Awakening (Book 2 in the Original BOC Series) ✔

Chapter Eighteen

"Here is your receipt, Ms. Hallden. We should have your prescription order ready by..." The older man with the spectacles lowered below the bridge of his nose, squinted at the screen he stared at in front of him. Looking up, the man stated, "Next Saturday." He smiled at Mara cheerfully, clasping his hands in front of him.

"NEXT SATURDAY?!" Mara asked in dismay.

Her obvious look of worry had the older man in the lab coat behind the counter become nervous. The older man frowned, the corner of his lip twitching. He glanced at Mara and droopily nodded to the side, stumbling with his words, "I'm afraid so..." The man looked at the screen again like he was making sure he read it correctly.

Mara ran her fingers through the front of her hair, groaning. She shut her eyes, shaking her head and then dropped her hand onto the counter to make a loud slapping noise. She pleaded that there must be a possible way to have the prescription ready tomorrow. But the man shook his head.

"What about... can't you let me have something until then? A week is TOO LONG!" But the man once again told her he could not. "Handing over a prescription without proper protocol is against policy, Ms. Hallden. And we have to run this prescription through the office of the prescribed doctor and it looks as though he won't be in until next Tuesday." He gave her an apologetic grin before shrugging like that settled everything and there was nothing else he could do.

Mara stared at the man in front of her and already she was feeling panic set in. But she knew it wasn't this man's fault. It was so irresponsible of her to not order the medication sooner. Now she'd have to wait a week to get them. Mara looked upward, sulking and reached for the receipt the man handed to her earlier.

Sighing, Mara gave the man a tiny smile. "I understand, thank you... see you next week." The man nodded, giving her a sympathetic smile before disappearing into the back.

'Great' Mara thought, turning around with a scowl at the ground.

Steven was going to be a mess to deal with for the next week. His mood swings were going to be in hyper drive; there wasn't really a way to figure out what temperament would appear one minute and then the next. Mara was going to suggest him to stay in the room and she'd bring him his food. She felt bad that he'd be caged up like an animal, but it's not like Steven would prefer to be downstairs anyway. But without his prescription, Steven was going to become a hassle.

Period.

And JUST when he was off to a good start!

Mara stuffed the receipt into the pocket of her jeans before looking up to see where Adam wandered off to. He had told her not to leave the area of the pharmacy but that he would be picking up some snacks that Lily asked him for before they left.

"Stay here" he told her. He pointed at her with a serious look and Mara nodded, waving him away.

Now she didn't know WHERE he was. He'd been gone for fifteen minutes now. Without a doubt, Mara guessed he might be looking at the assortment of peanut butter granola bars he loved so much and was torn between which to get.

She waited for him on a brown bench that was by the pharmacy window. She pursed her mouth, looking upward at the decorations hanging from the ceiling of the Walgreens they were in. The colorful decoration was spinning lightly with the breeze from the AC. Mara tilted her head, liking the sparkles the spinning ornament gave off from the lighting. Maybe she'd try to buy materials next time to make one of her own.

Mara sat back, holding out her hand to look at her nails. Their nail polish was chipped, making her nails look awful. Unfortunately, she only brought enough money for Steven's prescription and not a penny more. Frowning, Mara dropped her hand back into her lap. Her foot was bouncing impatiently, Mara leaning forward to look from one side of the store to the other.