** Chapter Notes: Raven's injury in my story, although not explicitly explained, is not the same as Raven's injury on the show. **
"Ninety-nine... ninety-eight... ninety-seven... ninety..."
"Alright, let's get started."
The orthopedic surgeon immediately made a small incision high on his patient's thigh, and a flurry of activity broke out in the operating room as surgeons and technicians carried out their duties with precision and speed. The team had been preparing for the last three weeks for this day, and they all knew how much there was at stake. It was the first surgery of its kind, and the skilled group of surgeons working diligently on their patient would make history if the procedure was successful.
"Dr. Griffin, we're ready for the graft."
Abby was a cardiothoracic surgeon and didn't normally scrub in on surgeries like this, but she insisted on being a major presence in the operating room this particular afternoon and quite honestly wasn't met with much resistance. Surgeons would wait their entire careers for an opportunity to be a part of a ground-breaking surgery like this one was, but Abby was also closely connected to the patient. It was her own daughter's friend and someone who deserved only the best doctors on her case.
"Ready to graft, Dr. Ellis," Abby confirmed as she cradled the delicate bundle of nerves in her hands. She took a deep breath, stepped up to the table and began her procedure.
"Clarke?"
The blonde looked up from her desk that was covered with opened textbooks and research articles and sighed when her gaze caught emerald eyes staring back at her. She had been pouring herself into her research from the time she'd heard from Raven about her decision to move forward with the surgery to repair her leg. Originally Clarke thought she might even participate in the procedure but decided against it when she heard that her mother would be assisting the most respected orthopedic surgeon in the country perform a miracle on her friend.
"Hey," she answered weakly.
"What are you doing in here?" Lexa softly asked as her brow furrowed when she saw the fatigue in the Clarke's eyes.
"Just going over the mechanics of the procedure to make sure they don't miss anything," Clarke answered before lowering her head and thumbing through the thick textbook in front of her.
"Are you hungry?"
"Not really," Clarke answered without looking up.
"Well, I am," Lexa said while moving further into the room, "so I was thinking we could go to the cafeteria together."
Clarke looked up to see a hopeful look flash across Lexa's face, and she immediately moved to close her textbook and stand up from her chair. After rounding her desk and stopping in front of the brunette, Clarke lifted her arms to drape around the taller girl's neck and leaned in to brush their lips together.
"You're right," Clarke said softly as she looked longingly into Lexa's eyes, "I've been spending more time with these books than with you lately, and you're so much more fun to kiss."
Lexa could only let out a short chuckle before her lips were being kissed again, and she was not complaining. They had managed a couple more dates in the three weeks since their first, but with Raven's upcoming surgery and the normal business of work they hadn't had much time to spend together... alone together. Clarke had spent countless hours outside of work going over her friend's surgery and referencing textbooks, medical journals, and research articles on anything even remotely related to the procedure. She had been able to simplify a couple of the steps in the complicated surgery for the talented team of doctors, but she was still worried that something would go wrong.
"I'm starving," Clarke stated as she abruptly ended the kiss. As if on cue, her stomach grumbled low and pushed the two girls into a fit of giggles.
"I figured you would be," Lexa replied as she separated herself from Clarke.
"We have the best chicken noodle soup here," Clarke enthused as she brushed past the brunette and headed out the door of her office.
"I would expect so," Lexa simply answered as she found her stride next to the blonde.
"Why is that?" Clarke asked.
"We're in a hospital," Lexa replied with a smirk.
Clarke just rolled her eyes and let out a breathy laugh as they continued towards the elevator. The ride down consisted of a few fleeting kisses and stolen glances, and they stepped just a foot away from each other as the doors opened to reveal a familiar face looking back at them.
"Hey, Lincoln," Clarke greeted him with a smile.
"Hey," he responded with a smile of his own. "Is Octavia with you?"
"Nope, she's up in the waiting room. Fourth floor," Clarke answered as she and Lexa traded places with him.
