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Try not to be too shocked… I can't handle people screaming at me from half way across the world. If indeed, you are half way across the world. Yes, I actually like the VA character that turns up in this chapter…
Chapter 11 – Meet My Dad
"No," I groaned sleepily. "You can't make me."
Lissa sighed for the sixth time and repeated the words she'd said at least seven times. "You're already in the car, Rose."
For at least the seventh time I glanced around myself in surprise, barely registering the tan upholstered seats and focusing on the fact that I was only wearing my pyjama shorts and my favourite baggy t-shirt. I groaned again as the car flew over a bump in the road.
"No," I groaned again. "I don't want to."
"You're going Rose," Lissa said sternly.
"Why?" I wailed, throwing my head in my hands. "Can't he come to me?"
"The doctor is busy Rose," she explained placidly. "We made an appointment and now we have to go."
I think it was four in the afternoon but I wouldn't know. I'd been asleep for the past week or so, sniffing and coughing and running doubled over to the bathroom every twenty seconds. Time wasn't important to me anymore. I was too sick to care about anything but when the headaches and vomiting would stop. And for all that, I didn't look as bad as I felt. I was more annoyed than pleased by that. Mostly because nobody that was worth looking good for had come over. So I was left looking healthy and happy when I felt like I was on the verge of death. Another pothole resulted in me being bounced to far from my seat for my head to take it.
"Pills," I moaned. Lissa bent down and grabbed the small bottle of medicine from her purse and threw it at me. "Thanks," I muttered. Over the last few weeks I'd become a master at dry swallowing the worst kinds of pills and I threw these ones down without even thinking.
"You can make it Rose," Lissa encouraged, repeating her words from last week.
"Yeah," I mumbled my standard response to her sickening good cheer.
"We're almost there."
"Yay."
Lissa glanced at me disapprovingly. "You have to be nice, okay? Rose?"
I closed my eyes and rested my head against the window, faking sleep and praying she would leave me alone on the subject. Being nice wasn't my style. At least not lately. Hayley had visited a few times, leaving my chocolates that I suspected were actually from Mason. Adrian had delivered chocolates first and it seemed to have triggered the jealous side in Mason. I was practically swamped in chocolate now as the boys continued their weird and frightful chocolate wars. All of the chocolates were stacked in a pile next to my bed where Iolanthi could throw herself at the small bundle and watch it crashing down. I was glad someone was getting enjoyment from my presents, even if I was lying on my death bed and cursing my benefactors.
"Rose," Lissa nudged me gently and I ignored her. "Rose!"
"What?" I asked irritably. I immediately felt bad for using that tone with her.
"We're here," she nudged me again. "Come on," she encouraged. I groaned and heard the snap as my seat belt came undone and I fumbled for the door handle in my miserable state.
"I wish I was in a coma," I muttered as the door fell open and I stumbled into the bright light of the afternoon. "Noo," I moaned shielding my eyes as Lissa led me to the doors. "Do I have to go?"
"Yes, Rose," she said placidly. "You have to go."
Lissa half guided half pulled me toward the door, supporting me the whole way as I slumped in protest and exhaustion. "I don't want to," I mumbled as she pushed open the door.
"Hello," the receptionist glanced up at Lissa and I, then did a double take as she saw my best friend literally dragging me through the half opened door.
"Keep looking," I threatened darkly. Lissa jabbed my ribs and smiled warmly at the now startled girl.
"Ignore her, she's delirious."
"Stop telling people that! The voices have told me I'm perfectly fine," I smiled smugly at Liss who rolled her eyes.
"No, really," she assured the receptionist, "She's just –"
The chair behind the front desk was empty and Lissa frowned at me and shook her head.
"What?" I asked innocently.
"Hello," A blonde man walked through a door at the far end of the room. "Who are you?"
I almost face-planted the carpet when Lissa shot across the room to greet the stranger. I wished in that moment that I was a dog so I could whine at annoying loud level until she remembered I was dying.
"Hello, I'm Vasilisa Dragomir, this is Rosemarie Hathaway," Lissa smiled charmingly at the man and gestured behind herself at me, glaring daggers.
"Ah," the man smiled suddenly. He introduced himself but I couldn't be bothered listening to anything he said to Lissa. It could have been about the weather for all I cared. I just wanted to be cured already!
"Come this way," he gestured through the door and smiled. I didn't like that smile. It made him look like a predator. I proceeded to run through a horror film in my head.
