Under the Mask

Saving Me

*Lillian POV*

"Now, I am concerned that the incision across your abdomen is still crusty and slightly inflamed. I know you said you opened it and your medical student friend stitched you back up. First off, if you break you stitches, you need to be stitched up by a medical professional and not some student that increases your risk for infection. Second, if you have been taking certain medication, like anti-inflammatories and pain killers in excess, those can slow down the healing process of wounds." The mid-aged doctor shoots me knowing glance from under is peppered eyebrows as he places a fresh bandage over my incision.

I swallow hesitant, eyes downcast to my the black PJ tank top in my hands that Rosinante packed for me, "If I stayed clean how long until it heals up and until I get back to exercising?"

He gives me a small comforting smile and places a weathered hand on my shoulder, "Maybe a week. Your friend did a good job patching you up. If you stay away from anti-infammatories and strong pain killers, you will be surprised how fast the body heals."

"Thank you doctor." I place a forged smile on my lips.

"The nurse will be in to hand you some paperwork, after you fill them out you should be good to go. Please take better care of yourself Ms. Hayashi." The peppered hair doctor gives me a small wave and he leaves the room.

I slide my tank gingerly over my bandages. There is a light rapt on the door. A small smile tries to quirk up on my lips fails, my body worn lifeless from the production that carried out earlier, "Ace you can come in. I don't know why you left in the first place. I am wearing a sports bra."

He enters the room with a shrug, "Call me old fashioned."

My eyes drift toward the clock. My eyes stare but don't focus on the hands and dashes on the clean white face.

The ticking of the clock bore deeper and deeper in me. Morphing into a low eerie chuckle. Reminding me I was constantly being watched and being follow. The chuckle of someone who wanted me for horrid reason.

An abrupt warm sensation on my forearm feeds my paranoia and ignites my feral survival instincts and I clamp my hand on the wrist of my adversary and jerk it into an unnatural angle.

"Lily! Christ! What has gotten into you?" Ace's cry brought me back down to earth.

My eyes finally rest on his chocolate eyes.  There were wide, consumed with shock and worry. They searched the infinite depths of mine trying to confirm if I was still present and wasn't possessed by a demon.

I shake my head and release him quickly. I stare down at my hands sickened by the action they did, "I am sorry my body in is over drive. All the stuff with Trafalgar, Rosinante, and Doflamingo is putting me on edge. I feel like if I turn around someone is going to push me off a cliff."I run a hand along my braid being reminded of repulsive purple bruise on my neck. I swing my legs, now covered in warm forest green flannel, off the side of the bed.

Ace, being the gentleman he, rushes to the duffel and grabs the black slippers from the bags depths. He kneels down gentle lifting my ankle, "Slow down Cinderella, you can't go anywhere without your slippers."

His dorky nicknames did not bring the small joy they usually do, no matter how much I want them to. My heart just sat like a barren freezer.

He glides the slippers onto my feel and offers me his hands.

Once he helps me up, a sob catches in my throat.  A fresh waterfall of tears stream down my raw cheeks. I rubs away the tears with the back of my hand, "Fuck, why doesn't it stop?"

Ace wraps his strong arms around me wordlessly. Even when the nurse comes in, he doesn't becomes embarrassed. He doesn't feel ashamed. He just converses quickly sending the nurse on her way so we could be alone.