Waves

CHAPTER 034

(}--|Four Days Later|--{)

NORA

Mouse woke Nora up at about seven in the morning. It was a Wednesday, but Nora wasn't going to be at school, since she had her doctor's appointment at Sydney Children's Hospital.

She was awake already, since her body had clocked itself on a schedule from waking at 6:30 in the morning five days a week for two months. But, she let Mouse shake her shoulder gently and pretended to stir, rolling onto her back and blinking up at him.

Mouse chuckled softly and said, "Time to get up, Nora. We have to leave in forty-five minutes."

Nora nodded and said, "Okay, good morning."

"Morning. Maxi's already making breakfast, since he's gonna go in at ten to help some of the guys out," Mouse explained.

"Thanks to Maxi, then," Nora slid out from under her covers and shivered slightly at the temperature drop. She turned toward her closet as Mouse walked out of her room, and picked out a set of leggings and a long sleeved shirt, since she was extra cold and she knew that being in a hospital wouldn't help. Hospitals were always too cold for her liking.

She brushed her teeth and put her hair in a ponytail, and then walked out of the bathroom to the smell of slightly burned eggs and absolutely scorched toast.

"Can no one other than me cook in this house?" Nora protested, holding her nose dramatically as she walked in.

Maxi and Mouse both laughed, and Harrison made a noise of protest from where he was sprawled on the couch, lazily paying attention to a Bondi Rescue episode as he scrolled through his phone. He was always doing that as of late, and Nora had caught him frantically typing on several occasions. She was suspecting a girlfriend, but she hadn't interrogated him as of yet so she had no idea.

"Sorry, Harrison, you can cook," Nora rephrased herself, "Sort of."

"I-hey!"

She giggled at the offended look on his face and then walked over to the island, where Maxi was setting plates out. He grinned at Nora, "Morning, Nora."

"Good morning, Maxi," She took a seat and grabbed one of the four plates, "Thanks for breakfast."

"Of course, kiddo," He ruffled her hair good-naturedly and smiled.

Nora ducked from under his arm and took a fork, digging into her eggs and pushing her toast aside. Well, if one could call it that. It looked more like a scorched pile of crumbs to Nora, which she wisely refrained from saying because toast could be a sensitive topic for Maxi.

Mouse finished eating first, even though he had two more eggs, but Nora followed soon after him.

Mouse checked his watch, and then said, "Put your shoes on, Nora. We've got to go."

Nora hurried after him. She hardly had to duck under his arm as he held the door for her, which was a little disappointing. She knew that she was small, but she still didn't like being reminded of it.

She followed her foreign exchange host out into the lobby, once again reminded at how above and beyond he was willing to go for her. It was very sweet.

Nora hopped into the back seat of the car and clicked her seatbelt on. She watched as Mouse started the vehicle and pulled out into the underground car park lane. Nora still couldn't get used to driving on the 'wrong' side of the road.

--

Thirty minutes later, Mouse was pulling into the parking lot of Sydney Children's Hospital. he put the car in park and Nora hopped out, waiting for him to round the car and lead the way, since she had no idea where she was going.

"This way," Mouse gestured in front of him toward the main doors of the hospital.

Nora moved to take a step forward, but a car sped in front of her only a whisker's width away. Mouse grabbed her hand and yanked her back as Nora gasped, her heart racing. "I-" She tried to speak but her voice was lost. This time, she didn't think it was because of her thyroid issues.

"Be careful, Nora!" Mouse scolded, sounding out of breath. He gripped her hand tighter and said, "Hasn't anyone ever told you to look both ways when you cross the street?"

Nora frowned at him, "Well, I guess," She replied uncertainly. She'd always known to look both ways before she crossed the street, but it wasn't as drilled into her head as it was for most kids, since she had such a strange childhood.

"Come on," Mouse tugged her across the street, holding her hand tightly, "We have a doctor's appointment to get to, and we will be late."