by Olivia Myers
“B-Bethany.,” Angelina gasped out as Vivian followed Megan’s order to graze her teeth to that glistening peak. Vivian snorted, and Megan was pulled from her rapture by the realization that this was wrong. She was not supposed to be aroused by this. It was supposed to be to ruin Angelina’s life, and she wasn’t even sure she wanted that anymore. Before she could offer the command for Vivian to dive out, Angelina’s boyfriend burst through the door, disgust curling his lip as he took in the sight before him.
“Oh, yeah, great. That’s perfect Angelina. You’ll fuck literally anyone on campus besides your boyfriend. Do you know how patient I’ve been?” he snarled, and Vivian moved to slip away, but Megan ordered her to stop before she could move too far.
“Don’t leave her,” Megan ordered, typing in commands for Vivian to speak.
“She’s worth so much more than a simple fuck, you meatheaded lump. You wouldn’t know what to do with her if she had let you touch her,” Vivian said, though there was some uncertainty in her tone.
“With feeling! I’ll pay extra, just do it,” Megan input angrily, glaring at the football captain through the screen. Vivian swallowed thickly, trying to at least pretend that the words she was spewing were her own.
“You never deserved her. Hell, even I don’t deserve this much,” she bit out, and Angelina grasped Vivian by the arm, meeting her gaze with tenderness in her eyes.
“I’ll tell everyone on campus that you’re a fuckin’ dyke, Angelina. You’ll never stay on the cheerleading squad.” The football captain snarled, and at Megan’s insistence, Vivian rose to her feet, approaching the football player and leveling him with a glare.
“Yeah, and you’ll wake up with your dismembered dick in your own damn mouth! …jeez.,” Vivian shouted, speaking the final word quietly to herself. The football player considered her for a moment, eyes wide in disbelief and traces of fear.
“…fine. Christ. You can have her! She’s fuckin’ damaged goods anyway.” The man growled, turning his back on the two women and stalking down the hallway. Vivian stood in the doorway, and Megan watched him go with a fire still burning her insides.
“Oh Bethany,” Angelina gasped out, grabbing Vivian’s face and pressing their lips together in a bruising kiss. Megan closed her eyes, internally cursing her soft nature. More than anything, she cursed her inability to stoke the flames of hatred within her. The feelings that were once so intense were morphing, shifting into something else entirely. She wasn’t certain she liked the direction she was going in, but she opened her eyes as Vivian pulled away from Angelina. Their lips made a sensual smacking sound as they parted, and a single strand saliva stood testament for the intensity of their kiss. Megan stared at the screen for a long moment before typing a series of commands for her hired hand.
“Change of plans. Keep up the charade. I’ll continue to pay you for as long as you pursue this relationship with Angelina,” she entered, all too aware of the subtle narrowing of Vivian’s eyes. She could almost see the metaphorical dollar signs dancing on the video screen, and she released a breath she hadn’t been entirely aware she’d been holding. She knew Vivian was waiting for further direction, and Megan’s heart twisted at the look of pure adoration in Angelina’s eyes.
“I know this is sudden, Angel. But… I can treat you better than that dingus ever could,” Vivian said haltingly, following the narration of her earpiece. Angelina seemed to consider Vivian’s words, resting a hand on the hired hand’s cheek.
“You already have,” Angelina murmured. They met for another kiss, but quickly broke away as they could make out footsteps in the hallway. Angelina dove for the bed, grabbing her shirt and pulling it on with a sense of urgency. It seemed she was content to leave her bra forgotten at the side of the bed, and she rushed back towards Vivian. “Listen, we’ll talk more tomorrow. Meet me after the final class of the day in the science lab. No one ever goes in there…” she trailed off, pressing a quick kiss to Vivian’s lips before slipping out the door and casually slipping downstairs. Vivian stared after her, and by association, so did Megan.
“You’re gonna have to pay me big time for this sappy shit,” Vivian bit out, and Megan input some placating agreements, agreeing to double their previously decided on amount. As Vivian made towards the door, an order from Megan stopped her in her tracks and she groaned dramatically before stepping up beside the bed, grabbing Angelina’s bra, and shoving it in her pocket. “You’re a real creep, boss lady, you know that?” Vivian sneered as she walked out of the frat house and into the brisk and breezy evening. Megan did not reply, but both of the women knew she was stewing over her own disabilities.
