Chapter Three

Try not to be too distant 

Don't let your fears control you 

Stay alert with authentic kisses 

Filled with love 

Orion's Belt - Sabrina Claudio 

(...) 

Justin 

"Doctor Coleman, your next patient has just arrived." Amber, one of the nurses at the hospital, informs me, holding the door so as not to slam it. 

"I don't need to be announced, dear. Justin and I are friends, aren't we?" the short, gray-haired lady, holding a cane to help her walk, enters my room, almost knocking Amber over. 

I smile to see her. 

"You are absolutely right, Ms. Mary. Amber, prepare the X-ray room, please." she nods her head. 

She then leaves, closing the door behind her and leaving us alone. 

"How are you?" I ask her as she sits down in the chair in front of the white table. 

"I am fine as far as I can be, my son. I have missed our conversations. How's that heart of yours?" I smile at her. 

"Full of blood and beating in the right rhythm." I joke with her, and she pops her tongue into her mouth, making a beak. 

I let out a laugh. 

"You know what I'm talking about, kid. Don't play with me, I'll beat you up." she says in a scolding tone, and I hold myself back from laughing. 

"I'm fine, Miss Mary. Don't worry about it. What I want to know is how that knee is doing. Have you been walking like I told you to?" I take the last x-ray we did. 

"Yes, I have, although I don't think it's working. I feel my bones getting weaker and weaker and I keep falling down like a jackfruit." she laughs. 

"Don't talk like that, Ms. Mary. I have faith that you will be able to walk again without this cane."  

"Oh, my dear," she looks at me tenderly, "your optimism makes you unique, but let's face it, I'm too old to think about getting better."

"You are old, not dead, so we can do everything to make you live as well as possible," I wink at her. 

We leave my room and walk through the hospital, heading for the X-ray room. I talk to some of my co-workers. 

Once we arrive in the room, I ask her to remove any metal objects and lie down on the bed. I help her to get on the step of the small ladder, which is on the floor next to the bed. I would ask the radiologist to do this, however, she insists that I do the exam myself. 

Doña Mary already knows how the procedure works, so she doesn't move a muscle while I do my job. Which doesn't take long. 

After the exam is done, she sits on the bed, reorganizing herself and we return to my office. I wait for Amber to bring the results to me. 

I hear a knock on the door. 

"Here, doctor." Amber hands it to me. 

"Thank you. From what I can see here, the physical therapy and walking have been working, your knee is recovering well." I comment, holding up the x-ray plates and analyzing them. 

"This is very good, although I don't feel this improvement."  

"I assure you that you will, it really is a slow process," I shift my gaze to her. 

She gets up from her chair and approaches me. 

"You haven't answered my question."  

"Question?" I frown. 

"Yes, sir. How's that heart of yours? Any love in sight?" I give a nasal laugh and run my tongue over my lips. 

"I already told you that I only marry if the woman is like you," she laughs, shaking her shoulders. "I make quotation marks with my fingers. 

"You have no way, boy. I will repeat what I always tell you, when someone ties your heart, all your past will be behind you. It will be just a..."

"A memory of something good that I lived." I complete her sentence that I already know by heart. 

Doña Mary smiles and shakes her head in affirmation. She knows everything I have lived through and she is rooting for me. 

"That's right! I'm glad you never forget my words. They may not make any sense now, but I tell you that in the future they will, when the person who will blow your heart and mind arrives." 

For the first time in ages that I hear that same phrase come from her lips, I feel comfortable. 

"Thank you, Ms. Mary. You may rest assured that I will treasure your words," I kiss her cheek affectionately and she returns, "It was very nice to see you again. 

"I say the same. See you, Justin." She waves to me as she leaves my office. 

Being alone, I look at the time and realize that my twenty-four hour shift is over. I am exhausted. 

I take off my lab coat, placing it on my forearm, and gather my belongings to leave.  

"Where do you think you are going, handsome?" Even with my back turned I recognize the voice of Fernando, my friend, co-worker and neighbor.

"Home, man. I really need my bed."  

"No way, you promised to go with me to that bar tonight, and there's no point in trying to cake me." 

I snort. 

"Can't we just leave it for another day? I just finished a twenty-four hour shift." my voice sounds tired. 

"No point in whining, Grandpa. A promise is a promise. Besides, I also just finished my shift, I am as tired as you are, but our profession gives us very little time for ourselves, so let's go out and have a drink." He puts an arm around my shoulder, full of excitement. 

And, as much as I don't want to admit it, I know he is right. Being a doctor is a very demanding profession, so we hardly ever get to go out or take time off. 

We got into our cars in the hospital parking lot and drove to a small retro-style bar close to where we live. That way, we would have no problem on the way home. 

It was late afternoon when we arrived at the place, so there were not many people. We looked for the usual table and settled in. 

"Hi Justin" one of the waitresses, who is fond of me and we had already made out in the bar's bathroom, greets me, completely ignoring my friend's presence "What can I get you?  

She takes out a little notebook and removes a pen attached to the top of her hairdo. Asking both of them, but looking only at me. 

