Just Ales

Chapter 10 (Just Ales)

*Important Author's Note: I'm makign some maor changes to the story so that it goes in the direction I want it to. First of all, I had previously said Ales was 17, and that Jer was going to make her attend high school so she would graduate. I'm making Ales 19, so she would have graduated the previous year because I don't want her to still be in high school. That's basically it. xoxo*

When I gained consciousness, I didn’t immediately open my eyes. I stayed with the soothing darkness under my eyelids as I tried to figure out what was going on.

A small point of my arm itched, and I moved my other hand there to scratch it only to find a mess of small rubber tubes that all connected to a needle in my wrist. I opened my eyes quickly. I had mistaken the pain of the needle for an itch similar to a mosquito bite.

I looked around me. I was in an isolated hospital room. The walls were a sterile white, and I was dressed in a flimsy hospital gown and connected to an IV drip. The room was quite small, but I had it all to myself, which was quite lucky as I was pretty sure I looked like a walking zombie at the moment. My hair was natty and unkempt, long strands of the brown hair tangling themselves together. My eyes felt puffy and swollen.

There was a chair in the corner of the room, in which Jer was slumped, snoring loudly. I decided against waking him, and instead tried to sit up. I had gotten about halfway up into a comfortable sitting position when my arms gave out, and I flopped down on the bed again. My breath caught in my throat. What was going on?

I started my struggle to sit up again just when the door opened, and a tall man in scrubs let himself into the room.

“You’re awake!” He said, and walked over to my bed.

“Yes…” I said, watching while he fiddled with some controls. The bed folded itself upward so I could sit up with my back supported.

“Thank you,” I said, and then rapidly, “Why am I here? What happened? Why do my arms feel weak? How long was I passed out?”

The man – my doctor, I presumed – pulled up an extra chair, and sat down next to my bed. 

I observed him without looking like I was creeping. He was really quite attractive, with dark hair that made his green eyes stand out against his face. And he was young for a doctor – he looked to be only a few years older than me, maybe in his early early twenties.

He grabbed a clipboard that had been pinned up near my bed, and flipped through the pages, his eyes scanning the information recorded there. He pulled a stubby pencil out of his pocket, and scrawled something onto the sheet before placing it back on the wall. I squinted my eyes, and made out my name typed neatly on the top of the pages.

Wait….my name?

Like, my name name. As in, Alessandra Heartwood.

Jer was still snoring in his chair, which was lucky for him because if he’d been awake I probably would have killed him. My secret was out- it was all over.

I turned back to the young doctor. He probably hated me. Probably thought I was a weak coward, just like everyone else.

He smoothly held out his hand and introduced himself: “My name is Nicholas Andrews, and it is a pleasure to finally meet you. I’ve heard so much about you, Alessandra.”

I regarded him suspiciously as I shook his hand briefly. “How many people know I’m here?” I asked, almost afraid of the answer.

“None,” he said but then corrected himself,  “One: Me.”

That was not the answer I had been expecting, and my eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

“My family has been good friends with Jerry for quite some time. When you collapsed, instead of calling the hospital, Jer called me. I was able to get you a private room, in case we needed the medical technology of the hospital, and have been the only person attending you. Your secret is safe with me.”

Ah. I looked over at the old man fondly. I wouldn’t have to kill him after all. (Not that I ever would have)

“Thank you, Dr. Andrews,” I started. He stopped me straight off.

“Please, call me Nicholas. That sounds way too formal. Also, I am not technically a doctor yet.” He said. My suspicious look returned, so he quickly continued: “I did an accelerated pre-med program for my undergrad, and now I’m at Columbia’s Medical School. As a part of their program you get to choose a hospital to work at for six months, and I chose this one because it’s close to home. I graduated high school two years early, so I’m only twenty-two.”

“Oh, wow,” I said. He must be extremely smart and well on his way to the top of his chosen medical career.

Nicholas looked down suddenly, and his cheeks colored. “I’m sorry Alessandra. I probably sound like I have the biggest ego,” he said ruefully.

“No, not at all!” I responded. “I think it’s really interesting. And call me Ales. The only people who call me Alessandra are my parents, and that’s when they’re mad at me.”

The corners of his mouth quirked up, and he studied his hands for a moment. I wondered what he was thinking until he broke the silence by asking about my physical condition.

“Do you have a headache?”

I frowned, and reached up to touch my temple. “Actually, yes.” I massaged my fingers into my head for momentary relief.

He fired off a few more quick questions, and seemed relieved by my answers. He jotted something else onto the clipboard, and then sat up and tucked his pencil away.

“Not to worry; it’s just like I thought. Jer told me about what you’ve been through the past few months, and it has really taken a toll on your system. The stress and emotional upheaval completely wore you down. Now, normally you would have recovered from that in time, but you were also several dehydrated these past few days, and that really took it out of you. You must remember to drink a lot of water. Carry around a water bottle with you whenever you can, and make sure you are getting enough electrolytes as well. This was a close call, and we don’t want it to happen again.”

I swallowed. So that was what the IV was for. “Okay,” I said.

Just then, Jer stirred in his chair. He opened his eyes sleepily and quickly sat up once he saw I was awake.

“Ales! Thank goodness.” He said, relief echoing in his every word. I smiled at him, my eyes drooping slightly with exhaustion.

“You’re stuck with me,” I joked, letting my body drop back down onto the bed.

Jer’s face morphed into an expression of concern at my lack of energy.

“Don’t worry,” Nicholas said, reading his face, “she’s just tired. Now’s a good time, actually, I need a word with you in the hallway.”

Nicholas and Jer went into the hallway, shutting the door behind them. I could barely make out a few words of their conversation through the hospital door.

Nicholas: “Still doesn’t know….young…at least…next week?”

Jer: “Good soul….get to know….talk to her?”

Nicholas’s voice, much clearer : “I have to tell her….no…soon”

I didn’t have to energy to figure out what they were talking about, and I fell back asleep.