Chapter Three.
“Hello, again.” He breathed, “Nice of you to scare the shit out of our nurses when you’re missing from bed.”
“You never told me I wasn’t aloud to leave the bed!” Nichole snapped, rubbing her wet hair. At least she was clean.
“I never told you anything.” Seth leaned back in the chair, Nichole’s file on his lap.
“Exactly.” She huffed, rolling her eyes. This boy was getting on her last nerve and she wanted him to leave.
“Let’s see…” Seth opened her file, “A car accident right outside the city, in the wrong lane… broken ribs, mother’s in critical condition…” Seth mumbled a little loud as he read the report.
Nichole didn’t know if it was on purpose to be reading her accident out loud, but it was so hurtful to her she wanted to scream at him. “Can you please not read out loud?” She asked as nicely as she could.
“It’s how I read.” Seth responded, still looking over the file.
“Well, I’d rather not hear of the accident.” Nichole was losing her patients with this boy.
“Well that’s not my problem, is it?” Seth looked up at her with his gray eyes that were coated in black. ’What a freak’ Nichole thought.
“Shouldn’t it be a part of the dress code not to wear makeup to work?” Nichole spat ‘makeup’ as if he was a girl. Men shouldn’t be wearing pounds of eyeliner.
“I’m an assistant - and I don’t follow rules.” He flopped the file down on the counter.
“Well aren’t you Mr. Bad-ass.” Nichole retorted, getting fed up with his uncalled for rudeness. Dr. Michaels entered the room before Seth could respond. He was out in an instant.
“You two get along?” Dr. Michaels smiled, picking up Nichole’s file and dropping it in a bin at the end of her bed.
“Is he rude to everyone?” Nichole asked, wrapping her arms around her waist.
“Pretty much,” the doctor smiled, “Should have seen how he reacted when he found out I was going to be his father. That boy sure does make a scene.”
“He’s ridiculous.” She yawned, tired already.
“Well, anyways,” He changed the subject, resting his big hands on the edge of her bed. Dr. Michaels was a very tall man with short brown hair graying at the sideburns. He had a large nose, black rimmed glasses and thin-lined lips. “It’s time for an x-ray. Hope you won’t mind Sethus joining us.”
“Sethus?” she asked, stepping out of bed.
“His full name - are you okay to walk? I’d rather you be put into a wheelchair.” Dr. Michaels suggested, pulling one out from behind the counter.
“No I’m okay. I’d rather walk.” Nichole said, stretching as much as she could without hurting her ribs.
“Nichole, I’d rather you be in a wheelchair.” The doctor lightly pushed Nichole into one and started pushing. She felt so weak in one of them The doctor wheeled Nichole into a room with a big machine, a scary big machine that had a window next to it. Dr. Michaels laid her down on the black cushioned bed that soon entered a tunnel type machine. She heard the doctors instructions on keeping her eyes closed and to relax. Four loud bangs went off, causing Nichole to jump but she remained calm. She felt the bed start to move and kept reminding herself not to open until she got the ‘okay’.
“Smarty, it’s over.” Seth called out and Nichole blinked open, staring into the ceiling lights.
“I got that.” Nichole’s voice was husky as she raised herself on her elbows.
“Please don’t do that - it may cause more injury to your ribs.” Seth’s step-father requested and Nichole instantly flopped back down on the bed. She heard Seth chuckle and tightened her fists into balls to control her short anger. “You can come in here, Nichole.” Dr. Michaels called out.
Nichole entered the room where Seth sat with a bored expression on his face and Dr. Michaels printing out the x-rays. He held the four pictures up in front of a lit up board. You could easily see the break which Nichole shuttered, not liking the fact that something was wrong with her.
“Is that bad?” She asked.
“No, it’s perfectly fine.” Seth sarcastically called out from behind her, messing with the jaw string on his sweatshirt.
“Sethus…” Dr. Michaels scolded his son, “Be polite. Nichole the break actually isn’t that bad, you could even be released tomorrow.”
“Without my Mom? When, by the way, will I be able to see her?” Nichole’s brown haired mother may be an alcoholic and just possibly be the only other person to get under her skin - but she loved her. That women taught her the ABC’s, sang songs in the car with her, took her to her first lacrosse practice, even taught her how to ride a bicycle the day after her father left. She was her hero down beneath, and to know she was in critical condition pained her.
“You’re mother’s in a coma. It wouldn’t do anything to see her.” Seth butted in. Nichole felt her eyes sting and her heart rage.
“Out. Now.” His step father commanded, pointing to the door. After Seth left, Dr. Michaels explained to her.
“She is still in a coma, Nichole. You may see her as you please, though.” The doctor smiled as he lead Nichole back to her room. “About going home without your mother - don’t you have another parent at home?”
Nichole thought about lying, telling him there was just so she could have the house to herself to invite her two best friends, Alex and Felicia, over but she thought better than that.
“Actually, my mom’s the only adult. Just me and her. My father lives in Florida with his other family.”
“Do you have a close relative nearby you could stay with?” Dr. Michael’s asked.
“No. I have friends though.” Nichole hoped he would allow her to stay with them, but he declined that idea.
“Looks like you have to stay here, sweetheart.” Dr. Michaels lead Nichole into a new floor called the rehabilitation center. It was strictly for resting. He thought it’d be the best idea since it had a lounge area, a cafeteria and a room with a TV.
“I have a roommate?” Nichole noticed the other bed.
“No, there’s just another bed.” He explained.
“What about clothes? Can I get my clothes?” Nichole pleaded, uncomfortable with the gown she was in.
“You cannot leave, Nichole. How about one of your friends come drop some off when they visit, would that work?” He suggested, then closed the door behind her.
