The Wallflower's Bloom

Chapter 8: Dr. Geren

Chapter 8: Dr. Geren

I guess it happened right when I woke up. I felt the shove, I moved, and I screeched in pain.

My mom--who had just left--ran back in the room abruptly breathing hard. "What's wrong?!" She hollered. I put my hand over my ankle and stopped quickly, realizing that caused more pain.

"My ankle REALLY hurts!" I squealed, imagining why it was hurting more now, rather than yesterday when I injured it. "I don't think I can walk on it."

My mom kind of looked annoyed, like that "did you seriously hurt yourself again" look. I don't blame her. I'm always finding terrible ways to injure myself. Well, not that I meant to...

My mom attempted to drag me out of my bed, and I calmly told her I was fully capable of doing so. It was harder than I thought though.

I twisted my hip here, slammed my left leg on the floor, and tugged at my body weight, and I was up! Well, sort of. I hopped down the stairs, still wondering why this was so sudden and so late.

I sit down, and asked my mom what we were going to do.

"We'll just go to the ER, and see what they can do." She playfully swung her hazel eyes over to me, "If you broke something, you're paying for it this time." I laughed and we just stopped talking.

Once we got all situated in the car, we both talked out that since we're going to the same hospital dad has been in--for the past month actually--that we'd go check on him while we're at it.

When we got to the New York Hospital, we went up to the clerk, and asked to go see a doctor about my "broken" ankle. I was just sitting there, bored while my mom filled out the paperwork, when I saw someone.

"Christa?" I bobbed my head back in astonishment, "What is she doing here?" She must've not noticed me yet, and I wasn't sure if that was good or bad, but a few seconds later, she turned around and saw me.

"Oh hi...Jacob? Is that right?" I brought my bottom lip down in a sort of embarrassed expression. "Yep, that's right. You are Christa, right?" I asked, knowing I already knew I was right. "Right."

She continued, which actually surprised me. She was never this nice at school. All she told me at school was that I was stalking her. "What brings you here?" Christa shrugs.

I brought up my ankle to an awkward angle. "Jacked-up ankle" I replied with a giggle from both of us. That laugh, it's been probably two weeks since I've heard it. It was...so comforting. I'd love to hear it more often.

"What about you?" I curiously wondered. "What brings YOU here?" Her eyebrows hugged her eyes as if she didn't want to answer. She hesitated, but then began.

"Well-"

"CHRISTA CLOVER!" The doctor barged through the door and annoyingly screamed.

"Sorry, I've got to go, this is actually an appointment." She gave me one last smile and left with the door gently slamming behind her.

I looked over at my mom and realized she had a big fat grin spread on her face the whole conversation. "Do you like her?" she asked like any cliche mom would.

"What?! No!" I screamed...too loud. I suddenly remembered we were in a public place and quieted down quite a bit. "She's just a friend." My mom giggled.

"Christa, it was? I better remember that for when you go to prom." She grinned at me again. "Christa, Christa Clover."

...

When we finally got into the doctor's small cramped room, they demanded an X-Ray of my ankle, shortly after doing some "checks".

"Does it hurt when I do this?" He squeezed his fingers right above that little bump on the side of your ankle. I tightened my upper face and tensely said, "Yeah." When what I really wanted to say was, "YES THAT FUCKING HURT!!! WHY ELSE WOULD I BE HERE!?"

After I got over my anger of Dr. Geren--or at least that's what his shirt said--we went to go get an X-Ray as I patiently waited there. It was actually quite boring but relaxing at the same time. I wasn't sure whether to complain or fall asleep.

The X-Rays came back, and it turns out I shattered my ankle. Like, in seven pieces. "How was I not hurting right when I shattered it, but when I woke up?" I asked Dr. Geren.

Dr. Geren decided to ignore me and stare at his clipboard pretending to be productive. I rolled my eyes, wondering why doctors get paid so well for their crappy attitude.

"Well, Jacob here will need a cast for a couple of months. If it doesn't seem to get better, we will check on him and see if it requires surgery." He looked at me and sort of had an evil glare in his eyes, "It most likely will conclude to that statement."

I was actually scared of him. He looked like he wanted to murder me in my sleep or something. He was just, a very mysterious and yet very annoying doctor. I can't believe I'm letting THIS GUY work on me.

Well, we got the cast on with tons and tons of endless wrapping and wrapping and wrapping as I got to stare at Mr. Geren's old, slobbery, wrinkled face. That was fun!... (being sarcastic here)

After all that was over with, we went to go see dad, for the on hundredth time. Honestly, I've been there so many times now, I kind of lost hope. He was always just laying there, on life support, and just...well...laying there. Nothing ever happened.

We opened the door and saw him...laying there. We walked over and sat down in the chairs conveniently provided to where no one wanted to sit.

I would either sit there and watch mom talk to him and say things like, "It's gonna be all right John, it's gonna be just fine." or I would go up there and talk to him myself.

"Hey dad, come on, the baseball is getting impatient! He wants to be thrown by you into my glove!" Things like that would cheer me up, but before I knew it, I would be on his lap crying again.

Today was no different, I sat there, crying on his lap, finally realizing after awhile how much it would mean to me just to have him home. But, just like everyday, nothing happened.

After about half an hour in the hospital, we decided to go home. (By then it was already 1:00 p.m.) It was kind of difficult to walk with this cast, I had to like crack my hip to lean to my left, everytime I took just one step.

I told my mom thanks for everything and sat on the couch, relieved that whole hospital phase is over. Meanwhile, I was watching Spongebob Squarepants-- the best show on this planet.

When I realized, "What "was" Christa doing at the hospital? Especially for an appointment." I sit there and thought for awhile, then decided. "I'll just ask her at school tomorrow." as I continued to watch.