Chapter 5 Examine
[Collin’s POV]
I wait while Jeremiah stares at me. It is clear from the look in his eyes that he doesn’t necessarily trust me, but he doesn’t say it outright.
Continuing to frown, he looks to Lilah, who remains silent.
“Your choice,” she shrugs as if they are speaking telepathically.
“Alright.”
It’s a simple word, and I can’t help but wonder if Jeremiah is a man of few words or if Lilah has shit-talked me to him and that was the reason he was acting like I wasn’t really worth bothering with.
“Then it is settled.” I smile. “I will let Donna know and have Lilah send you the day it will happen.”
Nodding, Jeremiah hooks an arm around Lilah’s waist and then gives me a smile.
“Then I’ll be waiting.”
It’s all he says before beginning to lead the still very drunk Lilah forward, and when she lets out a hiss of pain, my gaze shoots to her ankle.
“Wait,” I call, causing the two to stop and look at me. “Is something wrong with your ankle?”
For a moment, Lilah doesn’t respond as she stares at me, and when a look that almost screams, “Are you serious?” flashes in her eyes, I know that she’s annoyed.
“Weren’t you the one who checked me and said I was fine?” She asks.
“I did,” I confirm, continuing to examine her ankle. “It doesn’t look like there is any swelling in that area.”
“It’s an old injury,” Jeremiah says.
Frowning, I consider what he has said while wondering if I just never noticed Lilah’s discomfort when she walked, but even with the few times we ran into each other, I was certain that she was fine.
“Old injury,” I repeat. “Could you elaborate while I check it out?”
“Do we have to?” Lilah whines. “I’ve already been here long enough.”
“Sit,” I order.
“I don’t want to.”
“Lilah,” Jeremiah sighs, his voice taking on the tone of a parent dealing with an annoying child. “Listen to the doctor.”
“Why?” she snaps. “He already examined me and said I’m fine. Why do I need to have him take a look at my ankle? You know as well as I do that this isn’t anything new.”
“Sit,” I repeat, my voice stern. “Otherwise I will sit you down myself.”
“Who the hell are you to talk to me like that, you mph!”
Lilah doesn’t get to finish her rant before Jeremiah’s hand is shooting out and pressing against her mouth to stop her from arguing further.
“Just be obedient.” He sighs, leading her to the examination table. “And sit the hell down.”
Letting out what sounds dangerously like a string of profanities, the irate woman does as instructed, and once she is in place, I kneel so that I can get a look at her ankle, and that’s when I see the noticeable surgical scar along her heel.
“How did it happen?” I ask, wondering if she may have some plates in it.
“I fought a car and lost,” she shrugs.
“Fought a car,” I repeat, wondering why her response triggered something. “Could you elaborate more?”
“I was playing too close to the road, and a drunk driver hit me.” She responds, and my eyes widen.
“What?” She asks as I stare at her. “What is it?”
“Nothing,” I respond. “That must have been scary.”
“It’s in the past,” she counters. “No point in dwelling.”
As she speaks, memories from a time long ago start to surface, and I can’t help but wonder if the teenager in those memories was her.
“And since I’ve told you my story, can I please leave?”
Always trying to run. The small voice in the back of my head says. Never trying to compromise.
“After an X-ray,” I tell her.
Even if the injury was old and looked to not be having any issues, it was best to make sure, especially if it was causing her such discomfort.
“Why?” Lilah snaps, clearly not happy with what I said. “I told you it is an old injury. Why do I have to get an X-ray?”
“Because there could be something messed up in there.” I explain. “You shouldn’t be feeling any discomfort if things are fine.”
“Jesus,” she growls. “This is ridiculous.”
In true Lilah fashion, she hops off the table and starts to storm toward the room's exit.
“I’m not doing an x-ray,” she announces, turning her gaze to Jeremiah, who remains in place. “I’m going home.”
Turning, she doesn’t wait for Jeremiah before limping into the hall.
“That girl,” Jeremiah sighs, shaking his head. “She just does whatever she wants.”
“I see that,” I murmur, staring in the direction she left.
Even back when I was treating her father, Lilah was pretty stubborn and independent. There were many times that she argued with me about a treatment choice. And even if that could be a good trait, it could also be a weakness.
“How is she doing these days?” I ask, turning to Jeremiah. “I mean after her father’s death and everything.”
“Good.”
His voice is sharp, and I know that I’ve overstepped bounds in asking, but even then I can’t stop the curiosity I feel.
“I should get going.” Jeremiah continues when I don’t speak. “Before she causes trouble. Thanks for the treatment.”
“It’s my job.” I tell him. “Have a good evening.”
“Yeah.”
Giving me a nod, he shoves his hands in his pockets and then strolls out of the room, leaving me alone to my thoughts.
“Man,” I huff, rubbing the back of my neck. “This is going to be more trouble than I thought.”
Sure, I didn’t expect Lilah and I to be the best of buddies, but I wanted us to at least be able to get along for her mother’s sake, but with each passing day, Lilah was making it clear that she didn’t have any intention of doing such a thing.
“Doctor.”
Shifting my gaze, I watch as Allison, my nurse, enters and gives me a look of curiosity.
“Has the patient already left?”
“She has,” I confirm, frowning. “But there’s something I’m curious about.”
Growing quiet, I wait while Allison stares at me, and I don’t miss the way her eyes shift down my body.
“And what is that, doctor?” She asks, giving me a seductive smile.
“When you contacted me, you said that it was an emergency,” I respond slowly. “But the patient wasn’t that bad off.”
“Oh,” Allison gasps, her eyes widening. “I apologize for the confusion. I was told by someone that the patient was much worse off. You know how word of mouth can be.”
I don’t respond.
I don’t need to with the way she is looking at me.
It was no secret that Allison had a thing for me. She made it clear every single day.
Even after I married Donna, she continued to do such things, and honestly, it was starting to get pretty exasperating.
“Allison,” I say slowly, knowing exactly what needed to be done. “I think it is about time that you transferred to a different area.”
At my words, Allison’s eyes widen, and I can see the hurt within them, but I keep my expression neutral.
“Frankly, the way you’re constantly watching me and doing things to try to spend time with me is getting pretty annoying.”
“Doctor!” She gasps, tears beginning to form in her eyes. “How can you…”
“You heard him.”
Tensing, I slowly turn in the direction of the voice, and when I do, I find Lilah strolling towards me with a look of annoyance on her face.
“Are you too dumb to understand?”
