Silent No More

by N. E. Henderson

  He carries me out the door, but doesn’t bother locking it up after we exit. He deposits me in the passenger’s seat and goes around the car to get in the driver’s seat.

  Before he cranks the car, he pulls his cell phone out of his suit jacket and presses a button to call someone. The person answers rather quickly on the other end.

  “I won’t be in today. I have two meetings this morning. Handle them.” I can’t hear the other end of the conversation.

  “That’s none of your God damn business, Teresa. Just handle the fucking meetings.” He hangs up not waiting for a response. I assume that was Teresa Matthews, his VP.

  “Nick, I can drive myself−to the doctor. You don’t have to miss work because of me.” I take a deep needed breath that hurts like fucking hell. Shit. “I’ll be fine,” I reassure him as he starts the ignition.

  “Yes, I do,” he says as he takes my left hand, bringing it to his lips. Closing his eyes, he kisses the back of my hand softly. He places my hand back onto my lap and puts the car in reverse.

  The drive to the hospital is longer than I thought. Morning traffic is a bitch. It takes forty-five minutes to get there. To my horror, he brings me to Huntington Memorial. Great. At least I know Luke won’t be here this early, but I could still run into someone I know, like my ex best friend, who’s a nurse. I still can’t bring myself to talk to her. I know in my head I should. If anything, just to have closure. Allison and I will never be friends again, but I at least need to have it out with her so that it can finally be over. But right now isn’t the time.

  Nick exits the car and comes around on my side as I’m opening the door and pulling myself out. He doesn’t ask, just simply lifts me into his arms and carries me inside. I let him, even though I can walk. My legs aren’t broken or bruised. I realize he needs this from me, so I keep my mouth shut.

  He sits me on a cold chair and goes to the registration desk to sign me in. I’m glad he picked out jeans, but I wish I had thought to bring a sweater. Hospitals are always cold. I look around and there is only one other person in the waiting room. I view that as a good sign. I remember Luke used to bitch a lot when the waiting room was full and he didn’t get a break between patients.

  Apparently, he got enough breaks to get involved with my best friend. In hindsight, I guess she really spent more time with him than I did. Still, it stings when I think of what she did.

  Nick walks back and takes a seat beside me. He laces his left fingers with my right ones. He looks pained and angry at the same time. His body is stiff and he’s taking deep slow breaths like he’s trying to calm himself down. I imagine he is pretty pissed at himself.

  “You know I would never intentionally hurt you, right?” he asks, but doesn’t look at me. He is looking straight ahead, out the front door, although, I doubt he is really looking at anything in particular.

  “Yes, Nick. I know you would never hurt me on purpose,” I tell him as I lightly squeeze his hand. He brings my hand up to his lips and kisses it tenderly before releasing it. Sitting up, he rests his elbows on his knees and places his head in the palms of his hands. He’s taking all of this pretty bad.

  “Stop beating yourself up over this,” I tell him. My breathing isn’t getting any easier, but I push through the pain. I don’t want him to think it’s worse than it is. I know I’m the one in pain and he is the one that caused it, but he’s being way too hard on himself. It really was simply an accident.

  “I can’t,” he says as he lifts his head from his hands. Before I can tell him he’s is being ridiculous, my name is called. Nick stands up first, grabbing my hand back to pull me up out of my seat. We both follow the lady through a set of double doors.

  “I have to make a phone call,” Nick tells me as I’m about to enter a small room where all my vitals will be taken. I nod my head, letting him know I heard him. He walks away from the door and down the hall.

  “Please take a seat, Miss Taylor,” an older blonde nurse instructs me. Her hair is pulled back into a tight bun, and she is already holding a thermometer in her hand. I take it from her and place it in my mouth. I hate it when nurses try to hold it in people's mouths for them. It makes me feel like a kid, and I don’t like it. After a few seconds, it beeps and I hand it back to her.

  “Please tell me what brought you in this morning?” She looks up from the small computer she is standing at. I haven’t thought this out yet. What do I tell her? I know this is going to look bad. Abuse is probably going to be her immediate thought, even though it’s far from the truth.

