"I have really rolley veins." She said simply, pulling up her sleeve, laying her arm out and balling her hand for me.
"Looks like you've done this a lot, huh?" I ran my finger over the scarring from repeated pokes.
"Yeah. The other side's worse. There's scar tissue on the vein too. I'm kinda a hard stick. Usually they end up calling for trauma to come get me in the end." She hadn't taken her eyes off of the TV once since I'd walked in.
"Well, hopefully this won't be that bad." I said, trying to calm myself down.
"I can take it." She said, finally looking at me. "So, whose butt did you kiss to get put with me?"
I looked at her for a second, taken aback.
"I'm not new to this, you know." She stated, simply. "Doctors call me a "puzzle" everywhere I go" she used air-quotes "and I have doctors who check up on my file from time-to-time even when I don't see them just because I'm so "interesting"." Again with the air quotes "I mean, you guys have been filing in all day to listen to my heart. I know it sounds like I'm full of myself here, but this is the one interesting thing about me, and I'm the perfect case study in 'doesn't show any of the symptoms but has some crazy rare issue anyway'." She leaned in a little closer. I'd forgotten all about checking the chart in my hand.
"Plus, I heard some of the other residents talking about me out in the hall. They're not very subtle." She leaned back. "Or maybe it's just that they think because I'm sick, pumped full of morphine and probably won't remember this in the morning that I can't hear them when they're right outside my door." She said the last part louder, and to the door. I heard two people walk away, though I had been unaware of their presence before then. She leaned back on the bed.
"So—what is it, then? Ass-kisser or did you just really piss someone off?" Now I was really confused. Apparently my face showed it because she explained, "I wasn't kidding about calling trauma. They're usually the only ones who can plant a successful IV on me. You'll try five or six times and then call them in. Only someone you really pissed off would want to put you through five failed attempts at an IV insertion on a single patient at once—on your first day." She leaned in again "Even if I am this cool." She winked. "So, which one is it?" She asked laying back again, honestly expecting an answer.
"I—um—" I was taken aback by her frankness—not to mention how aware she was on this much morphine—and I couldn't come up with an answer.
"Ah well." She signed. "Later, I guess. After all, I think we're going to become very well acquainted. I don't see myself leaving here any time soon. Lucky you." She said dryly before looking back at the TV once more, holding her arm out to me again.
"I'm Bella, by the way—though I hope you already knew that. You are—?"
"Edward." I responded. "And I'm going to get this good in three or less." I said, stretching out her arm.
"Edward," She said, smiling back at me again, "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship." She chuckled as I wrapped the band around her arm "But there's no way you're getting that stick."