Compelled

3: An awkward meeting

The teenage boy, who calmly sat on the examination bed having his adrenaline run out, didn't flinch nor scream when I injected a dose of numbing around the deeply cut wound on his thigh. A skateboard race gone wrong.

"So do you skate often or was this your first time?" I attempted making small talk with him. His heavy brown eyes lit up the slightest bit and you could tell he had a deep spot for the sport. I threaded the stitching line into the u shaped needle aware that he was watching my every move but I knew he was strong. If the numbing didn't make him flinch, the stitching wouldn't even be felt.

"I've been skating since I was twelve years old. I love it." His voice was laden with joy despite him being here because of it. The door to the evenly spaced room opened and his mother entered after taking the call she left the room for.

"And how old are you now? Do you get hurt this often or is this just the first major accident?" I continued with the small talk and paused until he spoke so while he was distracted I could place the needle around the cleaned skin of the wound and start sealing it.

"18." He said and I pushed the needle in. He watched, breathed out since looking at it must've disturbed him but once he realised there was no pain he exhaled. "No, not that often. I mean there is the occasional bruise and skinned knees and elbows but that's about it. It's my first time getting stitches." He said, sounding proud about himself but at the same time disappointed that that record for no stitches was broken now.

Having finished seeing to the skateboard lover and seeing him off, I removed the stained gloves and disposed of them into the trash can. My coat was shrugged off my shoulders and since it was clean, I hung it up on the copper coloured hook.

''You headed out already? I though we'd catch our usual coffees' together.'' Jenna, the professional and full trained nurse who worked here way before I could set foot in this centre, asked. The disappointment was clear in the way her facial expressions dropped the moment she entered and saw my bag in my hand and me not having the white coat on anymore.

Jenna was around her early thirties. Married, beautiful and after two kids she still looked youthful and well kept. She was the first person that volunteered to train me and since I was new around here she asked me to join her for our four p.m break and it has become a routine ever since. I knew she had come to know about my families downfall and consequently mine. Everyone at the medical centre seemed to express their pity. Some more straight forward and others more reserved and doing so with sympathetic eyes and a small tilt of their heads but Jenna didn't. She never judged me. No since the first day I got here and all the other qualified practitioners assumed I was too young and therefore ignorant nor today, when everyone did. She was like having a bigger sister my parents couldn't give me.

''It's Saturday. I knock off early and besides I'm sure I annoy the living daylights out of you, Jen. Why on earth would you want to endure half an hour with me?'' I teased and she rolled her eyes, flashing me a playful smile. She removed her coat as well and hung it on the hook that was next to mine.

''You don't annoy me but your boyfriend does.'' There we go again. ''He is such a waste and you, my dear, could do so much better.'' Jenna never liked Ian and I never understood why. I never argued with her over it but instead I'd chuckled at the harmless comments she made and carried on.

''Ian is a nice guy. Maybe you just don't know him that well. I could arrange for us to have lunch one day and you can get your opinion about him rechecked.'' I offered to which she snorted and I so knew a smart-ass comment was on its way. She turned towards me, pulling her hair tie around her ebony coloured hair one last time, then she took a deep breath. Her black eyes were narrowed.