"We'll be back up in like thirty minutes," the blonde told him before the elevator doors closed. He had just smiled in response, which was nothing out of the ordinary for the man of few words.
They both made their way into the same line and each ordered a bowl of soup before finding a small table in the far corner of the cafeteria. The big room was full of both doctors and visitors, some chatting happily and some eating in silence. Hostpitals were always mixed with emotions, but the overall tone was strictly business. So many lives hung in the balance within these walls, and everyone within them seemed to respect that.
"This is delicious," Lexa said as she scooped another spoonful into her mouth.
"I told you," Clarke answered, "best in the city."
Lexa ate quietly as she studied the girl sitting opposite of her for a few minutes. She looked immersed in her thoughts, like she was still sitting behind the stack of books back in her office.
"Tell me your thoughts," Lexa finally said.
"I'm just trying to think of what they're doing right now," Clarke admitted. She knew Raven was in good hands, but it was harder for the blonde to be absent from the proceedure than she thought it would be.
"I know you have a tendency to try and fix everything," Lexa began, "but you need to trust that your mom will make sure everything goes perfectly."
"I know," Clarke agreed as she continued to sip on her soup.
"You're her hands, you know," Lexa said softly. Clarke looked up at her in question before she continued. "You perfected the mechanics of the surgery with your research, and now your mom is in there right now applying them."
Clarke looked deeply into the sincere green eyes and felt her heart melt a little bit before offering a smile in response. Lexa always knew the right thing to say because she knew Clarke more than anyone else on the planet. It was another reason why their transition from friends to more than friends had been so easy, even though their progress in the more than friends category had been unraveling quite slowly as of late.
"So, your birthday is coming up," Clarke broke the silence after a few moments, "and since my plans for your party changed, I was thinking that maybe you would want to have a special birthday date with me this year."
"Yes please," Lexa quickly responded with a smile as wide as her face would allow.
"Okay," Clarke grinned as a faint blush swept over her cheeks.
The two ate in comfortable silence for another ten minutes before they stood to clean up their trays and make their way back up to the waiting room. It was probably another two hours until they would receive any update on the progress of Raven's surgery, but they promised their friend that they would all be waiting for her during the entire proceedure and be there when she woke up. They walked up to the engaged couple speaking softly to each other as they shared a small couch in the far corner of the waiting room.
"Hey, any news?" Lexa asked as she sat down in a chair opposite the couch her friends were occupying.
"Nothing yet," Lincoln answered.
"Where were you two?" Octavia pried. "Having dirty sex in an on-call room?"
"Octavia!" Clarke squealed entirely too loudly for a hospital waiting room.
Lexa just blushed and averted her eyes, and Lincoln just sat in silence as he looked over at his fiancée.
"What? Like that's not what happens in those rooms on a daily basis," Octavia responded with a quirked eyebrow.
"We were in the cafeteria having soup," Clarke clarified.
"Mmhmm," Octavia mumbled in response, clearly not believing the blonde's explanation.
"They were," Lincoln spoke up, "I saw them on my way up here."
"Thank you, Lincoln," Clarke said as she nodded towards him.
"Hey! Who's side are you on?" Octavia argued as she slugged her fiancé in the arm. He flinched and brought his hand up to rub where she hit before looking back to Clarke and rolling his eyes discreetly.
"Whatever," Octavia grumbled, "it's only a matter of time."
Lexa's cheeks instantly flushed when she caught sparkling blue eyes looking back at her. Of course the thought of being intimate with Clarke had been in her mind for a long time, even more so now that they had been on a few actual dates and had a few actual kisses, but sthe last thing she wanted to do was lose herself in inappropriate thoughts in front of her friends. She heard Clarke weakly clear her throat before she took a seat in the chair beside her.
