Islands

7. The Island of Fish

      After a couple hours of rest, I awake and sit up, it is nearly 3. Mads types away on his laptop at his desk, shifting through papers beside him. I push myself to lean against the window, my body aches, my legs begins to awaken as sharp pains erupt in my knee. I hiss in pain, this attracted Mads's attention, sadly. He jolts up from his work, peering over reading glasses, which make him look way to attractive. He flings the glasses off and onto his desk, he moves away and begins to peer over me.

"What hurts?" It was like a demand, like he demanded I tell him.

"Its nothing." I say as I begin to move off the nook. He presses my shoulder.

"No, your staying right there. Let me get you some water and some medicine for the pain. But first, let me look." He flings the blanket off of me, and crouches down to my knee. He examines it.

"Its gonna be swollen for a couple of days. You need ice and lots of rest...obviously." He stands up and leaves me sitting on the nook, out the door.

Obviously. Was that a jab at me?

I cannot stand to be here any longer. I press a hand on the corner of his desk and prop myself up. I lean on my good leg and try to limp across to the chair sitting in front of Mad's desk. I nearly fall but I prop myself back up. I could hear the heavy, angry, footsteps approach the door. I sit in the chair that supported me and act casual. He places a glass of water and a bag of ice on the table. Moving around the front of the chair. Staring me down, I try to play innocent.

"You don't listen, do you?" His deep voice sounded even deeper.

"I don't listen to men who order me around like a puppet...that would be a crime against my feminist beliefs," I mumble.

His hands turn into fists, He crouches down to my knee and lightly pulls me knee towards him.

"I'm gonna unwrap it so that way I can ice it." He says reassuring me. I nod.

He begins to unwrap the brace, then the gauze. He doesn't look at me, but he does begin to talk again.

"Kristi and her cousins went fishing earlier, they used to do that a lot as kids. They plan to come back with dinner. Kristi wants you to meet the rest of the family, or her uncles and aunts and cousins, I mean," He explains.

"Tonight?"

"Yes. Now, Allison, that includes a nephew of mine, one I prefer that you stay away from..." He continues.

"You're talking about Ben, right? Why is he such a bad guy?"

"That's a family matter, nothing to concern yourself with..."

"Well, I am going to be family." My statement makes him cringe. God! he hates my family that much? He doesn't even know us. He presses the ice on my bare scar and I wince in pain.

"I would prefer, that you take my word for it." He says.

"Take your judgmental, arrogant, bigoted word, on the fact that your nephew is a bad guy?"

He clenches his jaw. "Damn it, Allison, would you just listen for once," He basically growls at me.

"Fine, but I want something in return..."

"You're safety isn't enough. I'm telling you to do this, for your own safety."

"I want you to stop being so rude to me. I understand you don't approve of my brother, but stop trying to make my stay here so difficult."

He groans. "That would be not talking to you at all..." He smirks.

"You'd enjoy that wouldn't you?"