by Kait Nolan
Chapter Six
"Clarissa Grant? Come on back."
Caroline's Saturday was rapidly shaping up to be tedious in a way only her mother could fabricate. A frantic phone call woke her at 7:30 in the morning, her mother only remembering to tell her about her first post-op appointment with the surgeon that morning, plus the requisite x-rays beforehand. She managed to get dressed and out the door without even a drop of coffee in fifteen minutes, which was rapidly becoming a problem as she got grouchier and grouchier.
She loved her mom, she really did, but being her sole caretaker was sometimes more than she could handle. It would be difficult enough with a normal parent, but her mother tended toward neediness in everyday, uninjured life. The current level of clingy made her feel like she had a fifty-year-old child who was never going to leave home and strike out on her own.
Caroline reached out and steadied her mother when she swayed on the crutches, still unsure in her short, halting movements. “Be careful, Mom. You’re like a colt on new legs.”
Mark, her mother’s favorite nurse, held the door open wide to let Clarissa hobble through. “You’re looking a bit better since we last saw you!” He grinned down at her. “You’re moving around, at least.”
“Being upright will do a lot for a girl, sweetheart,” her mother said with a wide smile and a wink. She was so happy to be up and around that she hadn’t stopped smiling since Caroline picked her up that morning. Plus, she loved flirting with the male nurses and physical therapists she encountered during her office visits. Part of Caroline couldn’t blame her, since some of them were really cute, but that still didn’t mean she wanted to see her mom hitting on guys young enough to be her kid.
“Mom thinks that coming in for her last post-op means that the doctor’s bedrest orders are over.”
The nurse gave them both a sympathetic look. “Recovery doesn’t end with post-op, you know that, Clarissa. But I’m sure the doctor has a good plan for you going forward. You’ll be up and around in no time, I promise.” He escorted them into the exam room and helped to settle Clarissa on the table with the latest gossip rags. “Dr. Peters will be in shortly.”
Caroline took a seat off to the side and hefted her bag off her shoulder with an audible thump. She’d been hauling around her laptop all morning, originally hoping to work on a blog for Modern and some copy for Monica’s fundraiser materials while her mom got ready, but Clarissa had insisted on looking her very best for the doctor’s appointment. Caroline was more than stressed about her deadline, but she tried not to mind—from an early age, she knew that fuchsia lips and hair teased up to the stratosphere were her mother’s armor against the world, and since the accident Clarissa’s defenses had taken quite a hit.
The truth was that she had barely cracked her laptop open since Thursday night thanks to a couple of lengthy, late-night text sessions with Oliver, chatting about everything from favorite movies to childhood memories to future dreams. They stayed away from identifiable specifics, but it was the strangest thing…she still felt like she knew him better than any guy she’d ever dated before.
Almost on cue, Caroline’s phone chimed with a text message alert. She dug around in her bag for the phone, wishing not for the first time that she was capable of carrying around less crap. No matter where she put her phone, it always ended up on the bottom of her cavernous purse through some strange rule of physics. She let out a small exclamation of victory as her hand closed around the charm that dangled from the end of her case.
Hope you’re having a good day! :-) Can’t stop thinking about you this morning.
A hot blush stained her cheeks and she ducked her head over the phone, trying to hide from her mother’s eagle eyes.
I’ve had better, but it’s improving a little now that I’ve heard from you. ;-)
She couldn’t help but laugh out loud when he sent back a GIF of happy puppies cavorting around in a ball pit with the caption YAYYYYYY in big block letters underneath them.
“Sounds like someone’s happy over there.”
Busted. “What do you mean, Mom?” Caroline was aiming for an innocent tone, but she knew Clarissa could see straight through any front she put up. She was an awful liar.
“I mean that you’ve been almost glued to that phone for the last week.” said Clarissa. “I haven’t seen you that absorbed in your screen since Candy Crush first came out.”
