Just The Way You Like It - Under Construction

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

As Dr. Hansen wheeled Alice towards the front doors of St. Micheal's, she fought to keep her courage alive. Dr. Hansen was walking pretty fast and she felt like she had no choice but to sit back and try to stay calm. As the front doors glided open, the smell of sea water hit Alice almost immediately, and for a second, she thought it smelled a little familiar.

The whiteness of everything outside made Alice want to gasp. Snow covered the scenery like a cold blanket of solitude. There wasn't a single person nearby that she could see, and the only sounds Alice could pick out were that of the birds and a siren off in the distance.

Dr. Hansen's feet crunched the snow as he walked behind her, pushing her wheelchair. After they had gotten a few yards outside, Dr. Hansen stopped. Alice could hear him taking a few long deep breaths before he spoke. “You doing okay, Alice?” She could hear the worried tone in his voice. To Alice's amazement, she felt fantastic. Alice eagerly nodded her head, hoping he would continue walking. She wanted to see everything! Alice felt like somehow she had been transported back to something real. This was where she belonged, and now that she was here she never wanted to leave. Being outside felt natural and wholesome.

“Can we keep going?” Alice asked, after Dr. Hansen did not continue to push her.

“Um, sure! Where would you like to go?”

“I don't really care, I just really like it out here.”

“How about a little tour of town?” The worry was now completely gone from his voice, making Alice all the more excited to venture forward.

“Sure. If its okay with you, I mean.” The idea of being around other people was a little scary, but again Alice resolved herself to a new start on life and agreed to go. She knew so long as Dr. Hansen was there, she would be just fine.

Alice soon found out that St. Micheal's was just down the road from a quaint little town that sat right on the edge of an inlet that opened up to the ocean. Before she knew it, the two of them were right in the thick of it all. The town of New Coven was small, but it felt welcoming and warm despite the cold snow outside. Shops and stores were open with trinkets and wares in each window, showing off the best of their merchandise. Being so close to Christmas, most of the displays were decked out with presents and fake snow, some even had small brightly lit Christmas trees in them. The bakery, deli, and coffee shop all had their unique smells; the delicious aromas wafting out to the sidewalks for each passerby to partake of, beckoning them into the shops to eat.

A few people crossed their path as they made their way further into town. They all greeting Dr. Hansen by name with smiles or handshakes before casting their gaze down to Alice to say 'hello.' Thankfully nobody asked about her or seemed to recognize her at all. Dr. Hansen made his was down the street, turning just before the town's main road dead-ended into a cove. There was a small park that overlooked the cove, and Dr. Hansen stopped. Using his hand, he brushed the snow off one of the park benches before sitting down.

Most of the inlet looked completely frozen over with an ice sheet. There were a few spots where the water still flowed freely pushing ice chunks around, knocking them into the solid blocks forcing more pieces to crumble and join with the rest. The entire park was covered in a beautiful thick coat of snow, and the quietness of the park was welcoming. “Alice, we need to talk.” Dr. Hansen finally spoke up, after letting her look around for a few minutes. His voice had turned sombre, and Alice knew something was wrong. She turned her gaze back towards Blake, wondering what she had managed to do this time. Alice wanted this to be her first new day, and finding out that Dr. Hansen was upset had not been in her plan.

“Okay.” She said, willing herself to be brave.

“Alice, I know this is hard, and neither of us has been right about this.” He took a long pause before continuing on. “It's just, Alice, as your doctor, I can't have a relationship with you.” Alice could feel her whole body slump a little as he kept talking. “I don't know what you've been feeling about me, but I just need to make it clear to you, as long as you are at St. Micheal's, nothing can happen between you and I. Do you understand?” His question made Alice think for a moment before she answered him.