Tricky Wisdom: Year I

by Camryn Eyde

  One doesn’t do any of those things if you didn’t care about someone, and considering Olivia’s initial attitude toward me to the one she presented now, it was like knowing two separate people.

  “Umm…what’s going on here?” Kara said as Olivia’s smile dropped away as though my silent response had deflated her confidence.

  I looked at Kara briefly before looking back at Olivia, still bewildered by everything that had just rattled through my head. “I…umm…have to go.” I hopped off my stool and ran for it, leaving Kara pouting and Olivia looking smug…again. I heard Olivia say ‘I win’ before I left the bar.

  

  I shut myself in my room when I returned to the apartment. My stomach ache had increased exponentially on my walk home, which was a nice distraction from the confusion in my head. What was I thinking? Having a crush on Olivia was insane. Did she really like me back? Had I come to the right conclusion? Was that stunt with the black dress all about proving how naïve I was, or was it some sort of seduction attempt? I groaned at the idea of Olivia seducing me. I bet she would be amazing at it. Then my stomach cramped again and I groaned in pain. Thinking painkillers might help, I was about to search for some when I heard Olivia come back. Doubt reigned again. Convinced I’d misread the situation, and pretty certain Olivia tolerated my presence at best, I was unwilling to leave my sanctuary to face a gloating roommate. I was an easily infatuated, inexperienced fool. So instead, I curled up into a ball and grimaced as best I could.

  It was after midnight when pain ripped through my side forcing me to cry out. I promised myself to never eat two-day-old Thai takeaway again as the pain refused to budge. I opened my eyes mid-grimace to find my vision blocked by a pair of legs encased in black tights. When had Olivia come into my room and where was that killer black dress? I trailed my eyes up to her crossed arms and frowning expression.

  I whispered, “Hello.”

  “Hmm. Why are you making so much noise?”

  “Wind.”

  Olivia’s face scrunched up in distaste and she moved away. “Well then, could you keep the moaning to a minimum?”

  I nodded.

  She watched me for a moment longer through narrowed eyes as if assessing I was okay before moving off, leaving the door open.

  I sighed in relief as the sounds of her typing on her laptop drifted in. That exchange was very normal for us, with no traces of awkward. Or gloating. Victory.

  The pain refused to let go, and gradually moved away from my stomach. A sudden lurch in my belly had me up-ending my reheated dinner all over the carpeted floor of my bedroom. As I coughed after emptying my stomach, I felt like a hot poker had just been stabbed into my side then jiggled around a bit. I cried out in a muffle while being sick. Gross.

  Olivia was by my side in seconds with a damp towel to wipe my face. Guiding me away from the mess on the floor, she lay me back down on the bed. Pressing a hand to my head, she frowned.

  “Where is the pain localized?” she asked, using the damp towel to wipe my brow.

  “There,” I said, clutching the area just beside my right hip.

  “May I?” Olivia asked, tugging at the hem of my shirt.

  I nodded and allowed her to move my hands out of the way while she lifted my sweater, shirt and t-shirt out of the way. I tried to remember if I had left my bra on. I hissed as her hands felt icy against my skin.

  “Sorry,” she said softly. She began to gently palpitate my stomach, moving slowly down towards my groin. I cried out when she released the pressure just above the right side of my pubic bone. She pulled my clothes back down and took hold of my hand. “Darcy, I’m going to call an ambulance, okay?”

  I nodded, coming to the same diagnosis as Olivia. So much for bad Thai, my body was trying to kill me of its own accord.

  Olivia didn’t let go of my hand once she got off the phone, even when the paramedics arrived. Giving them a succinct account of my probable appendicitis, she rode in the ambulance with me to one of the hospitals affiliated with Harvard Medical School. There, a surgeon came to see me.

  “Ah, Miss Wright and Miss Boyd,” the man said to us. He was our teaching doctor from our Patient-Doctor course. “It’s not often I get to operate on my own students,” Dr. Fredricks said with a delighted chuckle. He sounded a little deranged. Looking at my chart, he declared, “Appendicitis.”

