Page 31 of Tainted Serenity

Because I know where she’s taking me; to that doctor’s examination room that made my blood freeze until it could no longer flow through my body.

We turn left in the corridor I vaguely remember, before arriving at his office. Irene lifts her knuckles to knock on the door before she changes her mind, running her hands through her hair and parting them on either side of her shoulders. A scoff rises within me at her attempts to make herself pretty for a doctor who’s so much younger than her when she isn’t even pretty in the first place.

She knocks on the door, and shortly after, it slides open with a loud creak. The doctor emerges, his eyes landing on me as he ignores Irene, whose eyes narrow at his obvious disregard. I try not to shrink away as he motions for me to enter, a trickle of unease spreading through me as I step inside. It is as chilly as I remember it, and it appears as if he has two rooms, one meant as an office, while this one is more like an examination room.

The chilly stone floor feels as if they are pulling the wind against me and causing goosebumps to rush down my bare arms. The sudden sound of the air conditioner starting up makes my body twitch; not prepared to hear something so unexpected. My nerves are on high, worrying about the slightest thing as I try to stifle the panic. I can’t be weak, especially not in front of the doctor.

As I step further inside the room, I take in his appearance from the corner of my eye. A white coat casually drapes over his broad shoulders, unbuttoned as if he couldn’t care less. The fabric reveals a white T-shirt beneath, while a stethoscope hangs around him like a necklace. The coat cascades down to his knees, covering the loose-fitting black jeans that hug just enough to reveal his muscular thighs.

“Please, sit.”

He motions for the examination chair in the middle of the room, urging me to sit down while he closes the door behind him with a loud thud. Sweat starts trickling down from the nape of my neck, causing the hair to cling to my skin as I swallow what feels like glass shards. Anything can happen when I’m at a disadvantage like this, confined in a room with a man who commands terror and emits an aura of calm at the same time. He has a certain presence about him, something that tells me he isn’t showing his true self.

Seconds pass as I only stand there, feeling my feet glued to the floor as if every muscle in my legs is paralyzed. The way he stares at me is unpleasant, as if he can see my innermost thoughts and motions. If he could, he would find me a freak, one who doesn’t deserve to live any longer. He stands there equally as motionless, watching me while the ticking of the clock echoes in my ears like a menacing threat.

I have to get out. I can’t fucking stay here anymore.

My legs can finally move again, and I take a step back in an attempt not to gain his attention. But of course, he notices.

“Hey, calm down.”

Don’t fucking tell a person who’s panicking to calm down.

My breathing becomes worse, the walls press in on me, and I know they will eventually crush me under their weight until there is nothing left but broken bones.

The doctor takes a step closer to me, making my heart beat faster as I stumble backward, a lump in my throat appearing. As if sensing my chaotic state of mind, he retreats and moves to sit down on a chair at the other end of the room. No longer does he stare at me in that intense way that makes my nerves tick, but he watches me with a relaxed expression, patiently waiting for me to settle down.

Breathe, Naya. Just fucking breathe, and everything will be alright.

With hesitant steps, I walk closer to the examination chair, which gives off a sense of antiquity, before I settle down. The surface creaks beneath me, and I immediately start picking at the skin surrounding my nails, unable to sit still.

“I don’t think I presented myself,” he gives me a weak smile, making sure to meet my eyes. “I’m Daxton.”

Despite its soothing quality, his voice embodies a manlike timbre with a deep note that has a calm quality to it. The enunciation of each syllable he speaks sends tendrils of serenity through my body. It’s soothing, yet an underlying threat to it that I cannot quite decipher. His voice appears calmer than his appearance, and it reminds me of a predator that lures its prey to get them to come closer. A manipulation, precisely like the rest of this castle-like manor. I can’t trust anyone, not even the man who’s supposed to treat my wounds.

Daxton looks at me expectantly, and it’s at this moment I wish he could go back to being that quiet man who intimidated me. It’s like he senses from the surroundings that I don’t want to talk, because he nods to himself and hums as his throat vibrates with the sound before he stands up.

“Let’s have a look, shall we?”

I’m not sure what I’m doing here. My movements are hesitant as I lift my shirt, only revealing the big bandage around the center of my abdomen. I can’t help but feel my hands trembling as the unease settles in me like a caged bird, its wings restlessly flapping against my ribcage, trapped in the confines of my bones.

It only takes a few minutes before the doctor has removed the bandage, washed the wound, and applied a larger patch. All the while I fiddle with my fingers, desperately wanting to tear away the skin on my foot.

“That’s right. All set.”

I’m about to stand up from the chair again when an immense pain strikes through my tailbone, forcing me to fall down the chair again. A groan slips from my mouth, and I dearly hope he didn’t hear it. I barely dare meet Daxton’s gaze, because his eyebrows are furrowed, and he stares at me with concentrated eyes as if trying to look into the very depths of my soul.

“What’s wrong?” He asks, his voice a calm warning for me not to lie.

“Nothing. I’m fine.” I force a strained smile, wanting to leave the room and go back to whatever hell Irene will bring me to.

I rise, wincing at the pain spreading from my tailbone up to my back, but it soon eases when I’m settled on my two legs and standing straight.

“If that’s all, I’m gonna leave.”

I turn around to approach the door, but his voice booms through the room with a kind of authority behind it, something that is far more sinister than he lets on.

“Sit down again,” he orders, his voice chilling me to the very core, its authority laden with a carefully hidden warning.

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