Page 57 of Perfect Chaos

“Y’all refused to see a doctor? Seriously?”

“I can explain!” Atlas beats me to defend the two of us and our worry over her state.

“I don’t want to hear it. That's so careless. Natali, can you please have the doctor come in to check them over? It’s no longer up to them; they will let the doctor do an exam whether they want one or not.” Maizyn’s words are unyielding, not leaving room for any arguments.

Natali is clever. I’ll give her that. Using Maizyn against us is definitely the best way to get us to do whatever she wants us to do.

Her eyes swing between Atlas and I, shooting us both a wink before looking back to Maizyn. “Of course. I will send a doctor in.” She turns to leave, pausing again to look at Maizyn over her shoulder. “You show a lot of promise. Not many people have the courage to pull the kind of stunt you did in order to try and save people they care about. I think we could be good friends. If that's something you would be interested in, get a hold of Ramos. He knows how to set it up.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you for everything, Natali. It means a lot.” Her eyes soften, the tension draining from her shoulders momentarily. Watching this, some of the tension in my own body loosens just a fraction. I make a reminder to thank Natali and Xeno at a later time. Who knows what would’ve happened if they didn’t get her out of the warehouse when they did. My body shudders at the intrusive thought. I shake my head, trying to clear it from my mind. Thanks to the two of them I will never have to find out.

“No problem.” Natali leaves, signaling for someone to get the doctor.

Maizyn stares daggers at us with her arms crossed over her chest until the doctor walks in a few moments later. He gives her a curt nod before turning his attention to Atlas first. He removes his stethoscope, motioning with it.

“I am going to check your vitals first. Are there any injuries I should be aware of?”

“Besides the restraint marks on my wrist, no. I don’t have any injuries.” Atlas turns his chair to create enough space while remaining next to the hospital bed, allowing the doctor to step forward.

“I will check those as well.”

Placing the stethoscope in his ears, we sit quietly while the doctor checks over Atlas. He doesn’t say a lot while he listens to Atlas’ heart and breathing. We watch in silence as he checks his blood pressure before inspecting his wrists closely. “Overall, you are fine. The restraint marks didn’t do any permanent damage. They should heal nicely after a week or so. Make sure to keep the wounds clean. Watch for redness, any oozing or if it starts to heat up as these can all be signs of infection.”

“Thanks, Doctor.” Atlas mumbles with indifference.

The doctor turns to me next, making me sit up straighter. “And you? Any injuries I should be made aware of?”

I sigh, already knowing where this is going. “I was in a minor wreck prior to everything else that happened. On top of the restraint marks, I'm sore from the seat belt and have burns on my arms and face from where the airbag deployed.”

“I see the small rash on your chin; it's definitely a chemical burn from the airbag. Can you remove your shirt so I can assess any damage to your torso?” He is clinical and to the point.

I hesitate. My weight shifts from foot to foot as I mull the request over. I already know I am about to reveal something I have been keeping a secret from Maizyn and Atlas. Their reaction is about to tell me if this was the smartest thing I have done in my life, or the dumbest. I take a seat at the foot of Maizyn’s bed. My body screams in pain as I reach down, grip the hem of my shirt, and gingerly peel it over my head. I hear a gasp from Maizyn. I look over to see her face, and I watch her eyes widen in shock.

“What the hell is that?” Her voice rises an octave while she sits up straighter in bed, her legs jostling my body.

“What? My newest tattoo? Do you like it?” I can hear my heartbeat in my ears while I wait for her to answer.

“No. I was talking about the bruising, but is that my bite mark?” She doesn’t sound pissed, so I guess that's a good sign.

“What else would it be?” The words come out harsher than I want them to, but who else has had their mouth on me, right where she bit down?

“What the hell is she talking about?” Atlas stands from his chair and moves closer. He can see the newer tattoo on my trap muscle, the fresh darker ink standing out against my older work. He crosses his arms, giving me a dirty look.

“When did you get it?” Atlas questions, sounding slightly upset by the entire ordeal.

“The morning after the woods. I went on lunch break while Atlas was in a meeting and saw my tattoo artist. I couldn’t help myself; I never want to forget that night.” I can’t help but smile at the memory.

“Why didn't you tell me you got it?” Maizyn speaks up, and if I am not crazy, she almost sounds hurt.

“I was going to surprise you, but then you came home telling us about Vin stopping you on the street, so I left.” I rush to explain myself. I had planned to tell them, but so much happened that stopped me from actually doing so.

“You got my mark tattooed on your body, permanently, and still left?” She seethes the words, her anger finally taking over.

The guilt of leaving eats at me even more, causing my gut to twist. I look down to my lap as I try to explain myself. “I didn’t want to go. You have to know that. I thought I was keeping you both safe by leaving.”

“Yeah, look how that turned out?” Atlas barks out at me. I flinch from his tone. I have never felt so wrong for an action as I do right now. I feel like a child being scolded for stealing a cookie.

“I messed up. I’m sorry.” I willingly let all the pain I feel in my heart seep through as I speak.