Page 3 of Atlas
Fox lets out a dry laugh. “Well, it’s not like you two have ever been super close.”
“I’m as close to her as you are!” I snap in defense, feeling annoyed at his insinuation. Of course Ren and I are close. I’ve known her for years! She’s one of my best friends.
“At, man, I love you. But you know that not everyone thinks like you do, right? A lot of us need more than casual conversations to consider someone a friend. So that’s probably why Ren hasn’t ever felt comfortable enough with you to talk about her condition. I mean, Janie didn’t like talking about her tremors until she had to. Ren is definitely more open about it, but I also saw her pump when I did her last tattoo.” I nod, though still not really satisfied with this information. I say my goodbyes to Fox before getting out of the truck, but not before he made me promise I wouldn’t be late for community service tomorrow.
Once I see his truck disappear, I run over to my motorcycle and start her up. There are multiple hospitals in the city, but, while I may not know everything about Lauren Locklear, I do know that her mother, Dr. Melonie Locklear, is a big wig doctor at the university hospital downtown. So, my guess is she would put her daughter in the hospital she has the most pull in.
With the destination decided, I back my motorcycle out of its space and take off downtown.
“Sir,I am sorry, but if you are not in the immediate family, I cannot take you to see her.” The nurse gives me a sympathetic look as I run my hands over my scruffy face. Ren is in a room on this floor. I’ve flirted, smoldered, and bribed my way tothisarea where the private rooms are. But this woman is a fucking immovable mountain. She reminds me of the black knight inMonty Python.“None shall pass” blah blah blah.
“Ma’am…” I’ve tried flirting with her and she laughed in my face. So, let’s go with soft, respectful Atlas. “Please, I just need thirty seconds…ten seconds. Hell, walk me by her room and let her see me and I’m telling you–”
The nurse sighs, okay so respect won’t work, but I know that type of sigh. That’s the sigh of a mother with an overly excited child who is being worn down. Luckily, I am an expert in this art. The nurse must realize that she’s shown the chink in her armor because defeat washes over her.
“Alright! Come here.” She hisses and pulls me by my jacket away from the nurses’ station, muttering about being on a sixteen hour shift.Note to self: go get her something as a thank you after I leave.She walks me up to a glass window and I see the long blonde hair fanning over the bed. I go to run in, but the nurse blocks me. “Not so fast.” She states. “Miss Locklear cannot have visitors.”
“But–” The nurse holds her hand up.
“She is very ill, and being exposed to other germs in her weakened state could cause her serious harm. She is isolated right now for her own protection. If she wants to talk to you, youmust do so through the phone here, or… you know, a cell phone.” I give her a sheepish smirk at her last remark.
“She’s kind of, umm, avoiding me?” I rub the back of my neck.
The nurse rolls her eyes. “Can’t imagine why. You have five minutes and then I am calling security.” I press my hands together in the prayer position and bow.
“You truly are a saint.” When she leaves, I turn to the phone on the wall. Picking it up, I press the button and watch as Ren grabs her bedside remote.
“Hello?” Her voice is so weak and tired, and instantly my entire body feels so heavy.
I need to stay cheery.Brave mask, Brave mask.“So what?” I force my overly confident, cocky demeanor to come out. “You decide to hide here, pretending to be sick, instead of coming to my hearing? I’m heartbroken, completely wounded.” I watch through the window as Ren slowly sits up. I can see from here her body is shaking as she tries to pull herself to the edge of the bed. “Stop Princess.” My voice goes serious and I watch her freeze.
“Atlas,” she breathes out, her breathing ragged. What is going on with her? “Why are you here? How did you know?”
I smirk and give her a half shrug. “I am here because today was an important day, and you weren’t there. Very rude, by the way.” I check to make sure she knows I’m joking. I think she does, but her pale, nearly grey skin and dark circles are making it hard for me to know for sure. “Fox said you were in the hospital, and I just spent the last hour flirting and paying my way back here to get five minutes….now three and a half minutes with you.”
Her face scrunches in confusion, “Why?”Why? Is she serious?
“Because,” I say slowly. “You’re my friend. Something is wrong, and I was worried about you?” I watch her shift away slightly. Fearing that I’ve somehow said the wrong thing, I go back to playfulness. “Not to mention I know you’re dying to hear how I’m doing. Did you know that you’re not allowed to flirt with the bailiff?” Did she just roll her eyes?
I watch as she lies back down in her bed as she gives me a small wave. “Goodbye. Atlas.”
“Rennnn…” I groan as I tap on the glass. “Come onnnn. Talk to me, please! I just got sentenced to a year of community service, not to mention the fines and retributions, and I’m standing here about to get a trespassing arrest because I need to talk to you.”
She doesn’t respond verbally. But I hear the click as she turns off the speaker on the remote, silencing me. Looking at the useless phone as if it betrayed me, I drop it onto the receiver before placing my palm on the glass, wishing like hell I could get her to just look at me, but she doesn’t. Her body turns to face out the window. I glance around the empty room and frown. The room is white, like most hospital rooms. There is a television attached to the wall that she has turned off and her window outside gives her the view of the other part of the hospital. Her room is so bare, there is nothing in there for her to look at.
“Alright Romeo,” the nurse sighs as she comes back to me. “Am I calling security or are you leaving?”
I blink slowly before looking down at her. “I’ll leave,” my voice is quiet as I remove my hand from the glass and follow her to the elevators. “Is she going to be there a while?”
“Can’t disclose patient information…but yes.” I wince as I watch her stab the button to call the elevator.
“Can she have gifts? Like from the gift shop?” Maybe she’s not allowed to have anything in there and that’s why her room is empty?
The nurse nods. “Yes, no food items though, she’s on a monitored diet. And that’s the last question you get to ask.” She warns when I open my mouth again. The nurse points to the opening elevator doors. “Now go.”
I give the nurse a small bow before stepping into the elevator and heading down to the main floor. I will leave like she asked, but first I need to make a pit stop. Now that I know Ren is allowed to have things in her room, I’m going to make sure she can’t turn without seeing something pretty.
Chapter 2
