Waves

CHAPTER 035

NORA

Sydney Children's Hospital was huge. Nora felt like an ant as she walked through the main entrance, holding onto Mouse's hand still and watching the kids and the parents already in the lobby, some looking more sick than others.

She was still holding Mouse's hand, yes, and she was grateful for that. Nora didn't know how she would deal with the pressure of people looking at her sympathetically and being in such a large place without at least a little bit of comfort. Thankfully, her foreign exchange host seemed to understand that, and he squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"It'll be alright," He whispered into her ear.

Nora nodded along with him, even though she wasn't quite sure if she believed that or not. She would wait for the doctor to tell her whether he thought she was alright or not, and then she would make an opinion.

But what if she wasn't alright? What if the doctor told her that she was sick, and she needed surgery, or medicine, or something that would cost a lot of money? Nora thought back to the 400 million dollars in her bank account from her parents, which would probably more than cover the surgery or medicine that she would require.

Yes, that's what she would do. She didn't want Mouse to have to pay for something super expensive like chemo, or a thyroidectomy. It would eat her alive with guilt, and swallow a lot of Mouse's paycheck, which she didn't want for him. Already, he was paying for four people to live in his apartment, he didn't need anything else to be added on.

Mouse led Nora over to the front counter and leaned over so that the receptionist could spot him. "Hi," He said, "Michael Jenkinson and-" He paused and looked at Nora, "Eleanora Kane."

The receptionist clicked something on her computer and then said, "Dr. Hudson Matthews?"

"That's the one."

"He's ran long in his last appointment, so we'll have a nurse call you in when he's ready for you, alright sweetheart?" The receptionist turned her eyes on Nora.

Nora just nodded meekly, feeling overwhelmed.

The two of them walked over to the waiting area and sat down. Nora perched on the edge of her seat, only half paying attention to a group of small children playing house in the corner. It was a cute little bunch that reminded her of her own bittersweet years of childhood, and on a normal day, Nora would have enjoyed the sight. But it was not a normal day.

Mouse pulled out his phone and typed out a text to someone, and it vaguely occured to Nora that maybe she should check her own mobile device. She knew that Talia had texted her, although she hadn't looked at it quite yet. And, she knew that the boys were probably spamming her, but she didn't want to bother with replying because all they would do is text her more and she couldn't have the distraction.

Nora sighed softly and scooched back into her chair, pulling her knees to her chest and resting her chin atop them. She looked out the window directly across from her, watching as a brightly colored, unfamiliar bird pecked at the seed in a feeder. It was a pretty bird, but Nora was only half watching it. Everything seemed to be at least partially underwater to her.

"Eleanora Kane?" That was the second time that day that her full name had been used, and Nora didn't like it.

Mouse stood and walked over to where a nurse dressed in burgundy scrubs smiled at them. Nora followed sullenly after Mouse, regretting the trip to the hospital for fear of what would happen next.

"Are you Eleanora?" The nurse asked her with a kind smile.

"It's just Nora, please," She told him, attempting to return his jovial expression but failing miserably.

"Alright, Nora, I'm Zayne. I'll be your nurse when you visit Dr. Matthews, alright?"

"Okay," Nora agreed. What else was she supposed to say?

Zayne the nurse turned and led her and Mouse through the hospital halls. They took the elevator up as Mouse and him made small talk. Nora didn't engage, since her nerves were so raw that she wasn't sure if she could form a coherent sentence or not. Which was kind of funny, too, because she'd seen a doctor before, and she'd been to a hospital before, so why was this time any different?

Nora'd had health scares in her past before. Passing out and having seizures when she exercised was one of them, and doctors had never quite figured that one out. Nora wondered if they ever would. She'd also had a few random seizures over the years that never amounted to anything and she wasn't even taken to the hospital for. Nora had concluded that she probably had some sort of epilepsy that didn't strike very often, or there was something with the weather that made it hard for her body to endure.

Still, she hadn't had a single seizure the entire several months that she'd been in Australia, and the weather was pretty extreme.

"Nora?"

"Sorry, what?" Nora looked up at Zayne, who was watching her with concern.

"I said you need to take your shoes off to step on the scale," He repeated gently, having realized that she had just spaced off.

"Okay," Nora stepped up on the scale and watched as the number climbed all the way to 80 pounds. She frowned. She'd always been small, but eighty pounds for an eleven year old was definitely closer to the tiny side of things.

"Aaand step underneath the measuring stick," Zayne instructed her.

Nora stepped underneath the measuring stick and watched as he took her height. "How tall am I?" She asked curiously.

"Four feet three inches," Mouse relayed back to her.

Wow, and she hadn't grown a single inch in height. If she kept going this way, she might have to call herself chronically short.

"Come this way," Zayne led the way down the hall, away from the measuring stick and scale. He opened one of the heavy wooden doctor's office doors and led them inside, where he pulled a gown out from under the bed and said, "Put this on, please, Nora. The doctor and I will be back in about five minutes."

And with that, he turned and left.

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HOW IN THE WORLD?!?!

I have 2k reads, guys. I never expected that to happen. Thanks so so so so much for being a part of this story, and for sticking with Nora's journey! I have so enjoyed the votes and the comments and I look forward to seeing them every single day. Thanks so much again and have a great day/night!

That_Fanfic_Kid