“So…rry,” she said, wiping the tears from her eyes. “Such a dumb ass.” She rolled her eyes at herself for making a spectacle of the situation.
Can I just be done with drama for a while? What did he think? Did he think I’d be happy to see him? Awkward? How about a sick joke. For years I’ve been planning what I’d say to him if I ever saw him again. And here I am, a train wreck and unable to speak!
“Don’t worry about that right now. He’s gone. I’m sure the last person you were expecting to see was the guy that made your life a living hell in high school. I’m just glad I recognized him.”
Charlie reached for the ice chips and Angie guided the straw to her mouth. Charlie could feel the cold water that had gathered at the bottom of the cup trickle down her throat and into her empty stomach. She tried to clear her throat and it only made her cough.
“You are a hot mess, lady. What can I do?”
Charlie shook her head.
“Then I’ll just…talk. Sorry I’ve been M.I.A. lately. I’ve been really busy. But then, I see you have been, too.” She gestured toward the door where Samuel could be seen in the distance, sitting on the waiting room couch.
Charlie smiled and her blood pressure started returning to normal.
She watched Samuel sitting on the couch and she stopped listening to Angie’s ramblings about her new boyfriend. Samuel was pretending not to eavesdrop on the conversation of two women sitting next to him, mostly rolling his eyes. He was thumbing through a magazine, looking anxious. Running his hand through his hair, he set the magazine down on the coffee table and picked up his coffee for a sip. After setting the cup back down, he rubbed the palms of his hands on his jeans while his feet bounced. He stood up and started pacing back and forth. The two ladies on the couch paused in their conversation when Samuel caught their attention. One of them giggled and whispered something to the other. He ran his fingers through his hair again and began walking toward Charlie’s room.
“…So, after I told him what an ass he had made of himself, he apologized—”
Charlie interrupted Angie by tugging on her shirt. She gestured toward the door at Samuel’s face peeking in.
“Oh. Yeah, that’s right. Come in, Sam!” Angie called.
Samuel entered cautiously at first, and saw that Charlie was done crying. He approached her with less hesitation. “Your parents were here earlier. I told them to go home and get some sleep.”
You met my parents! She couldn’t help but smile, which in turn made Samuel smile and bite his bottom lip. He exhaled loudly and folded his arms across his chest.
“Oh, well, if you couldn’t cut the sexual tension in this room with a knife! Sam, it was very nice to meet you. I’ll be going now. I’ll be back in an hour or so, Charlie. But, I work at The Crimson tonight, so I won’t be able to stay long,” Angie said, grabbing her purse and coat.
“It’s o—” Charlie coughed. “It’s okay. I’ll be fine. I’ll call you.” The whispers didn’t hurt as much and she took another sip of water.
Angie bent down and gave Charlie a hug, trying carefully to avoid her broken arm. “Talk to you soon.” Angie smiled at Samuel on her way out of the room. Charlie noticed a few nurses avoiding eye contacting and stepping out of Angie’s way as she strutted out into the hallway.
“That is definitely a feisty one right there. Damn. Remind me to never piss her off,” said Samuel.
Charlie smiled and nodded.
“So, can you speak? Can you tell me why that doctor made you so uncomfortable?”
She closed her eyes. “I don’t want you to worry about it. Really. It’s in the past and it’s really not as big of a deal as what—” Charlie began coughing again.
“Okay. Here. Don’t speak.” He leaned over her and grabbed her pitcher of water and glass, pouring as he spoke. “It’s time for me to talk, then. I gotta get this out, it’s killing me.”
She
Can I just be done with drama for a while? What did he think? Did he think I’d be happy to see him? Awkward? How about a sick joke. For years I’ve been planning what I’d say to him if I ever saw him again. And here I am, a train wreck and unable to speak!
“Don’t worry about that right now. He’s gone. I’m sure the last person you were expecting to see was the guy that made your life a living hell in high school. I’m just glad I recognized him.”
Charlie reached for the ice chips and Angie guided the straw to her mouth. Charlie could feel the cold water that had gathered at the bottom of the cup trickle down her throat and into her empty stomach. She tried to clear her throat and it only made her cough.
“You are a hot mess, lady. What can I do?”
Charlie shook her head.
“Then I’ll just…talk. Sorry I’ve been M.I.A. lately. I’ve been really busy. But then, I see you have been, too.” She gestured toward the door where Samuel could be seen in the distance, sitting on the waiting room couch.
Charlie smiled and her blood pressure started returning to normal.
She watched Samuel sitting on the couch and she stopped listening to Angie’s ramblings about her new boyfriend. Samuel was pretending not to eavesdrop on the conversation of two women sitting next to him, mostly rolling his eyes. He was thumbing through a magazine, looking anxious. Running his hand through his hair, he set the magazine down on the coffee table and picked up his coffee for a sip. After setting the cup back down, he rubbed the palms of his hands on his jeans while his feet bounced. He stood up and started pacing back and forth. The two ladies on the couch paused in their conversation when Samuel caught their attention. One of them giggled and whispered something to the other. He ran his fingers through his hair again and began walking toward Charlie’s room.
“…So, after I told him what an ass he had made of himself, he apologized—”
Charlie interrupted Angie by tugging on her shirt. She gestured toward the door at Samuel’s face peeking in.
“Oh. Yeah, that’s right. Come in, Sam!” Angie called.
Samuel entered cautiously at first, and saw that Charlie was done crying. He approached her with less hesitation. “Your parents were here earlier. I told them to go home and get some sleep.”
You met my parents! She couldn’t help but smile, which in turn made Samuel smile and bite his bottom lip. He exhaled loudly and folded his arms across his chest.
“Oh, well, if you couldn’t cut the sexual tension in this room with a knife! Sam, it was very nice to meet you. I’ll be going now. I’ll be back in an hour or so, Charlie. But, I work at The Crimson tonight, so I won’t be able to stay long,” Angie said, grabbing her purse and coat.
“It’s o—” Charlie coughed. “It’s okay. I’ll be fine. I’ll call you.” The whispers didn’t hurt as much and she took another sip of water.
Angie bent down and gave Charlie a hug, trying carefully to avoid her broken arm. “Talk to you soon.” Angie smiled at Samuel on her way out of the room. Charlie noticed a few nurses avoiding eye contacting and stepping out of Angie’s way as she strutted out into the hallway.
“That is definitely a feisty one right there. Damn. Remind me to never piss her off,” said Samuel.
Charlie smiled and nodded.
“So, can you speak? Can you tell me why that doctor made you so uncomfortable?”
She closed her eyes. “I don’t want you to worry about it. Really. It’s in the past and it’s really not as big of a deal as what—” Charlie began coughing again.
“Okay. Here. Don’t speak.” He leaned over her and grabbed her pitcher of water and glass, pouring as he spoke. “It’s time for me to talk, then. I gotta get this out, it’s killing me.”
She
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