Lovesick

Melonie's stomach churned at the mere thought of her twisted comfort. She was at ease with the weakened rhythm of her mother's heartbeat but only because the possibility of its absence terrified her even more than the low frequency at which it was pumping. Along with the steady beeping of the monitor, breaths seemed to escape her dying mother's mouth at an even more leisurely pace. The cleanliness and purity of the white walls did little to comfort her, it was a stark contrast to the outside world that she was used to and so was the calm in which the room was adorned. Melanie wasn’t used to the calm, in fact, she wasn’t used to anything less than chaos. As the monitor serenaded her with the rhythm of her mother’s withering heart it reminded her of the perilous state the world had come to be in. Each beat seemed to be weaker than the last and just as her heart wilted with every beat the world did so with every passing day. She was going to recount the lessons she had remembered from her years of history classes when a knock came at the door and she said, “Come in.” She didn’t even bother tidying herself up, the nurse was used to seeing her this way. A nurse walked in, only it wasn’t the usual young woman with the sweet voice that normally took care of her mother. It was a tall man with an infectious smile and a pair of alluring eyes. The kind that seem to be boring into you only to find out it’s you that's doing the staring. Those pleasant thoughts soon faded when she realized he was laughing at her. It was obvious he attempted to hold it back, it was also obvious that he wasn’t sparing much effort towards the endeavor. The man’s behavior completely baffled her, so much so that she actually found herself rummaging through her bag for the first thing she could find to throw at him. Her slim fingers wrapped around the end of a hairbrush and she hurled it directly at his head. A clean hit. The laughter had vanished as well as the barely contained smile that decorated the nurse's handsome face. He wasn’t the only one who had a change in expression. Melonie’s glowering look was painted over by one of fury. She was fuming. Surprisingly the man wasn’t angry, he was still smiling. It was just a different kind of smile, one that she couldn’t place. Of course, she wasn’t much of an expert on facial expressions especially ones that convey positive feelings. “You know, normal people at least introduce themselves before throwing things at them.” Said the nurse. “Normal people also don't walk into a hospital room where a girl is sitting over her dying mother and then start laughing at them.” An awkward silence loomed for a moment but only for a moment before the man resumed talking and his tone was just as cheerful as before. “I’m sorry…” He shuffled there for a moment looking around the room then shot over to the sink where he grabbed a couple of paper towel and handed them to her. “Here, it's just that you had snot running down your face and...Ummm, Sorry.” “You said sorry twice.” “Sorry… It’s my first day.” He seemed awkward which was odd, he didn’t seem like someone who was akward often. “I think not laughing at someone whose mother is dying is common courtesy.” Her tone was bland and her words blunt, she was so angry yet so fascinated. Even though the nurse's actions still had her face red and her fists balled she couldn’t help but think that the shuffling was cute. The weirdest part about the entire situation was, she had never thought about anyone as cute before. As weird as that may sound it was even weirder for her. She’d always thought something was wrong. So did everyone else, her mother had even taken her in to see a doctor. Everyone was just as baffled as she was. They’d even went as far as telling her she was an anomaly. Apparently ever since The Concord, she was the first person to pass the age of eighteen without either finding their soulmate or becoming lovesick. Just hearing the latter was horrifying. It was the same or even worse than being told you're terminal. “You’re right, now let me see here.” He completely brushed her off and checked on her mother. As if he hadn’t just insulted her with his actions. His every move angered her while at the same time she found him cute. Insufferable yet adorable. Was this what it was like to actually like someone. Was this it? No, she wouldn’t even consider it. There was always that hope that the only reason she had yet to find ‘the one’ was that it was going to be perfect, like something straight out of a movie. She decided not to let this go further. “Where’s Emma?” “Sick.” “I just spoke to her yesterday and she seemed fine to me.” “Well did she tell you today was her birthday?” He spoke the sentence as if it meant nothing but the words took hold of her stomach and turned it upside down. Melony paled. She and Emma were only acquaintances through the tragedy of her mother's illness. Things like that never really came up and even though it hadn’t come up she’d kind of assumed Emma was either too young for or safe from lovesickness. The nurse's words said otherwise. Tears stung her eyes but no matter what, she wasn’t going to cry in front of him again. He’d probably just laugh. In all honesty, she actually wanted to hear the laugh again. “Wow.” She left it at that, the man finished checking everything with her mother and didn’t say another word. After what he’d just said the room took on a grim atmosphere. He assured her that everything was in order and left without so much as a goodbye, he hadn’t even told her his name. When the door shut behind him a weight was lifted off her shoulders. She had been waiting for the last check from the nurse before she left for the day, now she could go, luckily she still had a while before dark too. With a quick kiss on the cheek and a goodbye, she left the room. The moment the cool hallway air graced her bronze skin yet another weight was lifted. The elevator was a short walk from the room and the exit a short ride from there. The time passed sluggishly and she couldn’t wait to get out of the hospital. Every moment here was like a thousand outside, the gloom of the people and the neat, organized environment suffocated her. The elevator ride ended and melony stepped out. Her eyes wouldn’t leave the exit doors as she did so. Getting out of here was her number one priority. Promptly after her first step forward someone smacked into her side and sent her sprawling. All she wanted was to get out of here so whoever knocked her down was going to get it. At least that's what she thought until a soft hand gripped her shoulder and an even softer voice spoke up. “Are you ok?” The worry in the baritone voice seemed totally unwarranted for the situation but she liked it. Her neck careened upward to see where the voice had originated. Another pair of those eyes, only these ones didn’t make her want to blacken them. It actually took a bit of effort to look away. That simple fact made her face burn and she quickly got up and took off for the doors with a round of apologies pursuing her. Before exiting the hospital she spared a glance back and the guy was just standing there watching her. There was no smile but for some reason, she took particular interest in his jawline. Why? It made no sense but instead of worrying about it she just pushed through the double doors and left the feeling behind. She was free. Finally, she was out. The cool air and a burst of gunfire erased the girlish thoughts from her mind and instead, a demeanor of the hardened survivor she really was took over. Even with the confinement of the hospital behind her those two pairs of eyes lingered but she shoved it them down somewhere deep inside with hopes of them staying there. In a world where love was the deciding factor in one's survival, affection was weakness yet, it was strength. The broken city was splayed out before her and she didn’t hesitate in taking off into the ruins of the once great concrete jungle. Its original name was long forgotten, known only as a part of The Brink. The hospital that she left behind was the only thing in the godforsaken place that wasn’t either rubble or in the process of falling apart. Her things were safely hidden beneath a broken staircase inside a small office building nearby where she had just enough room to conceal her pack and cover the hole. It was also away from the prying eyes of the hospitals sentinels. Melony retrieved her things and strapped a holster to her thigh. She placed her Glock inside it, tossed the pack over her shoulder and took off in a steady jog. The Brink was quiet this time of day. People either hunkered down for the night or hid from the lovesick and hoped not to be found because not everyone had a safe place to stay. She heard no more gunshots since leaving the hospital. A scream rang out in the empty, smog-filled sky and she hastened her pace. The Valentine hour was starting and no one wanted to be outside when it did.