The next hour passed by relatively quickly. Octavia was flipping through wedding magazines and chatting with Lincoln about their big day, while Lexa read a book and Clarke played on her phone. The surgery was probably still a few hours from being completed, but they had been expecting Abby to bring them an update any minute. The four friends immediately focused their attention on the blonde's mother when they noticed her walking through the waiting room towards them with her surgical mask in her hands.
"She did great," Abby informed them all with a genuine smile.
"You're done?" Clarke asked in shock.
"You have no idea how much time your research saved us, honey," the older woman said as she gently touched Clarke's shoulder. "In fact, it went so well that she might only need one more surgery until she has full use of her leg again."
"That's amazing," Lexa chimed in as her eyes widened in disbelief.
Clarke lunged towards her mother and wrapped her up in a strong hug. She furiously blinked away the tears that were springing up in her eyes as she felt Abby's arms encircle her waist. The older woman heard 'thank you' whispered into her ear a few times before they finally parted. Lexa was the next to hug Abby, followed by their other two friends.
"Thank you, Abby," Octavia told Abby as they stared into each other's eyes for a moment.
"You've done an amazing thing," Lincoln directed at the older woman before turning to Clarke and adding, "you both have."
"When can we see her?" Lexa asked. She suddenly couldn't wait to see her friend, wanting to validate with her own eyes that she was okay and safe and awake.
"Not for a couple of hours," Abby replied. "She was under a pretty heavy cycle of anesthesia for a long time, so she'll be sleeping it off for a while. If you guys want to head home, I can call you..."
"No," Octavia interjected, "we'll stay."
"We told her we would be there when she woke up," Clarke offered to her mother.
"Alright... why don't you all hang out here for a while, and I'll let you slip into her room before she wakes up," Abby told the group. They all nodded in agreement, and Abby gave her daughter's arm another small squeeze before she turned around and left.
"She hates this show!" Clarke exclaimed in a hushed tone as she gestured towards the small flat-screen television in Raven's hospital room.
"She isn't awake yet," Octavia whispered back, "chill, Griffin."
Lexa rolled her eyes at her bickering friends before turning back her attention to Raven, who still hadn't woken up from her surgery. The brunette had taken up residence by her friend's bedside and was watching her sleep for the last few minutes. Raven was by far the most outgoing in the group, so it was strange to see her so quiet and peaceful for a change. A low chuckle from Octavia as she watched her show turned Lexa's attention away from the sleeping girl, and she glanced up to see Clarke moving a chair near hers. The two women shared a smile before they both turned their attention to the TV screen.
The hospital had arranged for Raven to recover in a private room, and the group had made sure to have extra chairs brought in so they could all sit comfortably and wait for their friend to wake up. Everyone had chipped in on a large bouquet of sunflowers that Lexa had picked up at the flower market on her way to the hospital that morning, and it was Octavia's idea to buy Raven a stuffed bunny with a 'Get Well Soon' balloon tied around its paw because she knew the brunette would say it was lame but would secretly like it.
"I hate this show," a small voice broke the silence. Lexa immediately shifted in her seat to lean in closer to Raven and gently placed her hand on the girl's forearm. She flicked her eyes over to Lexa and smiled weakly.
"Hey," Lexa said as she returned her friend's smile.
"Hey," Raven answered back.
Octavia pulled her feet down from where they had been propped up on another chair and quickly stood to approach the hospital bed after flipping off the television. Clarke and Lincoln stayed put but instantly gave Raven their undivided attention.
"How do you feel?" Octavia asked as she pulled up a chair next to the bed.
"Fine right now," Raven answered as she gestured to the I.V. bag beside her, "thanks to that."
She could tell she was on a steady flow of pain medication by the way her brain felt like it was floating around in her head. It wasn't her favorite feeling in the world, but she did appreciate that her leg didn't hurt for once. As Raven looked around the room at her friends, she noticed the large vase of flowers and the bunny beside it and rolled her eyes.
"You guys are so cheesy and stupid," Raven said while shaking her head slowly.
