Doctor & Nurse

Chapter 13

Tobias's house is not like anything that I expected it to be. The house has a very modern feel to it, and it is spuriously furnished. He has a black couch with a big flat screen television on the wall. I walk into each room exploring, while he excuses himself to take a shower after working his shift at the hospital. Before Tobias excuses himself, he grabs my bag, that I brought with me, and he drops it into a room. I walk into the room to change. The first thing I notice is Tobias's bed. His bed is neatly made. I think to myself that clearly, Tobias's military days are still with him. I swear I could bounce a quarter off that sucker.

The room is simple, and it is not very personalized. There aren't any pictures up of Tobias and his friends or even of his parents. I find it odd. In my apartment with Chris, we have pictures up everywhere. Although the lack of photos makes sense with Tobias's military background, the only thing on the wall is above his bed, written in calligraphy with black paint. It is a saying that reads Fear God Alone. I wonder why that is there, and what the significance behind it means.

I quickly change, and I walk out into the kitchen. I remember that Tobias loves chocolate cake. I decided to surprise him with a cake for dealing with Marcus today and to celebrate him performing his first solo procedure. I search around the cabinet for the ingredients, finding them quickly. As I finish making the batter, Tobias walks out of the bathroom without a shirt on, and his hair is dripping wet. I stare at him while he is drying his hair. Tobias catches me staring at him. He says grinning, "What are you cooking, good looking?"

I giggle at this statement, saying "Nothing! It's a surprise."

Tobias drops the topic, then walks back into his room to finish getting dressed. I once again notice his tattoo. I decide that now would be as good as any time to ask him about it. His tattoo was certainly something different. I have never seen anything like it. The artist who had done the work was very talented. The ink looked like something you would see in New York Metropolitan Museum.

"Tobias?" I ask.

"Yeah?" He responds to me.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure I guess."

"What is the tattoo on your back? I have seen it a few times, and I had always wanted to ask you what it meant?" I ask.

Tobias grins saying, "When I was in high school, I decided I wanted to rebel and do something to piss my grandmother off. I was being a stupid teenager who didn't know any better. My grandmother was a strict Polish woman who did not approve of any body art. My friends and I were playing truth or dare and I got a dare to get a tattoo. My grandmother and I had gotten into a huge argument prior to the truth or dare game, being stupid, I thought it would be the perfect time to get even. Like I said I was a stupid kid."

"How much trouble did you get in?" I ask.

"I was grounded until my 18th birthday," He says grinning.

"So how long?" I ask.

"Six months." He says.

"Can I see your tattoo?" I ask.

"Sure, but I must ask out of curiosity. Are you asking me to undress Tris?" He asks grinning at me.

My cheeks heat as I say, "No, only partly."

Tobias takes off his shirt, then turns around revealing his tattooed back to me. I gasped at the beauty of seeing it up close. There are flames going down the sides of his back with some of the flames wrap around the top of his shoulders and going around his sides. The flames stop below the shirt line though. Going down his spine were odd looking symbols.