Dr. Fry
Suddenly the pressure on her chest lessened.
“There, you should have told me it unclasped in the back. Then, I wouldn’t have wasted time trying to find something to cut it!”
She could tell he was frustrated again.
“Sorry, I didn’t think about it. Thank you.”
Turning, she realized he was on his knees facing her.
He stared at her for a moment, and she licked her dry lips. The movement drew his eyes, and he quickly looked away as he stood up.
“I’ll add some warm water to the tub. Why don’t you try freeing your left hand.”
Purity couldn’t grab the bra with her hurt wrist and hand.
“I need some help, I think.”
“Why? Is your right hand broken or something?”
She pulled it out from under the sheet and looked at it, “I’m not sure, but it hurts to move my wrist.”
Lasci turned around and looked at her, “You aren’t sure? Fine, let me take a look.”
She held her arm, and he grabbed her hand roughly, making her wince.
“It’s swollen.”
He let go gently.
“Alright, turn around.”
She hesitated but reluctantly faced the wall sitting on the edge of the toilet.
Suddenly she felt the sheet get pulled away.
“What are you,” he answered before she could finish asking.
“It will be in the way. Just sit still.”
Purity could feel his arms come around her waist at first before moving them higher.
The underside of his arm brushed the bottom of her left breast, and she begged him in a whisper, “Please don’t.”
“I have no intention of taking advantage of you. Sit still because I can’t see what I am doing.”
He slid the bra off her right arm, trying to be careful of her wrist, which freed her left hand for movement.
Lifting her wrist above her head, he unwound the bra from it.
“There, that wasn’t so bad. The tub isn’t as full as before, but it’s enough to clean you.”
Without warning, he scooped her naked body up and placed it in the tub.
She quickly folded into herself crying out, “Don’t look!”
“Trust me, sweetheart, even with what you do have to offer, I have no desire to look. I am trying to help you before the doctor gets here.”
Purity frowned, unsure if he was trying to offend her.
“Let’s wash your hair first. I don’t have anything in here for that, so I’ll be right back.”
She was able to relax when he closed the bathroom door behind him.
Looking into the water, she could see her scraped-up legs. The left one was swollen dead center of her shin and had pain patches around it.
“Well, at least someone tried,” she whispered, looking at the door.
She tried laying back, getting her hair wet and bracing herself with her left hand. Then, sitting up, she eyed the bottles on the side of the tub by the faucet.
Grabbing the shampoo, she flipped the cap up with her thumb and squeezed it over her head. The lid suddenly shot off, hitting her and covering her in shampoo.
“Owe!”
Purity dropped the bottle as soap started to drip down her long lashes. Then, quickly closing her eyes, she did a one-handed scrub of her scalp as fast as she could and laid back again, trying to rinse off her hair.
She tried rubbing her eyes, but it only worked more soap in them.
“Great job, Purity,” she said to herself, unable to see.
She heard the bathroom door open, and once again, she got yelled at by Lasci.
“Fuck, I knew I smelt shampoo coming up the stairs. Can’t you just sit still for five seconds!”
She snapped back, frustrated, “I’m sorry, I was just trying to do it myself!”
Lasci swore before yelling again.
“Damnit, woman, you're just making more work for me to do. I told you to let me help you! If you insist on doing things yourself, I will leave you to it!”
She had always been a clutz and stubborn, so maybe he had a right to be mad at her. She tried to open her eyes to look at them, but they stung worse, so she started crying.
“Look, crying isn’t going to make me feel bad. Now keep your eyes closed. Let me wash your hair.”
She could finally open her eyes after he was finished rinsing her hair.
The tub was dark with dirt and leaves from her hair.
“There, now you can get out.”
She looked up at him as he opened the drain to the tub.
“I’m going to pull you back up from behind onto the edge and then wrap you back in the sheet.”
Purity nodded while hugging her knees to her chest.
She heard him swear when he reached for the sheet.
“Guess I better get a clean one. Sit still again, don’t move.”
She watched him go to the door and stop.
He turned to meet her eyes before telling her softly, “There are other men in this house, and they don’t have much experience with hu..women, so you could end up experiencing something you don’t like if you keep causing trouble.”
The fear on Purity’s face showed, and Lasci left.
She didn’t know how to take his comment. They couldn’t possibly be any worse to her than he’s been, right?
Purity hugged her knees closer, grimacing at the pain in her shin. Maybe this was her punishment for not visiting her grandmother in the hospital. Over and over, she thought about what had happened and how she got into this mess.
The bathroom door opened again, and Lasci carried in a clean sheet.
“I set a shirt out on the bed for you. I’m afraid all our pants will be too big. At least the shirt should be long enough to go past your knees. I have clothes coming for you, eventually. If there is something else you need, let me know.”
“Thank you,” Purity said, nodding.
“Also, are you sure you have no one you can call to come get you? Dr. Fry can treat whatever is wrong if it’s not major, but you should at least be with family.”
She didn’t answer for a moment before responding quietly, “No one.”
Lasci narrowed his eyes, “Your mother, father?”
She shook her head, “Dead.”
“Didn’t you say you had a grandmother or someone?”
She shook her head again, trying not to shiver in the empty tub.
“Everyone is dead. My parents died when I was a baby. My grandfather passed shortly before I was born. My grandmother, she, she died this morning.”
Trying to hold in her tears, she glanced at Lasci, who was looking at her with pity.
“Oh, I see.”
That was the only thing he said to her before getting her out of the tub and onto the bed.
“Go ahead and put it on. I’ll be right outside the door. Yell if you need help.”
She just nodded, watching him leave the room.
He was right, she thought. After putting the shirt on, she was amused at the fact that it hung like a dress.
Yelling, “I’m dressed,” she looked around the room. It was as cold as he was. No pictures, no dust. Everything was sharp corners and was stark in appearance.
Opening the door, Lasci was followed by an older man who moved very spritely despite his wrinkled face.
“This is Dr. Fry. He’s going to take a look at your wounds.”
Purity nodded and smiled at the doctor.
“Lasci, you should turn on the heat for the lass. She is over here shivering! You, above your brothers, should know how to treat a lady.”
The older man's voice was warm and cozy, like her grandmother's.
“Alright, dear, point to where you be hurting.”
She pointed at her shin, her chest, and her wrist.
“Okay, okay, we will check one at a time. Scoot back and lay your legs flat for me.”
She managed to push back onto the bed slightly with her left hand.
“That’ll do.”
His hands were warm and soft. They reminded Purity of kittens or raccoons padding on their paws.
After some poking and prodding, he made Lasci help him get a brace on her left leg. The doctor said he didn’t think it was fractured, but she should stay off of it unless absolutely necessary for two weeks, and he will take another look. Her wrist was sprained, but he also put that in a brace to be safe.
“Now, bones will heal, and antibiotics will help with that pneumonia I hear gathering in your lungs. But, unfortunately, I don’t have medicine to heal a broken heart except this.”
Dr. Fry pulled out a red sucker and handed it to her, “I’m afraid it won't do much but maybe give you a toothache. That might just help you forget the heartache for a few minutes.”
“Thank you,” Purity said, taking the sucker before asking, “How did you know?”
“Lasci told me you lost your family, and your grandmother passed this morning. My condolences, dear. I lost my wife not long ago, and not a day goes by I don’t miss her, well maybe just her cooking.” The doctor winked at Purity, and she giggled, smiling.
“Ah, that’s the medicine, laughter. You may just get some of that here if you stick around long enough. Now, I need to get back before my show comes on. Them housewives just amuse the heck out of me.”
Purity laughed again before thanking the doctor once more.