Fragile (5 page)

Glad I could help :)

About to go into surgery, talk to you later.

Go save a life Lu.

LUCY

“Aiden.” I dropped to the floor once I entered the apartment and gave the large dog a hug. “How are you, boy? You good?” He answered me with a bark as I passed him and headed upstairs to clean up before going back down to the kitchen to get something to eat. When I opened the fridge I noticed it was fully stocked with the normal single guy food. Not wanting to eat anything I shouldn’t, I sent a text Rick.

Anything in your fridge off limits?

Instead of texting back he called, “Hey. You can have anything you want.” He spoke into the speaker quietly.

“Cool, I was just making sure. I didn’t want to eat anything that I shouldn’t have.” I made a grab for the ice-cream that I had spotted in the freezer.

“You should make a list of the things you like to eat so that I can pick them up from the store for you and before you start to argue over how it’s ok and that you’ll do it yourself, I won’t take no for an answer.”

I quickly closed my mouth and frowned. “How did you know that I was going to argue?”

“Because I know you, and you argue over everything.”

“Do not,” I defended.

Rick laughed, “You’re doing it now, Lu.”

“Shit...fine, whatever.” I took the lid off the ice-cream and stuck the spoon in it.

“Mr. Harvey, we’re ready for you now,” I heard a female voice say on the other end.

“I have to go. I’ll see you tonight.” We ended the call and I took the ice-cream to the couch where I curled up with the Aiden. We were watching a movie when the front door opened and shut, “You’re home early.” I looked over the arm of the couch then froze when I didn’t recognise the older man that was standing in the hallway staring at me and Aiden.

“Hi.”

I sat up and darted my eyes behind him to make sure that he was alone, but Aiden got up and went over to the man who bent down and patted him.

“I’m Mark.” The man walked over to the lounge room and sat down on the recliner.

“Mark, Tray’s Dad?” Recognition hit, this was Rick’s father.

“You know Tray?”

“Yeah, yes, I’m Lucy, Tray’s…” I had to think how I was going to say this.

“Sister.” Mark finished for me. “I had no idea that Rick knew you.” He sounded surprised and hurt over the fact that Rick knew me and he didn’t know.

“Um…I recently moved here and Mather asked him to check up on me. I’m still looking for somewhere to live so Rick offered me his spare room.”

“Rick’s letting you stay here?”

“Yes.”

“You must be pretty special to him.”

“No, Rick is very stubborn and won’t take no for an answer.”

Mark broke out into laughter, “Yes, he is. I’m glad it’s not just me who thinks so.”

“No, I noticed it too.” I said with a smile.

“You have the day off?”

“No I worked last night and into the morning so I’m just vegging out now, hoping I’m not called in.”

“Ah, I see. Well I hope for your sake that you’re not called in.”

We started talking and must have lost track of time because the next thing we knew Rick was walking into the lounge room.

“Dad?” He was obviously surprised to see him here, “What’s going on?” He took off his jacket and dropped his briefcase down before sitting next to me on the couch.

“I just came by to take Aiden for a walk and got talking to Lucy here. She’s quite the remarkable young lady.”

Rick looked between Lucy and me, curiosity on his face. “Lu’s staying here.”

“Lucy said that. I had no idea that you knew her.”

“Mather rung and asked that I find Lu and she was living out of the hospital so I brought her here.”

Mark nodded and looked at me as Rick stood up and went to the Kitchen coming back with a few beers. Mark and Rick talked and it made me start to think about my Dad and how much I missed him.

“Where you going?” Rick’s hand touched my thigh as I stood up.

“I have a phone call I need to make.” I smiled down at him, “It was lovely meeting you Mark.”

“You too Lucy.”

I walked upstairs with my phone in my hand and Dad’s number displayed on the screen ready to call. I closed the bedroom door behind me and walked to the bed, sitting in the middle with my legs crossed. I pressed the call button and waited for Dad to pick up. It rang twice before he answered, “Lucy, I’ve been really worried about you. How are you? Rick says he saw you and that you’re good but tell me really, how are you?”

I exhaled and laid down on the bed, “I’m good Dad. Everything is good here. Sorry it’s taken me so long to call. It’s been busy and hectic but good.”

We got to talking about the city and work as well as the cases that I had done and the ones that I need to do. We talked about his work and what was happening at home. We talked for hours, just catching up, and when we hung up I couldn’t hold back the tears. I had been holding them in for far too long and it was time to let it go. It had been me and Dad for as long as I could remember, and now it was just me. I hadn’t realised how much I missed him until he wasn’t there anymore.

I rolled over and let the tears fall. I heard the door open and then I felt the bed dip as an arm wrapped around my waist. Before I knew it I was in Rick’s arms, my head on his chest and that’s where I fell asleep.

I woke to a warm, rising and falling chest underneath me. Worried that I was squishing Rick, I rolled off him and settled next to him. “Why’d you move?” His groggy voice broke the silence of the room.

“I didn’t want to squish you.” I said, trying to get comfortable again.

“You weren’t squishing me. Come back over here.” His pulled me back to him until I was lying on his chest. “Better,” he muttered before we both drifted back to sleep .We woke a few hours later and after breakfast we sat down together on the couch and started to look at some apartments that I had saved on my tablet.

“I like the sound of this one.” I flipped the tablet to make the picture on the screen bigger.

Rick took the tablet out of my hands and examined the apartment I had found. “I don’t like it.” He handed it back over to me.

I looked at him in exasperation before I took the tablet back, “What’s wrong with this one?”

“Don’t like the neighbourhood it’s in.”

“It looks like a nice neighbourhood, and I searched it. It sounds ok.”