  I nodded as he confirmed the diagnosis for himself with a series of pokes and prods and a study of my ultrasound results.

  “Acute appendicitis. Emergency surgery it is,” he said proudly at the end. “Miss Boyd, perhaps you’d like to scrub in and assist?”

  Olivia’s jaw fell open. Curiously, she then turned to me. Why she didn’t just scream out ‘yes’ is beyond me. “Would you mind?”

  I shook my head. I just wanted the pain to end. I didn’t care if Scooby-Do assisted Dr. Fredricks.

  “Yes, sir, I’d be delighted to assist,” she said.

  “Very well, follow me. Miss Wright, we’ll see you in OR momentarily.”

  I was wheeled to an operating room where I was surrounded by people in masks forced to listen to some classical noise being piped into the room.

  “Hi,” a masked person said before taking my hand. Olivia. I recognized the thin, slightly cool, but soft, fingers.

  I gave her a weak smile. A clear mask was soon placed over my head, and the next thing I knew, I counted backward from ten and poof, I was waking up again.

  “I called your parents.”

  I scrunched up my face and frowned. “Huh?”

  Olivia’s face came into view through the fuzzy veil of my eyes. I scrunched them tighter a few times to clear my vision. Olivia was smiling. “I called your parents and let them know you were okay.”

  “Thanks,” I said, sort of. It came out sounding like Kermit with a sore throat.

  “Here.” Olivia put a sliver of ice in my mouth. “How do you feel?”

  “Umm…good?”

  Olivia smiled. It was nice to have her doctor-smile turned on me for once. It was really very lovely. Thoughts of her smiling like that in her black dress came to mind and I quickly suppressed them. “How was…” I swallowed. “The surgery?”

  Her smile went from lovely to stunning. “It was amazing. Dr. Fredricks let me pull your appendix out.”

  I smiled back. That did sound cool.

  “You should have seen it. Classic inflammation. Your leucocytes were elevated according to pathology. Dr. Fredricks believes it was close to rupture.” Yikes. “I even got a chance to stitch you up. The incision over your belly button is mine.”

  I smiled, but the expression slowly dropped from my face. I felt exhausted.

  “Get some rest. See you tomorrow,” Olivia said, giving me a kiss on the cheek. I shut my eyes and smiled softly, admitting that Olivia would make an excellent doctor. Her off-duty personality was tetchy at best, but since she discovered me in pain, she had been amazing. She was amazing.

  Chapter Nine

  Olivia was there when I woke the next time. She was reading. Swallowing away the dryness of my mouth, I said, “Hey.”

  She looked up and smiled. “Hello.”

  “What you reading?”

  “A paper on autoimmunity.”

  Just hearing her say that at this early hour hurt my brain. “Why?”

  “Because, we’ll be studying it soon, and you’ve slept half the day away.”

  I scrunched my forehead into a frown and tried to sit up. It hurt. “It’s not breakfast time?”

  She shook her head as she put her paper down to assist me. Putting some pillows behind my back, she said, “They just delivered your lunch.” She pointed to a tray beside me.

  The sight of food made my stomach curdle. Ignoring the tray, I looked at Olivia. “You stayed?”

  Olivia shrugged her narrow shoulders. “I can read anywhere. Besides, I’ve been monitoring you for complications.”

  In other words, she was waiting to see if I’d require further surger
y and score another chance to assist. “Of course you were.”

  “I was asked to tell you your best friend is on her way.”

  “Taylor’s coming here?”

  “Apparently. I rang your mother this morning to tell her how you were, and she said Taylor had already caught a flight to Boston.”

  “The charade is over, you know that right? You don’t have to be here.” I’m not sure why that disappointed me, especially after last night’s little black dress show that we were still yet to talk about.

  “I figured that had you had complications, it would be valuable experience. That’s why I’m here. However, you seem to be recovering well.”

  “Sorry.”

  Olivia shrugged and pushed the tray closer to me. “You really should eat something.”

