When You Say Nothing At All
Three Favors
"In breaking news out of Tulsa, Oklahoma, a family of five has been quarantined to a wing at St. John Medical Center. The family, whose name is currently being withheld, was rushed to St. John early yesterday morning. When asked for a comment regarding the condition of the family, Dr. James Thomas declined…"
"Roslyn, will you turn that off for me?" Ms. Danvers asked as I adjusted her pillows.
"Of course, Ms. Danvers." I told her, letting go of her pillows so that I could reach for the remote control on the nightstand. I turned the TV off, setting the controller on the bed just in case Ms. Danvers changed her mind later.
"Thank you, sweetheart." Ms. Danvers smiled up at me, her wrinkles multiplying.
"You're welcome, Ms. Danvers." I returned her smile. "Can I do anything else for you right now? Can I adjust the bed? Are you thirsty?"
"I'm fine, thank you, dear." Ms. Danvers assured me, laying back against her pillows.
"All right. Anna will be in later to bring dinner. It's a good one tonight." I said with a smile.
"Have you seen your grandfather today, honey?" Ms. Danvers asked as I headed for the door.
"Not yet. I told him that I would stop by and have dinner with him." I replied, glancing back.
"Good."
I nodded, giving Ms. Danvers one last smile before I left her room. I finished checking in on everyone on my hall before I went to the nurses' station to check in. Loretta, the head nurse, was on the phone when I walked up. I waited patiently for her to finish up.
"That was Urgent Care. They need one of our volunteers." Loretta said, hanging up the phone.
"Loretta-"
"Roslyn, we have only two volunteers here tonight." Loretta interrupted.
"Can't you send Victoria?" I pleaded.
"I wish I could. The fact of the matter is, you've volunteered at Urgent Care before. I don't feel comfortable sending Victoria. You and I both know that nights at Urgent Care can be busy and stressful."
"Loretta, I promised that I would have dinner with my grandpa tonight." I murmured, leaning over the counter towards her.
"I'm sorry, Roslyn. I really am." Loretta replied sympathetically, her expression matching her tone.
I sighed.
"Will you tell him what happened?" I asked.
"Of course. I'll go now." Loretta stood up, smoothing out her scrubs. She looked up at me. "In fact, after Anna serves dinner, I'll go and sit with him for a little while. Would that make you feel better?"
"Thank you." I replied gratefully, nodding.
While Loretta went to tell my grandpa that I had to cancel on him for the second time in a row, I went to collect my things from the locker room in the basement. I adjusted my topknot in the mirror before grabbing my duffel bag and heading back up to the first floor. As I headed out the security doors, the shuttle pulled up in front of me and stopped. The door swung open.
"Get in, Roslyn." Maddox waved his arm from the driver's seat. "Loretta beeped me."
I climbed into the shuttle, sitting in the back with my bag.
"Thanks." I muttered halfheartedly, staring out the window.
"What's up with you?" Maddox asked, glancing at me in the rearview mirror.
"Nothing."
It was silent for the rest of the ride over to Urgent Care. Maddox let me off out front, waving to me before he pulled away.
I went inside, and immediately Dr. Carlton put me to work. He guided me into the only empty exam room, handing me a stack of paperwork and manila envelopes a mile high, it seemed. I settled into a swivel chair, setting the stack on the floor. Before I got to work, I pulled my iPod out of my pocket. I shoved the ear buds into my ears, selecting one of the few artists available. As music floated into my ears, I began looking over the paperwork and scribbling away.
I was only a third of the way through the papers when the door opened. Had I not seen it out of the corner of my eye, I might not have noticed over the sound of singing in my ears. I glanced up momentarily to see a nurse waving to an invisible person to enter the room. I looked back down at the folder I was currently working on.
When I finished the folder, I glanced back up. An older man, in his forties or fifties, was sitting on the exam table. His wife beater was soaked in bright, red blood. The source of the bleeding was his nose, which was visibly broken. Though he had a broken nose, the older man was grinning like a crazed person. He was getting blood all over his teeth that way. The nurse was sitting on a stool in front of the exam table, peering into a folder of her own.
I looked back down, picking up the next piece of paper I had to look over. Suddenly, there was a tapping on my shoulder. I looked up at the nurse, removing one ear bud.
"I'll be right back. The doctor will be in soon." She told me, stressing the words unnecessarily.
"Okay." I replied, confused by her tone and the expression on her face.
I returned to the paperwork as she left the room.
"What is that thing on her head?" The injured man suddenly asked, sounding amused.
"Excuse me?" I asked, looking up from my paperwork. "Were you talking to me?"
The man with the broken nose looked at me.
"Does it look like I was talkin' to you, baby cakes?" He asked, his voice raspy.
I suddenly realized that there was another person in the room. In the corner, leaning against the wall, was a second man. He didn't look nearly as old as the man with the broken nose. The man against the wall looked like he was in his late twenties or his early thirties. He had blood on his plaid shirt, but I couldn't see any visible wounds on him. I guessed that the blood belonged to the older man.
The man against the wall spoke, but his voice was quieter and he was standing further away from me. I removed my other ear bud.
"What?" I asked, leaning forward.
"I told you to ignore him." The younger man muttered, glancing back at the older man.
"Oh." I replied, looking back down at my paperwork. "Sorry."
"Since you got them fancy things out of your ears, I can ask you what that thing on your head is. You hidin' something up there, baby cakes?" The older man asked, his grin widening.
I was confused by his question, touching the top of my head. I realized that he must have been referring to my topknot.
"It's just my hair." I answered, taking my hand out of my hair.
"I ain't never seen a woman do their hair that a way before." The older man shook his head.
