by C. Morgan
“You’re really good for a newbie,” he commented between sessions. “Keep this up, and you’ll be ready to graduate to the more complex stuff in no time.”
The praise made me light up so much it felt like I was glowing, my earlier exhaustion all but forgotten. “Thanks. I’m eager to learn more from you and to take on new challenges.”
He nodded, but then shrugged before he went to call in another student. “Trust me, I get it wanting to take on the challenges, but just take it one step at a time, okay? The basics might not be the most interesting, but it’s important to get them right before moving on.”
Of course it was, but I was ready to really start helping people. I knew it. All I had to do now was prove it.
Chapter 14
BRYSEN
After two long weeks in the hospital, I’d finally been discharged and I was back on campus—in a wheelchair, but back.
I grinned as I rolled my way down the corridors, raising my hands to wave at all my adoring fans. People were treating me like a fucking rockstar, and I was loving it. I was the guy who’d almost died, and everyone wanted the chance to talk to me about it.
For once, something hadn’t been my fault. Well, not entirely my fault anyway. The fight that’d caused the concussion had been my fault, but the accident hadn’t been. Not really. I was making sure people knew that.
“Would you like me to push you to your next class, Brysen?” a hot girl I didn’t know offered as she came up behind me. “I don’t mind. My next class is right down the hall from yours.”
All day long, I’d been getting offers like that from girls who looked like her. I had no idea how she knew what or where my next class was, but I didn’t care. It was too awesome.
“How about you just keep me company while I wheel myself over there?” I countered. Just because I liked the attention didn’t mean I wanted to feel like I couldn’t do anything for myself.
The girl smiled at me adoringly, slowing her pace to match mine as she slid her hands around the straps of her backpack. “Anything for you, Bry. I’m just so glad you’re okay. We’ve all been so worried about you.”
“It was a close call,” I said solemnly, “but I’m going to be just fine.”
A guy I didn’t know either fell in step on my other side. “Close call, huh? I’d like to hear all about it sometime. Is it true that you crawled out of the car by yourself with two broken legs and dragged yourself into the library to get help?”
It was fucking outrageous that anyone would believe that, but it seemed like there were some people who were trying to turn me into a superhero. I definitely wasn’t going to burst their bubbles. Instead of answering his question though, I just shrugged and grinned at a professor who grinned at me first.
Because even that was happening to me today. Profs weren’t glowering or lifting their noses when I wheeled by. They smiled, checked in with me, and if it was a prof I had class with, they asked what they could do to help me.
The world had turned upside down, but I wasn’t complaining. I knew it wouldn’t last, and I was planning on soaking up every minute of not being the world’s most colossal fuck up. It was refreshing. A nice change of pace.
The guy next to me kept wanting to know about my injuries—just like every other guy on campus. I kept my answers vague and eventually said goodbye to them only when they’d literally walked me to the door of my next class.
Someone had left a paper with my name written on it on the desk closest to the entrance, and no one had dared to sit in the seat that’d been unofficially reserved for me. How cool is that? Service with a fucking smile.
Before the lecture ended, the prof even told me that she’d found someone willing to give me copies of their notes for all the classes I’d missed. Which meant I’d be handed more notes for this semester than I’d taken down myself during the entirety of last semester. Score.
After my classes for the day ended, I had to go to physical therapy. The doc at the hospital had warned me to take it seriously, but told me that they’d arranged for me to get it on campus so I wouldn’t have to be carted back and forth for every session.
Apparently, it was going to be intense. But I wasn’t afraid. If it meant getting back on my feet, I was willing to do whatever it took. The wheelchair was fun, as were all the positive vibes I was getting because of it, but I didn’t want to be trapped in it forever. There were certain activities that I was looking forward to getting back to that I wouldn’t exactly be able to perform to the best of my abilities if I had to remain seated at all times.
On my way down to the clinic I’d been told to report to, a few of my friends caught up with me. Max called my name, then jogged over to me from where they’d been standing huddled together on the quad.
“Wait up, Bry,” he said loudly. “How’re you doing, man? I haven’t seen you for weeks.”
“Yeah, Brysen,” Danny’s voice cut in next. I slowed down, then stopped carefully before twisting in the chair to look back at them. “Where have you been? You can’t total someone’s brand new fucking car and then skip out on them.”
“What?” I frowned, looking from one of them to the other as they got closer. “How have I skipped out on anything?”
When they reached me, Danny thrust his chin up in the air, glaring at me down the length of his nose. My hackles rose. I fucking hate being looked down on. Just one more reason to add to the list about why I need to get out of this chair sooner rather than later.
As my friend, he knew how I felt about it but that wasn’t stopping him now. My eyes narrowed in suspicion. What the fuck is going on?
“I’m pretty pissed off with you, man,” he announced like I hadn’t figured that all by myself already. “You wrecked my fucking car and then you disappeared for two weeks. Have you been avoiding me, you puss—”
Max spoke over him before he finished calling me a pussy, but the damage had been done. “Are you okay?”