"But you love us," Clarke told her with a smile.
"I do," Raven agreed. "Thanks for being here when I woke up."
"We wouldn't have had it any other way," Lexa responded with a thoughtful smile and a squeeze to the brunette's arm.
"Welcome back, Raven," Abby chirped with a bright smile as she stepped into the room. She noticed Clarke was checking the girl's vitals, so she rounded the opposite side of the bed to stand beside Octavia. "How are you feeling?"
"Fine," Raven answered again. "Did it work?"
"It went extremely well," Abby replied with another smile. "We'll have to run some tests later tonight, but I'm thinking you might only need one more surgery before you have full use of your leg again."
Raven let out a sigh of relief as she let her head fall back onto the pillow and smiled up at the ceiling.
"Thank you, Abby," Raven said as she turned her head slightly towards the grinning surgeon.
"It was my pleasure," Abby responded quietly. "Kick these guys out if you need to rest."
"Will do," Raven replied as she closed her eyes.
"Abby, can I talk to you for a minute?" Octavia asked softly as she followed her towards the door. Abby nodded and Lincoln went to join them out in the hallway.
"What was that about?" Lexa asked a confused-looking Clarke.
"I have no idea," Clarke answered before looking over at Raven.
"Don't ask me," Raven said, "I was just unconscious for the last eight hours."
"More like ten," Lexa clarified as she sat back in her chair.
"No wonder why I'm so starving," she rasped as she tried to push herself up in her bed.
"Sorry, no food for a little while yet," Clarke said as she stood, "but I can get you some ice chips or something."
"Ugh," Raven answered in disgust, "how about juice?"
"Yeah, juice should be fine," Clarke answered as she leaned over to peek at Raven's monitors again.
"I'll get you some," Lexa offered as she stood from her chair and walked towards the door. "What kind would you like?"
"Surprise me," Raven said with a shrug of her shoulders. Lexa smiled lightly and turned to exit the room. "So give it to me straight, Griffin. How terrible is my recovery going to be?"
"Pretty terrible," Clarke answered honestly. She knew Raven was strong, and she knew she'd want to hear the truth. "But I have no doubt in my mind that you're going to kick physical therapy's ass."
"I better," Raven replied, "because I want to be able to actually kick ass when I'm done."
"As long as it's not mine," Clarke said as she let out a laugh before Octavia and Lincoln walked back into the room with smiles on their faces.
"What's got you two all smiley?" Clarke asked with an inquisitive brow.
"Well," Octavia started, "Lincoln and I are getting married in two months at your mom's house."
"Are you serious?" Clarke asked as her eyes widened in surprise.
"Yep!"
"I'm so happy for you guys!" Clarke exclaimed as she brought Octavia in for a hug, "But... why my mom's house?"
"Because your mom has a fucking sweet house," Octavia responded very matter-of-factly.
"You're right on that one," Clarke agreed. "And in two months! That's so soon!"
"I know, but... we're ready, you know?" Octavia explained as she sat down on Raven's bed. "We just want to get on with it."
Clarke looked over to Lincoln who nodded his head in agreement, and she smiled widely before walking over and giving him a hug too. Lexa walked back in the room with a bottle of juice and opened it before handing it to Raven. They all chatted about the big news, and Octavia shared her plans for the simple wedding of her dreams until Raven started to nod off. They all decided to call it a day but not before leaving Raven a note on her bedside table letting her know they would be back to visit her tomorrow.
"Clarke," Lexa started as she and the blonde walked out the front doors of the hospital, "do you have any plans tonight?"
"Not a one," Clarke responded with a smile.
"Would you like to... watch a movie together?" Lexa asked somewhat shyly.
"I'd love to," Clarke answered as she slipped their hands together and started off towards her apartment.
