Rose Petals

Chapter Eight

Clementine
The hue of the lights were dimmed and it was a peaceful scenario, my eyes took in the vibrant colors of the walls in the dimmed room, the throbbing in my head was the only thing I could honestly feel at the moment. Thankfully the lights were dimmed because my head would be severely pounding if the light was too bright, I was thankful for the person now looking over me as Dr. Flanton was no longer here. Now, that was a funny looking man with deep green eyes that were slightly large for his face, his lips were pinched tight against one another when his mouth wasn't moving, not to mention his very long chin whenever his eyes lingered too long. I had only met Dr. Kevin Flanton five minutes ago, after waking from a heavy sleep and not remembering a damn thing about myself, but he told me my name... Clementine, Clementine Ryan. It was a very beautiful name, one that I had to thank whoever my mother was for giving me, I stared forward, trying to recollect anything but I knew it was useless. My life was anew, everything was now going to be different for me and I guess it wasn't all bad, it was a new start. There was little to no mobility within my frame, I couldn't really turn my head without the throbbing worsening and feeling very dizzy to the point of almost fainting.

"Clementine..." A soft voice whispered, I continued to stare at the wall.

The voice, while in a whisper, was penetrating and surprisingly deep and if I was able to, I would have shivered from how it made me feel deep inside. My heart felt as if it had pinched within my chest, butterflies lingered in my belly as I hoped I'll be able to see this handsome-sounding stranger that had already stolen my heart with nothing but saying my name. The voice was oddly familiar from earlier, when some baldheaded man had taken me to this office, I didn't get the chance to get a good look at everyone there as I was unable to move my head.

"Clementine..." The whispered voice said once more, causing my heart to now hurt as it felt like it was being pinched tighter, I wanted this person desperately. 

The way my body reacted was very odd, how could my body want someone that I didn't know, how could my body want to lay beside this person, but not only that, make love to this stranger as if we had known each other for decades. Suddenly, a terrible stench filled the room at the whistle of a lighter, making my thoughts vanish as I continued to stare forward, wishing I could look around the room, but it was useless, I couldn't move. The remembrance that I couldn't move my neck, arms, and barely shuffle my feet made my heart feel heavy now, I was basically a vegetable in this body. I felt tickling along my arm, and I wasn't sure if something was crawling on me or if someone was touching me, it was an odd feeling I couldn't really remember since I had woken up, it was new. 

Marcus
"He's no longer in town." Dale spoke up, letting me know that he was back after carrying out my order to him.

I rubbed along her arm as Dale returned by himself, his eyes casted down as he waited for me to reply to him, and I was in complete and utter shock at the disappearance of my paid physician. I understood why he had ditched town after doing Clementine's procedure, as he is the first to see her after she wakes up because she stays under his surveillance until she's either called forth or he think she's capable of being independently watched. My chest boiled as it tightened and I felt the rage building while I tried to breath heavy and calm myself, upon realizing that Clementine's wrist was in my grasp, I quickly released her as if her skin was on fine. I looked at the dark purple bruise that was already forming from me tightly grasping her within my cloud of rage, I felt my heart drop as I quickly took her wrist in my hand and started to massage it, hoping it hadn't caused her pain that she wouldn't be able to express.

"Like a ghost?" I asked, glancing over at him with my burning eyes while waiting for a reply.

"Like a ghost." Dale repeated.

I released Clementine's wrist and carefully rested it along side her unnerved body as she laid back on the bed in my back office, I raised to my feet and pushed one of my shaky hands through my hair damaging the next nearest thing. The lamp when flying into the wall as I breathed heavily, I was angry that this was the outcome of my actions, Clementine didn't deserve to be a vegetable for the rest of her life. I turned to look at her, staring into her crystal white eyes as she stared forward, I moved closer to her as she seemed to look unmoved at the sound of the lamp crashing into the wall, almost as if she was deaf to the sound. I dropped to my knees beside the bed as I stared at her, the sound of Dale growing closer made me look over at him with a curt look that questioned his motive.  

"First charting." Dale said, gesturing to the monitor he was rolling with him, I hadn't even noticed that he had brought it with himself. 

I nodded slowly, watching as Dale gently grabbed Clementine's arm and placed a blood pressure cup around her upper arm before turning the machine on with a push of a button, I stared on as the numbers came into formation with a healthy statement. I felt a little more relaxed at the sight of her blood pressure around normal, it means that it was one less problem on my mind to deal with, I hate to make her take blood pressure medicine after her lobotomy. Dale then moved away and charted his findings upon Clementine's vitals, I rose to my feet and tilted slightly before catching myself on the bedside table as Dale then wrapped the blood pressure cup around my arm and started the machine. I looked over at him but didn't fight as I looked to the machine and watched as the numbers skyrocketed while the cup tightened, Dale whistled loudly, making me glare at him momentarily.

"Mr. Joseph, it's time for another dosage." Dale said, removing the cup from around my upper arm as I closed my eyes with a heavy breath, it was the exact reason I didn't want Clementine to take the same medicine I did.

I nodded at Dale, letting him know I was ready for the dosage he was going to prescribe me through the arm, I hated the dosages and tired to maintain my blood pressure by watching what I ate and how much I ate, as well as by exercise at the asylum. I pushed another shaky hand through my hair as Dale grabbed a clear bottle of morphine and I was thankful as I felt a severe cramp rush through my left leg. I sat at the edge of the bed and slid my suit jacket off as Dale grabbed an arm tie from his belongings as well, I then raised my sleeve as I waited for him to tightly tie the wrap and then get a dosage of morphine. I watched as Dale then rested my elbow in his arm before looking up at me expectantly, I gave him a curt nod as I felt the burning of a thick needle entering my arm, making me lightly hiss as he waited for most of the burning to subside. With another nod from me, the burning continued as Dale started inserting the medication, a grunted at the pain of the morphine entering me. The dosage burned heavily and I squeezed my eyes tightly while balling up my other hand, it was painful and I was sure Dale enjoyed seeing this sight deep down.

"That's all of it?" I asked when the burning at the entrance sight ended.

"Yes." Dale said, using a cotton pad to replace the needle as he grabbed a band-aid and stuck it over the cotton pad. "Get some rest, Mr. Joseph."

"Get home, Dale." I replied, rising to my feet slowly as I felt the injection circulating hotly through my veins. 

I slowly walked around the bed and looked at Clementine to see her pearly white eyes now shut, as she was now asleep and it made me a little comfortable to the fact that she at least slept with her eyes closed. I heard the door gently slam close at Dale's departure while sliding into the bed along side Clementine, I pulled her flush against me as she slept without a single sound, I placed a finger under her nose to make sure she was still breathing before successfully closing my eyes. I rested my hand at the top of her head while knowing that I had to finish all of her procedures or it would all be for nothing, she had to still get top surgery as well as scalp surgery. I took a deep breath and willed myself to go to sleep as I peeked my eye open and stared at her delicate features. Clementine was mine, and there was no way I was going to let her down.