Siren's Mark

Chapter 13

𝔸𝕧𝕒

My ears are ringing and there's a throbbing, dizzy sensation deep inside my head that I can't quite explain. I'm so frickin' sick of this. I feel nauseous and can't decide if grabbing a snack would make it better or worse.

Is it just me, or is going to the doctor the absolute worst possible thing to make a person do when they're sick?

Seriously, I can use my phone to have food delivered to me in twenty minutes. I get a car in four minutes to drive me wherever I want. I can download a book in ten seconds. I can stream a movie almost instantly. All these things can happen just because you might be feeling lazy. But if you're genuinely in pain or really, truly feeling like hell, they have you make an in-person appointment. You have to physically drag yourself into the office, wait half an hour past your appointment time in an uncomfortable chair, then get poked and prodded and generally annoyed, only to then be told that you'll need to go get tests or medicine or something else that you almost certainly don't have the energy for.

Can't I just send someone on my behalf? My weight and blood pressure have never given them any incredible insights anyway.

Of course my appointment had to be at 9:30 in the morning. I'm exhausted enough at noon but this is just cruel. I hardly got any sleep last night.

I flash back to the dream last night, Kieran kissing me... Oh god. Can I just wipe that whole unfortunate fantasy from my brain now, please?

"Ava Reynolds?" a voice calls from the doorway.

I stand up and see the same blonde nurse who did my blood tests last time.

"Hey!" he says. "I remember you! Web designer girl!"

"Yep, that's me!" I say. "But that's my superhero name, so don't tell anyone my secret identity."

He laughs a bit more than my lame joke deserves.

"Don't worry, Ava," he says with a smile. "Your secret's safe with me."

He winks and leads me back to the patient room.

"So it looks like you're here to discuss some results with your doctor. Have there been any changes, any new symptoms we should make note of?" he asks.

"Um... I mean I keep getting these dizzy spells. My ears start throbbing on both sides and I feel nauseous. I'm not sure if they're worse or not, but they certainly keep happening."

Like, right now for instance. Uggh.

"Okay," he says. "I'll make a note in your chart. Anything else?"

Does the perpetual 'my body is on fire' sensation count? Oh no wait, that's not new.

"Just the same stuff," I say.

"Okay, Web Designer Girl," he says with a smile. "The doctor will be in shortly. You keep fighting the good fight!"

He steps out of the room and closes the door. As the pattering of his steps recedes down the hall, I swear I recognize a familiar voice. It sounds like Mike. I crack the door a bit and look out. Sure enough, I hear Mike's voice.

Why the heck is Mike here, anyway? Is he looking for me?

He's walking along the hall as a doctor talks to him.

"I'll put in that referral for the plastic surgeon," the doctor says.

Mike turns briefly as he rounds the corner and it's just enough to catch a glimpse of his face. He's covered in bruises and has surgical tape over his nose. It looks like it's broken. Once they round the corner they're out of view.