Chapter Two
Here's Chapter Two.
Altered
The tests came back inconclusive. I could have told them that. Hell, if I knew they were going to do these tests contrary to my requests, I would’ve started taking bets in my favor. Dr. Landry insisted that Dr. Chambers take a sample of my hair to be sent to the lab. Nurses did eyes exams. And finally, I was being led to the MRI exam room, in a wheelchair, escorted by Dr. Chambers. I hated him for lying. He lied about my tests. He lied when he said I’d have until tomorrow. I didn’t even have enough time to plan my escape. I was about an hour away from a brilliant beyond brilliant plan.
“You don’t have any tattoos, do you?” Dr. Chambers asked as I lay down on the cold plastic table. I shivered and shook my head. “Is there any metal anywhere in your body?”
“No, but I’m sure you want to check?” I smirked. That’s right, Cameron, act like a whore.
“Aren’t we feisty?” he sniggered. I flipped him off. “Okay-yeah-stay very still.”
“Shut up, please. I know how to deal with an MRI,” I said in a happy voice.
“Fuck you!” he barked.
“Fuck you…” I paused. “….back.” Laughter hung between us. Relax.
“Let’s just get this over with.” I bit my lip as the table shifted into the MRI tube.
“I bet you fifty bucks you won’t find anything in this MRI,” I said.
“You don’t have fifty bucks,” Dr. Chambers pointed out. Asshole!
“I know I’m not going to lose.” I waited for his answer. “And I could use some money. Double or nothing.” The silence over the intercom told him he took the bet.
“Just be still.” I laughed out loud now. He knew it as well as I knew it.
Hospital life isn’t like those medical T.V. shows. It’s dull. You sit in your room and you wait; watching out the smudge proof glass walls. You wish and you hope for something interesting to happen, but nothing. I guess it must be a slow weekend. I didn’t see Dr. Chambers much after he handed me a one hundred dollar bill. I suppose it was out of embarrassment. How could I blame him? I’d be pretty blue about it too. “I told you so!” I blurted out when he hastily shove the bill into my fist. I had to admit, the sick sense of accomplishment felt overwhelmingly great.
My mind wandered around as I tried to sleep. I thought about seeing my parents. Not the folks who ran the orphanage, but my actual parents. They seemed like a picture out of a parenting magazine; perfect and happy. I felt like hat little girl, Annie, the dumb one from the plays-she had no clue what a hard knock life was. The little twit got everything she wanted plus a multi-billion dollar dad. And I have-a shit hole apartment and a cat that isn’t even worth mentioning. I have student loans coming out of my ass and a dead end job, which considering my extended absence, I probably don’t have anymore. Yeah, that Annie-her life was a joke.
Aggravated and restless, I got out of my bed and walked to the mini microwave to make a cup of tea. I was in what the hospital calls a ‘Living Room’; meaning it has everything you need too live, a supply of disgusting hospital food, water, tea and coffee, and a itty bitty bathroom. It was much but it was good for the night. I shuddered and wrapped my blanket around me as stared at my tea cup spinning in the microwave. The whole room was dark. It had to have been past 3 in the morning. I was exhausted. But sleep doesn’t come easy during the night. Especially when I’m away from my house. It’s a comfort thing.
I dipped my chamomile tea bag into the hot water and stirred. A yawn lingered in my throat, threatening to escape. I fought it back and turned to sip my tea in my bed. But a figure blocked me. I jumped, nearly running into Dr. Chambers, still dress in his dark blue scrubs. His dark hair was messy and unwashed. He looked handsome though his eyes were purple and dark from sleeplessness. He chuckled.
“You scared me, you ass!” I shouted shoving past him. “Who the hell stands behind a person like that?” My cute little creeper.
“I didn’t mean to startle you,” he smiled sitting down next to my bed. I crossed my legs underneath me and blew on my tea. “Having trouble sleeping?”
“Yeah, same as every night so don’t even think about using that against me,” I snarled.
“Hey now,” he said holding up his hands in defense. “I’m off the clock.”