“Bring that by tomorrow,” Megan entered, dragging Vivian’s video window to the side of the screen. She brought up her web browser, looking up the football captain’s social media profile. As she watched a little blip appeared on the screen announcing that he was single. A comment popped up almost immediately, inquiring as to what happened. Megan watched with baited breath as she waited for the meathead to reply.
Hours seemed to pass before her computer dinged once more, and she read the man’s comment. ‘It just wasn’t working out’. Well, certainly not. At least he had kept his mouth shut. Megan wasn’t sure just how much she’d have to pay Vivian to castrate the male. While her mind was on the subject, Megan transferred a sizeable amount to Vivian’s account. She could hear Vivian’s familiar grunt of approval and internally lamented her misfortune.
Paying some glorified prostitute to make love to the woman she was beginning to have uncontrollable feelings for… she wasn’t sure how she came to be so pathetic. She wanted to blame Angelina, but perhaps she had simply lost her mind. Deciding that she needed all the rest she could to prepare for the next day’s encounter, Megan turned down the volume on her various windows, leaving them just loud enough for a companionable amount of white noise. The nurse peeked her head in the door, and seeing Megan with her eyes closed, took the opportunity to step in and check on her.
“Megan?” she prompted, receiving no reply. Megan’s eyes remained shut, and her breathing evened out to indicate she was having a relatively peaceful slumber. The nurse smiled, gently patting the paralyzed woman on the leg and slipping back towards the door, dimming the lights as she stepped out. “Oh, well. She’ll be more than pleased to hear the news in the morning I’m sure.” The nurse murmured to herself, easing the door closed and settling back into her station, watching some classic shows from the 2020’s. She watched with no small amount of wonder, tickled pink to see how people lived so many years ago. “Oh, how things have changed, “she murmured to herself, reclining in her office chair and closing her eyes, listening to the dull drone of her tv.
***
The next morning, Megan was awakened by the sound of her day nurse calling her name, more loudly than the night nurse had. Her eyes popped open as she was jolted from a particularly lewd dream, and she glanced to the nurse with something of a dull expression. The nurse smiled broadly, flipping through the papers in Megan’s chart.
“I have wonderful news for you, Megan,” the woman started, and Megan rolled her eyes. How wonderful could the news be? It’s not like they could miraculously cure her paralysis. “There’s a world renowned doctor who saw the segment about you on News4. He’s not certain, but he’s going through the testing phases of a new procedure that he thinks… well, he thinks he will be able to give you a full range of motion once more. He’s sent the forms regarding the clinical trial to your school email, and he said if you were interested, to have you send the forms back to his office,” the nurse said cheerfully, body quaking with such happiness that it was as if her own paralysis were going to be cured.
Megan’s eyes widened, and she stared at the nurse in disbelief before opening her school email and spotting the certified message from a Doctor Fleetwood. She opened the email, reading over the message which only seemed to confirm what the nurse had said. Her eyes widened more than she thought possible, and she glanced to t
he on screen keyboard, rapidly indicating a drawn out ‘Ah!’ sound. The robotic narration tool only seemed to take the cue to repeat the letter ‘A’, and the pleasant voice spoke cheerfully.
“A. A. A. A. A. A,” she announced, and the nurse looked confused for a moment before bursting into laughter, wrapping her arms around the prone form on the bed. Megan might have been offended at the intrusion to her personal space, but she was too shocked to think of anything besides being able to move again. Walk again. Kiss again… Her eyes widened once more as her mind turned to thoughts of Angelina and she traced a pattern on the onscreen keyboard.
“May I have a moment of privacy to contact my loved ones?” the pleasant narrator inquired, and the nurse pulled away with a flourish and a smile so wide Megan was certain her face would split right in half. Though, she was also certain that she would look much the same had she control of all her muscles.
