Another Reason To Live (Watty Awards 2014)

Chapter 21

Chapter 21:

I was actually ready this time. 

As I sat down on my couch with a portable mug of coffee in my hands, which I had bought on my way back from the hospital, I felt refreshed and prepared.  I knew that to expect from this visit and compared to the last visit, it would be obvious that things were better.

"Scarlette, can you please get the door?  I'm still making my tea," my mother called out from the kitchen.

I feel several different sarcastic comebacks flow to the tip of my tongue, but I chose not to actually verbalize them.  Instead, I said, "Sure thing," and walked out of the living room and into the front entry way.  On the way, I passed by my dad, who raised his eyebrows at me, silently telling me that he wasn't exactly excited about having Doctor Harvey visit again.

Initially, I thought her visits were over.  But my mom insisted on another visit from her, a follow up, just to "make sure that she sticks by her diagnosis".  So she called her up again and planned this second meeting between the four of us, and the only reason why my dad went along with it was to make my mom happy.  Once again, he seemed to be on my side, which made me somewhat happy.

I gripped my warm mug of coffee in my left hand and opened the front door with my right.  Doctor Harvey stood squarely in front of the door, this time dressed in nearly all black, rather than gray, like the last time she was over.  Black blazer, pants, shoes, and a baby blue shirt under it all.  At least she was mixing it up a little.

"Hi Doctor Harvey, come on in," I greeted, moving aside so she could step inside.

"Thank you, Scarlette," she replied, swiftly moving through the doorway and stepping onto the carpet.  

I shut the door and led her through the kitchen and into the living room, where my parents were already seated on the sofas, in the same places as the previous time that Doctor Harvey graced us with her presence.

Sitting down next to my dad, I took a sip of my coffee and tucked my legs under me.  Doctor Harvey had a seat on the opposite couch and rested her briefcase on her lap.  She extracted her notepad and pen from the bag and set it down at her feet.

"Alright," she said, clicking her pen and crossing her legs, "how is everyone doing?"

Although her question was directed at the lot of us, she was looking directly at me.  So I took this as a subtle hint to answer her question.

"Things have improved a lot," I replied, clutching my coffee a little tighter.

Doctor Harvey nodded.  "That's good to hear, Scarlette.  In what ways?"

I shrugged.  "My friend woke up a few days ago and I've been able to visit him a lot.  It's just nice to have him back."

She smiled and wrote something down on her notepad.  "So - Gerard, is it? - woke up recently, and you've been visiting him.  Have you been able to resume your friendship?"

"I mean, yeah, when he's not sleeping or resting.  He seems pretty normal to me."

More nodding.  "Good, good.  So how have your parents reacted to this turn of events?"

That was my mother's cue to jump into the conversation.  "I'm happy that Scarlette's friend has woken up and that he's in good health," she began, speaking somewhat slowly, "but pertaining to Scarlette's constant visits to the hospital, she's hardly ever home."

Doctor Harvey nodded and wrote something else down.  She pursed her lips before asking, "And how does her absence from the household make you feel?  Angry?  Sad?"