Sang's Freedom (Original And Rewritten)

Chapter 21: Kota Checks In

-Chapter 21-

Dr. Green had to excuse himself when the bell rang. He might have been my doctor, but he was also a teacher and had a class to tend to.

I tried not to pout when he left. I wanted to go to Greek class, too.

Plus it was boring to be in this stupid white room by myself. I was literally doing nothing. It was my thirty minutes of "ice off." I reached for my book bag, digging out 10,000 Leagues Under the Sea. It was time for a little Captain Nemo.

"What are you reading, Sang?" Kota's smooth confident voice carried to my ears. I peeked under the book.

"10,000 Leagues, what are you doing here?"

He shrugged, taking a seat in a chair.

"Dr. Green, huh? He wants to make sure I do ice again?"

"Yeah," Kota admitted, preparing a set of ice packs. Kota had a surprisingly muscular build, with rich brown hair and calculating green eyes that flashed behind black rimmed glasses. When he turned, I paused at the sight of his lips.

Would he kiss me if I asked?

If I explained I didn't know what a kiss was?

"How bad is it?" The concern in Kota's voice reminded me of Luke. I hope he didn't think this was his fault, too.

"I'm bruised on my stomach a little, but I think Dr. Green is overreacting." I focused on taking a deep breath without wincing, but then Kota's fingers wrapped around my left arm, brushing over the exact spot my mother had pressed her cigarette to my flesh.

I cried out embarrassingly loud, jerking my arm away. Tears were already streaming down my face, not because of the pain, but because now Kota would have to ask--

"Let me see." His voice was so confidant, reassuring, and I looked up to see tenderness in his green eyes.

The look was so soft, so genuine, that before I knew it, I was letting the guy roll up the grey sleeve of my shirt. His fingers traced the ghosts of scars as he removed my makeshift bandage from my forearm. Kota was gentle, but winced at what he found underneath. "Has Dr. Green seen this?"

No 'How did this happen?' or 'I'm calling the police.'

"No."

"He should take a look, Sang. We don't want this to get infected or anything." Kota pulled out his cell phone without waiting for a response and sent off a text message. His phone buzzed a couple of times.

When he looked my way again, I was surprised to see a smile on his face. "Dr. Green will be back after his class, but here." Kota turned his phone revealing a picture of a little orange kitten curled up in a fluffy pet bed. There was another of the kitten asleep on a sleek black couch, and another where the kitten had fallen asleep atop a bookshelf. Beneath the picture messages was the text: Please share these with Miss Sorenson. I'm sure she will be pleased to know Simba is doing well in his new home.

I was pleased, so pleased that I was crying again and had to take a moment to wipe away my happy tears. "Who did Mr. Blackbourne give the kitten to?"

"I'm not sure, but--"

"Sang?" Dr. Green stormed into the tiny nurse room pulling my arm away from Kota. I was surprised to see him, considering the bell to signal the end of fourth hour had not gone off yet.

His doctor eyes scanned over my wound as I thought up a million answers to the question I hated most. How did this happen?

But Dr. Green didn't ask the question either. In fact, he didn't ask a question at all. "You're really lucky that I brought my medical bag today, little missy. Kota, please get the lidocaine, antibiotic ointment and some gauze for me."

Kota did as he was told and waited in the side chair as Dr. Green properly took care of my wound.

"That'll make it feel much better, Sang. If you're hurting, I could prescribe you some mild pain relievers?"

"No, thank you. The pain doesn't bother me."

The doctor made a face as I took a poor moment to struggle with an inhail. His hands found their way to my tummy and lower back, making me straighten despite the pain that tore through my center. "Take a deep breath for me."

I did and it came easier. Dr. Green slowly lowered me to the bed again, placing ice onto the wounds. "Eventually we are going to give you alternating heat and ice. As for your arm, burns can be very painful even as they heal, so if you find yourself needing some help, please do not hesitate to ask.

"And unfortunately, I have an unattended class to return to, but I will see you in a couple hours, okay Sang? Kota." The doctor nodded his way before giving a very kind smile my way and dipping out the door.

Kota looked back to me and laughed. "That's Dr. Green for you. He cares a whole lot more for his patients than he does for his students."

"So why did he take the job?" I giggled.

Kota shurgged. "It's part of the program that allowed him to get his Doctorate so early. If the program asks him to teach, he'll teach. Otherwise he's working down at the hospital or volunteering his time elsewhere."

"He seems very motivated."

"He just cares about people. He actually saved me a few years ago. He must have been driving by when I had fallen off the roof of my house. Dr. Green just whipped his purple car over to the curb and started yelling at my father that he was a doctor." Kota laughed at the memory. "The guy just scooped me up, throwing a business card in the grass for my dad once he got his butt off the roof, and then Dr. Green drove me to the hospital.

"I've never been in so much pain in my entire life. I had three broken ribs and a punctured lung that Dr. Green managed to deal with as he was driving. Can you imagine?" Kota laughed. "He had to reupholster his seats because I bled all over them.

"It was at the hospital that I met Mr. Blackbourne. He and Dr. Green are good friends. They are both a part of that program I was telling you about and--"

The bell scared us both and we broke out laughing. Kota leaned forward ruffling my hair.

"We can pick this up later. I just want you to know that as overwhelming as Dr. Green can seem, he is a really good person."

I giggled. "Kota, I already knew that."

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AWW ♡ What a Kodak moment.