Soon, she vowed in her mind, following the nurse with her eyes as the other woman slipped out of the room. Megan immediately brought up Vivian’s video screen, noting that the hired hand seemed to be on her way to Megan’s hospital room. She urgently entered a command for Vivian to hurry, and the woman groaned in irritation before moving at a swifter pace. As much as Megan wanted to tell the other woman to shove the deal, and keep her hands off of Angelina, she knew that Vivian was not particularly keen on the idea of continuing to court the cheerleader in any case. A simple parting payment, and all would be resolved. Vivian opened the door to the hospital room, edging inside and tossing Angelina’s bra on the bed as if the garment were somehow offensive to her senses. She sneered, crossing her arms over her chest before speaking moodily.
“Couldn’t wait to get your kicks, boss lady?” Vivian sneered. Megan rolled her eyes, tracing a path on the on screen keyboard.
“I have good news. I will no longer be needing you to fake a relationship with Angelina,” Megan’s narrator announced. Vivian hesitated, at first looking faintly taken aback. Then, she smiled a toothy smile, shrugging her shoulders.
“If you say so, boss lady. What’s the deal, you gonna try and romance her from this bed?” Vivian smirked, resting her hip against the side of the bed. Megan leered, continuing to input information into the earpiece.
“You will be receiving your final payment as I promised. That will be all I need from you,” she input, hoping her tone came across as dry enough. Vivian narrowed her eyes, shrugging her shoulders once more and slipping away from the bed.
“No skin off my back. I have a lead in regards to making some cash. All the best, boss lady,” she said, taking long strides towards the door. She lingered at the door, glancing over her shoulder and smiling a toothy grin. “Pretty sure this won’t be the last we see of each other, though,” she said vaguely, slipping into the hallway and out of the campus hospital.
Megan stared after her, pondering over the other woman’s words. She narrowed her eyes, before deciding not to give the subject any further thought. She went through the process of filling out the forms that Doctor Fleetwood had sent her, noting with some surprise that Vivian had not yet disabled the contacts she wore. As she made to disable the window, she gave pause as she took in the scene before Vivian’s eyes. She could make out the vaguely familiar shapes of the science lab, and, eyes widening, spotted Angelina sitting on one of the desks, swinging her legs cheerfully.
She boosted the volume of the video feed, and Vivian rumbled a chuckle, approaching the other woman with a saunter in her step. Megan’s mind raced as she tried to make sense of the situation, and as Vivian stepped closer to the object of Megan’s affections, the paralyzed woman felt as if she could feel her very heart stop beating in her chest.
“Hey babe.” Angelina grinned, leaning in to press a kiss to Vivian’s wicked lips. Megan tried to enter some feedback into the earpiece, but the receiver was entirely disabled. She was helpless to do little more than watch as Vivian slowly slipped off the other woman’s shirt, pressing her back against the desk and climbing on top of her. With tears pricking the corner of her eyes, and an overwhelming sense of betrayal lingering in her gut, Megan disabled the camera so she did not have to watch any longer. Vivian may have had her claws in Angelina for the time being, but Megan didn’t have to sit and watch as the girl she had fallen for was plowed by one of her own lackeys. If… no-- not if, when this trial procedure was a success, and she had regained her mobility, she would win her Angel’s heart. Even if it took clawing Vivian’s deceitful eyes out.
***
The next few days passed in a whirlwind, with a visit from Sara and David so they could announce the fact that they were an official couple. Megan didn’t particularly know why they needed to be officially official, but she smiled and told them how happy she was for them. David had assured her that he was right on the tail of the woman who had been making withdrawals from her account. Megan would have offered him a smile, wished she had the nerve to simply come clean and tell them what had happened. But guilt clawed at her insides, guilt and an unspeakable amount of shame.
One day, down the road, when all of this was behind them perhaps she would come clean to the two true friends she had through this entire situation. Now, there was little more she could do than listen to their farewells as she was transferred to the helicopter that would take her to the trial facility. She wasn’t sure if it was the turbulence of the helicopter, or her nerves for the procedure she would soon undergo that was making her feel so nauseous. Perhaps it was the sheer uncertainty that she would regain her mobility, and if her mobility was regained, the uncertainty that she could earn the forgiveness of her friends and win Angelina’s heart. She closed her eyes, and one of the paramedics who accompanied her on the trip rested a hand on her forehead, smiling gently as she opened her eyes.