I ignored his question, leveling a ball-shriveling stare at Danny as I scoffed. “Avoiding you? Why the fuck would I be avoiding you? I’ve been in the hospital, jackass. I only got out last night.”
Maybe if the airbags in that piece of shit car of his had actually deployed, I’d have been discharged earlier. It was also possible I wouldn’t have been injured nearly as badly as I was if the cheap-ass car hadn’t crumbled the way it had.
But I didn’t say any of that. Lucky for him, I was in a good mood after the day I’d had and when he wasn’t being an idiot, he was one of the few people on campus I could tolerate.
His brows hiked up on his forehead. “Shit, bro. I didn’t know you only got out last night. My dad’s been on my ass about the car. It’s been taking up all my free time.”
“Your dad can chill,” I said, proud of myself for remaining as calm as I was. “Insurance will cover the damages and if it doesn’t, just let me know. I’ll work something out with your old man.”
My assurances appeased him a little. A relieved smile broke out across his face, and he held his hand out toward me. “Thanks, Bry. I should’ve known you weren’t avoiding me.”
“Yeah, you should’ve,” I said, “but you’re forgiven. I’m here and I’m not skipping out on anything.”
I glanced down at my watch. “I do need to get to the clinic, though. Physical therapy starts today. If I miss it, that’s one more day I’m going to be in this chair.”
“We’ll drop you off,” Max offered. “Let’s go guys.”
They walked me all the way there, wished me good luck, and then took off again. I was aware that they weren’t the best friends in the world, but they were the closest to my kind of people that I’d been able to find in this godforsaken place.
When I rolled into the clinic, a ginger-haired doc looked up at me and cocked his head. “Brysen Burke, I presume?”
“Guilty as charged,” I said. “I’m here for Josh McDonald?”
The doc nodded. “That’s me. You and I are going to be working together f
or the next couple of months.”
Months? Fuck. I hadn’t realized it was going to take that long. “Sure thing, doc. Anything we can do to shave some time off that?”
“We’re going to review your file in a minute,” he said, coming up behind me and taking charge of the chair whether I wanted him to or not. Shrugging it off, I enjoyed the ride as he wheeled me into an examination room in the back. “Once I’ve had a chance to assess your injuries for myself, we can start working on a plan. There are no quick fixes for this, though. You’re just going to have to put in the work and you’ll heal as fast as you heal.”
I sighed, but didn’t argue. There would be plenty of time for that later.
Josh parked me across from a plain white desk and walked around to take a seat across from me. “First things first, how have you been managing your pain?”
“They gave me some stuff for it at the hospital, but since they started weaning me off it I’ve been using a bit of weed here and there.” I chuckled, looking him right in the eyes and waiting for the lecture to begin.
To my surprise, he just made a note of it and carried on. “Good to know. It’s a great alternative for you considering your family history.”
“Wait. Hold up. Are you actually encouraging the smoking?” I asked, my jaw threatening to unhinge itself. “And what do you mean ‘considering my family history’?”
He let out a burst of amused laughter, but brushed off the second question. “I wouldn’t say I’m encouraging it, but talk to me before you decide to use anything else, okay?”
“Sure.” I stared at him. Hard. It was obvious he thought he knew something about me, but before I could ask, the door behind me opened.
“Ah.” Josh smiled at whoever had just walked in. “Brysen Burke, meet Ruby Sprite. Ruby’s our new student aide. She’s going to be hands-on with your recovery, but she’ll be overseen by myself as well as Dr. Mansfield, who supervises both of us.”
Turning slowly as I processed this scintillating new development, I flashed Ruby my most devilish smile when my eyes landed on her wide, surprised ones. “Well, well. It looks like we’re finally going to get the chance to get to know each other.”
It was obvious she hadn’t been expecting to see me any more than I’d been expecting to see her but unlike me, she didn’t look too happy about it. Whatever, Ruby Sprite. You’re just going to have to learn to live with it, because one of my new favorite playthings has just been dropped into my lap and I plan on having some fun with you while we’re at it.
Chapter 15
RUBY
Why the universe kept insisting on throwing us together, I didn’t know. What I did know was that it was just my luck to get stuck with Brysen Burke.
I’d been working at the clinic for a fortnight, and now he was going to be my first solo therapy patient? It wasn’t fair.
Josh had told me at the start of our shift that they were finally going to assign me to a case that I’d get to assist on from the outset. Okay, so I wasn’t going to be completely solo. I was a freshman in my first month of working here.
It’d have been crazy of them to give me any patient, let alone one as infamous as Brysen Burke, to treat by myself. All that it really meant was that I’d get to be part of the team who was going to be treating him. Every exercise and rep would be formulated by Josh and Dr. Mansfield and included in Brysen’s treatment plan, and I’d simply be following that plan. Only on days when the therapy to be done included techniques I’d already learned from them. The rest of the time, they’d be handling it themselves.
Maybe it’s not really all that after all. I dismissed the thought out of hand, though. It was a big deal. It really was.