"It keeps my hair out of my face." I shrugged simply, looking back down at the paper in my lap.
"I can see that."
"Merle, shut up." The younger man grumbled from the corner.
"Don't tell me to shut up, boy. I'll knock your teeth in." Merle threatened with a chuckle.
"Yeah. Right." The younger man huffed. "Look at what happened to your face the last time you got into a brawl, big brother."
I glanced up at Merle, who met my eyes.
"You should see the other fella, baby cakes." He winked, chuckling.
The door opened suddenly, and I quickly looked back down at my work.
"Mr. Dixon, sorry to keep you waiting." Dr. Lopez leaned against the door frame. "Unfortunately, you will be unable to be seen tonight."
I looked up at Dr. Lopez, whose arms were folded across his chest.
"What? That's bullshit!" The younger brother shouted angrily, coming away from the wall. "We were waitin' in the damn waitin' room for a half hour!"
"I'm sorry, Mr. Dixon." Dr. Lopez looked over at the younger brother before looking back at the older brother. "My nurse informed me that you said some very inappropriate things to her. I'm sorry. We can't have that kind of sexual harassment-"
"Harassment? I only told the lady that I'd hang my dick on her rack any day." Merle insisted, chuckling at his own words.
"Mr. Dixon, you need to leave." Dr. Lopez insisted, motioning for the two brothers to leave.
"We ain't leavin' until someone fixes my brother's nose!" The younger brother growled.
"If you refuse to leave, I'll have to inform security." Dr. Lopez replied calmly.
"Call fuckin' security! I don't care!"
I returned the paper I had been holding to the stack before standing up. My movement caused Dr. Lopez to turn towards me.
"I didn't even see you there, Roslyn." Dr. Lopez said to me.
"She prefers 'baby cakes'." Merle corrected him with a grin, showing off his bloody teeth.
"Dr. Lopez, why don't you let me take care of Mr. Dixon's nose?" I asked. "I've seen noses being reset in this building and over at the hospital many times. I think I can handle it."
"Roslyn, I can't have him here-"
"It will only take me a minute to set his nose and a couple more to bandage him up. Mr. Dixon will be out of here within ten minutes." I interrupted.
Dr. Lopez sighed, looking between Merle and I.
"Are you sure you want to be in here with him?" Dr. Lopez asked quietly.
"Baby cakes will be just fine with me. Ole Merle'll treat her real nice." Merle said from the table.
"I'll be fine." I assured Dr. Lopez.
Dr. Lopez gave one last look at Merle and his brother before he sighed.
"All right. I'll give you ten minutes. When that time is up, I expect both Dixons to be gone." Dr. Lopez warned, shutting the door behind him as he left.
"Fuckin' spic." Merle rasped, spitting blood onto the floor.
I ran my hands over my scrubs. My palms were sweating. I had never set a broken nose before, but like I told Dr. Lopez, I had seen it done before many times. I knew how to do it, but I knew that actually doing it myself would be a different experience than just watching it being done.
"Fix me up, baby cakes." Merle said, cracking his knuckles.
"This is going to hurt." I warned him, walking towards him. "It will probably hurt worse than getting your nose broken in the first place."
"I can take it. This isn't the first time Ole Merle's broken his nose."
"Okay."
I raised my trembling hands towards Merle's face. I tried to focus only on his nose, and not on his eyes as they studied me and my shaking hands. He knew I was nervous, and I think he was enjoying it. He grinned as I pressed me hands to his face. I secured his broken nose between my thumbs, taking a deep breath as I prepared to set Merle's nose.
"Boo!" Merle shouted suddenly, jerking towards me.
I released Merle's face, stumbling back, startled. Merle was howling with laughter. I turned my head to see that his younger brother was stifling his own laughter.
I thought about my grandpa back at the nursing home. I was missing dinner with him to have to deal with a crazy asshole. I glared at Merle as I rushed forward, grabbing his nose with my thumbs and snapping it back into place with a sickening crack. Blood rushed down onto my fingers, and I realized what I had done. I took several steps away from Merle, slowly glancing up at him.
"Well, hot damn, baby cakes, you did it!" Merle cried, swiping away the blood on his upper lip.
"Damn." The younger Dixon muttered from behind me.
I breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that Merle wasn't angry with me. While he and his brother exchanged words, I gathered up the bandaging and medical tape from the cabinet. When I turned back around, I met the barrel of a gun. The medical supplies fell to the floor as I raised my hands, taking a step away from the gun Merle was pointing at me.
"Merle, come on." The younger brother said, tugging on Merle's sleeve.
"I told you. I ain't leavin' without 'em." Merle hissed, shaking his brother's hand off.
"W-Without what?" I asked, pressing my back against the wall.
"Pills, baby cakes, pills." Merle replied with a grin.
"Pills? What kind of pills?" I asked, glancing at the cabinets.
"Anything you got, baby cakes."
"Okay." I nodded.
I slid down the wall, reaching an arm over to the bottom cabinet. I pulled out the tub of over the counter medicine, but before I could hand it to Merle, the younger brother was snatching it from my hands. He set it down on the table, rifling through the bottles and boxes for a moment before turning back around towards Merle and I.
"It's all over the counter stuff."
"You holdin' out on me, baby cakes?" Merle asked, annoyance creeping into his tone.
"N-No!" I cried, slowly getting to my feet. "They only keep over the counter stuff in the exam rooms. All of the prescription medicine is locked up in Dr. Carlton's office."
"Damnit." Merle snarled, lowering his gun. He looked back at his brother. "Looks like I gotta hurt the blonde doctor-"
"Hurt him?" I asked, taking a step towards Merle. He suddenly whipped the gun back at me, closer this time, and I backed up into the wall again.