“We’re almost there. Your new life is about to begin. It’ll be fantastic,” he offered cheerfully, and Megan wished, deep down within, that she could believe the simple words. She kept her eyes open, trying to show her appreciation with her eyes alone. Gone was the computer she had grown so attached to over the time she’d spent in the campus hospital. She felt a strange sense of emptiness without it, feeling truly alone in spite of the group of people in the chopper with her. The helicopter lowered itself to the helipad on top of the trial facility, and Megan stared skywards as she was carted across the roof. It had been so long since she’d seen the sky, had breathed the outdoor air. She hoped this would not be her only chance.
“Honey, I’m gonna start pumping in a sedative to ease your nerves. By the time you come out of surgery, you won’t remember a thing,” the other paramedic offered as they wheeled her into the roof entrance of the hospital. She allowed herself to be lulled into a sense of security as she stared at the space directly above her eyes. She blinked her eyes slowly, allowing them to flutter shut as she unknowingly drifted off.
A short time later, she could feel someone prodding her legs, and she opened her mouth to groan unhappily. Her voice sounded unfamiliar and strained, and it took her a moment to realize she was in her own body. Her eyes shot open, and she weakly tried to raise an arm to shield them. Her arm moved a bit, and to assure herself, she wiggled her fingertips.
“You’re going to be weak for a while, honey. The physical therapy will work wonders. You will receive some shots to stimulate muscle regrowth, where your body has deteriorated for the time you were paralyzed,” the nurse offered, continuing to poke and prod Megan’s body to test her responses.
“Can you stop that?” Megan rasped out, and the nurse chuckled in response before putting the tool away.
“Just making sure you can feel it, sweetheart. And all indications point to yes,” the nurse said with a teasing expression. Megan smiled weakly, watching as the nurse slipped out of the room. Megan stared after the nurse, waiting for the woman to step out before trying to sit up. Her body screamed in protest, and she sank back into the bed, breathing a weary sigh.
“Baby steps,” she muttered to herself, glanci
ng up as the door opened once more. Sara and David peeked into the room, their eyes concerned as they took in her haggard appearance. “Hey guys,” she said weakly, and Sara screamed so loudly and shrilly that Megan was surprised the windows didn’t break.
“Oh my god! It worked!” Sara shrieked, rushing into the room and throwing her arms around Megan’s middle. Megan laughed weakly, enjoying the brief sensation of touch. David stepped up, offering her a shy little wave.
“What, I don’t get a hug from my best friend’s beau?” she muttered, and he laughed, leaning in to give her a quick squeeze. He pulled away, his smile fading slightly as he glanced towards Sara. Sara caught his stare, and took in a shaky breath before resting a hand on Megan’s arm.
“Being that we’re best friends, David and I have a confession,” Sara offered weakly. Megan slowly raised a brow, wondering what on earth the two could have to confess. “We know what’s been going on with Angelina,” Sara said bluntly, and Megan’s eyes widened uncomprehendingly. She jerked away as if expecting to be struck, but Sara tightened her grip on Megan’s hand. “We’re not angry,” she started, hesitating for a moment before exhaling a sigh. “Not anymore, anyway,” she added as an afterthought, and David smiled at Megan in an attempt to reassure her.
“H-how do you know?” Megan inquired weakly, and the couple exchanged a look. David blushed and averted his eyes, clearing his throat.
“I caught on that some weird transmissions were coming from the computer we set up for you. So I began to intercept some of the broadcasts, and, well. We know about Vivian. And we know about Angelina. We saw pretty much… everything,” he offered weakly. Megan laughed humorlessly, sinking into her bed.
“You may not be mad, but you must hate me,” Megan muttered unhappily. The two fervently shook their heads, and Sara gave Megan’s hand a squeeze.
“We’re just a bit confused. You… like Angelina now?” Sara prompted, raising a curious brow. Megan chuckled, rolling her eyes at herself.