“Then what are you doing here at 3 in the morning, Doctor,” I said snidely.
“Look, kid-my name is Jude,” he corrected. “And I’m talking to you so don’t look into it.” He folded his arms over his chest and leaned back into his chair, eyeballing me.
“What?’ I asked looking around me. “What are you looking at?” He shrugged.
“You,” he stated. “You are truly bizarre.” I made a face at him. Oh, that’s what I want to hear.
“I’m just sitting here.” I hope my hatred didn’t read across my face.
“I’m not talking about what you do,” he said. “I’m talking about your body language. You act like you hate me, yet you never tell me to leave and you always seem a little more at ease when I’m nearby.” He was too cocky for his own good. But he was right, every time he was around, I felt better-more relaxed.
“You’re pretty sure of yourself,” I replied setting my cup aside and leaning back on my elbows. “What is my body saying now?” I tried to make my voice sound alluring.
“Now you’re trying to hard,” he stated. “Don’t act, Cam. You’re much prettier when you are yourself.” I sat back up and put my feet onto the floor. He cocked his eyebrow and stood up. I watch every move he made, documenting it in the back of my brain. He moved in front of me. His thigh brushed against my knees. I looked up at him as he ran a hand through my untidy hair. “You’re much prettier when I can’t predict what you’re going to do next.” I blinked. His eyes etched into mine. “Your eyes are back to their normal blue.” I looked away. “Cameron, why did you run away from your home?”
“There is no home there for me,” I pointed out. “Not a home I need or even want.” He stared at me confused. I let my fingers play with the hem of his shirt. This obvious flirtation shouldn’t be legal between doctor and patient. My fingers tip-toed up his stomach and across his chest. I crawled onto the bed and kneeled in front of him. I did my best to channel every ounce of beauty I knew I had as I looked intently at his face. My fingers ran across his collarbone and brushed the lit stubble on his face. His movement didn’t surprise me; his hand placed firmly on my hips. I touched his hair, running my hand through it, taking in every strand. I don’t know if it was the need to get over Max, but what happened next had no logical explanation. There was a passion interlaced between us. Our lips locked and we fell back ward onto the bed. It moved awkwardly and we both laughed. My thin legs were wrapped around his waist now and his hands untied my gown. I guess that’s why they make you take off all you clothes underneath them. I was more than willing to have sex with him. I didn’t understand the notion much, but there it was, tearing off his scrubs and kissing him. Letting him have me. Trying not to fall for him.
The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was Molly. I jumped I wrenched my blanket over me. I was surprised to find myself back in my hospital gown. In a flash, I went over the events of the night. There’s no way we didn’t have sex. It was so real. It did happen. I’m not that crazy. I’ve never had a fantasy. I rubbed my eyes. Molly disapproving face told me that everything I thought happened had happened.
“Don’t expect me to dress you ever again,” she yapped. Dress me? Where was Dr. Chambers? “Dr. Chambers left pretty quickly when I checked on you. You were already asleep.” I have her my best apologetic look. “Child, don’t apologize to me. It’s not me you’ll hate later-it’s him.” She pointed to a refreshed looking Dr. Chambers out in the hall at a circulation desk. He wasn’t wearing his black scrubs. Instead he wore a pair of jeans and a heather gray t-shirt with his white coat over it. He looked really sexy. His hair lay disheveled around his face and down the back of his neck.
“Does he-do-this a lot?” I asked feeling like a child. She gave me a look that said ‘yes’ and left the room. I watched her walk to Jude and hand him a chart. He glanced quickly in my direction, flashing a casual smile. Shit-he was headed this way. I scrambled to fix my rat’s nest of a hair style.
“Good morning,” he said brightly tossing my chart onto the bed. He leaned over me and kissed my forehead. I want you. “Sorry I left so quickly last night.” I shrugged. “Despite what Molly may tell you, I don’t sleep with patients. She just doesn’t want it to happen again.” She’s smart, I’m apparently not.”
“Oh,” I said quietly.