  “I need to have my ribs checked out,” I say as I look up at the woman standing in front of me.

  “What is wrong with them?” she asks, typing something out onto the computer. I assume she’s typing everything I’m telling her into an electronic patient record.

  “They are bruised and I’d like to make sure they aren’t broken.” She continues to type, not addressing what I have said. She turns facing me with a tight smile as Nick is walking back into the doorway. She eyes him, but doesn’t look like she thinks anything negative. I'm not sure why I assume people will immediately think abuse. Maybe I am wrong.

  “Please follow me. I’m going to put you into an exam room to wait for the doctor.” I immediately stand and follow her out.

  Nick grabs my hand again and walks beside me following the nurse. The room isn’t far. Nick releases my hand as I enter the room, and I take a seat on the examination table. He comes to stand beside me, wrapping his arms around my waist and leaning his forehead against the side of me. I welcome his warm arms around me. I think this room is colder than the waiting room.

  “I should have listened to my sister and this would not have happened. I’m so sorry, Shannon.” I turn my face and upper body so I am facing him. I place my hands on his shoulders. My face is barely a few inches from his. We are eye-to-eye.

  “Do you remember anything from last night?” I ask him as I stare into his intense blue eyes.

  “Not a lot. Not hurting you,” he says as he closes his eyes.

  “Well, I do. And what I remember the most, is the way you made me feel. God, Nick it was…it was great. I’ve never felt more wanted in my life.” I bring my lips closer to meet his, placing the softest kiss on his lips. He barely kisses me back before he pulls away.

  “Then, I hurt you. Don’t sit there and tell me you don’t remember that. Where was I when you were in pain?” he asks. His eyebrows are knitted together. His eyes are full of stress.

  “Stop, damn it,” I say back to him.

  “No. I can’t believe I−”

  “Shannon?” Nick is interrupted and we both turn to look at the door. Nick tightens his grip on my waist. What the hell is he doing here? This, I do not need.

  “Is there another doctor on call this morning?” I ask through clenched teeth. Luke ignores my question as he enters the room.

  “What happened? Are you okay? I saw your name on the board just now.” He’s looking at me with concern. This is the doctor in him coming out.

  “Do not get any closer to her,” Nick orders through clenched teeth, once again tightening his hold on my waist. Luke pauses only for a moment to look at him. I take a quick breath, which causes a sharp pain. I bite my bottom lip to stifle the cry that wants out of my mouth. Nick’s hold is a little too tight, so not only do my ribs hurt, but so does my waist. Nick doesn’t register my pain.

  He is giving Luke a death stare.

  “What did he do to you?” Luke asks as he looks back at me and walks closer.

  “Nothing compared to what I will do to you if you step an inch closer to her.” Nick’s voice is full of anger. He looks like he wants to snap. The veins in his neck are bulging against his tanned skin.

  “Don’t make me call security,” Luke responds in Nick’s direction.

  “Lucas!” someone yells behind him. The three of us turn to the door. It’s Luke’s boss, Dr. Marc Thornton. I remember him introducing himself to me last year at a Christmas party
for his staff. “Go check on the patient in exam room 4.” Luke hesitates and looks back at me.

  “Now.” Dr. Thornton raises his voice. I don’t remember the man being this stern and assertive. He came off pleasant and nice during the short conversation I had with him. Luke huffs out a puff of air as he walks out of the door, and I’m left staring at the tall, lean man with a light chocolate complexion and deep brown eyes.

  “What took you so long?” Nick asks him and I pull back eyeing Nick with confusion. Dr. Thornton closes the door behind him.

  “I was in bed asleep when you called, Nicholas. I got here as quickly as I could.” He walks further into the room and turns his head to look at me. “It’s good to see you again, Shannon.” His smile is warm, but doesn’t reach his eyes. The more I look at him, the more I can see that his sleep was very much interrupted. He’s Luke’s boss, so I know he is the attending that normally covers the night shift staff.

  “You know Marc?” Nick asks me, and I turn to look at him.

  “He’s Luke’s boss, so yes we have met,” I answer. I really wish he would release me; I don’t know how much longer I can ignore the pain he’s causing by holding me so tight.

