“I googled that yesterday. Lowest for the level of care I need right now would be somewhere around $420 a week. I obviously can’t afford that while paying the rent and everything else. So, if you would do it for half, while living with me for free...”
“Yes!” she quickly accepted after her eyes grew big towards the end of my offer. “Thank you, Honey!”
The eagerness in her voice surprised me. She must have had some money troubles. Well, I knew they had money troubles, but maybe they got even worse somehow. She was, after all, already living in my apartment for free, and before she moved herself into my apartment, she was living in John’s house for free, so it’s not like she was facing some kind of existential crisis. Though, who knows what Aaron had done to their bank account after his wife and daughter left him.
And then, from the very back of my head, another thought struck me. She didn’t even let me finish my offer after she heard that she would be living with me. Maybe that was the reason she accepted so eagerly. Not the money, but the assurance of being able to stay with me?
My thought process was interrupted when the examination started. Just like when I was stabbed, he didn’t let me wait long before calling me in. First thing he did was order some X-Rays. Then I went back to have my wounds examined. Claire kept to the background, in the very same pose she had used in the kitchen, causing the doctor to throw her a few irritated side glances. Though, when he started unpacking my wound and removed the gauze pad from my shoulder, she got her first actual look at the damage on my body, and gasped as a sad look overtook her face.
“Why are these wet, Mr. Brown?” the doctor asked in obvious displeasure. “I imagine you’ve been through this often enough to know that you shouldn’t shower with these kinds of wounds.”
The way he phrased it, it sounded like I constantly had some kind of deep wound on my body. Something Claire heard as well, as I could see another wave of sorrow wash over her face when I glanced over to her.
“Listen, Doc. I’ll have to pull down my pants to let you and at least one of your pretty nurses put their faces close to my junk, in order to have this leg examined. That is NOT going to happen unless I take a proper shower beforehand.”
His nurse giggled hearing my words, and the Doctor started to grin.
“Well, I guess you have enough experience to be careful. Make sure that no soap comes into direct contact with that bullet wound. That would be bad. And it would hurt!”
“Promised.” I answered, as he smeared some kind of iodine ointment on a thin gauze strip.
“Now, this might sting a little.”
“AHFFFUUUUuuuucckKKK!” I growled through my teeth when he suddenly started pushing the damn gauze strip into the hole in my leg, using a giant cotton swab to pack it.
Claire immediately was by my side. She seemed torn between wanting to hold my hand, and the urge to run away. She compromised by holding my hand, but kept her back turned to what the doctor was doing. I could be biased, but there was a lot of gauze going into my leg, and I failed to see why less of it wouldn’t work just as fine.
After that was done, he took a look at my shoulder and determined that I should return in two days’ time, so he could remove the multitude of stitches and go over the X-Rays with me. I had to blink a few small tears out of my eyes by the time he was done, but we managed to get me dressed and out of the building.
“Are you Okay, Honey? Do you need anything? Can I do anything?” Claire was almost frantic again.
“I’ll be fine, thanks. Let’s go home and pick up Ava.”
“What for?”
“Doesn’t she need any supplies for school? I know I do!”
I also needed some other things that I couldn’t ask them to get for me, so I needed her to drive me. But I also couldn’t get those things with either Claire or Ava looking over my shoulder, so I needed them occupied with their own shopping spree.
“Wait ... You...” She half turned back to the doctor’s office’s entrance, and finally realized that we simply left the building without stopping at the front desk. “He didn’t give you a sick note?!”
“Don’t need one. And even if I did...” I quickly added to stop her protest. “ ... I’ve been out of school for six weeks already. I kinda have to go back, or my attendance drops too low.”
“Are you su...”
“YES!”
I really didn’t mean to get loud, but after what just happened in there, I couldn’t help but be on edge. And having to constantly reassure her, which basically amounted to constantly arguing about what I needed and wanted, got me riled up. Once again, she hung her head and apologized in that submissive pose. I just rolled my eyes and got into the car.
Back in my apartment, I recovered some cash from my closet while Claire was fetching Ava, and then returned to the living room to wait for them.
“We’re going shopping?” Ava asked, half suspicious and half hopeful.
“Yeah. Let’s get everything you need for school.”