The suspicious prey stumbled after its unsuspecting partner, warily watching the keen eyed predator as he swung the door wide to reveal his lair. The two walked into the pristine whiteness, the second completely unaware that it was a trap. The first, however, watched every movement the young prowler made, just in case a movement was threatening. BAM! It was too late to run, the door had closed. The first prepared to fight…
"So what's up doc?" I asked casually.
The doctor smiled charmingly at me and motioned to a seat leaning against the wall. "Please…" he studied his clip board. "Rosemarie, sit down."
"It's Rose," I said stiffly. I sat on the very edge of the seat and watching the corners of the room suspiciously.
"Of course, Rose," he corrected himself. He smiled at me again and I shifted uneasily. "Are you comfortable?"
"Yeah," I muttered darkly.
His smile never faltered even though my voice was cold. "So what are the symptoms?" he clapped his hands together and looked between Lissa and me.
"Irritability," Lissa volunteered quickly.
"That's a side effect of having annoying friends," I snarled.
"Headaches, vomiting, stomach cramps," Lissa continued rattling off the list of all the things that had been wrong with me during the past week. I rolled my eyes and leaned back into my chair, overdramatically stating how bad I felt.
"She doesn't look sick," the doctor commented, leaning in to study me.
I glared dangerously and he leaned back slightly, but still, the annoying charming smile remained fixed on his face.
"I know I don't look sick," I snapped, staring moodily around me. "But I feel sick. And you better back up buddy before I vomit on you."
The doctor moved back at a faster rate and went to sit safely behind his desk. Liss selected the seat next to me and smiled happily at him.
"I think she's getting better," she commented. "Normally she seems angry."
I would have beamed at her comment but the compliment was ruined by the fact that her elbow was buried in my ribs. "What the Hell!" I shrieked, standing up to glare at her.
"Sit down Rose," Lissa hissed, yanking me back down into my seat. I didn't fight her. I was so weak right now I don't think I'd be able to fight anyone. Besides, I was actually feeling a little more sick since we walked in here. It might have had something to do with the blinding cleanliness of the place. I was contemplating how it would look with vomit coloured walls when somebody knocked on the door.
The assistant poked her head through the door and gave me a wary look. She carefully walked through the door and went to stand behind he doctor, bending down to whisper something in his ear. The action seemed almost intimate somehow and I used my sixth sense to pick up on the romance between them. Or at least, there was romance on her side. He didn't seem too interested. I studied the assistant carefully. She wasn't bad looking but she wasn't a real beauty. She was just average. Nice looking…
"Thankyou," the doc said shortly. The woman stood and smiled nervously at Lissa and I before she left the room, shooting flirty glances at the doc as she went.
"Subtle," I whispered Lissa. She gave me a small smile. Well actually, it was more like a lip twitch but it seemed to be a positive response.
"I'm terribly sorry, I have to go and meet someone," he stood from his chair and left the room, not saying another word to either me or Liss.
"So," I turned to Lissa and drummed my fingers on my arm rest. "What do we do now? Can we go home yet?"
Lissa glanced sideways at me. "He didn't tell us to leave, did he? We stay."
I groaned overdramatically and let myself fall backwards into the chair, pulling my knees up to my chin.
"You're sick Rose," Lissa stressed, the worry in her voice almost convincing me. "You need to get better."
"He isn't making me any better," I grumbled, brushing a stray strand of hair out of my eyes. "I don't like him."
"You've never liked doctors," Lissa told me, touching my arm. "They do actually help you, you know."
"No they don't. All they do is charge you some insane amount of money so they can look at you and tell you you're sick. Great! A two year old could do that Liss. And they need doctorates," I scoffed and gestured at the framed pieces of paper hanging on the white walls.
The door opened again and the doc stepped through, smiling an overly cheerful smile directed right at me. "You can leave now," he said abruptly.
Lissa looked at me quickly and then turned her startled eyes to the doctor. "What's wrong with Rose?"
"She's sick," he supplied airily. Even I was shocked. I mean, normally they specified what kind of sick. "A flu, by the looks of it. Just let her sleep."
"She's been sleeping for a week!" Lissa was using her 'social injustice' tone and her voice was dropping lower and lower. "She hasn't gotten better yet."
He smiled charmingly again. "Well, I'm sorry but I can't do anything about that."
Lissa looked really upset at the news. I didn't really give a damn but hey, he'd made Lissa worry and I'd been wanting to do this since I walked in.
