Obscurity

Chapter 34: Improvement

Sierra

"It's good to see your better spirits this week, Sierra." Dr. Fry says as she sets her files down on the table in front of her. She folds her hands and smiles.

"Yeah. I've been feeling better lately." I add.

"It looks that way in the notes left in your file." She flips the file open and points to a few daily assessment notes. "It says here you're participating more. You've had very few behavior interventions, save for the one a couple of days ago." She says as she reads from the paperwork.

I beam when I hear the good praise.

"It says here your most recent blood work showed your medications were off a little bit..." she says looking at me with a raised brow.

"I've been taking all my meds. I haven't tongued them in months!" I protest. I really have been taking all my meds.

"Okay. I believe you Sierra. What do you suspect caused your levels to get out of whack?" It's a genuine question. She isn't blaming me.

I shrug. "I'm not sure. I took my meds both times Chris gave them to me that day." I say and then it dawns on me, Chris gave me my meds. I didn't check the cup. I just took them.

My eyes go wide, and she raises her brows in question.

"What are you thinking, Sierra?" Her voice is soft and level.

"Nothing..."

"I saw a little light bulb go off in your mind just now..." She persists.

"Honestly, I was just thinking about both times I was given my meds by Chris the day in question. I didn't count or check my pills. Perhaps one was left out. You know there's always new nurses running around here. Maybe one of my meds got left out by mistake?" I hurriedly reply.

"That's an interesting theory, Sierra. I'm going to check into that." She says in her neutral tone of voice.

"Thanks. It's the only thing I can think of that would cause my levels to be off. And it would explain how I landed in Medical and Solitary too. I've really been trying hard recently to do better." I explain.

"It makes sense." She agrees.

While she flips through the file notes, my mind wanders to the idea of Chris deliberately leaving one or more of my meds out of my cup. I should have checked the pills before I took them.

"I'm going to order another blood panel on you, just to double check and make sure you're body isn't just metabolizing the drugs differently or rapidly. Just to be sure. Then, depending on those results, we'll go from there with adjusting your dosages if needed." She explains as she leafs through the paperwork some more.

"Sounds like a plan, Doc."

"So, aside from this minor medication issue, is anything bothering you lately?" she inquires, looking up from her papers.

"Nothing in particular." I say shaking my head.

"Are you getting on well with your new room mate?"

"Yeah, we're fine. Friends even."

"I take it she's apologized for assaulting you?"

My eyes go wide. I didn't think she'd address this with me.

"It was a huge misunderstanding." I try to explain away my broken nose.

"Okay. Well, so long as it isn't an issue for you... it appears that you've resolved the situation. And very well, I might add." She says.

I nod. "Yeah we're doing fine. And I didn't retaliate. That's a plus, right?"

"Indeed it is." She nods in approval.

"All right, it sounds like you're doing really well, Sierra. I see tons of improvement on your part."

"Yeah, I feel better too." I say.

"If there's anything else you want to talk about while I have you here, now would be the time to address it." She says as she closes the file.

I shake my head.

"I think I'm fine. I haven't been depressed. I haven't egged any other patients on in a while. I'm really trying hard to do better." I emphasize the 'better' again for good measure.

"Okay. Well, you keep on doing what you're doing then. I'll see you in a couple of days." She says as she starts to get up from her seat.

I hop up off my chair and shake her hand.

"Thanks, doc. I appreciate your time." I say as I flash her a smile.

She leads me out of the activity room and back to the day room. She takes a left into the nurses station with my file, and I take a seat back at the table I'd been sitting at when she came for me earlier.

I look over to Nick who's sitting at the table Alma had previously been at. He looks over when I notice him and rolls his eyes. I get up from my table and walk over to his.

I flop down in a chair opposite him and stare him straight in the face.

"What exactly is your problem with me, Nick?"

"What isn't my problem with you?" He says nonchalantly. He holds my stare. He isn't backing down.

"Every time I look at you, you have some shitty response and honestly, it's tiring. If you have something to say, say it."

His look stays neutral, and he sucks in a big breath of air.

"I thought we covered this, but since you didn't seem to get it the last time here goes. You haven't told Alma you're the rat who sold her out to Chris, have you?" He pauses briefly.

I don't respond. He inhales again shaking his head.

"You're the worst kind of turncoat. You stand beside her like you're some kind of friend, but you aren't, Sierra. You're an opportunist. I haven't figured out yet why you're playing best friend to Alma, but when I do, I won't hold back. I will tell her exactly what your game is." He stops talking and glares at me.

"I don't know why anything I do is any of your business." I say. I'm at a loss for what to say in response to his diatribe.

He narrows his eyes and fixes his glare at me.

"It involves Alma, so unfortunately for you, it's my business." He spits.

I laugh out loud. I'm grasping for straws at this point, but I'm not going to let him win this debate. So I come up with a lie to make his wheels turn.

"Alma doesn't even know you exist, Nick. But it's cute. This chivalry thing. It looks good on you." I chuckle as I stand up from my chair.

He's still just glaring. Maybe thinking of a response, I don't know.

"Why would she notice a pathetic little boy who can't handle his emotions?" I whisper in his ear as I walk away.