  “Nicholas, why don’t you release her? She doesn’t look like she is enjoying it,” Dr. Thornton tells him as if reading my mind. He’s a doctor, so he’s probably good at noticing someone in pain.

  “Fuck, baby, I’m sorry,” he says as he lets go of me and takes a step backward. Dr. Thornton raises his eyebrows at Nick. The word “baby” definitely didn’t slip by him, and I wonder if Luke has told anyone the two of us aren’t together anymore.

  “I’m fine, Nick. Stop saying you’re sorry, please.” I’ve about had enough of that.

  “Why don’t you let me be the judge of your health? Now Nicholas says you need x-rays. Care to tell me where and why?” He crosses his arms over his chest like he already knows he isn’t going to like what I tell him.

  “The right side of my back to see if I have any broken ribs.” I keep my answer short and don’t plan on going into any details. Dr. Thornton cuts his eyes at Nick before looking back at me. Apparently, my short answer isn’t good enough for him.

  “What happened that makes you think you might have broken ribs?” His voice is calm and not giving anything away. I take a deep breath that hurts like hell and give him an honest answer.

  “Rough sex gone bad?” I smile at him hoping someone is going to laugh. They don’t.

  “Shannon!” Nick shouts and looks at me in disbelief, like he can’t believe those words came out of my mouth.

  “Well, he asked,” I say pointblank, crossing my own arms across my chest. Wow. That hurts. I wince in pain. Shit. Why the hell did I do that? I quickly drop my arms to my side.

  “Yes, I did,” Dr. Thornton remarks, finally cracking a small smile. Nick rolls his eyes at me and I sigh.

  “Remove your shirt, please,” he instructs, putting on a pair of blue latex gloves. Nick helps me out of my shirt. Changing clothes is going to be a bitch if my back doesn’t heal quickly.

  Dr. Thornton comes to stand on my right side. He gently touches the area of my back that is bruised. He presses his fingers into my ribs feeling around. Even though he is only applying a small amount of pressure, it still hurts.

  “So when did you learn about Lucas’ indiscretions?” he asks as he finishes touching my back.

  “You knew?” I ask as my anger flairs.

  “Darling, everyone knew. I’m just surprised it took you so long to figure it out.” He turns away from me, removing his gloves and tossing them in the trash. I wonder if he knows how long it went on, but then, honestly, I don’t care. That part of my life is over. I can’t change it, but I can move past it.

  “Are you going to do the damn x-ray now?” Nick asks, changing the subject; clearly, not liking the topic of my conversation with the doctor. Dr. Thornton rolls his eyes this time.

  “You don’t have any broken ribs, but I’ll send you for an x-ray to see if any are fractured. You can put your shirt back on.” He turns to walk out of the room and pauses as he puts his hand on the doorknob. “Step outside with me, Nicholas,” he says, not looking at Nick. I’m finishing pulling my shirt down when I look up at Nick then the doctor. Something tells me this is about me. I’m not going to be discussed behind my back.

  “If it’s about me, then I would appreciate you saying whatever it is you have to say in front of me.” I’m glaring at the doctor. He pushes the door back closed. He had only begun to open it when I spoke. He turns facing me and then eyes Nick.

  “She's a feisty one, isn’t she?” he says as he crosses his arms over his chest and leans back against the door.

  “Defiant is what I call her.” I shoot Nick a deadly stare. “And she doesn’t like it when I say that,” he smirks.

  “Fine,” Dr. Thornton says as he pushes off the wall, placing his hands on his hips. “What the fuck, Nicholas?”

  “Hey!” I yell as I jump off the exam table. I shouldn’t have done that. The pounding from my feet hitting the ground sends a sharp pain to my back. Nick stares at the doctor, but doesn’t say anything. Neither of them acknowledges me as they continue to stare at each other.

  “Since when do you go around injuring women? Since when are you like your father?” At the mention of Nick’s dad, my eyes widen and I tense. Neither of them notice. Nick’s face turns deadly. It’s a look I’ve never seen. Quite frankly, it’s a little scary.

