The Comeback

Chapter 10 - Cleared Up

Chapter 10 - Cleared Up

Mum and Zayn are here when I finish my physiotherapy session of today, and both are smiling widely as I make my way inside the room with Cassidy next to me. She doesn’t make me use the wheelchair anymore, and that’s helped a lot. I don’t move like a grandfather anymore, more like a turtle or a very, very lazy teenage boy who can’t bother to walk faster. Rob says I’m doing great and soon I’ll be walking like I normally do, without getting tired so easily and everything.

“Hey,” I greet as Cass closes the door and I walk up to the bed, where I sit down. “You’re here earlier,” I say and Mum comes to me to kiss my cheek.

“We’re on time,” Zayn says, his smile turning into a grin. “You just took longer to come back.”

I feel my cheeks getting warmer as I take a small glimpse at Cass who’s smiling apologetically. Yeah, we may or may not have got a bit distracted on or way back. Cass showed me the other patients she helps, the kids and even that fellow Niall. He still looks at Cassidy with puppy eyes and that makes me wonder, do I look at her like that, too? I know we’ve become friends and she’s made my whole stay here more endurable, but I’d hate it if I looked at Cassidy the way that bloke does. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a really nice fella and funny and loud, but he seems infatuated with Cass and I don’t like that.

I don’t know if it’s because I feel like I have to protect her or something, but I just don’t like that bloke getting closer to Cassie. I feel like it’s my job to keep an eye on her because she belongs to someone else, and that someone is not me; but then a part of me doesn’t like that idea either.

And here we go again… overthinking. This is becoming a really bad habit of mine.

“I’m sorry,” Cassidy says snapping me back to the present and away from my crazy thoughts. “We passed by to see some friends. It’s my fault.”

“Oh, don’t worry, sunshine,” Mum tells her. She has grown really fond of Cass. “Zayn is just messing with Liam, but it’s fine. We just got here.”

Cassidy smiles widely and sweetly, and I smile at the picture. Cass also seems fond of my Mum. They get in a conversation that doesn’t include us and I keep watching them, without getting rid of the smile on my face.

“You made a new friend, didn’t you?” Zayn asks and I turn away immediately, focusing on my friend next to me. He is grinning again. “I didn’t think she was your type, though.”

“I don’t like her that way, Zayn,” I tell him and his grin grows wider. “Really. She is just a good friend I made here in the hospital. That’s all.”

“Sure, mate,” the black-haired boy agrees sarcastically and I roll my eyes. I won’t argue about this topic when she is in the room. I won’t even try to tell him that Cassidy could be anyone’s type just because she is beautiful, in her own way. But if I tell him that I know he won’t understand it and will only tease me further. I only understood this because I’ve spent time with her, because I’ve really seen her. It’s different from only looking at her.

Nevertheless, I don’t have to argue or anything, because just in that moment the door opens and my doctor is here with a nurse. “Hello. Looking fine, Liam,” he tells me and I smile as a greeting. Mum leaves Cassidy’s side and approaches to the doctor, expectantly.

“How’s he? What about the test results?” Mum asks in a hurry and the doctor smiles nicely.

“It’s all right, Mrs Payne. Your son is fine.” Then he focusses his attention on me. “You need this prescription,” he says as he starts to write something down. “Take these if you feel pain and you can’t bear it. If the pain doesn’t go away, take these for three days every eight hours. And if that doesn’t work, you come here again, okay? Only if the pain is too much, Liam. You have to be kind with your liver,” he finishes with a soft chuckle, ripping the page away and handing it to me. “And that’s it, you’re cleared up. Mrs Payne,” he addresses to my mother this time. “I need you to sign some forms and you can leave with your son.”