I see Nando's cynical smile. 

"Just beer, we're driving and we don't want any trouble, right?" I arch my eyebrows, staring at Nando, hoping he agrees with me. 

He rolls his eyes. 

"Of course, if you say so." 

"Right. Don't forget me..." the waitress finishes taking our orders and smoothes my hand with a look full of mischief. 

As she walks away, I take the opportunity to check out the material, the round ass and the protruding breasts. It's a delight. If I wasn't exhausted, as I am feeling today, I would pull her into that bathroom. 

"What luck, man. Too bad you don't listen to me, and you didn't even make a joke..." Nando makes me turn my attention to him, and I see that he has a mischievous smile on his face. 

I laugh nasally. 

"I am dead tired and my mind is full. This week only the most complicated cases appeared in that hospital." I lean back in my chair and let out a breath of air. 

"Really, this week has been a tough week. But that's not the only reason for you to be like this... After all, you have never complained so much about work as you have lately, nor have you had those little parties on the weekend when you are off. This tiredness looks like it has a name, a surname, and an address. Yes, those were good times, I drew many hot chicks in that guest room..." He smiles mischievously, looking as if he were immersed in his memories. 

I slap him on the back of the neck with a laugh. 

"Don't even start with that, Nando. It's not like that at all." 

"Oh, really? Just tell me one thing, am I delirious or did I see you going into my hot neighbor's apartment yesterday?"  

I laugh nasally and look down, shaking my head to the side. 

"Okay, you saw it right, but still, it is not at all what your perverted mind has fantasized."  

"So, I have a perverted mind? You keep an eye on her and I'm the pervert? By the way, what happened there? Did you have sex? Is she good in bed? With that body, she certainly must be." I laugh. 

"We did not have sex. What happened is that she was entering the building after buying a pizza after I left her apartment and we bumped into each other, and the pizza not only got on her clothes but also crashed on the floor. Since she was visibly irritated and tired, I offered to make her dinner. That was all."  

"Who saw you and who sees you, Justin... You're already making dinner for that girl, I've never seen you do that for any of your fucks." 

"Man, I just felt like I had to help her out. Fuck, the woman looked exhausted, I would be pissed too if they ruined the only thing that could satisfy my hunger after a day on duty. What did you want me to do?" 

"You're into her, aren't you? Admit it." Nando smiles. 

I look away briefly, staring at anything but him. 

"No, you're seeing a horn on a horse's head. She's not even my type." I shrug and Nando snorts. 

"That woman is everyone's type, Justin. Have you seen the size of those legs and that round, pert ass? I could fuck her all night long and never get tired." I might be irritated by the way he said it, but I know he is testing me.  

My mind goes back to the night before, when I noticed every part of her body and involuntarily feel my erection bothering me. 

Luckily, the waitress brings our orders, bringing me back to reality. And with that, I try to think of anything non-sexual, especially when it comes to Ella, to calm my instincts. 

"So you're telling me that body doesn't make you horny?" he asks, as he takes a sip of his beer.

"Yes, she is hot." 

"I thought you would disagree, which would be quite contradictory, since you keep talking about her every time we talk."

"What man in his right mind wouldn't want to have a woman like that in his bed? Only if he was crazy." I drink too. 

"So, you admit that you are in the mood?"  

"I just said it's just curiosity. She's not for me, she deserves better than me."

"Here you go again. When are you going to stop this, Justin? Damn it!" He gets bored every time we bring it up. 

"Enough of this, or else we're leaving." I lose my patience too. 

"Ok." he answers frustrated. 

Unwillingly, he gives in. 

(...) 

Some time passes, and due to the drinking, I feel tired. So we decide to leave.  

By the work of fate or whatever, as soon as we stop at the condominium where we live, Ella parks her car too. I realize that this will be just one more reason for Nando to bother me with this subject again. 

I get out of the car, holding my lab coat in one hand and watch my friend do the same, with a cynical smile, looking in Ella's direction. 

"Good evening, neighbor." Nando is the first to greet her, while he is leaning over the passenger seat, picking up his belongings. 

This position makes his buttocks protrude even more. 

"Hi, Nando," he answers without saying anything funny, getting out of the position he was in, "Good night." closes the car door. 

"How is the best lawyer in the building?" he asks jokingly. 

She laughs, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. 

"I think I'm the only lawyer who lives here, but to answer your question, I'm fine. And you? Good night, by the way, Justin." She looks away from him, at me. 

"Good night, Ella." I smile. 

"I'm very well and you look wonderful, beautiful as always." I just stare at my friend's gallant performance. 

"Thank you, Nando. Your kindness." she answers him a little shy. 

"Funny how polite you are with him, but with me it's the opposite." I couldn't explain why I said that. 

She frowns at me. 

"I just give back what is offered to me, if you're not satisfied, that's your problem." She holds her nose, staring at me. 

I get serious, but I swear that I want to laugh on the inside. 

"Good night to you both." she says and walks into the building, stomping hard. 

I let out a laugh after she leaves our sight. 

"And then she says she's not into it. You fool someone else, not me." I pretend not to understand.