“It’s just work stuff.” Caroline prayed the talk of boring work would shut down her mom’s curiosity. “I’ve got a lot of things going on right now, that’s all.”
“Mmmmhmmm. I don’t imagine that shelving comic books takes a lot of funny text message conversations, does it?” Clarissa crossed her arms across her ample chest, giving her daughter an arch look. “I injured my back and my legs, not my brain. Don’t think I haven’t noticed that little smile on your face every time you hear the damn thing buzz. During dinner last week, when I was re-dyeing your hair yesterday…do you finally have a boyfriend?”
Caroline closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to stall the short temper that wanted to pop out and scream at her mother that it was none of her business. “No, Mom, I don’t have a boyfriend. I’ve got too many jobs and too much to deal with to even meet someone, let alone have a boyfriend. If I was dating, I wouldn’t have time for sleeping.”
Clarissa’s face crumpled a little. “It’s my fault, isn’t it? I’m keeping you too busy to have time for yourself. I knew it! Oh, honey…”
Guilt churned in her stomach when she saw the genuine distress in her mother’s eyes. “No, Mom, it isn’t your fault. You know I put everything else before a relationship—that’s why I haven’t had one since college.”
“I just want you to be happy, and I know this has been a lot on your shoulders. That’s why I want the doctor to clear me, so I can get my life back on track and you can go back to yours. I hate having to be taken care of all the time.”
“I know, Mom. But you need me to take care of you right now, so let’s just not get ahead of things yet, okay?”
She was saved from any further conversation by the arrival of Dr. Peters, her mother’s knight in white coat. Despite all the coquettish behavior with the male nurses, Clarissa had the biggest crush on her doctor. Caroline liked him too, because he managed to put them both at ease and had a reputation as the best orthopedic surgeon in the area.
“Hello Clarissa, Caroline.” He shook their hands and sat down on the stool next to the exam table. “How are you feeling, Clarissa?”
“I’ve still been in more pain than I want to be in, and I’m sick of being stuck in bed all the time. I don’t feel like I can move very well yet, though. Will that get better the more I’m up and around?”
“It probably will, but we’re not quite there yet, I’m afraid.”
Caroline felt everything in her body go tense. “What’s wrong? What do you mean, not quite there yet?”
“Well, in reviewing the x-rays taken this morning, things are not healing at the rate that we hoped. Some people just heal fractures slower than others, and we’re at a critical point right now to make sure things are staying aligned for the best results possible.”
“Isn’t that why you filled me with all those pins and bolts?”
Clarissa’s mouth was trembling around the edges, and Caroline knew she was trying to keep it together in front of the doctor. She got up and crossed over to the table, taking her mother’s hand in hers.
“It is, but they can only do so much of the job.” Dr. Peters flicked one of the x-ray films out of Clarissa’s thick chart and put it up on the lightbox. “You can see here how the screws are holding some of the bone in place, but then this gap is what needs to be filled in with bone growth.”
He turned off the lightbox and sat back down again, scooting the stool closer to them. “That’s why I am recommending that you start a rehabilitation program, Clarissa. There is a wonderful new facility just outside Stanleyville that has some state of the art equipment
, like a new bone growth stimulator. I believe that, along with some gentle physical therapy to strengthen your muscles around the fractures, will help you heal faster and get you back to normal much sooner.”
“You mean I’d have to stay there?” Clarissa’s voice was small. “For how long?”
“At least a few weeks, but trust me when I say it is far more likely to help you heal on schedule than being bedridden at home.” Dr. Peters laid a soft hand over the one Clarissa was nervously twisting on her lap. “I know that your job requires you to be on your feet a lot, and I want to make sure that you can do that with as little pain as possible. Do you both trust me?”
“Yes, of course.” Clarissa was quick to respond, and Caroline merely nodded, already trying to total up the bills for something like that in her head. How in the world was she going to be able to afford a facility like that for Clarissa’s care?
