Enemies with Benefits 2

Chapter 21: Weed amongst flowers

Steven was discharged fairly quickly. Stavros returned to the room where Steven and Colby were still sitting together on the bed. They had been idly chatting for a few minutes, mostly about Colby's own life. He had strangely specific questions to ask. Questions about child abuse and what could be done if noticed by a teacher and what could happen to the child if serious action was taken. Very specific questions that Steven answered to the best of his legal knowledge, but he resisted the urge to ask why Colby was curious about such things. Then Stavros walked in. He acted naturally enough but oddly professional at the same time. He had been so playful before and even when he was concerned about Steven's nose, he was affectionate in his evaluation of his injuries. That usual energy of his, that relaxed smile he always donned, both were lacking their usual genuine appearance. Steven noticed it and Colby did too. It made the room uncomfortable to say the least.

Eventually, Stavros signed some paper, spoke to a nurse, turned to Steven and spoke: "That's it. You're free to go." The nurse came back in and handed Steven a box of medication. "Two a day, it'll help the swelling go down and treat the pain."

"Thank you," said Steven to the nurse. She smiled and left the room.

It was quiet after that. Colby cleared his throat and stood up. "I- um- I better go find Ezra."

"He's in the smoking area out back." Stavros told him.

"He better not be!" Steven's parental instincts kicked in almost instantaneously. "He's a doctor, for god's sake, what's he doing a stupid thing like that for."

"He's not smoking, he never smoked," said Colby.

Stavros laughed. The sincerest action he'd taken since he came in the room. He seemed to notice himself, and wiped the smile of his face. "Ezra's just out there for some fresh air."

"Oh, thank goodness." Steven placed a hand on his forehead and sighed. The mere idea of Ezra doing something like that could cause him to have a seizure.such a stupid thing to do. The health ramifications, the tooth decay, the smell! And for what? To look cool? He hoped that Colby and Stavros weren't lying, but Steven had no idea what kind of people worked at this hospital. What if Ezra was getting into a bad crowd at his work? What if they were peer pressuring Ezra to start smoking?

Colby left the room. Stavros didn't come sit next to Steven like he did before. Instead, he sat on a chair across from him.

"Do you smoke, Stavros?" He asked both to further investigate the moralities of the doctors there and to fill the odd distance between them.

Stavros smiled. "I don't anymore."

"When did you?"

"Back when I was a teenager. I mostly did it to piss off my dad, but it is quite addicting. I quit when I met..." his sentence trailed off and a pondering look took over his sweet face. Steven didn't need to hear the rest of the sentence though. A bitter taste settled on his tongue even though he didn't speak the name that Stavros didn't want to say out loud, but he could see it. See the black ink and flowers surrounding the name on Stavros' shoulder, beautiful in its design, frustratingly beautiful and a much nicer name than Steven: Andreas. It was like Ezra's 'work dad' all over again. How strange to hate a man he'd never met.

"You look troubled."

"I think I am troubling you, if anything."

"No!" Steven insisted before even asking why. "You're not. Of course you're not."

"I didn't know Ezra was your son."

"I didn't know you were his work dad."

"What?"