Page 51 of Right in Front of You

“Nick was a donor for some of the skin grafts. He was a perfect match. He saved your life.”

“They couldn’t take my skin?”

“They did. But they needed more.”

“How much more?”

“Your injuries… well, they were pretty extensive.”

I lifted my head slightly, and the room spun. Most of my left side was bandaged: my leg, my arm, and my torso. Molly kept smoothing her fingers over mine, and for the first time since waking up, I felt chills.

“I need a mirror.”

“Carter, you…”

“Molly, I’m not going to ask you again. I can ring for a nurse who will get me a mirror, but if you care for me at all, you will bring me a mirror. Let me see my face.”

She reached for a purse on a side table and removed a round compact. Her hand shook as she stretched it toward me. While I didn’t feel any bandages on my face, I knew that there was something wrong with it.

“Open it.”

She shook her head.

“Open it and show me, or I’ll do it myself.” Though I knew I couldn’t, because my arm was bandaged which prevented me from bending it, I would have found a way.

“Carter, it will take time to heal. Once it does, you will barely notice them.”

After the one look I gave her, she finally opened the palm-sized mirror, twisting it for me to see my right side. I looked it over, then turned my head to the left. Blotches of red marked the left side of my face. They were everywhere. Some were oozing yellow puss, others bubbled up with liquid underneath.

“I’m a monster.”

I started heaving air in and out of my lungs, and my first thought was that Nick should have left me in that fire. He should have left me there to burn, so I wouldn’t have to go through the torture.

“Carter, the scarring will be minimal on those. They’re small enough that—”

“Get out.”

I couldn’t even fucking tighten my fists. I felt my body shake and my anger start to boil. The room spun again, and the walls closed in around me.

“What?” she asked, her eyes sad and confused.

“I said, get out. Now.” Desperate to be alone, I pointed to the door with my gaze and didn’t look at her again. She pulled in a sniffle just before she left, and I felt my heart pinch with guilt.

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