"Merle!" The younger brother shouted.
"I-If you wait here…I can get the medicine." I said, my eyes flickering from the gun to Merle.
"How're you gonna do that, baby cakes?" Merle asked.
"Dr. Carlton gave me his keys so that I could return paperwork to his office."
Merle grinned, lowering his gun.
"All right." He turned towards his brother. "You go with her. Make sure she don't do nothin' stupid."
I reached into the pocket of my scrubs for the keys. I clutched them in my fist as the younger Dixon opened the door. Merle waved his gun at me to get my attention.
"You try to get help, my brother'll knock you senseless." Merle warned me.
I nodded, sharing a look with the younger brother before I headed out of the exam room. The hall leading to Dr. Carlton's office was empty. I quickly went to the door, fumbling with the keys for a moment before I located the correct key. I was surprised when Daryl opened the door for me from behind, holding it open over my head. I ducked under his arm and went inside of the office.
"He keeps the prescription medicine in that cabinet above his desk." I pointed to the cabinet with the keys. I glanced over my shoulder at the younger brother, who gave me an approving nod as he leaned against the closed door.
I went to the cabinet, trying each key quickly.
"Sorry about all this." The younger Dixon muttered suddenly.
I turned my head to look at him. He was still leaned against the door, arms crossed over his chest, looking down at the floor. I returned to the cabinet.
"I have an older brother too." I replied simply, finally getting the cabinet open. I pulled out the plastic container of prescription medicine, setting it down on the desk for the younger brother to go through. "Since this is only Urgent Care, there isn't much…"
The younger brother rummaged through the container, pulling out pill bottles at random.
"I wouldn't, you know." He mumbled over the sound of the pill bottles clacking against each other.
"Wouldn't what?" I asked, meeting his eyes as he glanced up at me.
"Knock you senseless." The brother replied, making eye contact with me for a few moments before returning his gaze to the container. "I don't make it a habit of laying my hands on women."
I had gathered from his reaction before that the younger Dixon had a problem with what Merle was doing. I wasn't sure if it was because he pointed a gun at me, his stealing pills, or both. Obviously from his reassurance that he wouldn't have harmed me, he at least had taken issue with Merle threatening me with a gun.
"Why'd you do it?"
I realized that the younger brother had finished stuffing his pockets. He was standing back from the desk watching me with a curious expression on his face.
"Do what?" I asked, picking up the half empty container.
"Fix my brother's nose. He was bein' a real-"
"Asshole?" I interrupted, turning to put the container away.
"Watch it, woman." The younger brother growled, causing me to glance back at him. "He's my brother. I can say whatever I want about the son of a bitch. You don't know him."
"I'm sorry." I apologized quietly, putting the container away and closing the cabinet.
"So…why'd you do it?" The younger brother asked, repeating his question.
I locked the cabinet before I turned around.
"I really don't know." I shrugged. "Your brother might have a…"
"Go on. You have my permission this time." The younger Dixon nodded, crossing his arms over his chest again as he waited for me to continue.
"…foul mouth, but he didn't physically hurt anyone. I thought it was wrong to refuse him medical treatment just because he said some inappropriate things." I headed towards the door. "Although, to be honest, I might not have offered to fix his nose had I known he was going to put a gun in my face."
The younger Dixon chuckled from behind me.
"Fair enough."
I was about to open the door, but the younger brother beat me to it again. I was confused by him. He was helping his brother steal medicine from an urgent care center, had snapped at me before when I called his brother an asshole, but he was the picture of a Southern gentleman when he opened the door for me both times.
The younger brother and I returned to the exam room. Merle was waiting, gun still in hand.
"Did she cause you any trouble, baby brother?" Merle asked, looking at his brother.
"No." The younger Dixon replied quickly. "Now let's get out of here."
Merle looked over at me and grinned.
"Thanks for the pills, baby cakes." He returned his gun to the waistband of his pants. "Ole Mere'll have to invite you over for a party some time."
"I don't think so. I don't take pills." I replied as he and his brother started out of the room.
"Who said anything about pills?" Merle asked, looking me up and down once. He winked before following his brother towards the exit.
I watched as they left, wondering what I was going to tell Dr. Carlton when he noticed that half of the prescription medicine was missing from his office.
0o0o0
"…out of Tulsa. Family X, the unknown family that was quarantined just a few short days ago, has reportedly spread their disease. Our phone calls regarding an update on the matter have gone unreturned. What we do know is that the infected individuals have been transported to Vance Air Force Base approximately 120 miles west of Tulsa…"
"Rosy, turn that down, will you?" My grandpa asked, pointing to the TV.
"Sure, Grandpa." I replied, picking up the remote and turning the volume down considerably. "How's that?"
"Better." My grandpa turned towards me. "Where has that brother of yours gone? Is he still in the john, Rosy?"
I removed my feet from the bed, turning my body towards my grandpa.
"Grandpa, Dennis isn't here. He's away at law school." I reached for my grandpa's hand. "Remember?"
My grandpa looked down at my hand on top of his. His brow was wrinkled. After a while, he looked back up at me. He still looked confused.
"Law school?" He asked, taking his hand out from under mine.
"Dennis has been away for seven years. Remember?" I reached out and placed a hand on my grandpa's knee. "He left for college right after high school. When he finished college, he went straight to law school."
"This doesn't make sense, Winnie." My grandpa said roughly, slamming his hands down on the bed.
"Grandpa, it's Rosy." I told him gently, standing up slowly.
My grandpa looked up at me. He was still confused, and was becoming frustrated.
"Rosy? I don't know any Rosy." My grandpa insisted, looking away from me. "Winnie!"
