Chapter Twenty-Nine

Haley stood silently by the door of the nurse's office while Nathan sat on the bed and Mrs. Chambers wandered around the room, looking through her supplies. Her arms were folded and, as she often did when she needed something to do, one of her hands was playing with the pendant of her necklace. She had done what she said she was going to do; she had brought Nathan to the nurse, so what was she going to do now? What if he thought it was weird she was still there, but didn't say anything to be polite? Why was she still there? Haley wondered, biting her lip as she did.

Glancing at Nathan, who was trying to get comfortable, leaning back against the wall, she noted his numerous bruises and knew that she wanted to make sure he was fine, but that didn't reduce the awkwardness of her being there, which she knew wasn't just in her head. Nathan wasn't a kid; he wouldn't want her hovering around in there like she was his mum or something.

"I guess I'll go then," Haley said.

Nathan looked at her, and for a second Haley thought that maybe he didn't want her to go. She didn't have the time to decide whether or not it was just wishful thinking because Mrs. Chambers chimed in, "Actually, Haley, dear could you stay a few minutes if you're not busy? My assistant is off sick today and after attending to Mr. West earlier I now don't have enough for Mr. Scott here."

"Do you want me to get something for you?"

"No, it's alright. You won't know where it is. But, if you don't mind staying with Mr. Scott?"

"No, I don't mind. I have a free period," Haley added.

Mrs. Chambers nodded. "Alright, then. Here," she held up an ice pack and placed it carefully on Nathan's black eye. He winced but held it in place as she let go. "Now you keep holding that while I go get something for your cuts."

"Yes, ma'am."

Mrs. Chambers maneuvered herself around the bed and said quietly to Haley, "I won't be long I'm just asking you to stay 'cause I'd like someone to keep an eye on him."

"Is it serious?" she whispered back.

The older lady looked amused. "No, no. It's just typical scratches and cuts from a fist fight. I just want someone here with him while I'm out because the other boy tried to leave when he thought I wasn't looking so he could cut school."

"Oh."

Mrs. Chambers smiled and then said in a loud, cheerful voice, "Back in a flash," before going out the door.

Because of the ice pack on his left eye Nathan had to turn his body around fully to look at Haley with his right one, but when he did she saw he was smiling. "You know," he told her, "I could hear you two."

Haley grinned back. "I had a feeling you might be able to. This room isn't exactly small."

"What a bummer. I was planning to jump out that window the minute she was gone."

Haley giggled. "I'm sure."

Nathan leaned back with a small groan. "Home sure does sound good right now though. Not like I'd have the strength to get there anyway." As he tried to relax the ice pack started to slip from his grip.

Haley was immediately by his side to pick it up. She carefully placed it over his eye once more and held it steadily. "There you go. No wonder it's slipping, the ice is melting. Really fast too," Haley observed. "Do you see a cloth or something around?"

"Uh…" Nathan took his right eye off Haley for a moment to scan the room. "There's one over there by the sink."

Haley looked over her shoulder and spotted it. "Okay, can you hold this a second?" When Nathan nodded and put his hand over hers, she let go of the ice pack and went to the other end of the room. She took the small hand towel that was on the rack and brought it back over to Nathan. Taking the ice pack off his face she wrapped the towel around it before replacing it on his eye.

Nathan looked up at her with one eye and smiled. "Thanks."

"No problem." Haley met his gaze briefly, then she returned to fussing about the ice pack.

Nathan didn't mind that she wasn't talking – he didn't have any idea of what he would say either – and he liked that she was fussing over him. It gave more fuel to his daydreams where she was secretly pining over him and, thinking that he was five years her junior as well as her student, was showing her affection the only way she thought possible. And, out there in the hall she had held his hand. He didn't think she had even realized she had done so at first, then the moment they reached the door she had dropped it suddenly, looking embarrassed.

Nathan opened his eyes when he heard a noise and found Mrs. Chambers had entered and was looking at them. Haley was now standing further away from him than before, but one hand was still holding onto the ice pack.

"The ice was melting and it slipped so I wrapped it in this," she explained in a rush.

"That's fine. Thank you very much, Haley." Mrs. Chambers took hold of the ice pack and Haley let go. "Haley, if you're not busy would you mind helping me?"

"No, I don't mind. What do you need me to do?"

A lot of things, it turned out. Mrs. Chambers was the one who cleaned and bandaged Nathan's cuts, but she needed someone to hand her things or hold them most of the time. As they worked Mrs. Chambers explained that it had taken her ages doing it for Damien by herself which was why she wanted Haley there, but Nathan was more than glad that the assistant had taken the day off, except for the few times he had cried out when the medicine had stung him. But, Haley hadn't noticed that. At least, she hadn't seemed to.

When Mrs. Chambers was finally done she took a piece of paper out of a drawer and scribbled something down on it. She gave it to Nathan who took it with his right hand, while his left held onto the ice pack. He read it over quickly, and looked at her confused. "Is this a gate pass?"

"Yes, it is. I'm sending you home. You can come back to school tomorrow."

"B-but…did you send Damien home?"

"No."

Nathan knew that Damien had been worse off than him; he was far stronger than that boy. However, he held back the urge to say he had beaten up Damien worse since Haley was there. "I don't need to go home."

"Really? Get down from the bed by yourself."

"Uh…Alright then." Nathan braced himself on one hand and tried to slowly slide down from the bed, but didn't manage. He put the ice pack down and used both hands; this time he started to slide, but when his back hit the bed he winced.

Haley quickly moved to help him stand and since the nurse already knew he couldn't manage it on his own, Nathan let her.

"Nathan, your cuts are not really that bad. It's your back I'm worried about. For some reason Damien didn't have the same problem that you do."

"I just fell on the cafeteria table."

Mrs. Chambers sighed. "There is nothing 'just' about falling backwards onto a table. Go home and get some rest or there's no way you can make it tomorrow."

Nathan grudgingly agreed and trudged out the door, carrying his bag in his hand rather than putting it on his back.

"Are you okay?" Haley asked, as she followed him out into the hall.

Nathan nodded. "Better."

"I guess you'll be going home now then."

"I guess. Oh, wait, I can't," Nathan suddenly remembered.

"Why not?"

"Lucas has basketball practice after school and he needs the car."

"Well, how were you going to get home?" Haley wondered.

"I was going to walk; it's not that far. I suppose I'll have to call a cab. Or I might just wait a bit and see if I feel up to walking."

"Or…I could take you?" Haley offered.

"What?"

"Well…if it's not that far, I could take you. I have the car and there's still another half an hour of my free period left."

Nathan studied her. "Are you sure? You don't mind?"

"You took me home once," Haley reminded him. "Of course, if you think it's weird –"

"No, I don't think it's weird," Nathan cut in.

"Okay, then. I guess I'm taking you home."

Nathan nodded. "I guess so."

"Well, then…shall we?"