tough. I mean, last night? I don't think I will ever forget about the expression on your face or the feeling when you passed out from pain."

He sprays disinfection spray on my right elbow crook and wipes it clean.

"And here I am once again, hurting you."

His finger is searching for a suitable vein and I close my eyes.

"I just don't want to hurt you anymore Luce, I really don't."

I feel the needle being pushed through my skin. And into my vein. Nothing more than a little whimper escapes my lips and I clench my eyes.

"You lost quite a bit of blood yesterday. That's why your body is refusing to give more. It'll take a minute."

I open my eyes and watch as Josh's fingers move over the ampules, each slowly being filled with my blood.

"Do you feel dizzy or nauseous?"

Josh looks up at me for a few seconds before returning his eyes to my arm.

"No no. I'm fine. Just exhausted. The pain is bearable."

Josh removes the last ampulla and then pulls the needle out of my arm. He then takes a compress and pushes it onto the pinch.
For the next minute he simply presses the compress onto my skin without saying a word, then presumes to put a stripe of tape over it.

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What do you think about Patrick!?

And how do you like the change from the apartment to the clinic!

Next chapters are bouta be interesting... ;)