I leaned over, pressing the button behind my grandpa's bed. I walked over to the door, waiting for Loretta to come. She rushed in a minute later, immediately turning towards me.
"He thinks I'm Winifred." I whispered.
Loretta nodded, producing a syringe. She walked over to my grandpa.
"Hey, Rhett. How are you doing this evening?" Loretta asked him sweetly, reaching for his IV.
"I don't know you! Where is Winifred? I demand to see my wife!" My grandpa shouted angrily.
I left the room, unable to watch. I walked numbly to the nurses' station, waiting for Loretta to return to the desk. She came back a few minutes later, discarding the used syringe before taking her seat behind the desk with a sigh.
"He's resting." She told me, pulling herself towards the desk.
"Thanks." I muttered, covering my face with my hand.
"What's on your mind, honey?" Loretta asked.
I pulled my hand away, meeting her eyes.
"I volunteered so that I could spend more time with my grandpa. Now, he doesn't even remember me half the time I go and see him." I sighed. "What's the point?"
"The point is that you know who he is." Loretta replied. "Isn't it worth it for those good days he has? Those days where he knows who you are?"
"Those days are far and few between."
"Honey, why don't you skip your rotation at the hospital? I can send-"
"No. It's okay." I leaned away from the desk. "I have nothing else better to do and no one to go home to. I'll be more useful at the hospital."
Before she could argue with me, I headed down to the locker room.
Maddox dropped me off at the hospital, where I was assigned to volunteer my services in the emergency room for the evening. I paced the busy hall, assisting the ER doctors and nurses with paperwork, restraining unruly patients, and anything else they needed help with.
Just after midnight, a young woman was rushed into the ER. As she was transferred to an empty bed in the emergency room, I was surprised to see a familiar face hanging out by the double doors the young woman had come in through. It was the younger Dixon brother. He was shuffling his feet, hands in his pockets, as he studied the floor.
"Gardener, I need you to get any information you can from the guy she came in with." Dr. Jacobs motioned towards the younger Dixon brother, who suddenly looked up and spotted me.
I took the folder one of the nurses held out to me as I went to where the Dixon brother stood.
"Didn't know you worked here." He mumbled.
"I don't." I replied, looking down at the form inside of the folder. "What's your girlfriend's name?"
"Girlfriend?" The Dixon brother snorted.
I looked up at him as he leaned against the wall.
"Do you know her name?"
"Nope." He replied, looking away from me.
"Can you tell me anything about her? Where she lives? What her phone-"
"I don't know nothin' about her." The Dixon brother interrupted.
I sighed, closing the folder. My sigh got the Dixon brother's attention.
"What happened?" I asked quietly. "Did she overdose on those pills I gave you?"
"I don't know." The Dixon brother shrugged. "She was with Merle tonight."
"Why isn't Merle here?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
The Dixon brother scoffed.
"My brother's an idiot. He don't know the difference between passing out and overdosing. He should though. The son of a bitch has overdosed enough times-"
"Why did you bring her in?"
"What?" The younger brother asked, quirking an eyebrow.
"Your brother could get in a lot of trouble if she gives his name. Why would you risk that?"
"I wasn't gonna let her die." The Dixon brother muttered. "Besides, she won't say nothin'."
"Gardener!"
I turned to see one of the nurses waving to me.
"Would you mind sticking around for a minute? I really do need to ask you some questions." I said, turning back around to face the younger Dixon brother.
"You got five minutes, Gardener." He replied with a sigh.
"Deal."
I hurried over to where the nurse who had called me was standing next to a man seated on a bed. As I approached, I was assaulted by the stench of alcohol. I was surprised that the man was even conscious. He smiled stupidly up at me as I walked over.
"I need you to clean him up while I stitch up his arm." The nurse instructed.
"Okay." I nodded, focusing on the drunk man's bloody face.
"Hey…there," the drunk man hiccupped, "…beauty-ful."
"I need you to hold still while this nice lady stitches you up." I told him, dipping a cotton swab in the bowl of alcohol nearby.
"I…have a…better…idea…beauty-ful." The drunk man burped, the smell of alcohol blowing my way. "It in…involves…you…and me…"
I was startled to feel a hand on my butt. He gave it a generous squeeze.
I was even more surprised when the drunk man's face suddenly twisted in pain. He howled, startling both the nurse and I. She stopped stitching and I let my cotton swab sink into the bowl of alcohol. I was suddenly aware of a presence behind me, and turned to see the younger Dixon brother. He was staring down at the drunk man, who has whimpering in pain. I looked down and realized that the hand that had grabbed my butt was twisted into an uncomfortable position by the younger Dixon brother.
"Didn't your mama ever teach you how to treat women?" The Dixon brother asked, glaring down at the drunk man.
"Sir-" The nurse started to move towards us, but I threw my hands up.
"It's okay. It's okay." I told her quickly. "He's with me."
"He's with you?" The nurse asked skeptically, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Yeah…he's my…my boyfriend." I blurted out, my eyes darting from the nurse to the in quizzical staff watching the whole display.
"Boyfriend?" The nurse asked, and I heard the Dixon brother mumble it under his breath.
"Yeah. He's my boyfriend." I said, turning towards the Dixon brother. "Let go of him."
The Dixon brother raised an eyebrow, but he slowly released the drunk man's hand. The drunk man clutched it to his chest, whining in pain and hiccupping violently.
"Sorry, darlin', you know how jealous I am." The Dixon brother said with a smirk.
I glanced back at the nurse.
"I'm going to escort him back to his car. He won't be any trouble." I told her.
I didn't wait for any kind of response. I turned around and started for the double doors, surprised when the Dixon brother snaked an arm around my shoulders as he walked alongside me. I looked up at him. He was still wearing that smirk.
