The Way You Look Tonight

Part 3: Healing and Dealing

What felt like three months of pure agony was actually 3 weeks. Between the pain medication she was put on and the luxury of staying home, Helen is nothing but groans and moans as she participates in physical therapy this afternoon. With Ligon gone, it is more enjoyable than it probably would have been, but Helen is anything but feeling better. Two weeks prior, Suzanne called her and said that she received Max's "donation" and that she was going to start her petri-dish work with a few of her eggs to see if they can get anything. Upon a long winded explanation about how it works and how long it takes, Helen felt that she should have just set the phone down and walked away and check on it later. But she sat in that chair and listened and now two weeks later, Suzanne wants to meet with her for an update.

Leaving physical therapy, Helen heads over to Suzanne's office when Max round the corner and nearly frightens her to death.

"Helen Sharpe!" He calls from behind and she flinches. She keeps walking knowing very well that Max will catch up in about two steps- which he does. "You ready for today?"

She looks at him and he is all smiles and hype.

"If you're referring to my meeting, then yes. Why are you so giddy?" She asks and keeps moving forward, Max pulls her off to the side of the breezeway and leans against a window.

"Fertilization Day! Hello?! We get to see something amazing and cool happen." He's like a child ready to go to Disney World, except the place is a lab and the ride is more of a needle full of sperm penetrating a follicle solution that has a microscopic egg in it.

"Max, we don't get to see anything. Even under their microscope, you won't be able to tell what's happening." Helen starts walking again and Max jogs after her.

"But it's still exciting. Should I get us popcorn? Do you think Suzanne could put it on the big screen?"

"Now you're just being an arse." She growls and Max sighs.

"How are you feeling?"

"Pained. Like my shoulder needs to be removed from my body permanently." Taking her right hand, he looks at it carefully. Her palm has small white lines about 3 centimeters long and about 40 of them from where they were cut and are healing. The pigment will most likely never come back to her skin because of how deep they were cut.

"They seem to be healing nicely. Have you been using your ointment?"

"Yes, Mum." Playfully saying, Helen takes her hand from Max after noticing other doctors and nurses watching them. She puts her head down and continues forward to her destination. "Don't you have somewhere important to be? Thoracic meeting? E.D? Neurology perhaps?"

"Nope, I cleared my schedule to accompany you." How sweet, but she feels off with him coming. After everything, she needs a break from Max.

"Well unclear it. I'm fine going by myself." This stings worse than salt in a wound. "You don't need to waste your day following me around."

"Helen? What's wrong? I thought you wanted me to help? To be there for you?" She did. She does, but with Alice still in his DM's she is less inclined to bother him. "It isn't a waste of my time, if it involves you."

She slows down her pace and so does he. When she stops, she looks at him standing there slightly ahead of her, his face full of concern and pain.

"There are patients who need you...and staff who need your guidance." She has no excuses good enough to mask his want of going with her.

"They can wait. You've waited long enough for this. Do you really want go keep waiting?" He stretches his hand out to her and it takes all her power not to throw herself into his arms and apologize. She starts walking again and crosses her arms, avoiding his hand.