Page 40 of Wish We Were There

They drove in silence for a while, save for the music playing. Parker seemed nervous too, but Taylor wasn’t sure how much of that might have been him projecting.

“You know, I don’t have any plans after this,” Parker finally said during a lull in the music. “I was thinking it would be nice to maybe get lunch or something afterward... If you want to hang out.”

Taylor smiled. Having something to look forward to after the appointment would help. “Yeah, that sounds good. Do you have any places in mind?”

Parker shrugged. “There are some decent spots near the doctor’s office, or we can head back closer to your place if you’d prefer.”

“Whatever’s fine,” Taylor said, shaking his head. He had no appetite at all, at least not now. Hopefully he’d feel differently once this was over.

They arrived at the doctor’s office soon after that. For a long moment after they’d parked, Taylor sat motionless, looking out the window toward the building, unable to shake the dread that had welled up in the back of his throat.

“You alright?” Parker asked softly. The car was off, and the music had gone silent, but he was looking at Taylor with his brows furrowed and his hand hovering over the handle of the car door.

“Uh, yeah,” Taylor stammered, quickly unbuckling himself and hurrying out of the car. “Sorry. Kind of zoned out there.”

Parker frowned, worry tinging his previously light-hearted expression. “You’re sure?”

Taylor hesitated, unsure how to say what he was thinking. “I’m just nervous, I guess. It’s silly. But it feels... weird. Is it stupid that I’m, like... scared to get it off, almost? Not because it’ll hurt, or whatever, but... I don’t know. It feels like this huge change.”

Parker’s gaze softened with sympathy, making Taylor’s heart beat faster. “It’s not stupid. I get it. It is a change, for sure.”

Taylor smiled weakly. “Yeah.”

Parker stood hesitantly beside him for a moment, then reached over to put a hand on his back in a comforting, if uncertain, gesture. Taylor leaned into the contact, the touch soothing.

“You got this,” Parker said softly. “I bet you’re going to be so relieved when it’s off.”

Taylor nodded, but his brows remained furrowed; the thought brought him no relief now. “Yeah, you’re right.”

They walked together into the doctor’s office, and Taylor waited in line for the receptionist as Parker sat down in the waiting room. Taylor joined him once he’d checked in, heart still pounding. Parker rubbed his back again, and Taylor leaned closer to him—now that Parker had touched him, he couldn’t imagine that anything else could possibly help him feel better.

“So what are you thinking for lunch?” Taylor forced out, and Parker smirked in response.

“Wherever you want,” he replied. “But if you’re asking me to pick... There’s a good place not too far from here I’ve been to a couple of times. Sunny Side Up, have you ever been there?”

Taylor shook his head, trying to focus on Parker’s words. “No, but that sounds like a brunch place.”

“Yeah, they have this great peanut butter and jelly French toast,” Parker said. “But their regular lunch stuff is good too. Or, oh, there’s that brewery closer to your place. They have really good lunch. Are you feeling more sweet or savory?”

“Ask me again when I have this off,” Taylor chuckled weakly, gesturing with his right hand. The last thing he could think about right now was food.

“Taylor?” a nurse called from the open door, startling Taylor to his feet.

“Want me to come with you?” Parker asked softly, and Taylor nodded rapidly before he’d fully processed the question. Still, Parker stood without complaint and followed as the nurse led them to the back.

“Oh, you were supposed to get this off ages ago!” she tutted as they walked through the halls, looking down at a clipboard that she held in one hand. Taylor’s chest constricted. “I bet you’re thrilled to finally be getting it removed, huh?”

“Uh, yeah,” he stammered. Parker’s hand met the small of his back, warm and strong, and he added in a more normal tone, “I just missed my appointment to get it off and procrastinated making a new one, I guess. I know that was probably bad, but…”

The nurse smiled over her shoulder at him. “In most cases, it shouldn’t make a difference. If your doctor recommended PT when you had the cast put on, that should take care of any stiffness, so there wouldn’t be a significant difference between then and now. Alright, have a seat right here, and your friend can take that chair.”

She gestured for Taylor to sit on an examination chair, then pointed at a smaller chair in the corner for Parker. Parker scooted the chair closer to Taylor, so they were sitting next to each other. The nurse’s eyes lingered on them for a beat, but otherwise she made no comment as she set up the saw.

“Now, I know it sounds scary, but the blade can’t hurt you. It’s actually just vibrations that break the cast apart, so it can’t cut the skin at all,” she explained. “You’ll probably feel a bit of pressure, but at most it might tickle you. It’s loud, though, so feel free to put in headphones or earplugs if that would bother you. And let me know if you need a little break.”

Taylor gulped, nodding. “Okay.”

She pulled up a chair on the other side of him, holding the saw. “Ready?” she asked cheerfully.

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