They had just started their second movie when Lexa shifted herself on the couch to cuddle closely with Clarke. They laid together, stretched across the length of the couch, for about fifteen minutes before Clarke turned herself around to face her friend. Without a word, she leaned forward and pressed their lips lightly together, and Lexa's hand immediately slipped around to the small of Clarke's back. Their mouths danced gently against one another until Clarke pulled back with a smile on her face.
"What?" Lexa asked as her eyes trained in on the beautiful smile in front of her.
"I love being with you like this," Clarke replied softly as she traced her fingers along the brunette's jawline.
"Me too," Lexa whispered as she gazed into sparkling blue eyes. "It feels better than I ever thought it could."
"So, how long had you been thinking about this before it actually happened?"
"A while," Lexa quietly confessed.
"How come didn't you tell me?" Clarke asked. "Sooner, I mean."
"We're best friends," Lexa started, "and sometimes relationships between best friends work, but sometimes it ruins the friendship if it doesn't."
"And you were worried that if it didn't work out, we might not be friends?"
Lexa just nodded.
"And what do you think now?" Clarke asked. Lexa paused for a moment and searched the eyes in front of her before speaking.
"I think it's amazing," Lexa finally answered. "I think you're amazing."
Clarke felt her heart slam into her chest at the sincere words, and she was left speechless from the look of pure adoration pouring out of the green eyes looking back at her. She quickly closed the distance between them by snaking her left hand into Lexa's hair behind her ear and pulling their lips together. It turned heated almost instantaneously, and Clarke let her hands fall to Lexa's hips, tugging them lightly so that the brunette could lay on top of her.
Their legs tangled at their ankles, and Lexa's right hand found its way up to cradle Clarke's cheek as they sank into a deep kiss. Their tongues slid against one another, searching, mapping, tasting. Breaths turned into pants the longer their mouths teased each other, and their need to feel even closer became unbearable. Lexa's heart raced with anticipation as she felt Clarke's hands move from her hips and her fingertips slide underneath her shirt to graze the hot skin at the base of her spine.
Lexa slipped her hand through blonde hair as she cupped the back of Clarke's neck, desperate to taste more, feel more of the soft lips moving under hers. She felt as her shirt gently scraped against her sides while Clarke's hands wandered further up the expanse of her back, making deliberate moves to touch every inch of exposed skin as she went. Lexa's head started spinning as her hand made its way out of the Clarke's hair and down her neck past her collarbones until she was just inches away from where the brunette had only dreamed of where her hands would once be.
Without hesitation Lexa slowly pulled her hand down and over the generous swell of Clarke's left breast, feeling it graze beneath her palm and lightly squeezed the base of the mound before bringing her hand to rest at the top the blonde's rib cage. Clarke let out a breathy moan and immediately arched her back, aching to feel Lexa's hand on her breast again. Her lips chased the plump ones hovering above her and they continued to kiss deeply, desperately, before the vibrating of Lexa's phone against the top of the coffee table broke them out of their moment.
Clarke let out a loud sigh as she broke their kiss and dropped her head back down onto the couch. Lexa cursed under her breath before shooting Clarke an apologetic look and reaching for her phone. They both knew Anya was planning on calling that night to check up on Raven, so Lexa lifted herself off of Clarke and situated herself in a sitting position on the couch before swiping her screen and answering the call.
"Hey, Anya," Lexa greeted in a breathy tone.
Clarke smiled at the sound of Lexa's voice and found herself instantly attracted to how flustered she was. Leaning up carefully, Clarke wordlessly wrapped her left arm around Lexa's waist and pulled the long brunette locks over Lexa's shoulder. She lowered her lips to soft skin and proceeded in placing gentle but teasing kisses up and down the back of her neck. Clarke felt herself smile against Lexa's skin as she heard the brunette struggling to breathe. Feeling emboldened by the small sounds she was eliciting from the other girl, Clarke trailed her lips up the side of Lexa's neck before lightly grazing her teeth along her earlobe. As she pulled away, saw Lexa's jaw hanging open for a brief moment before it snapped shut and green eyes were piercing through her own.