“I’d like you to check in today, Clarissa. To be on the safe side, I’d like you to take our transport so that you can be in the proper position for your back and legs. I know it’s sudden, but given your x-rays from this morning, I’m a little concerned about your back. I don’t want to risk you healing improperly or reinjuring any of the fracture sites.”
Clarissa craned to look at her daughter, concern written all over her features. “What do you think?”
“I think that we’ll get you transported over there while I take care of the insurance paperwork, and then I’ll go by the house and grab you the things that you’ll need.” She fought to keep her voice light and even. “Don’t worry about a thing, Mom, except getting better.”
The door opened and Mark appeared with a wheelchair. “Let’s get you locked and loaded, Mrs. Grant, and we’ll have you over to Oaklawn Rehab in no time.” He helped Clarissa onto her crutches to support her weight, and then gently lowered her into the chair. “She’s in good hands, Caroline. I’ll help her get checked in over there while you’re signing everything.”
“I know, Mark.” Caroline managed to dredge up a smile that felt like it stretched her face unnaturally. “Mom, I’m going to take care of your co-pay, then call the insurance to make sure things are good with the pre-approval. I’ll see you in just a bit, okay?”
She leaned down and bussed her mother’s cheek before she was wheeled away. Clarissa looked torn between panic about weeks in rehab and admiration of Mark’s attentiveness.
Her phone buzzed again with a text, but she ignored it this time, flipping the screen to her contacts and paging through for the insurance company. As the call connected, Caroline shouldered her bag with a grim set to her lips and headed for the patient check-out desk.
Damn, she needed a coffee.
~*~
By late evening, Drew was getting restless. He spent the whole day working on his business plan and some things to help out the Women’s Center, but always with one eye on his cell phone. Emily went radio silent after his last text, which was unusual enough after a few days of solid texting that he couldn’t help but worry.
She doesn’t owe you anything, he reminded himself. Don’t make this into something it’s not. She’s probably busy pretending to be someone else’s girlfriend, too.
But despite his misgivings, Drew had grown used to talking to her in snippets of text conversation throughout the day, just like he would Ava or his mom. After almost a week full of different chats, he was always eager to see what she would reveal next. They’d been up so late texting the night before that he even found himself sleeping past his customary weekend gym time, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care.
His phone went off, but not with the text chime that he was hoping for. Ava’s profile picture popped up on his screen, a silly selfie she’d taken with him the last time they hit up a minor league baseball game. She had just gotten back from a work trip and he knew she was dying to know how the Virtual Match was going. He swiped to answer and steeled himself for the third degree.
Ava didn’t even wait for him to say hello. “I haven’t heard a word from you in days, mister! Are you that mad at me for making you sign up for that stupid service?”
“Mad at you? Why would I be mad at you?”
Drew could practically hear Ava roll her eyes over the phone. “Because I basically forced you to take your shirt off, drink tequila, and sign up for a fake girlfriend?”
“You didn’t make me do anything, really. Just made a lot of suggestions I eventually went along with.”
“That’s not what you said after the third shot of tequila. Or was it the fourth?”
“Well…I might be willing to admit that I was wrong. A little, anyway.”
Silence met his confession.
“Hello? Ava, are you still there?”
“I’m sorry, I think there might be something wrong with my phone. I thought you said just now that you were wrong, insinuating that I might be right.”
He knew she’d be smug, but he also knew that he earned eating this crow.
“Well…in this case? You were right. It isn’t that bad. In fact, it’s been kind of great.”
“Okay, now I know I’m hallucinating. When I was submitting your profile, all you were doing was bellyaching about how awful it would be and what a horrible friend I am.”
“No, seriously. The girl I’m talking to is super funny, and nice, and we’ve spent the last few days talking constantly. It’s so easy to talk to her that…well, sometimes I even forget that it isn’t real for a second.”
More silence.
“Okay, now I’m the one thinking this is a bad idea,” she finally said. “What happened to Mr. I Don’t Have Time for Feelings?”
