"Elro, you're supposed to go see Dr. Corek again today," Alenia gently urged me to get up. I opened my eyes to look at her. I was finally sleeping, so long as she was here with me. Even that wasn't a guarantee. I pulled her closer, ignoring her trying to get me up.
"I don't wanna go into town," I groaned at her. I really didn't. It had seemed small things would bring on sudden panic I had never known before and without warning. I was still struggling to not take it out on whoever was near me too. The house definitely seemed like a better idea.
"You can't avoid going outside forever," she said playfully trying to escape my arms. She didn't actually seem to mind or I'd have let her go. After a minute, she moved closer to me on her own.
"How about just for today then? And we can worry about tomorrow then?" I asked, hopeful.
She thought, much to my surprise before objecting. "What about getting your leg looked? You need more bandages for it too." She wasn't wrong, but that didn't mean I had to like it. "What if he came here?"
"Fine," I groaned. It was clear she wasn't going to let me go back to sleep either. Reluctantly, I let her get up.
Him coming to us was a better solution. More was in our control, my control, within the house. Less people. It was really turning into my safe place. The rare occasion I did leave the house, it wasn't off the property.
"Elro, I'm getting dressed and going into town now," Alenia's tone was more firm, something I was getting used to too. It was her subtle way of telling me to get up. I needed it though. I likely wouldn't otherwise and she knew it by now.
I barely had enough time to get dressed and start eating breakfast with Mariwan by the time she had gotten back, with Dr. Corek.
I internally frowned, but smiled on the outside as I excused myself from the table.
"Hello, doctor," I said as cheerfully as I could manage. It probably still wasn't all that convincing.
"Good morning, Elro. Don't look so happy to see me. You ready?"
"To have something injured poked and prodded? As ready as I'll ever be," I said, leading him through what was Mariwan's room last time he was here and through the bathroom; Ma didn't need to see it. Alenia hadn't yet either.
I sat on the closed toliet, rolling my pants up and carefully avoiding to look at him. He didn't seem angry about the last time we had seen each other, but I also had no doubt he'd bring it up.
"It looks a lot better. No infection," he said nodding in approval. He began cleaning it, I was able to flinch a lot less than the last time.
"Any way I can help?" Alenia's face was visible in the doorway. I jumped trying to grab at something to hide the near scarring wound from her with. Accidentally, I moved my leg more into whatever he was trying to clean it with. I cried, instantly regretting it with one look at her face.
I looked down and saw why, blood was already soaking through the towel I had rushed to grab.
"Damn it," I cursed under my breath. Well, it had been mostly healed. Dr. Corek patiently sighed.
"Alenia, had me the bandages on the counter there, please?"
"What? No. Stay out there please," I begged.
"You haven't let her see it yet, have you?"
"No," I said sheepishly. She had never seen me really injured either. Sick, sure. This was somehow different.
"Blood doesn't bother me. Though, I'm not a fan of seeing you hurting," she admitted. Instead of just grabbing what he needed, she also grabbed whatever instrument he was using to clean it out of his hands. "Elro, you really just did a number on this again!"
