Chapter 13 - Cooper
Cooper
It’s been a few days since I first opened up to Dr. Krazinski. We’ve met once more since then, but it was a bad day. That session was a quiet one. I’ve been really thinking about what he said about what’s kept me from Mom and Teddy.
The truth is, when I first ran from Silas, I was terrified.
I wanted nothing more than to go home, but I had no way of getting there.
I could have called, but then I would have had to explain why I was running.
The shame was a two-ton weight bearing down on me.
My memories of Mom and Teddy were filled with love shining in their eyes, and I never would have survived it if that was replaced with pity or, god forbid, disgust.
I know better now. There might be some pity, which I can handle, but I know they would never be disgusted.
At least, not by me. I’ve been waffling with the idea of inviting Teddy to visit, and at dinner, I made the decision to go through with it.
As I approach the nurse’s station, I catch sight of Betty.
Thankfully it’s not Teresa on duty. Teresa could give Nurse Ratched a run for her money.
No way she’d allow me a phone call outside of dedicated hours.
Nurse Betty glances up just as I reach the desk.
Her white hair looks like clouds. She’s shorter than me and pleasantly plump.
She’s soft enough that I just know her hugs would be perfection.
Her smile is warm and inviting. It’s no wonder she works in psych—just the sight of her grandmotherly appearance is enough to have me relaxing some.
“Hey, Nurse B,” I say with a charming smile.
“Don’t you ‘hey Nurse B’ me, Mr. Sorenson. We both know you’re only here to ask me for something.” Betty may look like a sweet little grandma, but don’t let that fool you. The woman is a pistol, and she’s been around too long to put up with any of our crap.
Dropping the act, I say, “Fine, but just so you know, that was top-notch charm you just let me waste.” Betty’s blank stare tells me I better get to the point before I miss my opportunity.
“Look, the truth is I made the decision to do something that kind of terrifies me, and I’m hoping you’ll let me use the phone.
I kind of want to get it over with before I lose my nerve. ”
She stares at me hard enough to see into my soul before responding. “I’ll make you a deal. You spend at least an hour with Lane tomorrow, and I’ll let you make your call.”
An hour…with Lane?! Betty has lost her mind.
The guy can barely sit still, and he snaps at basically everyone anytime they look his way.
I must be radiating bitch, you crazy vibes because she squints at me, daring to say something.
I may be reckless, but I ain’t stupid. I hold up my hands in surrender.
“I know Lane can be difficult, but he’s a good kid. I think, if you give him a chance, you might really like him.”
Doubtful. “You got yourself a deal.” I hold my hand out to shake and make it official.
Betty just rolls her eyes and slaps the receiver into my hand. “You got five minutes.”
Five minutes for an hour with Itchy Ian is hardly a fair trade, but again, I ain’t stupid. Pointing that out would only lose me phone time. Instead, I smile sweetly and say, “Thanks, Nurse B,” knowing she hates the nickname.
The phone rings so many times I start to thinkTeddy won’t answer, but then a breathless “hello” comes across the line.
“Oh, um, hey. I’m sorry, is this a bad time?”
“No. Sorry for breathing like an overweight bulldog. I’m at the gym right now, and the treadmill is definitely winning.”
A laugh bursts out of me at his unguarded honesty. “I’d die if I just looked at a treadmill, so you’re doing better than me. Oh, it’s Cooper, by the way.”
“I know. I worked a few float shifts on the psych floor, so I have the number saved. At the moment, you’re really the only person that would be calling me from there.”
“Ah, right. Makes sense. So, um. I wanted to ask you something. Feel free to say no. Absolutely no pressure. I probably shouldn’t even be bothering you. It’s just… I don’t know. I thought maybe—”
“LB.”
“Yeah, Teddy?” I squeak out.
“Take a deep breath and just ask. We can do the explanation part later.”
After all this time, he still gets me. I inhale and exhale before rushing out, “Would you want to come visit me—here, at the hospital?”
“Yeah, LB. I’d like that very much. I work tomorrow, but I’m off the next day. Is that good for you?”
“Yeah, that’d be perfect,” I say, nearly breathless.
He’s actually coming! I shouldn’t be surprised, but I’ve spent so long telling myself that I’m not worth caring about that I don’t know what to do when someone shows me that they do.
I see Betty tapping her watch out of the corner of my eye.
“My time is up, so I have to get off the phone, but Teddy?”
“Yeah, LB?”
“Thank you, and I can’t wait to see you Wednesday.”
“There’s nothing to thank me for. I'm just happy you called.”
“Me too.”