Mutation

Chapter 12: "Nurse Hazel"

Leo

Yes, I had to admit that I was in a lot of pain. It was so bad I was close to crying. But I've experienced way more pain than this. Thinking back to being locked up in the hospital for almost four months was something I didn't want to ever remember. The pain from being injected with more needles than any living thing ever needed was more painful than anything I can describe. And yet, I somehow lived through it. I remembered I wanted to die so badly. I recall Dr. Baker saying that here, dying isn't an option. Now I realize that if I were dead, what would be happening without me?

"Leo, get up," I hear Hazel's soft voice say, interrupting my thoughts, while shaking my body. Oh how I wish she didn't touch me. My back hurts even worse than when I injured it. My eyes squeezed shut from the pain, and I tried to bite back a groan. If Hazel knew how much I was hurting, she'd never leave me alone. First of all, she'd make me get up and take me to a doctor, which I REALLY didn't want to do. Plus, I didn't want to worry her. I crossed my fingers and hoped she wouldn't make me get up.

"Leo, get up. Maxine brought me some cream to put on your back. She invented it herself to stop severe aches and pain. Let me put some on your back." Hazel continued to shake me, which I couldn't bare any longer. I huffed and slowly began to lift my body off its flat position with my arms. It took me a moment to sit myself up, but I managed it not too terribly. Hazel stared at me like I was a pathetic old man dying.

I glanced over at the floor and noticed a small blanket and pillow sprawled out. She didn't sleep on that disgusting floor that Linus probably hasn't cleaned in a year, did she? "You slept on the floor? Why didn't you sleep on the bed with me?"

Hazel shrugged. "You kept moving around and taking up the bed. Plus, you were dreaming and sweating like crazy. It was pretty gross."

I snorted. "Wow, really? Well thanks for staying in here with me. I appreciate it, Nurse Hazel."

She glared at me and almost slapped my arm, but stopped herself when she realized I was injured. "You got lucky this time. And don't call me Nurse Hazel. It's not like I'm your servant from now on."

I couldn't help but smile. I was just glad we weren't mad at each other anymore. Even if she almost got me killed, I just couldn't stay mad at her. "Whatever you say, Nurse-I mean Hazel." I give her my best innocent smile, even though I knew it wouldn't work on Hazel's tough exterior.

Hazel gives me a sarcastic smile. "Just shut up and take off the top of your suit. I need to put the cream on your back."

I blush when I realize that she's asking me to take off my shirt. I didn't even know I slept in the purple jumpsuit. It was pretty tight against my body, so getting it off would be a challenge. The part that made me nervous was Hazel having to touch my bare back. For some reason, she made me way more anxious than she did before the whole mutant outbreak happened. Maybe it's just because we're together in a difficult situation. The thought made me even more worried.

"Trying to get my shirt off, I see? Okay then, Hazel." I give her playful, flirty wink. I had to play this off in a jokingly kind of way. Maybe I won't embarrass myself that bad.

Hazel just stared at me for a long time. Either what I said really confused her and she doesn't know how to respond, or she's deciding whether or not to smack me. Then I realize she's actually reading my mind. Great.

"Leo, why are you so nervous? Is it because I asked you to take your shirt off? I can't understand your thoughts because you're thinking of too many things," Hazel asks me. I was surprised when she said she couldn't understand my thoughts. Was that her weakness? People who thought of too many things at once? I could totally understand that.

"I don't know, okay. And stop reading my mind! It freaks me out," I tell her, not fully answering her question. She rolls her eyes and sits beside me, reaching for the zipper on my suit. I wince as she starts to peal it off my shoulders, and down my back. She stops pulling the suit down when it reaches my waist, and I hear her gasp a little. I didn't even want to know how my back looked.

"Okay, hold still. I'm just going to apply some cream to your back with a bandage on top of it. It's really bruised and scratched up, so you'll need to stay in bed for the rest of the day. Just relax," Hazel spoke to me soothingly. I prepared myself for pain. At first, I felt a cooling sensation as she delicately applied the cool cream to my lower back. Then the burning started. I quickly shoved the thick comforter in my mouth so I wouldn't scream, but I couldn't keep the sound from escaping. At least I had the blanket in my mouth to muffle my pained screams.

"Okay, done!" Hazel says with her hands up, which had some of my blood on them. I sighed and slouched over, relieved she was finished. I didn't even notice that I was crying. Did I cry when I was being tortured at the hospital? Maybe I did.

"Thank you, Hazel," I managed to say through deep breaths. I was still trying to calm down my racing heart. "It didn't even hurt at all."

Hazel snorts. "Yeah, I could tell by the way you were screaming and ripping your blanket apart with your teeth." She held up my comforter, which was torn up from my teeth biting it. My face turned hot from embarrassment. Only Hazel doesn't burst into laughter like I expected, but she tells me, "It's fine Leo. I'd be screaming too if I were in your place."

I stared at her silently. She was being sympathetic. Hazel, sympathetic? That was new to me. To avoid saying anything else stupid, all I say is, "Thanks."

She smiles and chuckles. "You really should get some sleep. I'm gonna go get some breakfast with Maxine and Linus. You want anything?"

I shook my head saying no. It occurs to me that she's going with Maxine and Linus. For some reason, I feel uneasy about Linus. Something about him seems...off. Even though I just met him, I have a bad feeling about him. And I don't feel right about Hazel being around him.

I let her leave though, because I was too tired to have an argument with her. Who knows, I may be wrong about Linus. Still, no matter how hard I try to make myself like him, I just can't. The worst thing about this is that he has to be my roommate. In my mind, I picture him as a crazy psychopath who has a million secrets. But it would be wrong to judge a person before I get to know them better.

My back starts to hurt from sitting up too long, so I ease my body down on the bed. As soon as my head hits the pillow, I fall right into a sleep full of dreams.