My Physical Therapist

Chapter 18

Perrie smiled as she took out paper Barbie crowns. She made a few, and set them on the bedside table. Next Perrie got out a Barbie themed water bottle, and set that down next to the crowns. 

"Got the tape," Alex said, returning to the room. 

"Good," Perrie said, unwravelling the streamers, marveling at the way the sparkled in the piercing hospital lights. "We can hang them along the ceiling."

"Don't you think you're going a little overboard?" Alex asked as Perrie stepped onto a chair to hang the streamers. "It's not like she's in a coma or something."

Perrie shot Alex a glare. "Still, she had a bad break, and she's going to be here for at least a few days," she replied. "I just thought this might cheer her up, since the surgery she's getting is to reconnect her elbow with her lower arm."

Alex's eyebrows raised again, his lips parted in shock. Perrie turned away from him, holding a hand out for the tape. Alex complied, Perrie frowning as his hand lingered on hers for a minute too long. 

"Thank you," Perrie said, successfully hanging the few streamers she had. "You can do this, and I'll do something else."

"Sure," Alex replied, and Perrie stepped off the stool, still avoiding his gaze. How had she not noticed the amount of tension in the room before?

"Do you want me to finish hanging these up?" Alex asked. Perrie nodded, forcing herself to turn to face him, plastering a sugary smile on as she did. 

"Sure," Perrie replied, wincing as she realized that was what Alex had said to her when she'd told him to hang the streamers. Maybe having him here wasn't a good idea. 

"Are you okay?" Alex asked, stepping off the stool and walked over to Perrie. 

"I'm okay, I promise," Perrie replied, focusing on a chip in the paint right over Alex's shoulder. 

"You know you don't have to pretend to be strong for me right?" Alex said softly, putting a hand on Perrie's shoulder. "I know you're sad that Lily's hurt."

Perrie shook Alex's shoulder off and turned away from him, her eyes widening in disbelief. How could she be so selfish and only think about her relationship with Alex, while her daughter was getting surgery for a bad break?

"Perrie?" She heard Alex ask quietly. 

"Please leave," Perrie muttered, staring at the ground in shame. Lily should be her priority right now. She shouldn't have even let Alex come in.

"What?" Alex said, even though Perrie knew he had heard her. 

"I said, please leave," Perrie said through clenched teeth, turning slowly to face Alex. His face crumbled as he nodded sadly, and shuffled out the door, closing it behind him with a quiet click. 

Perrie dropped into the chair beside Lily's bed, her head in her hands. "I'm so sorry Lily," she whispered. "I'm a horrible mother."

The door opened once again and Perrie sighed, not even bothering to move. "I mean it Alex, I said to leave," she said tiredly. 

"Not Alex," a voice replied cautiously. "Hopefully someone else who won't be turned away too?"

Relief flooded Perrie's heart as she raised her head to see Jade standing in the doorway, clutching a bag full of decorations. She was wearing Perrie's old coat and a sheepish smile. 

"I think that between the both of us we might have gotten a bit too many decorations," Jade said, gesturing to her bag and Perrie's, which was tipped over in the corner of the room.