“You must be hungry,” he said handing me a small cereal bar. I faked an enthused look. You’d think doctors knew good nutrition. “You can get more later.” I cocked my eyebrow and tossed the bar aside. “O-Kay…”
“Do I get to leave today?” I asked rudely. He frowned.
“Yes, actually.” In his hands, he fiddled with a blue ballpoint pen. “But I was going to ask you if you wanted to go out to lunch with me?” My eyes swept over his sincere face. I really wasn’t in the mood for dates, in all honesty.
“I don’t think so,” I mumbled.
“So you’re one of those girls,” he said looking to his hands. I pursed my lips.
“No, but I do hear that you are one of those guys.” His shoulders bobbed with silent laughter.
“Maybe I am,” he smirked. “But it’s not me who turned down the date. You did. And I do believe you made the first move. You seduced me.” I scowled at him and his blatant honesty. Asshole, you’re good. “So how about it?”
“I don’t have clothes,” I informed him. He pulled open a cupboard and handed me my purse and a pile of my clothes from the day I ran away. I leaned away from them. I didn’t even want that crap near me. It almost had a stench. “I don’t want them.”
“And why not?”
“They reek of the past,” I winced. I knocked the clothes off my bed. “Let’s burn them,” I chuckled. He sighed overdramatically.
“I’ll grab you some spare scrubs,” he said bending down. He tossed my bra and underwear at me. “You’ll want those.” I laughed and checked him out suggestively. He spun on his heel and walked out of the room. I slipped on my underwear under my gown and picked up the rest of the clothes. Striding across the room, I chucked them as hard as I could out the window. Better. The room smelt better. It smelt a lot less like Max and Max-related pain. His name stung my tongue as if I said I out loud and then bit down hard. Quickly I made my bed as Jude reentered the room “Here, get dressed, I’ll check you out.” I nodded.
“Get out!” I barked nearly pushing him out of the room. Flirting with him was way more fun than it should be. Flirting the sexy young doctor after being dumped, running away, and getting knocked out should be like-illegal. Scrubs were comfortable. I liked them.
“Cameron,” Jude said coming back in the room. “Let’s go.” I grabbed my purse and followed him out of the room. “Cameron Grey checking out,” he said to the resident nurse, Molly. She glared at me. Now, I’m the hospital hussy. That’s it; I’m going to medical school.
Jude held my hand as we walked through the parking lot. He was smiling and bouncing on his toes. I didn’t really understand it, but his obvious excitement thrilled me.
“Don’t you have to work?” I asked as I buckled my seatbelt in the passenger seat of his 2009 Pontiac G8.
“I should, but I hear hooky is good for you every now and then.” He winked at me and put the car in gear. He drove fast; faster than anyone I knew. I could feel a slight force press me back into my seat. “We’re going to my house.”
“I thought we were going out to lunch,” I protested. “Don’t think I’m a hussy, Jude. I’m not just going to sleep with-.” He cut me off.
“CAMERON! I’m going to cook for you,” he shouted with a hint of laughter in his voice. “I cook. My god, Molly really got to you. She was only in your room for like two minutes.”
“She had to dress me while you fled!” I yelled with a sarcastic burst of laughter. “What we did was sick!” Jude’s voice boomed with laughter.
“Sex is not sick,” he said. “It’s human nature.”
“You don’t even know me!”
“Hence that whole date-meal situation?” I smiled to myself. He’s too good.
His house was not really what I expected at all. Sure, it was the big house that I knew was coming But it must’ve been about 100 years old. The white paint looked new though. The frame the house looked now, but I could tell by the architecture that it wasn’t from our time. The inside was completely renovated too. The décor was modern and classy. Jude watched me as I touched different surfaces; making myself comfortable. Occasionally, he would press his hand into the small of my back. It was comfortable and relaxing.
“This house is amazing,” I said finally. “How old is it?”