"Huh? Oh yeah, it was great... I mean, it went really well..." Lexa stammered as she watched Clarke swing her leg over her lap to straddle her on the couch. Her free hand curled itself into a fist as she tried desperately to control herself while Clarke lightly pushed her further into the back of the couch. The first touch of soft lips on her neck below her jaw was enough to send her free hand flying up to grip the side of Clarke's hip.
"I uh..." Lexa trailed off as she felt Clarke's lips move further down the front of her neck, "uh..."
"The... Abby said... she might only need... one more... surgery..." Lexa pieced together through her panting breaths as Clarke continued her gentle assault on the brunette's neck.
"What's going on?" Clarke heard Anya ask.
"What? Oh, nothing..." Lexa lamely answered. "I'm just... hanging out with Clarke..."
"And you can't stop fucking for two minutes to give me an update on Raven? You are one horny bitch."
And with that, Lexa threw Clarke off her lap and quickly stood up to distance herself from the teasing girl. Clarke just giggled before righting herself on the couch again and folding her hands innocently in her lap while Lexa continued her conversation.
"No, Anya," the brunette back-tracked, "that's not what is going on."
Lexa shot Clarke a look as she pulled her fingers through her hair, and Clarke just smirked back. She knew exactly what she had been doing to Lexa to drive her crazy just a moment ago, and she had loved every second of it. Her heart danced in her chest while she listened to Lexa finish her conversation, anticipating a lively discussion with her best friend after she hung up the phone. And that she did.
"Clarke," Lexa snapped as soon as she ended the call, "what the hell was that?"
"What the hell was what?"
"Couldn't you have waited until I was off the phone at least?" Lexa huffed.
"That wouldn't have been nearly as entertaining," Clarke responded with a twinkle in her eye. She moved up to step in front of Lexa before lowering her voice and adding, "plus it was a little preview for just how talented my mouth can be."
The Lexa's throat immediately lost all of its moisture as her eyes widened and darkened at the same time. She looked over at Clarke who was biting the inside of her bottom lip, waiting for her to say something. Anything. It took two tries for Lexa to swallow, and she couldn't seem to tear her eyes away from watching Clarke gently pulling on her own lip. When Lexa didn't offer any response, Clarke finally spoke up.
"I do believe I won that round of flirting, Woods."
Lexa again offered no response except a slight narrowing of her eyes. In reality she was just trying to keep herself from pouncing on the blonde after what she'd said had sent a wave of heat directly to her core, and the sensations she was currently feeling shooting through her body weren't altogether unwelcome. Instead she simply licked her lips and nodded, conceding yet again to the blonde.
"Hey, chica!" Clarke exclaimed as she walked into Raven's hospital room. "It's day seven! Woop, woop!"
All the brunette managed for a response was a groan as she lifted herself into a sitting position on her bed. Raven had recovered from her invasive surgery extremely well, and she was cleared to start physical therapy a day early. Clarke had volunteered to help on her off-hours, knowing that her friend would appreciate the support of someone she knew during the first painful weeks.
"Ready to get at it?" the cheerful blonde asked through a wide smile.
"If I'm not, what happens?"
"I make you do your therapy anyway," Clarke answered.
"Thought so," Raven quipped.
She swung her legs gingerly over the edge of the bed and allowed Clarke to help her into a wheelchair that had been pushed up next to her. Even though it had only been a week, Raven felt so much better now that she'd been able to take a shower (with the help of a rather burly female nurse) and change into a pair of her own loose-fitting sweatpants and tank top. They were so much better than hospital gowns, though she had enjoyed seeing a few fly open during the hospital tours her friends had been wheeling her around on whenever they came to visit.
Clarke made a double-take when she laid eyes on a new face as pushed Raven through the doors to the physical therapy wing. She hadn't expected to see a new physical therapist at the hospital, especially one who would be working with Raven, but Clarke continued on her way towards the man until he was only a few feet away.
