The Wall Between Us

Chapter 9: Recovery(Scarlett)

Scarlett slowly pried open her eyes, squinting against the light. As she glanced around the room at the white walls and medical supplies and machines she quickly realized she was in the clinic.

What am I doing here? She pondered, searching her brain for an answer. Wasn't the animal festival today? She clutched her head as a sharp pain shot through her.

She reached up and touched her head, finding a bandage on her forehead.

What happened to me?

The sound of approaching footsteps drew her attention to the door. Ford walked in with a clipboard in hand.

"Ah! Good, your awake." He smiled at her and set his clipboard on a table in the corner of the room. "How are you feeling?" He asked.

His voice was kinder than usual and it took her by surprise. Usually, he always sounded so gruff and stern. His concern for her well-being seemed genuine enough.

She shrugged. "Fine, unless you count the migraine?"

His eyebrows arched up above his glasses but he didn't question her further, instead, he went over to the wall and grabbed a stethoscope.

He put it on her chest and listened for a moment before speaking. "Your breathing is steady, that's good." He said.

"What happened?" She sighed as he removed his stethoscope.

"You might not remember, but Fred's cow knocked you out," He responded. "You had a pretty nasty fall, luckily you only suffered a small concession and a sprained ankle."

"Fred?" She said it was an unfamiliar name.

"Oh!" The doctor slapped his forehead. "Forgive me, he was the third contestant at the festival, the one you tried to help?"

Everything slowly came rushing back, to the moment she was laying on the hard, sandy ground.

"Please be alright..." His soft voice filled her mind. 

Her cheeks flushed red as she vaguely remembered his touch and the warmth of his hands. 

He must've brought her here.  

Although she didn't want to admit it, she was glad it was him that came to her aid and not anyone else, even if it sounded selfish.

"You're going to have to take it easy for a couple of days until your fully recovered." Ford's voice broke her from her thoughts. "Here."

He handed over her discharge papers and a pair of crutches, then helped her off the examination table.

"What about my farmwork? Can I still-"

"Absolutely not!" Ford cut her off. "Frank will take care of all your needs, all you need to do is rest."

Scarlett sighed. Well, he's back to his usual self now.

"O-of course!" She averted her gaze.

He helped her out to the lobby and she was surprised to find her uncle waiting there, seeming immersed in a cooking magazine.

"Uncle Frank, what are you doing here?!" She asked although she already knew the answer.

"Scarlett!" He jumped up, dropped the magazine, and ran to her side. "Are you okay? I was so worried!"

They hugged before letting go. 

"I asked him to take you home," Ford explained to her. "Plus you'll need someone to keep an eye on you."

When they left the clinic Scarlett learned that a day passed since the animal festival. Frank told her everything she missed, including how the festival was canceled because of the incident.

"What about the guy and his cow? Are they okay?" She asked.

Frank laughed. "Don't worry they're both fine. Hector and I calmed his cow down before things could escalate any further."

Her mouth curved into a smile, however, she tried to swallow the guilt of not helping sooner.

"I hope you don't mind, but I wrote to Marlene earlier this mornin' about your injury?" He confessed, with an uneasy grin.

She shook her head. "Don't worry about it, to be honest, the only thing I'm worried about is Father's outtake on this."

***

Back at home, she headed to the bathroom for a quick bath while Frank went to the kitchen to scrounge up some dinner for the two of them.

She ended up staying in for longer than she intended letting the hot, steamy water soak into her pores. Once dressed, she joined her uncle in the dining room.

"Herb & Rice with fried chicken!" She gasped in delight. "It smells delicious."

"Sure does, I'll have to thank Wayne for the recipe," Frank told her.

Scarlett gave a half-smile, completely taken aback. "Wayne...did?" She asked staring at her plate of food.

"Yup, said it's a healthy choice and easy on the stomach." He replied, eating a spoonful of the rice.

She took a bite and sighed in bliss. "Wow! I never had anything like this, it's delicious and the rice is so soft."

Frank chuckled as he rubbed his stomach.

"I'll let him know ya enjoyed it, he'd be delighted to hear it!" He said and she blushed.

"Wait?! Uncle, no I-" But he wasn't listening.

He began talking about his other dishes, how he might even rival Brad's cooking. She knew how good of a cook the postman was since he practically had to teach himself everything after his grandparents passed away.

Whenever he talked of his grandparents he often gets teary-eyed, she could tell he thought the world of them. He confessed once he wished they visited the towns because he knew they'd love it.

It was a sweet side of him she cherished. He deserved everything the world could give him, and it wasn't her, at least not in this lifetime.

They'd been friends for nearly 5 years, yet no matter how much she wanted to tell him her deepest fears, she couldn't, or rather she feared what he would say more than anything.

It was her burden alone and no one else's.

"Y' know," Her uncle said as they sat down on the sofa in the living room. "Wayne was pretty shaken up when I met him at the clinic yesterday. Poor fella kept blamin' himself for ya gettin' injured and all."

"Heck, Hector and I tried our best to explain it wasn't his fault, however, he didn't want to believe a word of it.

Scarlett blinked, unsure how to reply. He's known for being an emotional guy, however, usually, she'd be the one blaming herself not the other way around.

She wondered if she truly knew him at all.