When we were outside, the Dixon brother removed his arm from around me.
"You should go. That guy might press charges." I told him quickly, keeping an eye on the doors.
"He's too drunk to press charges." The younger brother snorted, producing a cigarette from behind his ear. He put it in his mouth, fumbling in his pockets until he found a lighter. He lit his cigarette, and then took a drag before adding, "Fuck that guy."
"Why…did you do that?" I asked, turning away from the doors.
The Dixon brother gave me a strange look.
"Why did I do what?" He asked.
"Why did you hurt that guy?"
The Dixon brother took another drag. He sighed, smoke pouring out of his mouth.
"Returning the favor."
"What favor?" I asked, furrowing my brow.
"Helpin' my brother out. Settin' his nose." The Dixon brother replied.
"Oh." I looked down at my feet. "You didn't have to-"
"I also did it because that guy needed to learn himself a lesson." The Dixon brother took a step towards me as he took another puff of his cigarette. "I don't take too kindly to men who think they can put their hands all over women."
"That's admirable and understandable." I replied, nodding.
"Think so?" The Dixon brother gave me a half smile with the cigarette between his lips. He took it out suddenly, holding it a few inches from his face. "I have a question for you, Gardener."
"What?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Why'd you help me out in there?" The Dixon brother asked. He smirked before taking another drag from his cigarette. "Boyfriend?"
I glanced down at my feet again, shuffling back and forth.
"I thought it was nice of you to bring that girl in." I looked back up at the younger brother, watching him as he studied my face and listened carefully to my answer. "You could have left her, but you didn't. Besides, it was nice of you to step in when that guy grabbed me."
"You keep calling me nice." The Dixon brother observed, flicking his cigarette away.
"So far, other than helping your brother steal from Urgent Care, you've been nice."
The Dixon brother chuckled.
"Most people wouldn't say that I was nice." He admitted, cracking a full fledge smile.
I shrugged, not knowing how to respond.
"Well, I better get goin'. I gotta make sure my brother's still breathin'."
"Wait." I said before he could walk away. "Do you want to give me your number?"
The Dixon brother raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"I know you and I played boyfriend and girlfriend, but-"
"No." I shook my head, slightly embarrassed. "I meant, do you want to give me your number so that I can call you and let you know how that girl is doing?"
"Nah." The Dixon brother shook his head.
"Okay." I nodded. "Just one more thing…"
"What?"
"What's your name?" I asked, smiling.
"Daryl." He replied.
"It's nice to meet you, Daryl." I told him, sticking my hand out.
"Yeah." Daryl put his hand in mine, giving it a quick but firm shake. "Nice to meet you too, Roslyn Gardener."
I watched Daryl head towards the ER parking lot. When he disappeared from sight, I returned to the emergency room to finish my rotation.
0o0o0
"The Surgeon General has made a formal statement in the wake of the disease that has swept from Oklahoma to nearly all of its neighboring states. In his statement, issued early this morning at a press conference in Washington D.C., Benjamin Mackenzie listed the symptoms of the disease and warned all U.S. citizens to…"
Dr. Carlton muted the TV. He swiveled around to face me, sighing.
"As you know, Dr. Lopez, Gordon, and myself have been discussing the situation that occurred last week." Dr. Carlton pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "We have valued your volunteerism and your willingness to assist us, however, we've come to a unanimous decision that we cannot accept your help from this day forward."
"I understand." I replied, nodding.
"I want you to know that we have all really appreciated your help. We wish that more kids your age volunteered." Dr. Carlton said sincerely.
"Thank you for the opportunity to help out. I've learned a lot."
I got up, extending my hand to Dr. Carlton. He shook it for a few moments before letting go.
"Goodbye, Roslyn." Dr. Carlton said, watching me as I headed for the door.
"Goodbye, Dr. Carlton." I gave him a smile before I left his office and exited the building.
It was sprinkling outside. I pulled the hood of my raincoat over my head as I headed in the direction of the hospital. I crossed my arms over my chest, keeping my raincoat closed as I walked into the rain. It was getting darker as I walked. The air was getting cooler.
By the time I reached the hospital, my raincoat was soaked. I went to the locker room to freshen up before my rotation. I hung my raincoat up to dry before I took my hair down. I got my hairbrush out of my duffel bag, pulling it through my tangled, golden blonde hair. When my hair was smooth, I pulled it into a tidier topknot than before. When I was satisfied, I left my duffel bag behind with my wet raincoat.
I was sent to the emergency room.
"Jackie could use your help at bed four. Stitches." Dr. Jacobs told me.
"Sure." I replied, heading to bed four.
"Hello again, Gardener." Daryl greeted me from the edge of the bed.
"Why do we keep running into each other like this?" I asked, my eyes running over the gash above his eye. "What happened to you?"
"Merle." Daryl replied, shrugging.
"Why?" I asked.
"Don't worry about it." Daryl mumbled, suddenly looking around the room. "Where is that damn nurse? I could have stitched myself up already in the time she's been gone."
"Jackie?" I looked around the ER for her, but didn't see her.
I pulled the table closer to me, taking one of the cotton swabs and dipping it in the bowl of alcohol. I raised it to Daryl.
"Do you mind?" I asked, catching his eye.
"Knock yourself out." Daryl shrugged.
I touched the cotton swab to the gash, but Daryl didn't flinch or make a sound. I figured he must have been used to it. I cleaned his gash carefully and gently all the same.
"You a nurse?" Daryl asked suddenly.
"No." I replied, looking away from his gash to meet his eyes for a moment. "I'm a volunteer. I volunteer at Peach Tree Nursing Home, here, and Urgent…well, I used to anyways."