“Whoa, I didn’t say there were feelings involved, I just said that I’m having a good time talking to her.”
“And that is enough to worry me right there. I haven’t heard you even slightly excited about a girl since Hayley, and we both know how that went.”
Drew sighed. “It went spectacularly bad, because I didn’t listen to my gut and dump her when it was clear we had nothing in common.”
“And this isn’t going to go any better.”
“I actually have things in common with Emily! She likes the same stuff I do, stuff even you think is stupid and nerdy.”
Ava’s voice was flat when she finally answered. “Emily is a work of fiction, Drew. Of course you have things in common with her.”
He knew that tone. She was starting to get mad at him, and as immovable as she could be normally, that multiplied by about a thousand times when she was pissed off. He still couldn’t resist snapping back at her.
“Fine. But at least I’m enjoying talking to someone who isn’t Macy, you, or my mother. And don’t forget, you’re the one who told me to loosen up.”
“Yeah, loosen up, not lose your grip. I’ve gotta go. I’ll talk to you…when I talk to you.”
Before he could say another word, the line went dead. His phone clattered to the counter as he raked both hands through his hair in frustration. He loved her like she was his own family, but Ava could be a trial—dramatic, judgmental, and sometimes just plain mean. Their friendship had survived a lot worse than a simple argument in the 20-plus years they’d been friends, and he knew she just didn’t want him to get hurt. But her overreactions still stung.
He was not having feelings. He was just enjoying himself, and there was nothing wrong with that…right?
Drew worked for a few more hours until his stomach growled angrily at him, reminding him that in between working and worrying, he’d skipped dinner. He was fixing a midnight snack when his phone finally buzzed with a message, and he was slightly glad no one was around to see him scramble over himself in his hurry to get to the phone.
Hey, I’m so sorry. I had a lot of stuff that I ended up having to deal with today and I wasn’t able to be on my phone much.
The sense of relief that he felt surprised him. He knew he shouldn’t care too much. Emily was getting paid to talk to him, to pretend that he meant something to he
r. It was a cover, but despite his initial misgivings about even signing up, he knew that they had a connection.
I’m glad to hear from you. I was a little worried when you didn’t answer like you normally do.
I didn’t mean to worry you. Just a lot going on right now and I ended up at the hospital and rehab clinic all day.
Drew frowned, worry ramping right back up again.
Are you okay? That sounds awful.
I…
The bubble that indicated she was typing animated on a loop, then stopped, then started again.
I doubt you want to hear about my rough day. How was yours?
Not as good without getting to talk to you. I did some work, but that was about it.
He hesitated for a moment—he didn’t want to push her, but even through a text he could tell that her tone was off.
Seriously, Em, if you feel like talking about it, I’m here to listen. Especially if you’re hurt.
The bubble started animating again, looping over and over again for a good minute before another text came through.
You’re sweet to be concerned. I’m not injured, it’s just family stuff that is draining to deal with. Hard to even talk about in a text, to be honest.
We could talk on the phone, if you want.
He pulled up short from his phone, knowing he could have just blown the whole thing. The service said that phone conversations were not allowed, to keep things anonymous and protect identities. But he couldn’t help wanting to give her a shoulder when it sounded like she was in need of someone to talk to.
You’d break the rules for me? :-)
If I was going to be a rebel for anybody, it would be for you.
The wait for her response was long and tense. But instead of a new text message, his phone just started to ring.
Chapter Seven
Caroline’s palms were sweating so badly she was afraid she might drop the phone. What the hell was she doing? Her job at Virtual Match could be at risk, not to mention her story for Modern, but in that moment she really didn’t care. Getting her mom into the rehab facility had been an arduous, tear-inducing process, and putting on a happy face to keep Clarissa in good spirits afterward had taken almost all the strength she had. She was tired of being everyone else’s support system and just wanted a little bit of support for herself.