Wide Awake - Chapter One

Wide Awake - Chapter Three

Copyright 2013  Shelly Crane                    All rights reserved

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Useless Fact Number Three

 Mosquitoes smell with their feet.

          I woke up to movement. I opened my eyes once more to find my bed being leaned down to lie flat. Mason smiled down at me. "Finally," he complained. "I was about to get the hose."

          I squinted at him. "Are you joking?"

          "I am totally joking." He grinned wider. "You're gonna stay funny for me, right? I'm all about the sarcasm."

          "I'll try my hardest," I said as sarcastically as I could manage.

          "Yes!" he said and pumped his fist. "Finally! Someone who can keep up with my witty repertoire."

          "I've got six months' worth stock piled," I pointed to my head, "right here."

          He laughed harder and then leaned down to pick my head up by my neck. "OK, seriously now, I'm going to remove the pillow," and he did so, "because I find it's best to do the exercises when you're flat on your back." He looked behind him and I noticed a man there for the first time. "This is Mr. Garner. He's the physical therapist I work under." He leaned in and whispered, "But honestly, I do all the work." I found myself smiling. "They came and did the blood test while you were sleeping, so we're ready to get started."

          I looked up at him. In the movement of the air around me, I realized that I smelled different. I turned my head to sniff my shirt and found it clean with a hint of peppermint. I squinted. Did I even like peppermint? And I realized I had lipgloss on. Upon tasting it, I found it was cherry. I did like that, I could tell, because my tongue sneaked out to taste it again. I moved my gaze back to Mason.

          "Are you done?" he teased.

          I flushed. "Sorry. My mom gave me a…sponge bath, I guess."

          "She does that every day before our session."

          "She does?"

          "Yeah," he sighed. "No better people than those two, let me tell you. They may be strangers to you, but I guarantee you, you have their unconditional love, no matter what."

          "You're so…" I could think of nothing, so I stuck to sarcasm, "wise, Yoda."

          He smirked. And I'd be lying if I said it didn't make my heart, which was just as much a stranger in my chest as anything else, beat a little faster.

          "Mason," Mr. Garner said, looking up from his clipboard, "I've got to finish all this paperwork for the audit. Are you fine here alone?"

          "Sure. Of course."

          "Great." Mr. Garner looked at me. He was in his thirties, and tall and lanky. His head was quite large, which led me to hope his brain was large, too, if he was deciding my fate. "I'm so, so sorry. It was nice to meet you, but honestly, you'll see way more of Mason than me anyway. I run the entire therapy department and Mason is the best I've got so, you're in good hands."

          I tried not to gulp at that statement. "No worries. Nice to meet you."

          "And you, Miss Walker. Mason."