"Hi," he offered his hand to Clarke, "I'm Marcus Kane."
"I'm Dr. Griffin, and this is Raven," Clarke answered before shaking his hand. They were soft, but did he ever have a grip.
"Oh, you must be Clarke then," Marcus responded with a smile.
"So my reputation proceeds me around here?" Clarke asked as she cringed.
"Yes, but not in a bad way," the man assured her. "I just met Dr. Abby Griffin earlier today, and she told me that her daughter works here, whom I assume is you..."
"Ah, yep. That's me," Clarke replied.
"Nice to meet you, Raven," Marcus told the brunette as he extended his hand out to her with a smile.
"I don't know if I should be so nice to the guy who's about to torture me for the next couple of months," Raven joked sarcastically as she shook his hand.
"Trust me," Marcus told her, "I want to make this as painless as possible for you."
"Yeah, we both know it's hospital policy to say that to me," Raven teased again.
"Well, I can see your sense of humor is still intact," Marcus said through a chuckle. "That always makes this process easier. Hold onto that."
"Oh, Raven and her sarcasm are attached at the hip," Clarke chimed in. "She couldn't lose it even if she tried."
Clarke wheeled Raven behind Marcus' retreating form, and they all found themselves in a large exam room. With a little help from both medical professionals, Raven situated herself on the small bed before Marcus readied several slings attached to a metal arm that looked like it would be supporting the weight of her leg as it was held suspended in the air. After he had adjusted all of the equipment needed for this therapy session, he repositioned Raven's leg and began.
"So the first few days we're going to be loosening up the muscles and tendons in your leg as well as increasing the rotational mobility of your hip," Marcus explained. "After any traumatic surgery, the body's natural response is to heal itself as quickly as possible. Unfortunately because you needed to stay immobile for the healing to really kick-start over the last week, your leg is probably feeling pretty stiff. Now I will warn you that you'll probably be sore after today's therapy session, but I can't stress enough how much better and healthier you'll start to feel each day after."
"I'll take your word for it," Raven responded dryly before lying back and preparing herself for what was going to happen next.
She felt strong hands gently grip her calf and begin to massage the muscle before moving down to her foot, which he rotated slowly. Raven felt a few pangs of pain shoot through her leg immediately, but she was determined not to let her first day in physical therapy get the best of her. She sighed and closed her eyes as Marcus' hands went to either side of her knee and gripped firmly and started to loosen up the muscles there. As soon as his thumbs pressed over a spot just above the left side of her knee, her eyes shot open.
"Holy shit, Clarke!"
"What?" Clarke exclaimed, afraid that Raven was in pain. "What's wrong?"
"I can feel that!" Raven nearly yelled. "I can fucking feel that!"
"What – feel what?" Clarke questioned.
"The part of my leg that was numb before," Raven explained, "I can feel it!"
Clarke's face broke into a smile as she looked down at her overjoyed friend, who was staring down at her leg and poking it dramatically. It was normal for numbness to linger for a while after surgery, so Clarke knew how excited Raven must be to suddenly be able to feel in that area that had been unfeeling for so long. Marcus pushed the brunette's finger away as he continued his task but gave Raven a small smile in return.
"Now it hurts, but I can feel it," Raven said through a huge smile.
"Yeah, because you were poking it like an idiot," Clarke reprimanded her friend.
"Your face is an idiot," Raven immediately responded.
"Oh, shut up," Clarke shot back.
Marcus continued to work without looking up at the two, but the smile on his face gave away the fact that the girls' humorous exchange was not lost on him. Clarke really liked this new guy and hoped Raven felt the same way. She knew from professional experience how much easier her sessions would be if she connected well with her physical therapist.
"How do you feel?" Marcus asked as he moved up further the brunette's leg.
"I feel like shit... but thanks for asking," Raven quipped.
Yep, she definitely liked him too.