Figuring You Out

Chapter Forty-One

"Oliver," I shift, squinting in the harsh hospital lights, I mumble and turn over, "Olly,"

I groan and open my eyes, tugging the tight sheets around me, "There we go," Dad smiles faintly, "The doctor is coming in a minute to discharge you,"

"Oh," I say, sitting up in my bed more, but failing as a huge ache comes across my whole body. Dad places a black sports bag on the foot of my bed and rushes to my side grabbing my bicep and lifting me up.

"Ok?" he asks, I nod just as a nurse pops her head through the door with a tray of breakfast I smile a thank you as she places it down on the portable table that has been cleared of remnants of mine and Red's date last night. I push the cheap beans with the plastic fork I had been given, not really eating them, "Hey, try and eat something,"

"I'm just not hungry,"

"This wouldn't have anything to do with Liam would it?" he asks, I snap my head up, "I heard he was here last night,"

"My side's giving me a bit of pain- I'm sure I'll be fine when the nurse comes around with the medication," I lie, the words becoming heavier with every breath, he nods but I'm not sure he' entirely satisfied, so I change the subject, "Where's mum?"

"She has a client, she says she'll be here later tonight,"

"She always says that," I sigh, he looks uncomfortable but not entirely disagreed, "This is how it's always going to be isn't it? Us needing her and her choosing her job or her high-profile clients,"

He sighs and pulls a chair closer to my bed, proceeding to sit and rest his folded hands on the side of the bed, "She knows you're ok,"

"And you know I'm ok and you're still here because that's what parents do. They are there for their kids, whatever happens,"

"She would walk to the end of the earth for you," he says, sincerely the hurt tone showing through his voice, "And I have a feeling this isn't just about Mum,"

I open my mouth with a croaked response when a nurse draws the curtain back with Dr Masud behind her, "How are we this morning, Oliver?" the nurse smiles, bubbling around checking my IV line and unhooking the blood pressure machine as the doctor pulls the pine clipboard out of its rack.

"Good," I reply, keeping a careful eye on the doctor who has his white sleeves rolled up to his elbows and was scanning my charts.

"Alright, I want to check your abdomen and your vision but if all's well you're free to go," the doctor says, squirting some anti-bac on his hands and approaching my bedside, he strips the covers aside and slips his hand to my side. I wince as he makes contact with it, but he moves on fairly quickly, "I'm just going to take a look at the bruising, ok?" he says, I nod as the nurse unties my gown under my armpit, he moves the material to the side and examines the fat lump of bruises and swollen skin, I grimace at my own body and turn to Dad who smiles sympathetically at me, "Alright," he says, drawing away, as the nurse ties my gown again, and he clicks on a mini torch, "Look straight ahead for me," he instructs, I oblige as he moves the light left and right.

"I am happy to discharge you but I want you on crutches for two weeks to relieve the tension and pressure you'd be putting on it if you were walking, and I'm going to prescribe some antibiotics to deal with the pain and some other cream to be used twice a day on all bruises, ok?" he says, speaking so fast I'm not sure I'm taking it all in but Dad's tapping every word into his phone, "Any problems with your vision go straight to A&E, ok?"

"Got it," I say.

"Well, you're free to go," he smiles, "I'll let Nurse Poole, sort you out ok?"