Page 89 of Addiction

“You’re such a baby!” Armaan snorted.

“Shut up,” Vedant retorted, his eyes on the doctor.

“How many times a day are you going to keep injecting me?” Vedant questioned her.

“As long as needed,” the doctor replied.

“Can you not shift me on pills? And I want to get out of the room,” Vedant said. “I don’t like being stuck here.”

Ignoring him, she attached the new IV bag to the stand, connected the pipe to the cannula on his hand and turned to leave.

“Wait,” Vedant said.

She spoke a few words to the nurse who headed out. Once alone with them, the doctor faced Vedant. “Yes?”

“I asked you a question, doctor,” he said. “When can I step out of this fucking room? I need you to do your job and get me on my feet. Oh, and enough of the damn needles.”

“Vedant,” Armaan said in a gentle warning, “Take it easy.”

Vedant was always the calmest, and to see him so agitated was quite surprising.

The woman’s jaw lifted. The action seemed strangely familiar. She took a few steps and stood in front of Vedant.

“Mr. Oshnov?—”

His brother cut her off. “Call me Vedant. How many more times do I need to tell you that?”

She glared at him, then breathed out, her expression clearing.

“Mr. Oshnov,” she began again, “Like I have been telling youdaily, you need to rest and sleep as much as you can. You went through two very delicate surgeries, and you need to give your body time to recover. And for that, your medication has to continue as is for now.”

“I’ve been stuck here for days,” Vedant complained. “You refuse to give me access to my laptop. You don’t let me out of thisdamn room. I have someone who comes and bathes me here on the fucking bed. I am sick of it all.”

The doctor walked to Vedant and pressed a finger on his shoulder. A shout escaped his mouth.

“What the fuck?” Vedant growled.

“I will give you your laptop whenthatstops paining,” she said.

Taking his right leg in her hand, she lifted it slightly. Vedant gritted his teeth, clearly in a lot of agony.

“I will let you move when this,” she said, putting his leg down gently, “stops paining. And while you are unable to even move this leg and have a cast on it, pray tell me how will you reach the bathroom to take a bath?”

She faced Vedant, who looked tired and exhausted now.

“Mr. Oshnov, I’ve been locked inside your house like a bloody hostage for almost a week, but you don’t see me complaining. I am doing my job, aren’t I? But if you are doubting my capability, I am happy to leave, and you can find someone else to take my place.”

“It’s fine, doctor,” Armaan said. “Vedant doesn’t like being sick. He is being a grouch because of that.”

She finally turned to look at Armaan, and the look she gave him was of pure fury. She didn’t even mask it.

Strange.

Mihir entered. Sensing the tension in the room, he asked, “What have I missed?”

With a slight nod at Mihir, the doctor walked out, leaving them alone.

“Vedant’s behaving difficult with the doctor,” Armaan explained.

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