The Unexpected Partner

Chapter 18

Claire's mouth continued to form an O shape as Shane asked again. "What is this?"

Her vision narrowed on the rag filled with blood, the rag she had forgotten on the washroom floor. Oh no, no! Claire's entire body began to feel numb. If she didn't see the piece of bloody cloth in front of her, she might have fainted at the sight of Shane's exposed upper body. But as hard as it was to believe, more pressing matters captured her attention.

Shane's mind went to different possibilities of how Clark might be hurt. And the number of possibilities of how he could help. Had he been injured on the way here and did not want to bring it up out of fear that I would reprimand him?

Claire sat up and quickly tried to think of something to say. "I..." Her words eluded her. "I...I have a condition." That seemed to be the best choice of words.

"A condition?"

"Yes," she confirmed while standing up. "It is nothing to worry about."

Shane looked at the blood-soaked rag and then back at Clark. "This is very much something to worry about!"

Claire shook her head, but Shane continued, "Show me where you are hurt, I can stitch it."

She gasped again. "No! I assure you I'm all right."

Not being convinced by the tone, Shane scolded the boy in front of him. "You need to get treated for your injury or it will only get worse."

"No, I don't. I'm all right! Can we just forget about this and go to bed?"

That dark day entered Shane's mind again, when he last held a bloody rag, that of his wounded brother. He wanted to save Clark from his injury, to be there for him. Something he wasn't able to do with his own brother.

"No, I cannot forget about this. If I do, you will bleed to death in the morning."

God, this man is so stupid! Claire thought.

Shane continued to talk. "If you won't let me examine you, I'm going to call for the doctor."

"The doctor?!" Claire exclaimed. "It's midnight!"

"What else am I supposed to do? I need to make sure you're alright. And if you won't allow me to help, you will have to allow the doctor to help you."

This can't be happening. Claire thought. How could I have been so careless to forget the stupid rag in the stupid washroom?

"Shane," she started. "I promise you I am perfectly normal. I don't have an injury, just a condition that causes me to bleed."

"Then show me! Show me where you are bleeding, and I can help you. I used to hold a medical apprenticeship."

What? Claire found it strange that he used to be a medical apprentice, but she couldn't think about that now. "I can't show you."

Getting angry at the stubbornness of the boy, Shane said, "I'm going to call the doctor."

"I don't need a doctor!" Claire yelled in her highest, manly voice.

Ignoring her, he walked to his bag and put on a shirt. "I am going to fetch the town doctor."

The world felt more and more dizzy as the scene unfolded. Claire wanted to cry but she was too numb, the loud yelling from her and Shane was enough to give her a massive headache. Seeing that Shane was serious about going to call the doctor, in the middle of the night, in the middle of the rain that had started again, she knew something had to be done. "Stop!"

"What?"

I need to tell him the truth. I can't escape this. Weighing all her other options, she knew that telling him the truth about who she really was, was the least severe option. She thought about hitting him in the head and then running home, but she was so far from home, she had no idea where to go. She thought about letting him go to fetch the doctor and then bribe them to not expose her, but she didn't think the doctor would believe her. Even if he did, she did not want to spend her saved money on yet another doctor. She didn't even have the money with her.