Invisible String

Chapter 8: Break Free

"You've never liked cardio, Rob." Lizzie crossed her arms over her chest. Since getting into medical school, all Robert ever talked about was finishing his residency and getting a neurosurgery fellowship. Cardiothoracic was never one of his options. "Stop harassing my colleagues. Just leave, okay?"

"You know, I never pictured you as a girl that has a type."

"What do you mean, Robert? I'm in no mood for your riddles."

"You're sleeping with him, aren't you?" his accusation was so ridiculous and absurd that she had to hold back a laugh. According to him, every man was her type. His jealousy was suffocating at times, to the point she couldn't have any male friends or he would accuse her of sleeping with any man she ever talked more than two words with.

"Not this again, Rob. And even if I was, it would be none of your business." she rolled her eyes. "Please leave, or I'll call security on your ass." Lizzie threatened. It was easier to be bolder when he couldn't press her against a wall or throw something at her.

"Fine, fine." Robert mockingly raised his hands in rendition before walking away. "I'll see you later, sweetheart."

"Are you okay?" Connor asked once he was gone.

Was she? Probably not.

"It's fine." she brushed it off. "It's just Robert being himself."

He didn't press it further, thankfully.

Lizzie blinked a few times, the edges of her vision a little blurry. Maybe I need glasses, she thought.

"I'll go get some coffee, you want some?" she offers, hoping that a little caffeine and sugar will help put her head back into place. When he shakes his head, she stands from the bench to go to the coffee cart, but is sabotaged by her own body. Her head spinned, and she held onto the edge of the table to regain her balance.

"Lizzie?"

"I– I got up too fast." she laughed nervously.

She tried to walk and managed to take a few steps towards the coffee cart, but her vision got more blurry until it started to darken, her head spinned again and a second later, she was falling.

🦷

The first thing Lizzie's brain registered was the warm floor under her. Then she heard the sounds of children playing in the background, and her eyes felt like they had been glued shut.

"Lizzie?" someone called. "Hey, I need some help here!"

What happened? Lizzie tried to say, but her body wasn't responding.

"Lizzie? Liz?" someone else called.

Elizabeth forced her eyes to open, the sun was bright and it blinded her at first.

"Ouch." she mumbled. She was lying down on the ground near the doors to the hospital with Will and Connor hovering above her, both watching her with concerned looks.

"Hey, hey, careful." Connor cautioned as she tried to sit up, keeping his hands on her back as if he was expecting her to fall on her head. Did she fall on her head?

"Look who returned, our Sleeping Beauty." Will chuckled from above her. He had a playful smile on his face, but she noticed the wrinkles around his eyes that showed that he was worried. Not that his worry was news, he was always worried.

"Ha, ha." Lizzie groaned. "What happened?"

"You passed out." Connor explained.

"Great. More humiliation."