chapter 205 : oh deep joy

“So how long are you planning on staying Leo?” I asked eyeing the bags that he had thrown onto the floor near my feet. I wasn’t an idiot. I knew what they contained but at the same time didn’t want to think about it too much, like somehow if I avoided it enough we could all be happy and not remember that it was 3 in the morning and Leo was not here on a social visit but in response to a call for help.

 “Well I thought while I was here, I would do some doctoring; you don’t mind being my patient do you?” Leo asked diving into one of the bags and dragging out a blood pressure cuff. I shivered; I didn’t want or need any of this. He was being nice about it of course, smooth about how he came across but the truth of everything hung in the corners. One of us had to break the lies, admit to the reasons as to why he was called and why number 14 Newway close was the house with the lights on. Mrs Bear had broken in the night and her husband had called out the professional sewing kit. Someone had to own up and it wasn’t going to be Leo.

 “Leo I’m fine, my blood pressure is OK. I feel fine but I cut pretty deeply. I told Emmet to shove a few stitches in their but he wasn’t sure he could. I should go to the A&E but you know as well as I do the red tape that comes with that. I’m really sorry that I got you up Leo.”

 “Honey, you are one of my closest friends. I most certainly don’t mind getting out of bed for you and will do it over an over again if I have to, like I know you would do for me but here’s the thing. The cuts on your legs are wide and deep. Now I can stitch them without a problem but looking at them I bet they bleed quite a lot and as you well know that isn’t good for anybody. Now you may think I am being silly but I am a Doctor and I cannot afford to lose anyone because I didn’t check a blood pressure and especially not you. I couldn’t live with myself. So we are going to do this my way and I’m going to do your blood pressure and you’re going to put your finger in this Oximeater so I can check your oxygen stats.”

 I could have argued but there was little point and besides it would have been wrong. I would have done the same thing to him. Doctors and nurses relied on results and numbers to keep us calm. We knew what they meant and felt comforted when they were in the right area. I held out my arm for him.

 “So, is there something you want to talk about?” Leo asked as he blew up the blood pressure cuff and attached the clip my finger. I smiled and looked at him out the corner of my eye not bothering to talk. He already knew the answer to the question. He knew there were no words to explain. No reason that would really warrant such an extreme reaction. Triggers were for early self-harmers, I needed no reason to turn so viciously upon myself. The truth was I just could.

 “Looks like it’s time to break out the needle and thread then. You realise it’s going to hurt like hell right?” Leo asked taking the blood pressure off of my arm and the clip off of my finger before diving into his bag and pulling out neatly wrapped up parcel of thread and tools. It seemed almost funny. I used them all of the time but I never really noticed exactly what they looked like until they were to be threaded into my legs.

 "You got some local in that bag of yours right?”

 “No Esmee I’m going to put them in with out and see how many houses in the close you can wake up. Leo rolled his eyes dramatically before delving into his bag and pulling out a small bottle of liquid and a case that contained a rather large looking needle.

 “That’s a big needle,” I observed

 “There big wounds, needs a big needle.”

 “Ok, now I understand why it’s going to hurt like hell. Can’t you just steri-strip them or something?” 

 “Yes because that would work… even better Esmee I will get out my magic wound and magic them shut then after that we will all go and find a pot of gold at the…”

 “All right all right, I get it,” I snapped grumbling to myself folding my arms across my chest and pouting just before Leo stabbed the needle into the flesh of one of the wounds and I yelped like an injured puppy gripping onto one of the pillows on the sofa until my fingers went white and tears scratched at the back of my eyes. At least he hadn’t beat around the bush like they would have done in hospital by telling me I would feel a “sharp scratch.”

 “Ok, all right I’m sorry,” Leo said softly, now I was actually in the pain he cared deeply about it. He hated being the one to cause it and a part of me suspected that was the real reason why Emmet had been so reluctant to try and suture the wounds. My pain wasn’t something he bore witness to easily.   “All right two more and all we have to do I wait for it to numb up and I can start on the stitching.

 “Oh deep joy,” I groaned and curled my hand around the cushions again waiting for the pain to strike. The cupboard on the right always got me on my knees somehow.