Since I’d started here, all I’d really done was hang back and watch either Josh or Dr. Mansfield work. Sure, they’d let me help them with the grunt work or they’d supervise while I applied the technique they’d just taught me to a patient, but they finally had enough confidence in my abilities to let me actually be involved in a patient’s care.
And that made it a big deal. They trusted me, and I wouldn’t let them down. Not even if the patient was an asshole.
“Well, well. It looks like we’re finally going to get the chance to get to know each other,” he said smugly, looking way too cheerful about it.
Oh, buddy. If only you knew what was waiting for you, you definitely wouldn’t be so damn happy about it.
Gritting my teeth, I pulled back my shoulders and walked further into the exam room that doubled as Josh’s tiny office. It didn’t matter what Brysen did to try to rile me up, I would be professional in front of Josh. He reported my every move back to Dr. Mansfield, as he had to, and I wouldn’t have him telling the doctor that I wasn’t ready after all or that I let my personal feelings for a patient get in my way.
“Yes, it looks like it,” I said lightly, then turned my focus on my mentor. “The therapy room is set up for today’s session. Everything we need is ready for us to start whenever you are.”
“Thanks, Ruby.” He beamed at me before getting up and motioning to Brysen. “If you’d like to get on over here, we’ll do a quick exam of your leg before we get started. I’ve seen your x-rays and all that, but we just need to take a look so we know where we’re at today.”
He glanced at me. “Could you give us a second? I’m going to need to help him get up on the bed and strip out of his jeans.”
“Don’t leave,” Brysen said immediately, smirking as he wheeled himself away from the desk. “I don’t have anything to be shy about. She can see whatever she needs to see.”
Josh snorted, but shrugged and signaled for me to close the door. “Easy there, Mr. Burke. You can keep your boxers on. The only thing we need to look at is your leg. I was just trying to give you a little privacy.”
“After two weeks in the hospital, I’m used to not having much privacy,” he said. “Can you give me a hand, doc?”
Under ordinary circumstances, I definitely would’ve ogled the tight butt that became so much more visible as Josh helped him up and his jeans dropped to the floor. I might also have taken my time to drink in the leanly toned muscles in his legs that made strong lines appear on his skin when he moved.
These weren’t ordinary circumstances, though. As things were, I vaguely noticed those things once his pants came off, but my gaze was rooted to the ugly scar on his left leg. Most of the serious damage from the crash had been done to that leg, and it was obvious just by looking at it how bad it’d really been.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I almost started hyperventilating as Josh leaned in to take a closer look at the healing injury and motioned me over to do the same. I was there when that happened to him. I got the blood from that gash all over my clothes long before it’d closed.
But somehow, I still hadn’t been prepared for the damage I saw now. Even without having seen his x-rays or read his medical file just yet, it was clear by looking at his leg with nothing but the naked eye that it was bad. Really, really bad.
In fact, it would be a miracle if that healed properly. It was much more likely that it’d never heal the same and that he’d be dealing with stiff joints and achy muscles for the rest of his life. And he’s only nineteen. What the hell?
Thankfully, neither Brysen or Josh seemed to notice my internal freak out. I peered at the leg from beside Josh, carefully watching what he pointed out to me, but I could still hardly breathe.
It was a problem that stayed with me well into his session. I just couldn’t believe it was so bad that he might end up having issues with it for the rest of his life. It really made it dawn on me how important it was that we gave him—and all our other patients—the best possible start by doing their therapy properly. If we did that, if we could help them heal and strengthen as best we could in the early days, they had a much better shot at living with less discomfort for the rest of their days. In many cases, they’d be able to live with no discomfort for the rest of their days, but I really didn’t think that was in the cards fo
r Brysen.
A little while into the session, Josh had gone over the treatment plan with both of us and he’d led Brysen through the first lot of exercises. The guy was already grinding his teeth together, pale again as a light sheen of sweat covered his forehead. And we’re only getting started.
Josh glanced down at his watch when there was a soft knock at the door. “That’s my next patient. Are you okay to carry on here, Ruby? You can come find me anytime you need me.”
“I’m all good,” I said.
“You can’t leave me alone with her,” Brysen objected as he wiped his brow. “She’s a freshman. She could kill me.”
Josh chuckled. “She’s not going to kill you. I have complete faith in Ruby’s skills, or I wouldn’t be leaving. I’ll be back to check up on both of you when I’m done.”
“Great,” he muttered, those poison green eyes of his darker than usual when they met mine after the door swung shut behind Josh. “Take it easy, Sprite. I’ll know if you’re making this harder than it needs to be.”
“No, you won’t,” I said bluntly. “Because it’s already going to be really fucking hard. All those exercises you just did with Josh were child’s play compared to the ringer I’m about to put you through, and it’s not because I don’t like you.”
Frustration simmered his eyes. “Bullshit. That wasn’t child’s play. Do you have any idea how difficult that was?”
“Yes, but I also know how much more difficult it’s about to get.” I double-checked the treatment plan before explaining the next exercise to him.
The forty minutes that followed were some of the longest of my life. I was pretty sure they felt even longer to him, but neither of us could quit or walk away.
