Me, You, and Mason

32

They drove over six hours to their destination, anxiety rocking them all the while. And once Darcy was lying down under the care of a doctor, the procedure seemed quicker than the blow of a candle by comparison.

Sage had just gotten comfortable in his seat in the waiting room.

With sweaty palms and nervous fingertips, he drummed and tapped and busied his hands with his phone.

There was nothing awaiting him on the device.

His bandmates enjoyed a morning off from rehearsals, sending thumbs up to his late night text informing them of today's cancellation.

Social media was the same old shit— a cycling echo chamber that, lately, felt as if it had been numbing his brain.

He watched the clock above the receptionist, seeing that only fifteen minutes had flown.

He sunk in his chair a bit, figuring he'd strap himself in for what would surely be another hour.

He wondered if they should've eaten again before they came.

Their drive was a non-stop one that only included a stop for gas before leaving Mason's city limits. Sage packed sandwiches and juice pouches for the road, but it'd been almost three hours since they polished them off.

He googled if she could eat, then what to eat to ensure an effective recovery.

But five minutes after picking up a lifestyle magazine propped for perusing, Sage's eyes widened at the sight of Darcy emerging alongside a nurse.

"What happened? You straight? They wouldn't see you? They couldn't do it? Did you have second thoughts?"

Darcy blinked, processing his rushed words and wide eyes.

She spurred his subsequent relief, "I'm okay. The whole thing was quick."

"You tellin' me!" He chortled while taking her belongings for her, a jacket bunched in her hands and the purse wrapped in it.

"You sure that's it?" He asked.

She smiled and nodded, "Yeah, that's it."

"Okay... Okay, cool," he nodded, letting his anxiety fade.

"Well, you okay? How you feel?" He pushed a few braids out of her face and rested a hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah. I'm just ready to go home."

"Home? We gotta' get'chu somethin' to eat first."

"We can grab a burger on the way."

He trailed her as they both were escorted to an alternate exit, designated specifically so protestors could be avoided.

"Nah, I need to get'chu some salmon or somethin'."

That did sound good right about now, she thought.

"What's the occasion?" She asked.

"The need for antioxidants and, uh, Omega-3 and stuff like that," he affirmed although he didn't sound too sure.

She teased him with a slight smile, "You was in here googlin' shit?"

"Hell yeah," he chuckled. "I had to do some quick research."

"And what'd you learn?"

"That, uh... you need protein and... rest," he nodded with more confidence this time.

She laughed lightly. "They probably had some pamphlets in the waiting room. Did you even look?"

His hesitation was enough of an answer.