Her Eyes
to any chance that she gets for home plate tickets to see the Mets.
When they came to get her, she was sitting on the edge of her seat, listening to a story Eric Staal was telling her, involving a car, a chicken, and Jordan’s first driving experience. Her small body was leaning against the side of Jordan’s bed and her head rested lightly on her arms, perched on her knees that were pulled up to her chest, and whenever she laughed her small, delicate laugh, Jordan would savor the slight vibrations that would shake the thin mattress. Her doctor walked in and she sat up very straight, almost anticipating a fight. He motioned for her, beckoning her to follow him:
Mason O’Rear had to finish her treatment. She didn’t think it would make a difference, but her doctor was adamant. She had to.
Her shoulders slumped as she stood up and straightened out her shirt, telling each one of the four that she was glad to have met them, but she had to be getting back to her treatment. Jordan sat up in his bed. He wanted to go with her. He threw his legs over the side of the bed and stood up, a little too quickly. His head started to spin and Jared had to catch him so he wouldn’t fall.
“Jordan? What are you doing?” Eric’s face was blank except for a spark of anger in his eyes. But before he could be stopped, Jordan had sat down in a wheelchair and had started wheeling himself down the hall, and after Mason. Jordan Staal called Mason O’Rear’s name once. And once was all it took. She stopped. Jordan rolled up beside her and smiled.
“Can I join you?” Jordan thought he saw something flicker in her eyes at that moment. It could have been delight, but it also could have been disappointment. It didn’t matter which, though, because he was going anyway. Mason led him to the trail room, where her adventure had begun, and she took her normal seat. Facing the window that showed the Emergency Room.
The nurse that had originally set up her port, walked in and shot Mason a look of disgust before turning to a white set of drawers and pulling out a needle. The nurse roughly grabbed her arm and forced it up into the light. Mason winced at the awkward angle of her arm and made a mental note to never let Jordan speak of this.
The needle pierced her soft flesh, much as it had done earlier in the night, and the nurse walked off, leaving Mason and Jordan alone. They sat in silence for an immeasurable amount of time before Jordan broke it.
“So I hear Eric pleaded my case as soon as you woke up.” He grinned a toothy, white smile.
And after that, the conversation came naturally. Words flowed between the two, and Mason found that every time Jordan smiled that big toothy smile, butterflies fluttered in her stomach.
But as soon as their conversation started, it ended. Mason noticed the sun coming up, and she looked at the clock above the door. She had three hours to get home, shower, get changed, and leave for the theatre where her dance rehearsal was to take place. Though she loved it with everything she had, dance had started to become a chore to her failing body. What was once liberating and cathartic, was now painful and daunting, but she was afraid that if she stopped now, the signs of her flawed genetics would start to show. Jordan noticed her attention had strayed, for her turned around and noticed the clock. He sighed, thinking that she was growing tired of talking to him, but that changed when he noticed the smile lighting her face.
“I’m not avoiding you, Jordan. I just have something to do in a little while.” He nodded, smiling, and watched as she leaned down to pick up the things that she had left by the chair. Jacket. Purse. She stood up straight and looked at him quickly before leaning down and pecking him on the cheek. His face instantly heated and he turned away, in a vain effort to hide his delight. Her eyes sparkled as she walked down the hallway, towards the door that would lead her to the cold Pittsburgh morning.
Jordan Staal smiled sadly as he watched her go. She had just walked into his life, and mere hours later, she was walking out. But something told him that this would not be the last time he saw Mason O’Rear. Something told him this time, he would walk into her life.
And then, as if on cue, her phone rang from where she had dropped it.
Mason O’Rear had to finish her treatment. She didn’t think it would make a difference, but her doctor was adamant. She had to.
Her shoulders slumped as she stood up and straightened out her shirt, telling each one of the four that she was glad to have met them, but she had to be getting back to her treatment. Jordan sat up in his bed. He wanted to go with her. He threw his legs over the side of the bed and stood up, a little too quickly. His head started to spin and Jared had to catch him so he wouldn’t fall.
“Jordan? What are you doing?” Eric’s face was blank except for a spark of anger in his eyes. But before he could be stopped, Jordan had sat down in a wheelchair and had started wheeling himself down the hall, and after Mason. Jordan Staal called Mason O’Rear’s name once. And once was all it took. She stopped. Jordan rolled up beside her and smiled.
“Can I join you?” Jordan thought he saw something flicker in her eyes at that moment. It could have been delight, but it also could have been disappointment. It didn’t matter which, though, because he was going anyway. Mason led him to the trail room, where her adventure had begun, and she took her normal seat. Facing the window that showed the Emergency Room.
The nurse that had originally set up her port, walked in and shot Mason a look of disgust before turning to a white set of drawers and pulling out a needle. The nurse roughly grabbed her arm and forced it up into the light. Mason winced at the awkward angle of her arm and made a mental note to never let Jordan speak of this.
The needle pierced her soft flesh, much as it had done earlier in the night, and the nurse walked off, leaving Mason and Jordan alone. They sat in silence for an immeasurable amount of time before Jordan broke it.
“So I hear Eric pleaded my case as soon as you woke up.” He grinned a toothy, white smile.
And after that, the conversation came naturally. Words flowed between the two, and Mason found that every time Jordan smiled that big toothy smile, butterflies fluttered in her stomach.
But as soon as their conversation started, it ended. Mason noticed the sun coming up, and she looked at the clock above the door. She had three hours to get home, shower, get changed, and leave for the theatre where her dance rehearsal was to take place. Though she loved it with everything she had, dance had started to become a chore to her failing body. What was once liberating and cathartic, was now painful and daunting, but she was afraid that if she stopped now, the signs of her flawed genetics would start to show. Jordan noticed her attention had strayed, for her turned around and noticed the clock. He sighed, thinking that she was growing tired of talking to him, but that changed when he noticed the smile lighting her face.
“I’m not avoiding you, Jordan. I just have something to do in a little while.” He nodded, smiling, and watched as she leaned down to pick up the things that she had left by the chair. Jacket. Purse. She stood up straight and looked at him quickly before leaning down and pecking him on the cheek. His face instantly heated and he turned away, in a vain effort to hide his delight. Her eyes sparkled as she walked down the hallway, towards the door that would lead her to the cold Pittsburgh morning.
Jordan Staal smiled sadly as he watched her go. She had just walked into his life, and mere hours later, she was walking out. But something told him that this would not be the last time he saw Mason O’Rear. Something told him this time, he would walk into her life.
And then, as if on cue, her phone rang from where she had dropped it.
Notes
need. more. commentsssss.yall are great though! any more guesses about what she has...?
@Gigipens
now.
3/15/18