“About 100 or 150 years,” he answered pulling a pot out of a cupboard. “You’re okay with spaghetti, right?” I nodded jumping to sit on the black granite counter. The kitchen was a large open space with a chrome refrigerator, dishwasher, and oven. There was an island in the center of the kitchen on which sat an electric stove. Everything was modern. I didn’t really expect it, when I saw the outside of the house. Jude didn’t fit into his home. He looked too young to own a house like this. He looked too much like a model to be a doctor. He was chopping tomatoes when I stopped evaluating the room.
“I like everything to be fresh,” he said noticing my curious eyes. “It tastes better that way.”
“You must really like to cook,” I said jumping down. “Can I help?”
“No, no, no, you just relax,” he stated. I watched his steady chopping.
“So what else do you do?” I asked leaning on my elbows.
“You mean when I’m not working or cooking?” I nodded. “I play the piano.” I raised my eyebrows. “I have a grand in the ballroom.” Ballroom? He detected my confusion and said, “It’s on the other side of the house.” I motioned as if to ask him if I could go look; he shook his head yes. I bit my lip and stepped light out of the room. I padded quietly across the off white shag carpet. The dining room was spacious and a bright with a high ceiling. The living room connected to that. I’m not going to even go into the gadgets and furniture and décor that field this room; there weren’t enough words. My eyes were wide as I walked towards the end off the hallway. I pushed open a white door and stepped onto cool marble floor. Sunlight hit my face and warmed all my senses. Across the room was a gigantic black grand piano. It was literally the more beautiful scene I have ever seen. Every inch of the piano sparkled in the sunlight. The marble reflected my figure back at me. My fingers glided against the piano keys.
I sat down, letting myself ease up. The piano looked like a massive beacon. I pressed one key down. The sound pulse through my ears and gave me a chill. I immediately jerked my hands away. I wanted to play, but I didn’t. I didn’t want him to know. I didn’t want him to know that unlike most normal girls, I can do everything and not only that, but I’m good at everything. I didn’t want to scare him off, just like everybody else. I pushed away from the piano and smacked into Jude.
“Hello there,” he whispered. I blushed. “Can you play?”
“No,” I lied. You stupid girl, you should be honest! My brain was screaming.
“Do you want to learn?” he said sitting down. To bad I already know how to. He placed his fingers on the keys and tapped out a morose melody. I closed my eyes and smiled. He stopped. “I could teach you.” No, you couldn’t.
“I want to hear you play,” I stated sitting down on the bench next to him. He smiled with his eyes when he looked at me. “What part of Australia are you from?”
“Sydney,” he said. “I only lived there until I was fourteen.” He started to play the piano. The song was familiar. It sounded like a lullaby that I couldn’t put my finger on. It was soft and dreary, but romantic and relaxing. My put me fingers on the lower octave keys and started to play along with him. He was surprised. His eyes shot in my direction. “You do play.” It wasn’t a question, but I nodded anyway. “Liar.” I laughed.
“I didn’t want you to know,” I muttered.
“Why?” he asked in an extremely confused manner. I took my hands off the keys.
“I don’t know.” I hope he understood I didn’t want to talk about it.
“No, seriously, why would you lie about something like that?” he asked. Obviously not. I thought carefully about how to answer.
“I guess…well-I try not to show off the things I’m good at.”
“That’s good, it makes you more down to earth,” he said his face unchanged. “But why lie about it? You should just say you can do what you can do and leave it at that.” He had a point. I looked at my hands folded in my lap. He reached over a grabbed one. “Don’t lie to me, Cameron. I asked you out because I do actually want to know you. I didn’t just want to sleep with you, believe that or not.” I did.
“But why? Why do you want to know me?” I stood up. He was probably second guessing he decision to ask me out now. “I mean am I an experiment to you, or do you think I’m attractive? What is it?”
