Page 6 of Reaper and Abby

Did they know each other?

“When I saw the file, I assumed they had put the wrong patient’s name down.” The doctor said, and then looked at Abby’s hand, and the bloody tea towel wrapped around it. “Clearly I was wrong.” He didn’t even acknowledge me. In fact, he nearly shut the door in my face. Doing a double take, when I put my foot out, stopping it from closing.

The doctor looked like he was a second away from calling security.

“This is Kade, my husband.” Abby explained. “I wasn’t exactly capable of driving myself.” She forced a smile, but I could see she was in fucking pain and if he didn’t start being a fucking doctor and not standing there looking protective of my wife. Then he’d be feeling pain.

“Come through then, sorry Kade.” He was polite. But it was forced.

We walked into a bay, and he went to put on gloves. “So Abby, what happened?”

“I cut myself on a broken glass.” She laid her hand down on the table he pulled around in front of her.

He frowned, looking at the tea towel. Before turning back to the lock draw and opening, pulling out a needle.

“I know you hate pain relief, but I’m not unwrapping that hand until you’ve got something in your system.” His words were firm with her. As if he knew she would protest. To my surprise, she didn’t argue with him, and let him administer pain relief.

“I was starting to think your teenagers had turned a new leaf. We haven’t had an admission from either of them in three weeks.” He likely joked with her, while getting out medical supplies he was going to need. I assumed he was waiting for the pain relief to kick in.

“They are doing well,” Abby said, but it was her tone. That even had my eyes flickered to her.

The doctor was staring at her intently. “And how have you been? Handling the stress of the final presentation this week?”

He cut the tea towel.

“Yeah I had it up to its final stages.”

“Did you go with the gray scale?”

“I did, and I finished the final detailing late last night.” A hiss of pain escaped her lips, and he paused.

“Last final piece before marking, you’ve done a great job. Must be relieved.” He shot her a smile while he began to clean the wound.

“I was until this morning.” Her face was expressionless. “Tyson had taken a permanent marker to it, not black either sadly.”

Tyson had done what?!

I saw the doctor’s jaw clench slightly. “You’ve been working on that for three months Abby. Is it fixable?”

“No a red marker, displaying the words fuck you doesn’t really come off.” Tears swelled in her eyes, and I wasn’t sure if those tears were from the cleaning of the wound. “He was upset, I caught him smoking pot.”

The doctor sighed, “I’m sorry Abby. Perhaps the professor will understand.”

“Just like he had to understand when my last two sculptures got their heads cut off.” She sighed, “It doesn’t matter anymore.”

He paused. “You can’t give up on this, Abby. Even if you have to resubmit a new piece. You have to do it, it’s the final one. Then you are done.”

“It won’t be as easy as that. Professor Bentley already said I’d have to redo the semester if the piece wasn’t submitted. After, all this piece was to make up for the sculptures. And I can’t do another year of theory and practical again.”

I watched as she blinked and a few small tears dropped. The doctor started to stitch the wound.

“Abby I know you, if anyone could create a piece of art in a few days. You can.” The doctor said gently. Abby’s eyes lifted from her hand on to him.

“Thanks Shawn,” she wiped the tears away from her eyes. “Anyway,” with a sigh she said. “I think my family needs me to focus on them. Hannah still isn’t sleeping. The night terrors are getting worse. Eve can’t be out of my sight longer than a few seconds and Tyson. . .” she just paused. “Well, he hates me, and just has this need to destroy anything he can get his hands on.”

He paused, staring at her, I watched his mouth open, and then he glanced at me. Keeping whatever he was going to say to her to himself.

The doctor finished stitching up her hands and began to secure it with tape.

---