Group Therapy

30 - Frankenstein!

After l drop mom and the unwanted back at our house l leave the explaining of the night of the break in for Hannah to do.

Alex and l hop out of my car and walk into the hospital.

"Hey dad" Alex greets Mr Arrington before he greets him back and pulls him into a side-hug.

"Hey Laynie!" Mr Arrington greets me.

"Hey Mr Arrington." l lightly chuckle and greet him back.

"Laynie please, it's been 7 years, when will you stop calling me Mr Arrington? It's just Joseph." he exaggerates a little.

l only do it out of respect to him.

"I'm sorry, Joseph just seems a little disrespectful to me." l nervously chuckles as we walk over to Alex's doctor's office.

"Not at all. Mr Arrington just makes me feel old and I already feel old so please, from now on it's just Joseph."

"Alright then." l smile.

We take a seat in the waiting area in preparation for Alex to get his stitches out.

A few minutes and small conversations later, Carter comes out of the doctor's office.

"Alexander Arrington." he calls out and we get up and follow him.

We enter the examination room and Carter tells alex to take a seat on the examination table as he pulls a pair of gloves on.

"So how have you been feeling Alex? Does it still hurt?" Carter asks.

Joseph takes a seat on one of the waiting chairs in the room and l decide to just stand.

"Okay I guess. l don't think it hurts that much anymore, l barely even remember it's there." Alex mumbles in response.

"That's great! We'll just wait for your doctor to come in and he can decide whether the stitches are ready to come out or not.

After a minute of waiting and awkward small talk the doctor finally walks in and sanitizes his hand before slipping the all too familiar silicone gloves on.

"Good afternoon folks. So who do we have here? Alex, right?"

"Yep."

"Okay Alex, are you ready to get your stitches out?"

Alex nods in response but I can see the hint of nervousness in his eyes.

"Good, good. Now, can you lay down for me here?"

He hesitates for a second before eventually laying down as told.

The doctor lifts Alex's hoodie up and unwraps the bandage before taking a good look at his stitches.

"Okay, these stitches are definitely ready to go. Good job taking care of them." the doctor looks over to Carter and he hands him a pair of medical scissors.

I walk over to Alex's side of the table and hold his hand in attempt to reassure him. "Hey, it's fine, they don't hurt at all. I've had them taken out before, you don't even feel them."

He swallows nervously and nods with a slight smile.

"Just squeeze my hand if they hurt."

He nods again and looks down at his stitched wound as the doctor starts doing his work.

"No no don't look, it's easier that way." I gently push his head back down on the table.

He closes his eyes shut and holds my hand tight as the doctor finishes doing his work.