"What do you mean used to?" Daryl asked, furrowing his brow. His gash did as well.
I pulled the swab away.
"Dr. Carlton told me that my services are no longer needed there." I told him, soaking a clean cotton swab in the alcohol.
"Damn." Daryl huffed, shaking his head. "'Cause of me and Merle?"
I didn't answer. I finished cleaning the gash, which had stopped bleeding.
"I'm real sorry, Gardener." Daryl mumbled sincerely, his brow evening out. "Honest."
"It's okay." I shrugged. "I was stretched pretty thin between all three places."
Jackie still hadn't emerged from wherever she was hiding. I looked around the room for her.
"I can go home and stitch this up myself." Daryl told me, standing up.
"Why'd you come in then?" I asked, looking up at him.
Daryl mumbled something under his breath, but I didn't hear him.
"What?" I asked.
"I wanted to see how that girl was doin'." He repeated a little louder.
"Daryl," I sighed, "why didn't you just give me your number?"
"Don't got a phone." Daryl replied, looking down at his shoes.
"Sit down." I instructed him, picking up the needle and thread. "I'll stitch you up myself."
"Thought you wasn't a nurse." Daryl muttered, sitting back down on the edge of the bed.
"I'm not, but I still set your brother's nose." I replied. "Ready?"
"Knock yourself out, girl." Daryl said, visibly relaxing.
I stitched up the gash with ease. Daryl wasn't like other patients that required stitches. He didn't move a muscle. He didn't make a sound. He didn't complain or whine. He sat still the entire time, his eyes watching the needle and thread go in and out of his flesh.
"There. All set." I said, cutting the thread.
"Thanks." Daryl replied, fishing into his pocket. "What do I owe?"
"Oh, you don't owe the hospital a thing." I told him, shoving his worn wallet away. "None of the nurses or doctors here cleaned your wound or stitched you up. I'm a volunteer. I'm not employed here."
Daryl shrugged, shoving the wallet into his pocket.
"Thanks again I guess." Daryl said, getting to his feet.
"You're welcome." I replied. "Tell your brother not to open up your skin the next time you two fight."
"Yeah. Right." Daryl muttered.
I watched Daryl leave through the double doors. No sooner had he walked out, Jackie was scurrying over to the empty bed.
"What was that?" Jackie asked, her hands on her hips.
"What?" I asked, collecting the used supplies.
"You just let him walk out without paying for our services?"
"Our services?" I raised my eyebrows. "I cleaned him up. I stitched up his wound."
"You work at this hospital, don't you?" Jackie asked, folding her arms over her chest.
"Actually, I don't. I volunteer here." I corrected her.
"What's going on here, ladies?" Dr. Jacobs asked, appearing at Jackie's side.
"Miss Gardener allowed that Dixon boy to leave without paying the hospital." Jackie informed him.
"Roslyn?" Dr. Jacobs asked, turning towards me.
"Dr. Jacobs, Daryl was sitting here for quite a while waiting to be seen. Jackie was nowhere to be found. I took care of him myself." I told him respectfully. "Technically, I'm not an employee here. Therefore, why would he owe the hospital a dime?"
"For starters, you used our supplies to assist him-"
"Is that it?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. I reached into my bra where I kept an emergency twenty. "Here. This should cover the alcohol, cotton swabs, and thread."
"Roslyn-"
"Please. I insist." I interrupted, holding the bill out to Dr. Jacobs.
"Miss Gardener, this behavior is extremely inappropriate." Dr. Jacobs said sternly.
"I would say that it's inappropriate to leave a bleeding patient waiting." I countered, gaining confidence. I knew that I was right. I hadn't done anything wrong.
"Do you even know who that boy is?" Jackie asked snottily. "That's Daryl Dixon. He and his brother are criminals. They cause a lot of trouble-"
"I thought that this was a hospital. Regardless of who the patients are, aren't you, as doctors and nurses, required to heal them?"
"That's quite enough, Miss Gardener." Dr. Jacobs snapped.
"You're right. It is enough." I agreed, setting the twenty on the table. "Dr. Jacobs, it's been a pleasure volunteering here."
Without another word, I headed down to the locker room. I quickly changed out of my scrubs and let my hair down, shaking it out before I shoved my scrubs into my duffel bag. I slung my raincoat over my arm on the way out the door. As I walked back through the ER to exit the building, I heard whispers and murmurs on both sides of me.
Outside, I headed towards the street to walk home.
"Roslyn?"
I turned around to see Daryl leaned against the wall. He seemed surprised to see me as he flicked his half-finished cigarette away. He slowly walked towards me, raising an eyebrow.
"Whoa." He said simply.
"What?" I asked, looking down at my plain ensemble.
"Nothin'. I just wouldn't have recognized you." He rubbed the back of his neck.
"Were you waiting for me?" I asked, wrinkling my brow.
"No." Daryl stuck his thumb out. "I was havin' a smoke. Couldn't help but overhear what happened though."
"Oh." I folded my arms. "Sorry."
"Why you sorry?" Daryl snorted. "You stuck up for me, didn't you?"
"It just bothers me." I replied, looking over his shoulder at the hospital. "People like that are supposed to be healers…"
My eyes flickered back to Daryl, who was studying my face.
"Well, I better head home." I said, waving.
I headed towards the street, walking in the grass growing alongside it. As I walked, it started to drizzle again. I quickly put on my raincoat, pulling the hood up over my hair. I tucked it behind me so that it wouldn't get rained on.
Suddenly, a horn honked behind me. I thought nothing of it until the honking continued. I glanced back just as a truck pulled up beside me. Daryl was in the driver's seat, his arm around the passenger's seat.
