When Memories Collide

Contagious

Mary grabbed the walker along with my arm and pushed us both right in front to my room's door.

"Can you stop already?" I said with discomfort, leaning back abruptly in order to free my arm from her claws.

"Stop what? My rule was clear enough, now get in your room away from that kid" she said pointing to the door which transpassing would only mean surrender.

"I'm not getting in there Mary" I furiously said taking some steps back.

"Don't go Mary on me, I'm in charge here lady" she replied crossing her arms as the nurses started to gather around us. Apparently, my rebellious attitude was highly entertaining for them.

"What else am I supposed to do? Not seeing one of the only two persons I slightly care about? Cause I don't have anyone else, no family, no friends, anything! and whose fault is that?" I said with a higher tone playing the 'you lost my damn papers' card.

"You have plenty other people to socialize with here" she said rolling her eyes while avoiding my blaming question.

"This place is filled with old people and their respiratory problems, I don't see a lot of friendship potential there" I replied filled of anger in my voice that inevitably became sharper and louder.

"Hey hey hey can we add a little love to this situation darlings?" Johnny asked with a calmed voice coming out of his room wearing a leopard peignoir, with Beth by his side.

"Shut up Johnny" both Mary and I said without intentions of following his peace treat. After his failed attempt of adding guru magic to our fight, he proceeded to sit at the nurses desk to enjoy the show and so did Beth, who seemed quite worried.

"It's better being alone than with bad company" Dr. Clarkson replied with an ironic smile that shoot my nerves.

"That's what all of this is about? Your unprofessional trusting issues? Cause that's not my fault either" I twisted her words in my favor while getting ready to spit a little bit of psychological nonsense to make her struggle "I know you hate Jack okey, but he is your patient, don't you think that I could be a good influence for him? Because a million sessions with Dr. Sun won't work if you keep treating him like crap" I started my argument leaving Dr. Clarkson shocked by my knowledge about Jack's physical therapy problems.

"Kiara has a point" Johnny intervened as a reporter in a football match, with all the nurses trying to hide how much they agreed with him in the back.

"You don't get to call me unprofessional, I've saved your like twice like the professional doctor I am, so you'll have to take that back" Mary said with an irrefutable argument that immunized her of any guilt regarding my current situation.

"However, even if I literally own you my unknown life" I said with a calmer voice making emphasis in the 'unknown' part "I... I just can't do nothing while he suffers okey? I already care about him and that's not gonna change. The hole allergy reaction mess was my fault and I'm suffering the consequences with this incessant pain in my ribs. So please please leave your hardheaded self aside for a minute and hear me out, can you do that?" I asked respectfully understanding that yelling different opinions were not gonna help at all.

"I'm listening" she replied with a raised eyebrow showing discomfort.

"Give me a second chance, if something bad happens I promise to stop seeing him-" I started to develop my idea, when she moved her head from one side to another in a negative way "I thought you were gonna listen" I said letting the impotence raise my voice again.

"You two are worse than divorced parents" Jack said coming from behind me in his wheelchair.

"And the lame boy in need of drugs arrives, oh lord this is getting good" Johnny added from the nurses desk playing his role of reality show host.

"Hello there Mary, still playing rehab manager for me?" Jack mocked Dr. Clarkson whose fire eyes were about to came out of her head.

"I'm done arguing with teenagers" Mary said attempting to left the hallway.

"Wait wait I actually have something to say... I wouldn't have left my comfortable bed if I hadn't" Jack said with a desperate tone forcing Mary to stay. "I'll try physical therapy for real if K helps me..." he started his proposal which took us all by surprise, except for Dr. Clarkson who still had distrust in her eyes "if I don't improve at all by the end of the week, then the deal is over, sound good?" He concluded waiting for her approval as I looked to the floor with nervousness.

"I'm not letting you both hormonal teenagers alone for that long" Mary replied with the lowest intentions of agreeing.

"I'll keep an eye on them, threesomes are not my thing" Johnny entered the negotiation with a more active role and winked at me.

"I don't think that's a bad idea Mary, we've tried everything, I can offer to check on them, they are my patients too" Beth added from behind as the inner supporter she was.

Dr. Clarkson and I locked eyes for a second as J shrug my shoulders triumphantly with an innocent smile "Fine, but you have till the end of the week and only that" she concluded unleashing a deep happiness in all of our faces. Jack held my hand and squeezed it twice before smiling at me with his perfect shaped white teeth. "Now I want everyone on their rooms for the daily health check, the physical therapy room'll be available at five"

"Congrats you won purifying object" Johnny said squeezing my shoulders from behind before leaving the hallway.

"We vanquished the dragon, see you at five rebellious patient" Jack said goodbye proud of our achievement, even if I wasn't sure it would work since at the end of the day, it only depended on him.

I grabbed the walker and slowly walked to my room with a mixture of feelings inside me. I was happy by the results of the whole confrontation but also kind of, I don't know...maybe ashamed? Of the way I'd treated Mary, who regardless her extreme measures hadn't done anything more than help me.

Once I finally got to my bed and rested my head in the hospital pillows, Mary walked through the door with a straight face. She started to take notes on my chart and check my sutures when the feeling I recognize as regret tinted by guilt forced me to say "I'm sorry, it wasn't okey to disrespect you like that, thanks for...everything you did for me, I hope I'm still on time to take that 'unprofessional' comment back"

"I'm doing my job, I know it may seem like being mean to your young brains, but it's just that" she said with a calm voice.

"Why are you so against we being together? You accept Johnny, but not Jack. I mean it's not like he is gonna give me drugs" I asked without looking for a fight in an attempt of understanding her adult mind.

"That boy, he is different with you... full of light, and I know that might seem attractive now, but his self destructive attitude will come out sometime soon. Your mind is brand new, and love is a beautiful first feeling to experience, but I'm afraid you'll take some ways of seeing life from him that aren't healthy at all. But it's already been proven that keeping you from seeing that boy is not gonna change that, so all I can do is tell you to be careful" Mary replied with a deep breath accepting my apology.

Even if my first instinct was to reject her ideas, they weren't so far from the reality as I wished. Those questions about memories not being worth remembering had quickly developed an invincible fear and anguish in me. Maybe drug problems couldn't be passed to others, but obscure feelings and ideas seemed to be highly contagious.

Thanks for reading! Remember to vote and comment for part 15❤️