Rick raised an eyebrow, “You searched the neighbourhood?”

“Yeah. In case you’ve forgotten, I don’t know this area so I searched it.”

“You can’t tell what a suburb is like by searching it.”

“The hell I can’t.”

“Look, Lu, just not there ok?”

“Ok.” I decided not to argue any further, he knew the city and if the neighbourhood is a bad one or not. “Maybe I should buy then?”

“Buying is always a good investment. Let’s take Aiden for a walk.” He took the tablet out of my hands and placed it on the table, then lifted me up from the chair, placing me on my feet.

Walking Aiden was an experience. He had to stop for everything; a sniff here, a pee there. Rick was getting frustrated, but I found it funny. “I should get a dog, no, I am going to get a dog,” I said with determination.

“What about Aiden?” Rick asked, throwing the ball for the large dog. As Aiden ran after it, Rick sat back down next to me.

“He can visit. My dog will get lonely when I’m not there.” He went silent for a moment, and I wondered what he was thinking. “We could have puppy sleepovers,” I declared. Rick smiled and shook his head.

“There’s no rush to move out, Lu. I told you to stay as long as you like.” He was sincere with his words as always.

“I know, but I feel like I’m invading your space. I don’t want to get in the way.” It’s true. I feel like sometimes I have to look where I walk. Rick has been nothing but welcoming, but still I can’t help the feeling that I shouldn’t be there. If Mather or Ireland found out I was living with Rick, God knew what they would think.

“You’re not in the way.” Aiden came back over with the ball covered in slobber. Rick threw it again, and we both watched Aiden chase after it.

“You don’t go out. You don’t have people over,” I pointed out. Rick was a good looking man. I would think that he’d have women crawling all over him.

“I don’t like people in my home, and going out is over rated. You’re more than welcome to stay forever if that’s what you want, Lu.”

“Oh yeah, and your girlfriend will love that when you bring her home.” I didn’t try to hide the sarcasm in my voice.

Rick looked down to the ground and then back up. “I don’t have a girlfriend.”

“You will in the future,” I pointed out. “Just look at you. I bet you can go out anywhere and come home with your pick of any female.” Rick shook his head, a sad smile on his face.

“Male then.”

Rick continued to shake his head.

“Sorry, I just thought that I’d cover the bases.” It took a moment for Rick to drop his eyes from mine and call for Aiden.

LUCY

Rick had been acting weird since we got back from taking Aiden for a walk. On the walk to the park he walked next to me, bumping into me every so often but on the way back he walked on the other side of Aiden, away from me. We hadn’t spoken since we left the park and as soon as we got home he disappeared, leaving me in the lounge room with Aiden. I sat down in the lounge room and started to watch a movie, not too sure on what else to do. After a few hours of leaving Rick to do his own thing I got up and searched for him. I didn’t like that I didn’t know what I’d done to piss him off. Walking up the stairs I saw that Rick’s office door was open so I knocked on the frame. He looked over from his desk and just stared at me.

“Did I offend you at the park? I didn’t mean to. Sometimes my brain to mouth filter doesn’t work, and well, I say shit, and I didn’t mean to offend you.”

He stared for a bit then turned away, grabbing his phone off his desk. “No, Lucy, you didn’t offend me.” And I immediately knew that I had because he had used my full name.

He put the phone to his ear, and I quickly said, “I’m sorry,” before I turned to leave and head into my room. I lay on the bed and wished I had a book or something to read. I couldn’t remember the last time I had the time to read a book, or do anything but work for that matter. Getting up from the bed, I headed back down stairs to where grab my tablet. I picked it up, sat on the couch and got onto the internet. I was looking at potential apartments when I heard footsteps on the stairs.

I looked up and saw Rick. “There’s no rush for you to leave. I like having you here, Lu. I like having someone to have breakfast with, someone to laugh at stupid movies with, someone to text during boring ass meetings. I like having you here.” He walked away leaving me stumped. I couldn’t stay there forever. At some point I needed to go, I wouldn’t have a choice but to leave.

That night I spent most of it tossing and turning. It surely wasn’t the way I wanted to be rolling around in bed. Rick’s words stuck with me.
I like having you here Lu, stay as long as you want...you’re more than welcome to stay.
Rick and Aiden have come to mean a lot to me in such a short period of time, leaving them was going to be hard. I’d miss them but I knew that I couldn’t stay here any longer. I couldn’t run the risk of running into Ireland or Luke again. I’d left to get away, not to get closer to the family. I realised that I was starting to have feelings for the brother of the girl who destroyed my life.

I left for work before Rick got up the next day. I debated with myself on whether or not to take the car that I had been using for the past few weeks, but I decided against it and got a taxi instead. Once I was at work, I hit the floor running. I had an early surgery that lasted a few hours before I had rounds and then it was consultation after consultation. I was feeling the lack of sleep and was in dire need of caffeine.

“Caffeine hit,” I told Christine on my way out.

“It’s like you read my mind.” We stretched before heading out toward the coffee cart.

“It’s weird sitting here,” Christine announced between mouthfuls of her coffee. We sat in front of the hospital, watching the people move about.

“How so?” I looked around the immediate area, and spotted Dr. Hunter coming towards us.

“Mind if I join you?” We shuffled down the bench to make room for him. “What are we talking about out here?”

“Christine just said it’s weird out here. I’m trying to find out why.”

“Well…” She began, turning slightly to face our way. “You have patients who most likely have either lung or heart problems. I know for a fact that Mr. Torris has heart problems, because I’m due to give him a new valve tomorrow. It’s just...” She put her hands in a strangle motion. “I want to go down there and ring all of their necks.”