"Get in!" He called over the light rain.
"Are you sure?" I called back.
"Get in, Gardener!"
I was grateful for the offer, or rather, demand. I quickly climbed into the truck, rolling up the window as Daryl began driving again. When the window was rolled up, I put on my seatbelt. I noticed that Daryl had removed his arm from my seat.
"You always walk home?" Daryl asked, his eyes on the road.
"Yeah. To and from." I replied, pulling my hood down.
"You ain't got a car?"
"I had to sell my grandpa's Buick." I turned to look at Daryl. "Should I tell you where to go?"
"You hungry?" Daryl asked, turning to look at me as he ignored my question.
"I could eat." I admitted, thinking back on the granola bar I'd eaten that morning.
"Me too." Daryl returned his eyes to the road with a devilish grin. "What do you got to eat at your place?"
I couldn't help but laugh.
"Are you inviting yourself over for dinner?" I asked, glancing over at him.
"Pretty much." Daryl returned my look. "In exchange for the ride and all."
"Fair enough." I replied with a smile, settling into the seat.
It was quiet the rest of the way to the house after I'd given him directions. I listened to the rain as Daryl drove us to my grandparents' house. When we arrived, he pulled into the little driveway. We ran up onto the porch, and I unlocked the door to let us in.
"Make yourself at home." I told Daryl as I hung my raincoat up in the closet.
I passed through the living room and into the tiny kitchen. Luckily for Daryl, I had gone grocery shopping that morning. I pulled out the necessary ingredients for chili. I leaned over the kitchen counter, watching as Daryl studied the photos on the TV stand.
"Is chili okay with you?" I asked.
"Food is good." Daryl replied, turning around to smirk at me.
"Food it is."
I began preparing dinner, looking up every now and then to watch what Daryl was doing. He mostly looked at the pictures on the TV stand and hanging on the walls. After he'd look them all over, he sat down on one of the stools beneath the kitchen counter.
"Can I get you something to drink?" I asked, bringing the pot of half-finished chili to a simmer.
"Whatcha got?" Daryl asked, leaning forward on the counter.
I opened the fridge.
"The usual suspects: water, milk, some orange juice, beer-"
"Say no more." Daryl interrupted.
I pulled a beer out of the fridge, sliding it across the counter towards Daryl. He laughed.
"You ain't got nothin' fancier than PBR?" He asked, popping the top off.
"Sorry." I shrugged, closing the fridge.
"Lighten up, girl." Daryl took a swig. "This is all I drink at home."
"Is it now?" I asked, stirring the chili.
"That about done?" Daryl asked from behind me.
"Almost."
It was quiet then. Every once in a while, I could hear Daryl take a drink of his beer.
"So why do you volunteer?" Daryl asked suddenly.
I turned around, leaning against the oven.
"My grandma died a year ago. Not long after, my grandpa was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. It got pretty bad. I ended up having to put him in Peach Tree. He almost set the house on fire when he left the oven on while I was at work." I looked down at the floor. "I figured that if I volunteered, I'd be able to spend more time with my grandpa."
"Where do you work?"
"You know that diner just off Oak?" I asked, turning back around to stir the chili.
"Savannah's?" Daryl asked with a chuckle.
"Yeah. That's the place." I replied.
"I go there all the time. I never seen you there."
"I work pretty crazy hours. Luckily, Robert works around my volunteer hours." I stopped to consider for a moment. "Now that I no longer volunteer at Urgent Care or at the hospital, I guess I'll be able to work steadier hours. Not to mention, I'll get to work more hours."
"You havin' money troubles?"
"I don't know." I opened the cupboard and pulled out two bowls. "I guess I'm luckier than some."
Daryl grunted.
I spooned chili into one bowl before handing it over to Daryl. His beer was empty.
"Do you want another?" I asked, taking his empty.
Daryl shrugged.
I handed him a spoon before getting another beer out of the fridge. By the time I had gotten it out, opened it, and turned around to give it to him, Daryl's bowl was half empty. I wondered if he had enough money to eat regularly or if he was just hungry that evening.
"How's that working for you?" I asked, filling my own bowl.
"I ain't complainin'." Daryl replied with a mouthful of chili.
I smiled as I leaned against the oven, quietly eating my chili. When Daryl finished his, I set my bowl down and took the pot off the stove to fill his bowl again. He looked up at me, giving me a look I hadn't seen before. It was soft.
"Thanks." He mumbled, watching me spoon chili into his bowl.
"It's the least I can do after all you've done for me." I replied with a grin.
"Let's see." Daryl held out his fingers, counting. "I put that drunken bastard in his place last night and I gave you a ride home today."
"That's right." I agreed, returning the pot to the stove.
"You fixed my brother's nose, got him his damn pills, got me out of gettin' in trouble at the hospital, stitched me up today, and made me dinner." Daryl held up five fingers. "It looks like I owe you three favors."
"Are you a genie?" I teased, returning to my dinner. "You don't owe me anything."
"Why not?" Daryl asked, lifting an eyebrow. "What is it with you?"
"What do you mean?"
"You heard what that nurse said about me and my brother. We're trouble." Daryl winked.
I laughed.
"I know."
"So…why have you helped me out so much?" Daryl asked, still looking curiously at me.
"I told you. It bothers me when people who are meant to help others choose not to."
"There's gotta be more to it than that."
I sighed, setting down my bowl.
"When my grandpa first started living at Peach Tree, there was a really rude nurse working there. She always rubbed me the wrong way, but I figured she was just prickly." I moved across the floor to the counter. "Come to find out, she was neglecting a lot of the elderly people there. My grandpa was one of those people she neglected. He had a bed sore and it got infected. He could have died because of her, and she was supposed to be his caregiver."
