Exceptional

Leigh walked through the all too familiar hospital with a tray of Starbucks coffee in her hand. As she walked closer to William’s room, butterflies erupted in her stomach. Sadly, they weren’t happy or excited butterflies, they were nervous ones. Today was the day of William’s first appointment with Dr Gio.

When she pushed the door open, she saw Jessica and Louise shouting at each other. Neither women noticed her as she walked in, but William did. Leigh left the coffee on the table and ran over to William’s side. He instantly turned to look at her with pleading eyes and she nodded walking overto Louise and placing her hand on the older woman’s shoulder, showing that no matter what, she was siding with William’s mother.

“What’s happened?” Leigh asked Louise.

“She won’t let me take William home!” Jessica screeched.

“Of course I won’t let you take him home!” Louise shouted back. “You are a threat to my son’s life!”

“Oh so he can stay with her? And what will she do? Fuck him senseless?”

“How many fucking times do I have to tell you? I have never slept with Will,” Leigh stated.

“Never?” Louise asked knowingly.

“Did you tell everyone about that?” Leigh asked William, trying to lighten the mood.

William didn’t answer, instead he looked down at his bed sheets, a red blush creeping up his pale cheeks. Leigh smiled at him and winked – causing his blush to deepen –before turning back to the two women.

“I think Will should decide.”

“Fine!” both women exclaimed turning towards William.

“What do you think I should do?” he asked looking directly at Leigh.

“I would like you to stay with me,” she replied honestly. “But the decision is yours to make.”

“I,” he started, than stopped swallowing. “I want to stay with Leigh.”

Louise smiled victoriously and Jessica stood there glaring at William, but he was staring at Leigh who was smiling softly. She walked round to the side of the bed and pulled him into a hug, which he eagerly returned.

“Go and get dressed,” Leigh whispered into his ear. “I need to talk to Jessica.”

He nodded and climbed out of the bed. Louise handed him a bad as he walked past and he smiled weakly at her. She reached up and pulled him into a hug as a single tear fell from her eyes. Leigh looked away from them and quickly wiped away a few tears of her own. William turned back and she smiled reassuringly at him. He smiled back and pushed the bathroom door open

“Listen to me,” Leigh hissed walking over to Jessica. “I don’t care what you want, William does not belong to you. No matter what you do to him, I will always be there to catch him.”

“That’s all you’ll ever do,” Jessica smirked. “You will never have William, not as long as I’m around.”

“I am quite content with having William as my friend. I won’t deny the fact that I love more than I should, but I have held back my feelings for William for the last four years, I can do it for another four if I have to. I am well aware of what you are trying to do to him and if I had my way, you would be back in New York or black and blue.”

“Is that a threat?” Jessica asked moving close to Leigh.

“Depends on whether or not you hurt him again,” Leigh replied standing her ground.

Jessica squinted her eyes at Leigh and tried to stare her down, but Leigh stood her ground and denied Jessica the satisfaction of winning. When she realised that this was fight she was never going to win, Jessica picked up her bag an walked out of the room, just as William came out of the bathroom.

“Ready?” Leigh asked smiling.

“Yeah,” he nodded.

Leigh walked over to William and laced her fingers with his. He smiled at the contact and wrapped his arms around her holding her to him. She instantly wrapped her arms around him and held him just as tight as he was her.

“No matter what happens, promise me you will never leave,” he whispered into her ear.

“I would die before I left you,” she whispered back.

~*~

“William,” Dr Gio said his hand resting on the door knob.

William glanced at Leigh and she squeezed his hand smiling softly. He breathed in deeply and stood up walking towards the door. Dr Gio closed it and Leigh fell forward, resting her face in her hands. She felt someone’s hand rub her shoulder softly and she smiled back at Louise.

“Are you ok?” Louise asked.

“I can’t complain,” Leigh shrugged.

“He does appreciate all you do for him you know?”

“I know,” Leigh agreed. “It’s just so stressful, I want to help him but I don’t know how. Every time I open the door and see him standing there, I want to attack Jessica, make her feel at least a little bit of what he suffers all the fucking time.”

“I’m surprised you haven’t,” Louise chuckled.

“Oh trust me, I nearly have many a time,” Leigh smiled.

Louise shook her head smiling and Leigh looked at the door. She could see dark figures moving behind the frosted glass and wondered what he was asking him and what William’s responses were.

After what could have been hours, William emerged from the room and walked over to Leigh and Louise who were standing up. He wrapped his arms around his mother and smiled weakly at Leigh. She kissed his forehead over Louise’s shoulder and brushed a piece of his hair behind his ear.

“Dr. Grannell?” Dr Gio stated.

“Yes,” Leigh replied walking over to him.

“How are you feeling?” he asked scribbling on a piece of paper. “Do you want some more sessions?”

“No, I’ll be fine,” Leigh sighed.

“If you say so. I need you to sign this prescription,” he told her ripping the piece of paper off the pad.

Leigh looked at it and nodded. The tablets weren’t for William, they were for her. Even though she wasn’t meant to self prescribe, she knew it was the only way she would be getting the tablets that had helped her get this far.

Leigh took the pen out of his hand and signed her name on the bottom. She said her goodbye to the doctor and pocketed the paper. William held his hand out for her to take and she did without hesitation.

“Thank you,” William whispered. “For everything you have ever one for me.”