“I can’t believe you remembered my favorites.” Said Loralai while putting on her sweatpants. She had been very suprised that Will had remembered her favorite pair and happy about it too. She was even happier because her recovery was going great which could mean she would get out of here quicker the expected.

Will was with his back later against the door of the room. He had been awfully silent since he came back and there was a weird vibe around him which Loralai was quick to catch. After tying the knot on her sweat pants she tilted her head to look at him, narrowing her eyes. “Are you ok Doctor?” She questioned, noticing that he was looking at small Polaroid. “What’s that?”

Will cleared his throat, standing straight. He kept biting his lip and rubbing his hair, none of his movements were going unoticed to her. She knew the drill, he was worried and mad about something, it was clear. “I found this while I was looking for your clothes…” He paused, approaching her “I just can’t remember when it was taken so if you could help me out here..” he left the Polaroid in her lap and crushed his arms.

Loralai’s eyes opened widely at the sight, her heart started beating quicker out of the memories that came back. Her mind traveled in time to that party. The music, the lights, the unknown people around her, her sweat and fears. She didn’t remember much, must of the night had been washed away from the alcohol she had drank. She could recall only two things clearly without a doubt, her heartache and the moment on the photograph. It was almost a week after her break up with Will and she was trying to burn the pain with wine, to replace one drug with another. One moment she was alone and the next Jay was there, hand on her cheek and then— Flash. The sound of a picture being taken. So quick, so blurry and yet so real.

“It wasn’t in a very good hiding place Loralai.” Will’s voice brought her back to the cold and silent hospital room.

“I wasn’t trying to hide it.” She spat back, he laughed in return, making her look up at him. “There is nothing to hide Will!”

“You just forgot to mention it, ha?” He asked ironically. She sighed, knowing that this wasn’t a battle she was going to win easily.

“It happened after we broke up.”

“Is that supposed to make it better?”

“I didn’t mean anything Will.”

“Then why did you keep the picture?”

She held back. She thought about that night again, about what happened after the kiss. She could hear The voices in her head telling her to keep going but choose to leave instead and then next morning her friend came by the house, giving her this Polaroid. She could have rejected it, throw it away but she choose to keep it. Why? “I don’t know.” She admitted looking down. Will laughed, a laugh that scared her heart.

“And yet you still say it meant nothing..”

“I’m just telling you the truth!” She snapped, standing up “That’s why you’re here, right? You want an explication! So let me explain!” Will motioned for her to go on, despite the fires of anger that were burning in his eyes “we were in a party, we got drunk, we kissed, a friend of mine took a picture and then I left. That’s it, that’s the story. If you wanna hate me for it, go ahead! God knows you’ve been waiting to find a reason!”

“Don’t do that!” He raised his finger “don’t play the victim card Loralai. There is no version of this where you or him are the victims!“ His voice started getting louder “How can I know you are telling me the truth?”

“Now you’re just being paranoid as always!”

“Or maybe you wanted me to find it. This your revenge for me breaking up with you? Hm?”

"revenge?” Loralai gasped in disbelief. She knew that most of what he was saying were only words of anger but she turned her back on him, unable to even look at him. He kept shouting and yelling, his voice was starting to turn into a void, a simple echo that made her dizzy. The accusations were too heavy for her heart to handle. He was angry, he has the right to be angry, she reminded herself but his words were still sharp like a knife and her skin as fragile as glass.

Suddenly she felt like something was piercing her freshly made wound. Dr. Rhodes had been very specific about stress and the damage it could do. She placed her hand gently on her wound while kept going on and on like a broken record. She felt the blood on her palm, the feeling of it made her entire body shiver. She held on the little table next to her bed, trying to keep her body still.

“stop” she whispered, trying to warn him. She couldn’t take it any longer. But he didn’t stop, he probably didn’t even hear her. So she tried again, repeating the word, each time louder than before until it came out so loud even she was scared “STOP PLEASE! SHUT UP!” she shouted turning around to look at him. When doing that, she lost her balance and tripped on her own feet, falling backwards. Will was quick to move and grabbed her by her arms. He looked worryingly at her reopened wound. Loralai could even see a bit of regret in his eyes but as soon as he tried to take of her shirt and help her she snatched his hands, warning him to stop.

“I want Doctor Rhodes.” she said. A request that Will tried to ignore but she insisted “don’t touch me! Stay away from me!” she told him finally earning his attention. She slapped his hands away from her, like age was blaming him for her current state and screamed for him to get out of the room. Then the door opened, Maggie walked in looking like she had heard what happened. Dr. Rhodes followed behind her. Maggie approached Will, placing her hand on his shoulder in an attempt to pull him away “Will! Come on” she whispered while Dr. Rhodes, started patching up Loralai again. She was happy to see him leave, it somehow lessened the pain.

“I thought I said no stress” said Rhodes trying to lighten the mood but she didn’t answer.

After he was done with her, he went to find Halstead on the doctor’s lounge. He was sitting on the sofa, playing anxiously with his fingers. He didn’t even realise Rhodes entered the room until he spoke “that was quite a show back there.” Will immediately stood up when he saw his coworker, ignoring his witty comment.

“is she ok?” he asked.

“she’ll be fine.” Will nodded and headed to the door but Connor stood in front of it crossing his arms. “where do you think you are going?” he asked.

“I want to see her.”

“that’s too bad because you can’t!”

“excuse me?!”

Connor sighed, knowing that there was probably going to be a fight. “you can’t see her will-”.

“she’s my friend!”

“and She’s my patient! I cant let you go in, when you are putting her well being in danger! It’s my responsibility to take care of her!”

“you can’t stop me-!”

“but the policemen in front of her door can! And they’ve been ordered to do so. I’m warning you Halstead! Don’t make a scene out of this!” his tone was stern and he made it clear that Will would not be a able to see Loralai.

“it’s not your choice to make.” he insisted, raising his voice but connor’s tone got louder to, speaking over him.

“I never said it was my choice will!” Will gulped. Connor could see the pain in his eyes, the betrayal he was feeling and he lowered his voice again, talking more calmly to him. “I made a suggestion for my patient. She agreed.”

Will turned around, rubbing his face and pacing around the room nervously. Connor watched him, almost feeling bad for him, having know his coworker for as long as he did he knew he had trouble with controlling his emotions. “try and calm down! And we can talk about this again.” he opened the door to leave “and don’t do anything stupid.”

When he left Will punched the cardboards with his hand, brusining it. A minute ago he was simply angry, now he was also sad and broken. He messed up for the 100th time, so much so that she didn’t even wanna see him.

“will they need you outusude!” said Maggie coming in and will nodded at least he had work to occupy himself with.

Author's note.
Please if you are reading this book leave a comment. ILY xx