I ran a hand through my hair.
"That was the day I made the decision to volunteer."
Daryl was quiet, but I could tell he was listening.
After he finished his third bowl, I poured the rest of the chili into a Tupperware container for Daryl to take home with him. He didn't refuse it.
I went to the window. It was raining much harder outside than it had been before.
"Why don't you stay?" I suggested, turning around as Daryl stood up from the stool. "It's late, it's raining pretty hard, and you've had a few beers."
"I ain't drunk." Daryl snorted.
"I didn't say you were." I replied, crossing my arms over my chest. "Come on. You can sleep in my grandparents' room. There's a bed and everything."
Daryl smirked as my lips pulled into a grin.
"You just want me to owe you another favor."
"Trust me. I don't." I told him, going over to the couch. I sat down, flipping on the TV.
"…Mississippi, Illinois, Iowa, and New Mexico have recently been added to the growing list of states in which the disease has spread to. Benjamin Mackenzie, Surgeon General, continues to urge U.S. citizens to stay out of contact with those who have been infected…"
"Have you heard about this?" I asked Daryl as he plopped down on the couch next to me.
"I don't watch much TV." Daryl mumbled, staring at the screen.
"This crazy disease started in Oklahoma, but now its spread." I explained, turning my head to glance over at him. "Apparently it's extremely contagious. The military has been evacuating anyone who's shown signs of the disease to their bases for treatment."
"What the hell?" Daryl leaned forward, his eyes glued to the news broadcast.
"So far, it hasn't come to Georgia yet." I turned back towards the TV.
Daryl and I both watched the news in silence. When it was over, I turned the TV off with a yawn.
"I'll show you to my grandparents' room." I told Daryl, getting up.
"You sure it's all right if I stay?" Daryl asked, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Only if you want to." I said, turning around to gauge his reaction.
"Okay then." Daryl nodded, following me.
As we passed the bathroom on the way to my grandparents' bedroom, I paused.
"Do you want to shower or anything?" I asked, motioning to the bathroom.
"With you?" Daryl asked, raising an eyebrow.
"That's not what I meant." I replied, feeling my cheeks burning in embarrassment.
Daryl chuckled.
"I'm good."
"Okay." I nodded, willing my blush to go away. "My grandparents' room is the door at the end of the hall. You're more than welcome to borrow any clothes you find. I don't know if they'll fit, but you can take whatever you need."
"Thanks."
"I'm right here." I backed up into the door across the hall from the bathroom.
"Good to know." Daryl's lips pulled into that devilish grin I had seen before. "In case I get scared."
"I have a hard time believing anything scares you." I replied.
For the first time since meeting him, I really took a moment to look at him. There were no words, no pressing matter to distract me from studying his face and his body. Under the hall light, his light brown hair looked almost dark blonde. It was tousled and somewhat greasy, but it looked surprisingly good on him. It fit his personality. The facial hair on his chin and across his upper lip was scraggly, blending into the stubble on his jaw. His blue eyes were squinting down at me, studying me in the same way I was him. He had a very rugged, but handsome, face. I hadn't taken the time to appreciate it before.
Suddenly, Daryl took a step forward. He pressed one hand to the door above my head.
"When's the last time you been kissed, girl?" He asked, his voice gruffer than before.
"Junior prom." I murmured, looking up into his blue eyes.
Daryl shook his head with a grunt.
"That's a damn shame." He muttered, meeting my eyes again.
"Why do you ask?" I asked quietly, not wanting to disturb the moment or the feeling in the air.
"There ain't no pictures of boyfriends out there." Daryl motioned with his head down the hall.
"That's why?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
Daryl chuckled.
I suddenly felt his knee in between my legs. I didn't dare to look down as Daryl's face slowly lowered towards mine. My eyes fluttered closed just before his lips touched mine. It was a test. He wanted to see my reaction. That was evident in the light pressure of his kiss and the way his face was pulled back away from mine. I opened my eyes, and met his. A moment later, I closed my eyes, and Daryl pressed his lips harder against mine. I felt his hand fall from the door to my waist. It was warm, even through the fabric of my shirt. My lips parted beneath Daryl's, and I sighed. Daryl pressed himself firmer against me, his stubble rubbing against my face. As he brought his other hand to my face, his lips parted against mine. I felt the tip of his tongue at the opening of my mouth, and I reciprocated.
Then, all too soon, he pulled his mouth away from mine.
"Mmm. That was fun." Daryl murmured.
I opened my eyes as Daryl's hands left my face and waist. He grinned.
"Goodnight, Gardener."
"Goodnight, Dixon." I replied with a sigh, watching him walk down the hall.
0o0o0
In the morning, after I showered and got dressed, I went into the kitchen to make coffee and breakfast. I set two mugs out on the counter while the coffee brewed, pulling the last of the eggs out of the fridge for breakfast. I mulled over how Daryl probably liked his eggs, not wanting to wake him, before settling on a safe choice: scrambled.
I was surprised Daryl hadn't woken yet. He hadn't struck me as the type to sleep in, and it was already nearly ten. As the coffee and the eggs finished, I decided to go and wake him up. I went down the hall towards my grandparents' bedroom, knocking gently on the door.
"Daryl?" I asked softly, waiting for an answer. When there wasn't one, I knocked again. "Daryl?"
I slowly opened the door, and I understood why Daryl hadn't gotten up yet. He was already gone. The bed was unmade and empty. I checked the bathroom, but it was empty.
I went to the kitchen, opening the fridge. I smiled when I saw that Daryl had taken the container full of leftover chili.