She woke to a knock on her door. She was wet? Oh, she was in the bathtub. But if she was in the bathtub then why was there knocking on the door? She pushed out of the now-cold water, stumbled to her robe. “I'm coming.” she mumbled; it probably sounded to the person outside something more like 'mumming'. Her lips were still swollen; her ribs were lower. She didn't know how long it had been since she'd last taken Acetaminophen but she popped two more of the small white pills. She couldn't bend over to pick her robe up off the floor.
She stumbled to the closet, still nude, and jerked out a baby blue satin nightgown; slid it over her naked body with a hiss. Her hair dripped over the back of the gown. The air was cold on the skin of her arms as she pulled herself over to the door to her bedroom, pulling it open.
Oh. “What're you doing here?” she asked stupidly, staring at the woman in front of her.
Her doctor bustled in past her, closing and locking the door. “Jada Chamberlyn, what have you done to your face?” the elderly woman reached out, drew wrinkled fingers over the bruises.
“I don't know.” she lied. “I think I fell down some stairs last night.” she patted her ribs.
“Off.” Dr. Amberlin said, giving her a bright-eyed look. Jada scowled lightly, crossing her arms defensively over her breasts. “I told you to take it off.”
“I just put it on.”
“Do you want me to look at you, or not?”
“How'd you even know I got hurt?”
“...” there was a moment of silence, and Dr. Amberlin looked a bit worried. “You called me, Jada.” she pulled out her cell phone, showing Jada her received calls list. Yep, there her name was, at the top of the list. “Do you remember?”
“Not really.” Jada admitted. The older woman scowled more deeply, fingers probing at Jada's head.
Jada was inundated with questions and probing. Half the questions she couldn't really answer for one reason or another. Every question she evaded had her doctor's face darken more. “Alright,” she said finally, and pulled a few bottles out of her bag. “This will help with the pain. This with the swelling. The bruising you'll have to find some way to deal with.”
“I need a week off classes.”
“Let me see your ribs and we'll talk.”
Jada wrinkled her nose, pulled up her gown. The doctor made a small noise low in her throat and probed at her ribs. “Nothing broken.” she decided finally. Jada was glad the doctor agreed. “I want x-rays.”
“No.” Jada shook her head. “I would have gone to the hospital if I wanted that.”
“You should have come to the hospital rather than calling me. And Jada...” Dr. Amberlin looked concerned, “Is your boyfriend beating you?”
Later, Jada's diary would read FML. Now she gave a bitter laugh. “No, Doc. I'm still single. And I fell down the stairs.”
She ushered the doctor from her room after acquiring the rest of the day and the next off of attending classes to allow the soreness to fade; she'd have to see the teachers for her classwork later. The doctor left and Jada tumbled into her bed, exhausted.
She stumbled to the closet, still nude, and jerked out a baby blue satin nightgown; slid it over her naked body with a hiss. Her hair dripped over the back of the gown. The air was cold on the skin of her arms as she pulled herself over to the door to her bedroom, pulling it open.
Oh. “What're you doing here?” she asked stupidly, staring at the woman in front of her.
Her doctor bustled in past her, closing and locking the door. “Jada Chamberlyn, what have you done to your face?” the elderly woman reached out, drew wrinkled fingers over the bruises.
“I don't know.” she lied. “I think I fell down some stairs last night.” she patted her ribs.
“Off.” Dr. Amberlin said, giving her a bright-eyed look. Jada scowled lightly, crossing her arms defensively over her breasts. “I told you to take it off.”
“I just put it on.”
“Do you want me to look at you, or not?”
“How'd you even know I got hurt?”
“...” there was a moment of silence, and Dr. Amberlin looked a bit worried. “You called me, Jada.” she pulled out her cell phone, showing Jada her received calls list. Yep, there her name was, at the top of the list. “Do you remember?”
“Not really.” Jada admitted. The older woman scowled more deeply, fingers probing at Jada's head.
Jada was inundated with questions and probing. Half the questions she couldn't really answer for one reason or another. Every question she evaded had her doctor's face darken more. “Alright,” she said finally, and pulled a few bottles out of her bag. “This will help with the pain. This with the swelling. The bruising you'll have to find some way to deal with.”
“I need a week off classes.”
“Let me see your ribs and we'll talk.”
Jada wrinkled her nose, pulled up her gown. The doctor made a small noise low in her throat and probed at her ribs. “Nothing broken.” she decided finally. Jada was glad the doctor agreed. “I want x-rays.”
“No.” Jada shook her head. “I would have gone to the hospital if I wanted that.”
“You should have come to the hospital rather than calling me. And Jada...” Dr. Amberlin looked concerned, “Is your boyfriend beating you?”
Later, Jada's diary would read FML. Now she gave a bitter laugh. “No, Doc. I'm still single. And I fell down the stairs.”
She ushered the doctor from her room after acquiring the rest of the day and the next off of attending classes to allow the soreness to fade; she'd have to see the teachers for her classwork later. The doctor left and Jada tumbled into her bed, exhausted.
