The Other Side of the Nightmare

A few days later, Alyssa approached Doctor Price as he was exiting Alicia’s room. “Oh, hi, Doctor Blakely,” he said as he spotted her. “Hello, Doctor. Everything okay?” “Yup, sure is. She’s all set to sign the release form and follow-up papers, and then she’s all yours.” “Good,” Alyssa said with a bright smile. “Excited?” Alyssa nodded. “Yeah, I’m looking forward to it, and I’m sure she’s just as anxious to get out of here.” “I’m sure she is, too,” Doctor Price said. “But as much as she may appreciate what you’re doing for her, don’t expect much in the way of energy for a while.” “Oh, I won’t. I understand she’s still depressed, and that going into a new situation with people she barely knows can be a bit scary.” “The nurse will have a list of follow-up instructions, but for now, I can quickly say that she’ll need to see me at my office to have the stitches removed in a few weeks.” “Okay,” Alyssa said with a nod. “And you’ve lined a primary care doctor up to check her out, right?” “Yup. Sure have. I talked to a friend of mine, and Alicia agreed to see her.” “That’s good to know. As I recommended—and as I’m sure you agree—seeing a therapist as well may not be such a bad idea. She’s suffered a loss, she’s alone in the world, or at least she seems to feel close enough to it, and she’s got some anxiety and depression going on that needs to be dealt with.” “I do agree, and I intend to bring that up with her when we talk. I don’t think she’d have a problem with that.” “I don’t think there’s a risk of self-harm at this point,” said the doctor, “or get the sense that she’s dangerous in any way, but if her emotional state were to worsen, she may be in trouble. She may still be a bit off, but she seems better than when she was first admitted. I was genuinely concerned at that time, especially with how quiet and non-talkative she was. Since you stepped in and offered to help, however, she seems a little more alert and responsive. Not a lot, but a little, and that right there is a step in the right direction.” “Yes, it is,” said Alyssa. Then she added, “Well, we’ll do whatever’s best for her along the way.” “That’s all one can do. Any questions before you go?” “Uh… no, I don’t think so. I’m sure the nurse will have instructions written out as you said.” Doctor Price nodded. “It’s pretty simple. Pain medicine as needed, stitches out in a few weeks, therapy to help with the emotional side of things… and you’re all set. She’s good to go.” Alyssa thanked the doctor and headed into Alicia’s room. She found Alicia dressed and sitting at the edge of her bed, chatting with an older red-haired nurse with gray at the temples. “Hi,” she said with a cheery smile. “G’morning, Doc. Thanks for the dress,” Alicia said, admiring the comfortable cotton dress she wore. “Oh, you’re welcome. I thought you could use some things until we could pick up your stuff at your friend’s house.” “It’s a cute little dress,” said the nurse. “Yeah,” Alyssa said with a laugh as Alicia glanced down at the black T-shirt dress speckled with pink stars trimmed in silvery glitter. “My kind of colors,” said Alicia. “Well, good. I’m glad I made the right pick. So,” the doctor said eagerly, lightly slapping her hands together, “you all set?” Alicia nodded and smiled more shyly than she usually did. “She sure is,” said the nurse, “though your buddy might be doing a little anxious number here, so it seems.” Alicia could’ve slapped her for that one. “That’s what Alicia does best,” the doctor said with a playful wink. “One of the things, anyway.” “I’m fine. Really. I’m sure I’m a lot calmer than I appear.” Brilliant response,she thought sarcastically as the two women laughed. “Well, that’s quite okay,” said Alyssa. “I’d be a bit anxious myself if I were going to live someplace I’d never been to after all I’d been through.” “You never know,” the nurse teased. “Maybe she lives in a deep, dark tunnel underground.” Alicia smiled politely, though in truth she just wanted to get the hell out of there. “Here are her instructions,” the nurse said, handing a piece of paper to Alyssa as if she were a child who couldn’t possibly read and understand them herself. “Oh, okay,” said Alyssa, taking the papers. “There’s not much more to it than what the doctor’s already gone over with both of you. Just keep the activity low for a while, make sure she takes baths and not showers in order to protect the bandages, and remember—too much time alone isn’t a good thing in her case.” “My parents are both retired, so there’s no problem there,” Alyssa said. This was the first time Alicia had learned anything about her parents. She and the doc had yet to see much of each other, so she hadn’t gotten a chance to ask her