Nightly Behaviors

Chapter 24

They leave me and replace themselves with much more harsh red and blue lights. "She's responsive." The voice is muffled but I can still make out what's said and see the calm yet frantic actions just above me. Suddenly what had just happened had hit my poor 7 year old mind.

We were singing 'All I want for Christmas' by Mariah Carey, Christmas was just around the corner and we were on the way home from the mall from just seeing Santa. I remember bouncing around when the bells began jingling and my new Barbie doll fell onto the floor.

I remembered struggling to reach for it then finally just asking my dad to get it for me. He slowed the car down but didn't put it to a complete stop but it was slow enough for him to safely turned to me and pick up my doll. I him reaching behind him turning his attention towards the road every few second. I remember how he couldnt quite reach so he ended up taking of his seatbelt and propped himself up a little more and then finally picked it up and handed it to me. I remember seeing two very bright lights that somehow morphed into one then none.

"Where's my daddy." I whimper. "Daddy!" I scream just a little louder. I turn my head sharply to the left then right, I even attempt to sit up but am held down. "Honey it's ok calm down."

I can now tell the voice belongs to a woman and she caresses her blue hand with red smudges on my forehead and through my hair. "It will be ok we will help you."

"I want my daddy. Daddy!"

I freeze before stepping into the hospital and Chresanto looks back at me but doesn't say anything.

I can tell he's insanely curious maybe even concerned if he cares at this point, so I do my best to act as normal as possible.

I help check him in and it takes a little over ten minutes before he gets brought to the back go be evaluated by a nurse. When she's done she takes us into another room and tells us to be seated and that a doctor will be with us soon.

At this point it just Chresanto and I. I feel as if I'm being completely normal but by the way Chres is looking at me makes me think otherwise. "What's wrong with you?"

Im tempted to tell him but remember what an ass he could be and decide not to. "Nothing, i'm good." I try my hardest to convince myself even though I know I'm not.

He continues to give me a peculiar look so I attempt to direct the topic of discussion elsewhere.

"This towel completely ruined. Here, let me see." I take his wrapped hand and slowly unwrap the towel. "Well it looks like it stopped bleeding as much but this glass."

I make the terrible decision to attempt to pick out a piece of the glass which results in Chres pulling back and hissing. "Shit Crystal!"

"Sorry." I speak quickly pulling my hand back. I put my hands in my lap, I promise not to touch him again.

The doctor enters the room with a bright white smile beamed on his face. He was familiar, but I can't put my finger on why or where I'd thought I'd known him from.

He looked to be in his mid twenties which is a little young to be an emergency room doctor in my opinion. His chocolate brown hair accommodates a few grays strands right in the front but not in a grotesque old guy way. I'm some form, it makes him look more matured. "Hello I am Doctor Andrews and will be patching you up today."

He's eyeing me but obviously speaking to Chresanto. I guess he thinks I'm familiar too. Embarrassed I turn away and look down into my lap.

"Rumor has it that you punched a mirror?"

"Yea.. I was aiming for the wall though."

I watch as the doctor begins to numb his hand with numerous pokes into his skin with a small needle. "Wow that must have sucked." The doctor peeks up at me again and I quickly look away. When I look back up again he's smirking to himself and at this point I think Chresanto is noticing. Chres harshly glares at the doctor as he injects a bit more numbing liquid into his hand but I have no logical reason as to why. Its seems that I'm the only one to the doctor this just ignoring him.

It's the third gash he's sewing up but I still can't help but wince whenever the needle punctures his raw skin. My eyes meet Chresanto's when he turns and looks at me from his seated position.

"Don't worry, it doesn't hurt to bad." he assured followed by acting on a surprising gesture and taking my hand in his. Im literally so surprised I almost pull away but I decide not to. I think it's his way of telling the doctor to back down without actually saying much. Still slightly confused on why he'd do that though.

I catch Dr. Andrews glance up at our latched hands but it doesn't seem to affect him, he just bites on his lip and winks. Im kind've glad Chresanto is turned towards me and doesn't see it.

Chresanto smiles and turns his attention back to the stitching on his hand, he seems to almost be done. The Doctor goes through the motions a few more times before finally tying it off and cutting the thread.

"Ok I will prescribe an antibiotic ointment that will need to be applied every three hours." He begins cleaning up and discarding all the bloody gauze and packing away the tweezers and numerous needles. "I will be right back with a take home caring package and the ointment prescription. The caring package will have everything you'll need, the bandages gauze and all that good stuff." He stands up removing his gloves and walks over to the sink rinse his hands.

"There will be some pain but avoid aspirin." He reached into one of the cabinets over head to grab some paper towels for his hands and looks to me. "And you should be good to go."

My face flushes for the thirtieth time but I manage to keep eye contact with him. The room is silence for a while and I can feel Chresanto tensing up by the way he hand squeezes mind a little more.

"Well," Chresanto interjects loudly
in such a way where he doesn't, even try to make it seem casual. "We thank you for your help."

"Yes, thanks again Doctor." I smile. He reaches and shakes Chresanto hand before leisurely taking mine and doing the same. He holds my hand a lot longer than he does Chresanto and I swear he almost says something but Chres breaks up the strange situation in the making.

"Yea uhm where can I get the ointment again?" He practically yells it but it makes Mr. Andrews let go, which I'm guessing we're his intentions. "Basically any pharmacy within a 20 mile radius of the address you filled out when you first came in."

"Ok thanks."

"Your welcome." He leaves the room and Chres and I sit in there quiet and awkwardly, hands still clasped together.

"You know him or something?" he finally speaks.

"I don't think so." I shrug truthfully. I mean he looked familiar but I really didn't know him.

"Bullshit." he lets go of my hand and flings it towards me. "Who wouldn't know the biggest stripper whore in town."

Stripper whore? What did I do to be a whore in the last ten minutes.

"Really Chresanto?"

"Yes really." He mocks churlishly.

"You are such a jackass."

I head for the door but as soon as I touch the handle, it swings open. "Oh excuse me. Here's the care package." I suck up any visible emotion and anger and exhale loudly before looking down and taking the white package. "Thank you." I say forcing myself to be some form of pleasant.

"You ok?" Dr. Andrews says only loud enough for me to hear so I look up quickly and nod. "Yea I'm...I'm fine."

"You sure?"

I look to him and his concern is real. "Yea we just got in a little argument, I'll be fine."

"All right, lets go." I here Chresanto a few inches behind me. I force a small smile at the man in front of me and walk past him with Chresanto following very close behind.