  I eyed the platter of food and no matter how I cocked my head and squinted, I couldn’t figure out what the green stuff was. “What is it?”

  Olivia frowned at the green goop in the bowl. “Live culture?”

  I grimaced and pushed it away. “Don’t suppose you could get me a sandwich from the cafeteria?”

  “No, I don’t suppose I could. I’m here to observe, not be your personal slave.”

  “My girlfriend would get me a sandwich.”

  “I’m not your girlfriend.” Olivia smirked at me.

  “You were for a little while. Doesn’t that count?”

  “No. I would have broken up with you by now anyway. You’re high maintenance.”

  “Oh. Wait. I’m high maintenance.”

  Olivia remained silent, but she was still smirking.

  “You’re right. You didn’t even let me have a New Year’s kiss. I think we would have broken up before school went back and we’d be bickering like scorned lovers.”

  “I think saving your life counts for something. I suspect we’d at least get back to friends.”

  “Saving my life?” Wait. Friends? Were we even that?

  “You were hardly in any condition to call nine-one-one.”

  I crossed my arms carefully. “I thought I had wind.”

  Olivia shook her head, then cocked it as she looked like she was listening to something in the hall. “Do you still want your New Year’s kiss?” she asked me a moment later, successfully stealing the breath from my lungs.

  “Uh—” Olivia didn’t wait for my answer, and pressed her lips against mine. It was chaste, and I was certain my mouth tasted rank having not had an opportunity to brush my teeth. It didn’t seem to bother Olivia, because her lips lingered over mine, softening as she parted hers to capture my mouth with a warm, open-mouthed kiss. Damn, she was electric and there was no denying what I felt for her. Confusion be damned, I was crushing on this woman so damn hard I’m surprised I hadn’t collapsed under the weight of my own heart.

  Olivia pulled away and I frowned, trying to chase her lips with mine and managing to pull my stomach in the process. “Ow.”

  Olivia smirked at me and patted my leg, and without looking away, she said, “Hello, Taylor. Kara.”

  “What?” I leaned slightly to the left and saw my friend at the doorway looking awkward and confused. Beside her, Kara arrived. “Taylor?”

  “Darcy, are you okay?” she said, rushing into the room at the sound of her name. She scooped me into a hug that hurt my stomach again.

  “Why are you here?” I asked into the hug.

  “I heard that you had to have surgery so I flew here to make sure you’re okay.”

  Kara had swiftly followed and bodily moved Olivia to hug me and take my hand once Taylor was done with me.

  “Ow.”

  “Gentle with the patient,” Olivia snapped. “Her incisions are still tender.”

  “Sorry.” Taylor back off, looking awkward again. Kara didn’t let go of my hand.

  “Hi,” I said to Kara.

  I noticed Taylor’s frown. “Darcy?”

  “Umm…Taylor, this is Kara, a friend from med school.”

  “Hi. I’m the best friend.” She held her hand out to shake, which meant Kara had to let go of mine. Hurray.

  “I’m Kara, the…” she looked at me. “Hopeful girlfriend?”

  “What?” Taylor said with a gasp. “Darcy?” It was at this point I realized I had yet to bring Kara up in conversation with Taylor. I was turning into the worst best friend in history.

  “But…” Taylor looked over at Olivia who was smirking again.

  “I’ll go find out about discharging you,” Olivia said, abandoning me.

  “What’s going on?”

  “Well…I had stomach pains last night,” I said. “Olivia checked on me and called the paramedics. She even got to operate on me.”

  “Your girlfriend operated on you?”

  What the hell did Taylor say that for!

  “Girlfriend?” Kara said abruptly. “What? But you said she was just your roommate.”

  “She is my roommate…umm…too?” I grimaced, this wasn’t going to end well.

  “So you played me?”

  “No, I swear, I didn’t.” I looked at Taylor for backup and she raised an eyebrow at me, and was that a smirk. Damn. I was being punished.

  “Darcy? Care to explain?” Taylor asked, looking between the pair of us like we were at a tennis match.