about them. She was curious but didn’t want to seem nosy. Much to Alicia’s embarrassment, the nurse insisted on wheeling her down to the parking lot after the necessary release papers were signed. Alyssa ran to get her car, and then the nurse wheeled Alicia out to the compact, sporty car that looked brand spanking new. Alyssa got out of the driver’s side and ran around to assist the nurse with getting her into the passenger seat as if she were either weak as hell or weighed hundreds of pounds. Alyssa then fastened her seatbelt so she wouldn’t have to strain her arm—her one and only body part that truly was weak. Alicia felt overly aware of her closeness. “All set?” Alyssa asked, still appearing both energetic and cheerful as she jumped back into the driver’s seat and fastened her own seatbelt. Alicia nodded and said, “Wow. This is an amazing car.” “Well, thank you, ma’am,” she said with that sexy smile that had always turned her on. Alicia smiled back—really smiled—for the first time since losing her uncle. “So, do you mind my asking about your parents?” “No, not at all,” Alyssa said, keeping her eyes on the road as she maneuvered out of the parking lot and onto the freeway. “What did they do before they retired?” “My mother was a language-arts teacher in junior high, and my dad taught woodworking there as well.” “Oh, teachers, huh?” “Mm-hm,” Alyssa nodded proudly. “That’s great.” A moment or two of silence went by, and then Alyssa said, “So, can I ask you some questions?” “Sure.” “According to past medical records, you lost your parents and a sibling, correct?” Alicia nodded. “All in the same year.” “Wow, that must have been rough, girl.” “Not as rough as it would have been if we had been close. If anything, it was the first time I was actually glad we weren’t close, or else I’d have completely cracked up at that point.” “I can’t imagine losing my parents and brother like that,” said Alyssa. “You have a brother?” Alyssa nodded again. “He’s my only sibling. Lives up in Washington.” “Younger? Older?” “Older. He’s thirty-six now. No other immediate family members?” “Dad died of heart failure, then Mom of a stroke, then my brother died of liver cancer. As for my sister—the only one that’s left besides me—I don’t know what her fate will be.” “Oh, so you have a sister?” Alicia nodded. “Yeah, but she’s aging, and she isn’t doing well. Some type of lung disease, and of course smoking, as she continues to do, doesn’t help.” “No, it certainly wouldn’t. Does she live around here?” “No. Odessa’s in Florida.” Odessa. Alyssa remembered the unique name from the blog. She just hadn’t realized Alicia had been referring to a sister. “Hey, by the way, I know I have a lousy work history. It’s a joke, to be exact. But I’ll get something as fast as I can and get out of your hair, so I’m not a burden—” “Oh, no, no, no, no!” the doctor assured her. “Believe me, if we thought you’d be a burden in any way, I’d never think to take you in. If working online suits you best, then you should continue to do it.” “The thought of living alone terrifies me, but I figured I’d eventually have no choice.” “Let’s not worry about that right now. As you said, the therapist you spoke to at the hospital—I forgot her name…” “Tresa.” “Right, Tresa. As Tresa said, focus on the here and now and don’t worry so much about what the future holds, okay?” Alicia nodded. “One can only do so much so fast anyway.” Against her will, Alicia felt her eyes tearing up. “Thank you,” she said as she swiped a finger beneath one eye. “I can’t express my gratitude enough.” “Stay alive and well,” said Alyssa. “That’s all you have to do. Just take care of yourself—the Alicia of today. The Alicia of tomorrow can decide what’s best then, though personally, I don’t know that living alone would ever be right for you, just based on the type of person you are. That’s not a bad thing, of course. It’s just who you are.” “Yeah, I know,” Alicia said with a weak smile. “Just rest assured that something can be worked out, just like something’s being worked out right now,” the doctor pointed out. “Have you ever lived alone?” “For a few years in my twenties, I did. I hated it, too. I thought I’d like my solitude, and sometimes I kind of did. It gave me the space and time to think, you know? But for the most part, I felt alone and sometimes even afraid.” “Nothing wrong with that.” “Have you ever lived alone, Doc? Sorry about the Doc thing, but old habits die hard. You’ll always be Doc to me.” Alyssa laughed and said, “No problem. Yeah, I’ve lived alone. I can manage just fine and all that, but personally?” “Yeah?” Alicia said as she observed the good doctor glance over and smile at her in a way she found totally sexy. “I’d prefer some company.”