“I don’t know,” he said. “But when I found you in the meadow, you were seriously half alive. You were hanging on to consciousness when I picked you up off the ground. When you looked at me, you looked me directly in the eye. You didn’t even blink. When you spoke, everything was silent. The wind stopped howling. The earth stopped spinning.” He paused to close his eyes. I was facing him now, trying to see what he saw. “Your voice was so soft and weak, but still sure of itself. You said ‘This is how I’m forced to live. I don’t want to live like that.’ I couldn’t let go of the words. I carried you the three miles to the hospital and you weren’t out of my sight since. And that’s why I want to know you, Cameron.” I blinked away a tear. “I want to know more than I feel like I know. I want to learn about your life; about you.”
“It’s not a very good story,” I murmured trying to force back my whimpers. I turned away from him.
“I don’t care,” he said. I heard the muffled sounding him standing. His hands touched my shoulders and gently drifted down my arms. “I want to know everything there is to know.” He spun me around. My eyes were red and wet. I grimaced as his lips caressed my forehead. So much for not falling for him. I brushed my lips against his. I could feel him smile.
Lunch was delicious. The spaghetti was restaurant quality. Jude was pretty pleased with himself. Our conversation was superior. He asked questions about growing up at the orphanage. I answered them vaguely until he changed that subject to my college life. I told him about my job at the newspaper. I left out the part about Max. I left out the whole two years. He surprised me when he didn’t ask about me running. He asked about my hopes and dreams. He asked about my favorite time of year and my favorite songs. He wanted to know about my fears and my regrets. Everything he asked had noting to do with anything I thought he would want to know. His interest never wavered when I yapped about how much I want to be a painter or how I thought that religion was a commercial product and how the government is a system to suppress us. He was genuine.
I found out nothing about him though. He wouldn’t let me ask questions about his life. He would say there was time for that later and how right now I had the floor. I was the main attraction. I was the show. I laughed a lot. I smiled a lot. My chest didn’t ache. It felt-full. Hours passed as we sat on his suede couch talking; well it was more like an interrogation. But I was content with it. I was content with him.
“Shouldn’t you go to work?” I asked after two hours of mindless chatter.
“That would be the responsible thing to do,” he laughed. “But, no I’m not going to go back to work today.”
“Why not?”
“There are more important things to do today,” he answered.
“More important then saving lives?” He wouldn’t look away from me. It was weird.
“I’m not the only doctor that can save lives,” Jude stated. “Besides, I should probably get you back to your house before I think about going back to work.” I sunk into the couch. I didn’t want to go home to my shit-hole apartment. I wanted to be as far away from there, my old life, as possible. I’m starting over; starting fresh. Going there wouldn’t be the way to start. “You look unhappy.”
“If you take me home, I’m packing my stuff and I’m leaving,” I said. “Maybe, I’ll go to California. I can see me there.”
“I can see you there too,” he said. It was the reply I expected. “You should check out Santa Monica. It’s beautiful there.”
“What about you?”
“I can find you,” he said gently brushing his finger tips against mine. The spots where he touched burned. “But only if you want to be found.” I blinked. There was a spark between us. An actually spark. I jumped as he did. “Your eyes are changing color.” He voice was tense and apprehensive. “They’re that deep blue again.”
“Take me home,” I said gravely. “I’m not good for you.”
“What do you mean?” he asked moving to touch my hand again. He pulled away quickly when I stood.
“Let’s just go,” I said. The calm was fading. I couldn’t be here. I need to get out. His face was vexed. “Please?” Silently, he stood and escorted me to his car. We drove in peace. There only thing that broke the silence was my occasional direction or him clearing his throat. My temples were damp with sweat. The throbbing in my chest was back and it made my vision blur. I folded one arm over my stomach to dull the pain. Jude didn’t notice. His eyes remained on the road ahead of him.
I stumbled from the car as we pulled o a stop in front of my apartment building. Jude was quickly at my side. I wouldn’t let him help me from the car. I was sweating and my face was pasty. I couldn’t look into Jude’s concerned eyes. I pulled my keys from my purse and unlocked the main doors. Still stumbling, I pressed the up button on the elevator. Jude was still at my side.
“Cameron,” he said quickly. “You’re burning up.” We stepped into the elevator and it took us up. My breathing was labored. Panic attack.
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