Fix You

Chapter Six

"We may seek, too, a relaxing of inhibitions that makes it easier to bond with each other, or transports that make our consciousness of time and mortality easier to bear. We seek a holiday from our inner and outer restrictions, a more intense sense of the here and now, the beauty and value of the world we live in."

It was quiet on the beach, the sound of the waves lapping against the shore was a soothing balm to her soul. The sun was beginning its descent, orange fingers slowly overlapping each other in the sky. Maine woke up from her nap feeling refreshed. Richard and his dad were on the beach when she left them two hours ago, to give them a chance to catch up on their own.

They waved her over a few yards away from their cottage, both clad in board shorts and plain white shirts, sipping fruit shakes while lounging under a shade of trees. Richard Sr. stood up and smiled at her before leaving them. She was suddenly self-conscious, being alone with Richard without the security of her white coat. He was holding two clipboards with blank sheets of paper, and handed one to her. He began writing on his board.

"How was your nap?"

"It was fine, I feel rested, thanks. I feel like I'm not working, like I'm on a vacation."

"But you are. You're not here to work, you're a guest."

"You shouldn't have taken me then. You should be with your dad, he'll be gone soon."

"I asked to him to take you with us."

"Why?"

"Because I like you, Maine. I want to spend time with you. Not as your patient."

He slid on the bench to be closer to her, taking his tablet and showing her a video compilation of his competitions in swimming, the awards he won, and a breakdown of his statistics. It was a video used by his coach to solicit financial support for his training and travel to the Rio Olympics, a campaign that successfully raised the funds he needed. He started writing on his board again.

"You gave me hope to compete again soon. I know I can do it with you."

"You know I'll help you, RJ. Even after you leave rehab, I promise to help you."

"I really thought my life was over. Thank you for going beyond being my doctor. You were my friend."

"I will always be your friend, RJ."

"Don't be. I want more."

She laughed, not because it was funny. She was giddy with happiness. Maine knew she had feelings for him but always put her feelings aside to let the doctor in her perform responsibilities that needed to be prioritized. She kissed his cheek, caressing the stubble on his chin. He took her other hand and pulled her close to kiss her mouth, the mouth he always watched when he still couldn't move so much.

She rested her head on his shoulder, letting his arms engulf her in a hug that made her feel loved. Even the strongest people, people like her who are required to always be strong for others, also need to be cherished and protected.

In his arms, it felt good to be the weak one.

-------

That night, they played Pokemon together, going online to play against each other. Maine challenged Richard to beat her to become the league champion. Richard had already reached Generation IV of the game, exactly where Maine stopped when her internship work demanded more of her time. Both lined up their defenses, Richard using fire pokemons while Maine chose water pokemons.

Maine was too distracted to put up a really good fight. She was too happy to be competitive, too distracted to pay attention to the game. In the end, despite a valiant effort to concentrate on the game, she lost good-naturedly to Richard.

"I...won!" Richard said, laughing and poking her near the ribs.

"You won because I let you," Maine protested, laughing. "Ang daya mo, pa-cute ka ng pa-cute kaya ako natalo."

"Re...match." Richard challenged her, winking.

"Yes, rematch. I will beat you next time," She said, but hugged him just the same.

His dad observed them from the doorway, content to see his son happy. He was glad he was over Rhiann, the cause of his son's accident. Maine healed Richard both physically and emotionally.

For the rest of the night, Richard and Maine stayed on the beach, staring at the stars, talking, learning about each other more. She told him how Jake helped her get her internship at White Cross, but made sure to always remind her she was nothing without his help. They separated when her internship started, because Maine wanted to concentrate on her internship.

Richard told her about the accident, how he chased after Rhiann over a petty fight, how he tried to avoid a wayward motorcycle and rammed his car into the back of a truck. He showed her his scar, a six-inch line behind his ear, right along his hairline.

And there were lots of hugs, cuddling and laughing. Richard tickling her, kissing her neck, running his fingers through her hair, tracing the outline of her lips with his hand. She never realized how clingy she was, she liked being in his arms. It felt so good to feel young again, to forget all the tragic stories of her patients and just be with Richard this way.

The best things in life are, indeed free.