Chronically, Me

Three

Drew

She settled on the metal chair near the bed, hiding her discomfort as Emerson took a small bite of the granola bar.

"I will leave once you finish them," she spoke.

He looked puzzled. "Why?"

She just shrugged. "It's a small strategy of mine. It's weird but effective when it comes to interviewing people."

Bullshit, her mind thought.

Emerson looked confused. When she had entered the room, she was almost taken aback by his large frame on the bed. She had mostly seen him from a distance to realize how big the boy was.

But now, as he looked at her with tired eyes, she hoped he would not question her bluff.

Finally, he shrugged. "If you say so."

Drew exhaled deeply through her nose. Her eyes landed on the small tulip beside his bandaged leg. "Why do you like flowers?"

"Let's just say I like them because they look and smell good." he sounded nonchalant.

"Sure we could say that. But I doubt your answer will look and smell good on the magazine just as your flowers do."

She could see him hiding his smile behind his hand. Her lips curved into a teasing smile. She was usually not that comfortable around strangers.

Must be the smell of the hospital.

When Emerson's eyes lifted and met hers, she saw something that she hadn't seen when she had entered the room. A small spark of life.

When she had pushed the door open, his brown eyes had looked dull. But now there was a small spark that made the brown look lighter.

"Meaning. I like flowers because they have meaning."

She paused for a second. "Elaborate."

He continued as he reached for the second granola bar after finishing his first. "Some things exist for a reason. But only a few exist for many."

He took a deep breath. "Every flower has a meaning. It is born with one. If a person bothers to find it, the flower means more than a superficial being."

Drew blinked, mulling over the words. "You said every flower has a meaning. What does this mean then?"

She pointed at the tulip.

Emerson smiled with barely concealed amusement. "Tulips mean congratulations."

Embarrassment slowly crept in as she hastily scribbled on her notebook. She was only slightly relieved that her brown skin would conceal her blush. "Great. I congratulated you on your injury. That's messed up."

Emerson chuckled. "It's fine."

"It's embarrassing," she argued but he only smiled at her. "You remind me of Ferdinand."

He blinked. "Huh?"

"Ferdinand, the bull?" she tried. "You don't know him?"

"I remind you of a bull." he sounded dumbfounded.

"Kinda." Drew shrugged. She noticed the wrappers beside him. "Well, since you've finished your granola bars, it's time for me to go."

"That soon?" he frowned.

Drew stood, slipping her notebook into the bag. "My strategy works only when I follow it. So I gotta go."

Emerson might not have realized it but his shoulders sagged in relief at her words. Drew almost smiled at that.

They both exchanged numbers.

Shouldering her bag, she waved at him in farewell. She exited the room. As she turned to close the door behind her, she saw him sighing deeply. 

The smell of antiseptic tingled her nostrils as she moved through the long hallway. The smell felt familiar, pushing some memories to the surface.

By the time she stepped out of the hospital, Drew successfully shoved those memories back to the deep place.