  Kara answered for me. “Your friend here played me. She flirted with me then agreed to go on a date with me before the girlfriend showed up in a skin-tight dress. Is this some kind of freaky sex game to you pair? Lure a woman in and then use her to get yourself off?”

  “What! No! It wasn’t anything like that at all. Olivia and I are just friends, I promise.” I looked at Taylor. “Umm…”

  “She’s not your girlfriend then?” Taylor’s eyes sparkled. She looked like she was enjoying this. “So that little lip-lock before was just platonic?”

  I glanced at Kara’s reddening face. “No…I…” I shut my eyes and wished the nightmare would go away.

  “We were on a break,” Olivia provided, making me snap my eyes back open. “Darcy was single when she accepted your date.”

  “I see,” Kara said, clearly not convinced. “And now?”

  Olivia looked at me. “That’s up to Darcy.”

  Oh, wonderful. Put the pressure back on me. Three sets of eyes stared at me waiting for my answer. Taylor smirked, Olivia raised an eyebrow, and Kara looked deadly. I licked my drying lips and kept my focus on Olivia. “I…” I took a deep breath. “I want to be your girlfriend?”

  “Convincing, Darce,” Taylor whispered.

  “You want to date me?” Olivia asked.

  I nodded tentatively back at her. “Yes?”

  “And if I don’t want you back?”

  I hadn’t thought of that and my expression fell. That was a very good question. “Then…umm…I continue being an annoying housemate.”

  “I hardly think you could stop being annoying if you tried.”

  “Says you. You’re the most stubborn, controlling, intense woman I’ve ever met. Being neurotic is your super talent.”

  “Ah…Darce, I don’t think that’s helping your cause.” Taylor said in soft warning to me.

  “Listen to your friend, Darcy,” Olivia said, crossing her arms. That’s when I noticed the sandwich in her hand.

  I grinned. “You bought me food.”

  “So?”

  “It’s something a girlfriend would do.”

  “Your point?”

  “You’re my girlfriend if you like it or not.”

  “Hardly, I could just be a conscientious roommate.”

  “Or, you totally love me,” I blurted out as if stating fact, making Olivia straighten defensively. I beamed at her and froze when something flashed in her blue eyes and she eyed me warily. Our conversation about unrequited loves flashed through my mind. The way she looked like she wanted to tear Kara’s throat out. The way she looked after me by making sure I ate right, by telling me to get enough sleep, and by washing my clothes. Yes, she said it was cheaper and more
efficient, but really, it was a really nice thing to do for someone you tolerated. “Oh, my God,” I said equally as blurt-like. Smooth operator.

  Olivia let out a rush of breath. I had no idea what Taylor or Kara were doing at that moment, because all I could see was Olivia standing at the foot of the bed looking vulnerable and ready to sprint in the other direction.

  I stared at her and said, “No way.”

  She shrugged a shoulder and looked a little broken.

  “But…”

  “Ugh. I’ve had enough. Have a nice life,” Kara said, storming out leaving the room awkwardly quiet.

  “You like me?” I asked Olivia, not daring to use the other ‘L’ word. It was too big. She didn’t answer me, and continued staring at me as if I should have all the answers. Good luck. I wet my drying lips as the thought of her kiss and all that hand-holding in the last twenty-four hours sprang to mind. “Same.”

  She smiled at me in a weird conceited, all-knowing way. “I know.”

  She what? How could she know? Hell, I didn’t even know until just then. What gave her the right to get ahead of me? I was so confused.

  Taylor broke the silence when she poked around at the green goop on my food tray. “What is that?”

  “No idea.”

  She pushed it away and sighed. “So…Olivia operated on you?”

  “I know. Cool, right? Our professor was my surgeon and he asked her to assist.”

  “Isn’t that like some ethical problem?” Taylor asked, looking between us.

  Olivia approached the unoccupied side of the bed and shrugged her shoulders. “Not really. To him we’re just students.”

  “He doesn’t know you’re dating? Or pretend dating. Or whatever it is you’re doing now?”