Sack of potatoes

          "I am not hungry," He stated flatly, his voice low and cold. His eyes remained fixed on the container, refusing to look at her.

For several seconds, all she could do was stare at him in bewilderment. Her pride was hurt, no one had ever made her feel so insignificant before. Right, she agreed they belonged to a different caliber but he didn't have to spell it out to her face.

But she was not ready to let him win this battle. "Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you. But you're going to eat." She declared, her voice firm.

Jayden rolled his face away, his shoulders stiffening. "Get lost." He grumbled, his tone harsh and uncompromising.

Her chest rose heavily as she contained all her exasperation into a deep sigh. She remembered her earlier conversation with his mother, realizing how completely wrong when she thought Jayden could never be any worse than the most difficult patient she ever encountered. He was not only worse, he was beyond terrible and unbearable. However, her promise to make better of him still held and she wouldn't be backing down so soon.

"If you take these and your medicine, I promise to leave," her voice came back again after much thought on how to persuade him. She would give him what he always wanted, her absence, and in return, he would allow himself to eat and take his medication.

Jayden's eyes shot open when he heard her words, his head jerking in her direction. It seemed as though he had been pretending to not listen to her until he heard her offer. "Are you serious? You think I would believe you?" He queried, eyes narrowing to slits.

"Yes, I am." She nodded firmly.

His eyes narrowed further, his mouth twisting in disdain. "Why should I trust you? What if there is poison in it?" He interrogated further, his following question dropping a bomb of its own. "What if you are trying to kill me?"

The words hit her like an avalanche, causing her to stumble backward in surprise. "What?" She gasped, her mind reeling in confusion.

"You heard me." His tone was dark, filled with malice.

Maria was stunned and her thoughts were spinning. She couldn't comprehend why he would even say such a thing. He either had a huge problem of trust issues or he was just plain paranoid. Either way, he needed help. "Why would I put such a thing in there? I'm not queen Grimhilde." She retorted, frowning her brows hardly to show her irritation.

Her patient went silent, and his eyes lowered to stare at the fruit salad. His gaze lingered on the colorful slices as though inspecting them for any signs of poison. Maria waited patiently, watching him carefully. After several minutes of silence, he finally spoke. "You must really leave if I eat these," he stated, his voice low from the erupting pain that threatened to consume him.

Her face lightened with a smile, relieved by his decision. "And your medications, of course, I will."

He grunted before straightening up, putting all focus on the container in front of him. He reached out for the container, taking hold of the handle and lifting the container slowly from her hands. His fingers trembled slightly, exposing how severe his condition was. He couldn't even lift a plastic box properly without shaking.

"Let me help you." Maria offered, trying to take the meal back, and he flinched instantly, his eyes shooting up to meet hers with a glare.

"I don't need help." He snapped in deep rumblings, pulling the container away from her.

"Okay, then." She quickly said, knowing better than pushing him too hard.

Jayden returned his eyes to the salad, picking out a slice of apple. He held the piece mid-air, carefully examining it before biting into it. His teeth cut through the skin, and he chewed it slowly. The crunchy sound of his chewing echoed throughout the room. Maria watched him with great interest, fascinated by the process. He ate methodically, his attention focused solely on the food in his hand.

After swallowing the bite, he took another piece and repeated the same procedure. It took him more than ten minutes to finish half of the container, which was a lot considering his slow pace. When he was done, he placed the container down on the table, his eyes still fixed on the food.

"That's all?" Maria asked, surprised by how little he ate considering when last he ate something.

"Well, you did not state I must finish everything," Jayden replied without looking up, eyes still glued to the salad.

She frowned, her eyebrows lowering to form a deep line between her brows. He could be really cunning, but she didn't want to argue about it. Not now, especially since he was doing better than expected. "Well, you shouldn't keep up with this attitude. You need to eat well according to your required calories." She advised, moving closer to pack up the unfinished food. "It's important for you to eat well. Your body needs nutrients to function properly--"

"Just bring the drugs so you can get the hell out of here." He cut her speech off, proving he did not care to listen to whatever she had to say.

Maria stopped talking, her parted lips forgetting to close for a moment, surprised that he never failed to prove how extremely stubborn he could be. She was no longer sure if truly his accident made him like that. Someone had to be born with it to be this rude, arrogant, and downright disrespectful; or maybe he just specifically disliked her.

"Fine," she huffed, not willing to make the matter tough for any of them. She turned to get his pills where she had left them, including a glass of water. "Here, Mr. Stanley." She offered him the drugs, stretching an open palm towards him.

Jayden picked them up, complying in a manner that made Maria realize how bent he was on having her gone. He dumped the pills inside his mouth and refused the water she immediately tendered to him. Instead, he swallowed the pills down dry, his throat moving in a tough motion, without a single drop of liquid.

The doctor was floored to see him take such an amount of pills without requesting for some water to flush it down. Was that his way of showing his dislike for the drugs? Or perhaps her? Whatever his reason might have been, he certainly succeeded in making her feel unwelcome.

"Now, go away." He ordered, turning his attention away, and his six-foot-three height came towering above her as he rose from the sofa.

"Where-where are you going?" She immediately questioned his movement, concerned he was not in the best state to walk around.

"None of your business." He muttered, passing her side and moving deeper into the room with staggering steps. "You'd better be gone before I come back," he added before retreating further.

Maria stood rooted to the spot, wishing she could check his current temperature before their meeting ended. "At least, let me explain how you should take your medicine at night." She softly persuaded, hoping he would at least show interest but her words were met with silence, and she found herself standing alone in the middle of the room, staring at his back.

Her gaze followed him, wondering what exactly he wanted to do. His frame continued moving until he halted beside the large bed, and fell heavily onto it like a sack of potatoes. His head hit the mattress with a thud, and he remained there unmoving, his breathing heavy and slow.

The sight amused Maria, and she chuckled, shaking her head. "You mean when you come back from the dreamland?" She teased the sleeping man, unable to resist the urge.

She moved to the table and dropped a note on top of the table, where he could easily find it. That would guide him on how to use his drugs for the evening. With that done, she decided to leave but turned to give him one last look. Her eyes lingered on his face for a while, noting the tiredness in his expression. He stirred slightly and his eyelids fluttered frequently but he did not wake up. "I will be off now, goodnight Mr. Stanley. See you tomorrow, and you better not fight with me." She spoke, enjoying the freedom to say whatever she wished in his oblivious state.

Deciding to let him sleep peacefully, she turned for the already opened doors, her heels marching towards them. The moment they closed behind her, Jayden flickered an eye open to verify the doctor was really gone and breathed with relief to see no traces of her. "Pest." He grumbled under his breath, rolling over and burying his face in the pillow before finally drifting into slumber.

***