  “I’m nothing like my father, Marc.” Nick bites out; his voice is low and strained. No, Nick is definitely not like that evil monster. A cold shiver runs down my spine as a horrible memory enters my brain. I push it back out just as quickly as it enters.

  “Stop, both of you,” I say, but I’m looking at Dr. Thornton when I say it. “This was an accident, nothing more.” I note that I sound like most battered women when defending their man, but in my case, I’m defending a man who isn’t an abuser. I may have only known Nick a few weeks, but I know he wouldn’t intentionally hurt me. Ever.

  “A nurse will be in shortly to take you for an x-ray,” Dr. Thornton says before exiting the room. He doesn’t acknowledge my words, and to be honest, I don’t care what he believes. I only care what Nick believes about himself. I turn and wrap my arms around Nick’s waist, placing my head on his chest. His heart is beating at a rapid pace.

  Before I can reassure him I’m fine, the door opens behind me. I turn to see who it is, and the same nurse who took my vitals is standing in the doorway waiting on us.

  “Please follow me, Miss Taylor,” she says before walking back out the door. We follow her. Nick is walking behind me. He doesn’t hold my hand like he did before. Again, the walk is short and I’m ushered into another small cold room. There is a tech standing beside the machine waiting for me. Nick remains outside the room when I enter.

  The tech is a young man, probably a few years younger than me, with sandy-blond hair and small blue eyes. He gestures for me to sit on a table and I do as he asks.

  “Before we begin, I have to ask if you are pregnant.” He looks up at me waiting for a response.

  “No,” I answer, looking confused. Do I look pregnant? Surely not.

  “Sorry, ma’am. It’s a standard question. I have to ask all females before they get an x-ray.”

  “Okay.” I’m sure that is something most people know, but this is my first x-ray. I went my entire childhood and teenager years without any physical injuries. For someone who is as clumsy as me, that’s a miracle.

  He leaves the room to stand behind a closed-in wall. From there, he speaks to me through an intercom system.

  “Please be as still as you can,” he requests, and before I know it, the entire process is over and I’m getting off the table walking to the door.

  When I exit, Nick is leaning back against the wall, rubbing the back of his neck. He looks tense and stressed. I hope he gets over this soon. It’s going to eventually start getting on my nerves. There are on
ly so many times I can tell him I’m fine and it was an accident.

  Dr. Thornton is walking out of the same room I came from. I had no idea he was even in there. I guess he was behind the same wall the tech was in when he was taking my x-ray. He comes to stand in front of me.

  “You ribs are bruised, but there is nothing on the x-ray to indicate a fracture. It’s possible you have a hairline fracture since you are having a little difficulty breathing, but all is clear on the x-ray. You are free to leave, but I would recommend resting for a few days. It will help them heal quicker.” He looks over to Nick who is pushing off the wall.

  “Thank you, Marc,” Nick tells him as he reaches out to shake the doctor’s hand. He seems calmer, but his eyes tell me it’s only for show. Dr. Thornton takes Nick’s hand and they shake briefly.

  “Any time, but that doesn’t mean I want to see her back here again.” His voice is strong, and I hear the underlining meaning behind it, which causes me to roll my eyes.

  “Let’s get you home.” Nick reaches for my hand, lacing our fingers.

  * * * * *

  Finally, we get back to my house after Nick insisted on stopping by the pharmacy first. Once Nick and I enter my house, Charmin runs over and jumps on my leg. Niko looks up from the oversized plush chair, but doesn’t bother to follow Charmin. He lowers his head back down and closes his sweet eyes. Nick takes my elbow and gently pulls me down the hallway to my bedroom. Doesn’t he know rest does not mean I have to stay in bed? Just before entering my room, I pull my hand from his grip. He immediately stops and turns giving me a “what the fuck” look.

  “I’m not getting in bed,” I tell him. Yeah, this is probably one of those defiant moments. Get used to it, buddy.

  “Yes, you are. You heard Marc. He said you needed rest, and I’m going to make sure you get it.” He waves his arm through my room, gesturing for me to go in. This is not where I play the compliant “good girl” and do what I’m told.

  “Rest doesn’t mean I have to get in bed,” I say, putting my hands on my hips.