Page 138 of Ruin Me Gently

“Yeah, sure. Evelyn’s just being Evelyn.”

A pause. “Oh, I’m sorry sweetie. I have some clothes set out for you there. You can get dressed for me and then call me in when you’re done.”

“Okay,” I mumbled, already turning toward the pile of fabric waiting for me.

I pulled the shirt over my head, then tugged on the sweatpants.

I frowned, pinching at the excess fabric around my waist.

Had I lost weight?

I pulled my socks on, flexing my toes against the fabric, then ran my hands through my wet hair.

“Alright,” I called out. “I’m dressed.”

The woman stepped back into my bedroom and smiled. “Ah, much better. Can you sit down for me?”

I nodded and lowered myself onto the edge of the bed. I winced, sucking in a slow breath through my teeth as pain licked up my spine. A sharp reminder that, yeah, I’d definitely been forced through a meat grinder.

The woman crouched slightly, levelling with me. “We’re going to put in a fresh IV for you, okay?”

I nodded, watching as she unwrapped the supplies.

“Wait,” I frowned, glancing between her and the needle. “What’s that for?”

She gave me a reassuring smile. “For everything, sweetie. You’re on a rotation of painkillers, anti-inflammatories, fluids, and antibiotics.”

My brain processed that slowly, the words swirling and sinking. I let out a breathy laugh. “Seems a bit overkill.”

She didn’t respond, just rolled up my sleeve, cleaned the skin, and inserted the fresh needle. Then secured it in place with tape, attaching it with all the bits and pieces I had no idea how to name.

My eyes stayed locked on her hands, watching the way the tubing settled into place, the way the clear liquid started its slow drip through the line.

“Do you know how long this’ll take?” I asked. “I need to make dinner soon or Wayne will kick my ass, and I’m really not in the mood for that.”

“Who’s Wayne?” That wasn’t the woman’s voice. That was deeper. A man.

“My stepdad,” I muttered, gaze still fixed on my arm.

“Why would he kick your ass?” The male voice said.

“Because if I don’t make dinner, he’ll be hungry. And if he’s hungry, he’s angry,” I snorted softly, shifting my arm slightly against the bed. “And you wouldn’t like him when he’s angry.”

The room was completely silent.

I huffed out a small breath, shaking my head. “Jesus. Tough crowd.”

“Your stepdad isn’t here,” the man’s voice said.

My spine went rigid. “Where is he? How long’s he gone for this time?”

“I don’t know.”

I let out a short, sharp snort. “That’s not useful.”

“I’m sorry,” the man said, voice quieter this time.

“It’s fine,” I shrugged, keeping my focus on the IV. “He usually does this after he does that to Evelyn.”

---