Handle With Clare

Chapter 38: Can We Be Friends?

Look for the <> for where to listen to the song!

I scrolled down Instagram as I waited for my IV treatment to stop that same day. Mom let out a small snore, which brought my attention to her for a second, before looking at my phone again. She could sleep anywhere at any time, I swear.

"Hey Clare, how are you doing?" nurse Jensen said to me softly, careful not to wake my mom as she walked into my room. Little did she know it would take a tornado to wake her up.

"Board," I yawned with a stretch. I always hated IV treatments, and today was no different as I looked outside, seeing the sun shining, temping me to go out. I wanted to be out there, instead, I was in here doing literally nothing for hours.

"Want to do something fun?" she asked with a smile.

I smiled back at her, feeling suddenly energized since no nurse had ever asked me to do anything fun. As exciting as this possibility was, I was a little hesitant to take her offer, knowing that there had to be some kind of catch. "Like what?"

"I would love for you to hang out with someone for a bit."

I frowned, not wanting to do this 'fun' thing anymore. I was done getting hurt by making friends at the hospital. Been there, done that a little too many times to count.

She put her hands up and shook her head, realizing that she didn't phrase it the right way. "No, it's not like that. It's just my daughter, she's a bit lonely and needs some company."

I wondered why she had a daughter here. The last I heard, she was healthy. Jensen probably just needed someone to babysit for a few and that didn't sound too bad. I owed Jensen a solid or two anyhow. Plus, I looked at the IV in my arm, wasn't doing anything. "Sure. I can do that. Where is she?" I asked her as I started to slip on my brown Uggs.

She smiled shyly at me. "Room 340."

My smile dropped. She had her own room. What was this nurse tricking me to do? Was she a patient here too?

"Thank you so much, Clare. I really appreciate this," she told me right before she walked out the door before I could protest.

I frowned as I slipped a hat on in attempts to keep me warm since I could walk around with a blanket around my shoulders like it was now. I swear, so many people here were so crafty with their words, I got in too many messes because of them. As much as I wanted to not go, I just told her I would, so I felt like I should keep my word.

I looked at mom sleeping, then grabbed a pen and post-it page and wrote a note explaining why I left just in case she woke up before I returned. And with that, I walked out of my room with my IV pole in tow and a phone in my hand.

I walked down the halls until I made it to her room. I took a deep breath, bracing myself as I tapped on the door to make sure I wouldn't startle her. "Hey, can I come in?" I asked before I took a step into the room.

"Sure," a small voice spoke up and with that, I walked in. I was expecting to see a girl my age but when I walked in, I saw a girl that was no older than 6 with her leg in a cast.

"Hey, that's a massive looking cast you got there," I said to her with a small smile, trying to make conversation.

She shrugged with a frown, looking scared and alone. For a second, she reminded me of myself when I first started going to the hospital, although she was younger than I was when I first came. "I guess."

"If I were you, I would wear this as a badge of honor."

She was quiet, causing me to frown, wondering if I said something wrong? Man, what was wrong with me? I couldn't even befriend small children. I suddenly felt stupid for agreeing to do this.