I stood and walked over to the doc, bringing back my fist then snapping it back in his face. It wasn't a very good punch, considering most of my normal strength had been drained away but it was hard enough to make his head snap backwards and lose his balance. He staggered back into the door spectacularly and then turned his big blue eyes on me, completely astonished.
"Wow," I grinned at him. "I feel really good."
Lissa restrained her laughter behind me, putting her good humour behind her calm façade and apologising profusely to the good doctor.
My eyes wondered out the door and through the lobby window where people were hurrying through the speckling rain and thought about how I would give anything to be out there right now.
"Hi," a smooth voice broke through my trance and I turned to see a guy about my age staring at me. He was staring at me in the appreciative way I'd come to recognise. He wasn't bad looking. Not bad looking at all.
"Hi," I replied, pushing away any thoughts about how sick I was.
He gestured me outside to where he was, in the lobby. Without hesitation I left the bright confines of the doctors office, Lissa's rambling apologies to the doctor and giggles faded in the back of my head.
"I'm Rose," I introduced myself quickly, appraising him from a closer angle. He was really good looking…
"I'm Jesse," he grinned easily at me. "Dr. Zeklos is my dad," he gestured to the doc who was still on the floor, clutching at his face and moaning. "Nice punch."
I gave a flirty laugh. "Thanks."
I noted the resemblances between Jesse and his dad, the same shade of blonde hair, the same blue eyes. That seemed to be where the resemblances ended. I could work with that.
"You hit doctors often?" he asked pleasantly. "Or more importantly, do you hit their sons often?"
"If you're looking for a demonstration I can't help you, I don't have another punch in me right now," I grinned in response.
He laughed lightly. "That's okay, I think I can do without right now. Do you wanna go get something to eat?"
I was a little taken aback at his abruptness but I didn't let it show. "Sorry Jesse," I smiled. "I've got a friend I have to take home," I gestured to Lissa, on her knees next to the doctor and talking comfortingly while trying to hold back her laughter.
"She's a pretty friend," he commented. I turned to him suspiciously. "But I prefer brunettes," the smile he gave me was even more charming than his father's and it was no where near irritating.
"Don't try and flatter me," I said playfully. I gathered Jesse was all for the straightforward approach. "I'd have to take you back to my place and I've already got a roomie."
His smile grew as I flirted and he winked at me. "Pity."
"Jesse," the doc was on his feet again and glaring daggers at me. "Come here."
Jesse gave me a small smile and sauntered over to his father. I studied the way he moved in an almost clinically detached way. This guy was hot.
"Come on Lissa," I sang, eyeing up my best friend. "We have to go home."
Lissa watched me suspiciously but walked to my side any way. I waved at the doc and smiled at Jesse before Lissa led me out the door.
"What happened?" she asked immediately.
"What ever could you mean Liss?" I asked happily.
"You went in there moody and came out happy."
"I punched a guy in the face Lissa," I told her sagely. "That always makes me feel better. A lot better than his crappy medicine."
She sighed. "I have to state the obvious. It was something to do with that guy, wasn't it?"
"Yup. This city seems to have a thing for good looking guys," I commented thoughtfully.
"What?" Lissa asked, pulling me to our car. "You mean you think Adrian is good looking?"
"I know Adrian is good looking," I admitted. "I just don't like the rest of him."
Lissa got into the drivers seat and I sat next to her. "I thought you liked bad boys," she smirked as she started the car.
I grinned. "Bad to a point. And not annoying. Adrian's got a great personality if you don't like personal space and have no opinions."
Lissa laughed as we peeled out of the car park and started back home. "You can be so mean sometimes. I have to work this afternoon," she added abruptly.
"In the library?" I asked teasingly. "What, you found a hot guy or someth– uuuuuuuugghh," I doubled over in the seat. "I thought I was getting better," I whispered to myself. "Damn you body!"
"Are you all right Rose?" Lissa asked frantically, I could hear the clicking of the indicator and feel the car swerving to the side of the road.
"Fine, fine," I muttered angrily. "Just sick. When I get home I'd better feel good again."
Lissa seemed to calm down some because she turned off the indicator and swerved back into the middle of the road. "You scared me," she laughed. "I thought you'd been shot or something."
I mumbled an incoherent response and closed my eyes, willing sleep to come. "Liss," I whispered, just before I dropped off. "Do you mind not waking me up when we get back home?"
I wasn't awake long enough to hear her reply.
Hee-hee. Do ya hate me? Do ya? I love Jesse, I think he's an awesome b*****d. But never fear! Dimitri will return!
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