My Life... Bleeding on the Bathroom Floor

I stared at my leg from where I was sitting. It's long gauze bandage was dotted with old blood, and the smell of disinfectant wafted from it. It's a sickening scent to me, I loathe hospitals, and yet I'm always stuck in them with some sort of self-inflicted injury and a story to cover it up...not that they actually work, but they keep the doctors off my case.

Me and Frankie are sitting in the waiting room of one of them right now, hand in hand. I know that he worries far too much about me, and I agree, he has reason. But I don't worry too much about myself, and he tries to make up for it with his own. We're in this dreaded place to begin with, just to get it checked out, the gash, I mean. I'm getting the bandage changed, and probably some worthless advice and a tube of ointment to smear on my leg when it airs out on occasion. I sighed aloud, I know everything there is to know about cuts, gashes, slashes, bruises, slits and slices, all because of my past visits to hospitals.

"Mercy?" Frank's voice called. I looked at him.

"Are you okay? You've been staring at the floor for some time now." The concern in his emerald green eyes earned a smile from me, a warm one at that. I love how his eyes change colors with the state of mind and mood he's in...it's phenomenal!

"Yes love, I'm fine. I'm just over thinking things again." he sighed. I kissed him on the cheek and rested my head on his shoulder.

"You know I love you more than life itself, right?" he whispered to me. I closed my eyes, and smiled more lovingly.

"Darling, I know this and the same goes for me. I love you so much it will probably be my downfall one day." He chuckled lightly.

"Actually it'll probably be the end of the both of us." I opened my eyes, frowning a little. What does he mean by that? I heard my accursed first name, and we both got up.

"Hey Marge."

"Hey Mercy, what is it this time, eh?"

"Leg."

"Ah. Come on, follow me." I should just have a room with my name on it! I mean it's not like it'll make a difference, they all look the same, and there's more than enough if you don't count the Therapist on the third floor... damn I spoke too soon. This one's gotplastic chairs instead ofmetal ones. I rolled my eyes, smirking at my sarcasm. I decided to make it like any other time I had been here, and seated myself on the bed, the annoying paper crackling under me.

"Mercy?"

"Yes?"

"How to you know the nurse out there -- Marge was it?"

"She's worked here a while. When I was thirteen she was the one to help out my doctor with a blood transfusion. Rather nasty day at home if I remember correctly." I smiled apologetically at Frank, knowing that I said a little more than he asked for. The door opened and a doctor walked in. New guy... ugh.

"Hello Ms... Phillips is it?"

"Please, Ms. Phillips is my mother," I shrank inside as I used the term. "Call me Mara, please."

"Alright then Mara, I can see you've done something to your leg. And it's nicely bandaged as well! Who's the artist?"

"My boyfriend, Frank over there." I smiled. He looked startled, but smiled and said a friendly hello, I don't think he likes this place either.

"Well, lets take a look if you don't mind." I nodded and took the bandage off myself, avoiding him touching me. Call me paranoid, but he's been eyeing me like I was a steak in a pack of starving wolves. When I revealed the cut, the instantaneous smell of peroxide was overwhelming, and moved back. The doctor whistled, his name tag read Dr. McLeod.

"Well, that looks seriously painful! How did this happen?" I rolled my eyes and told the story. It was not a lie, like the others... I just didn't tell him all that happened. Clever? I would think so.

"A loose tile... wow. No kidding? Well, I'll give you a cream to put on it to stop the pain, and I'll change your bandage. And I advise you get that tile fixed... I'll be back with your prescription." Dr. McLeod left and I looked at Frank for a second, then:

"I knew it!"

"What?" Frank looked so confused and cute. I smiled.

"I made a bet with myself that he would A) Change my bandage, B) Give me an ointment and C) Some useless advice!" He stared at me for a few more minutes and then began laughing.

"Damn, you're good!" I laughed along with him.

"So what do you want to do when we're done here?" he asked.

"What ever floats your boat baby." I was toying with the crackling paper.

"I was thinking lunch and... maybe a movie or a trip to Gee's house."

"I like the lunch idea, or... maybe we can phone all the guys and got to the movies! I hear that new horror flick is amazing." He nodded as the annoying doctor came back in with a slip of paper and a small hug... which I took reluctantly. He whispered in my ear.

"Stop jumping off of balconies okay?" I looked at him, angry and shocked. I was extremely close to slapping him, but instead threw him a dirty look and stalked off, Frankie jogging to keep up.

"What did he say to you?" Frank was getting into the car, driver's side.

"He told me to stop jumping off of balconies! The nerve of that... that... ugh!" I was seated and sinking low into my passenger's side chair, furious and slowly simmering in it.

"Let it go baby, I'll make sure we never have to deal with him again."

"I just need a doctor of my own... I hate going to that damned place. I mean how could they all be so fucking happy in a place that reeks of death and suffering?! It's insane! I would rather kill myself than tell a little girl that her mommy is dead, or tell a teenage boy that his grandma is not going to make it and that he has to move back in with his abusive parents!" Frankie was silent and it dawned on me that I just hit an untouched nerve in him... that was meant to be forgotten.

"Oh hell... Frankie I'm sorry baby... you're Dad... damn it all."

"He deserved it. Mom was in constant pain... and I was just another bullet in the gun... I'm glad that he got what he deserved, along with that an eternity in hell." he was gripping the steering wheel so tightly I thought it would pop like a balloon. I leaned over and kissed him lightly on the cheek, whispering so low only he could hear it, my lips brushing against his cheek ever so lightly. He released the grip on the steering wheel and sighed as we pulled to a halt in front of a stop light.

"Baby, let's just go home and relax. Save it till tomorrow to got out."

"Yeah, and I want to have as much fun as I can before Monday."

"Because we have to back to school?"

"Yeppers. I really don't want to, but damn do I need it!"

"You and me both Frank.... You and me both...."