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The moment George was called into the recovery room that afternoon, he knew he was in for a wild ride.
The recovery room was situated down a far hallway. The walls were slathered with white paint that matched the polished floors; everything about it screamed ‘sterile’.
George’s nose wrinkled as the smell of antiseptic wafted up his nostrils. He shivered once more as the nurse, whose nametag read ‘Susan’, led him to the designated area.
“Here he is,” Nurse Susan voiced rather plainly. “The doctor said everything went smoothly but even so, he may be experiencing the lingering effects of the anaesthetic. I will alert the doctor to come speak with you about after care instructions and then I’ll do one final assessment before you go,” she rehashed with practised poise. She then gave a curt nod and went to address another patient in the chair over.
George’s attention strayed away from the nurse and back onto the reason why he was here in the first place.
“Well, Lockwood, had a good nap?”
Lockwood, clad in a black jumper and grey sweats, was sprawled out onto a leather recliner chair. “Mmmh…” His half-lidded eyes blinked sluggishly.
George smiled amusingly. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
Lockwood laid there bonelessly as his head turned listlessly from side to side. His cheeks were puffed out from the gauze that had been shoved in there to stop the bleeding. He mumbled a few strings of nonsense as his eyes kept slipping shut and reopening.
George gave him a pat on the shoulder. “You’re in good hands mate. Once we’re in the clear, we’ll go home and I'll whip up some soup.” Lockwood didn’t make any indication that he had processed any of what George had said. He remained flopped out on the recliner, unresponsive to the world around him.
The curtain opened once more and in came Nurse Susan again with a bag full of gauze. As she began to rehearse instructions regarding changing gauze, Lockwood turned his head to his right to look at the newcomer in the chair that was once shielded by the curtain. George’s eyes curiously drifted to what Lockwood was giving the stink eye to, and what he saw made him do a double take.
In the recliner chair looking just as ridiculous in a pair of sweats and grey shirt was none other than Quill Kipps. He too had cheeks that resembled a chipmunk and was currently dishing back the same withering look to Lockwood.
George pinched the bridge of his nose, already feeling his current headache increasing.
“Alright, any questions?” Nurse Susan asked although George had already tuned her out, too focused on the new entertainment happening before him.
Kipps pointed at Lockwood languidly, keeping eye contact before switching his hand into a thumbs down and blowing a raspberry.
Nurse Susan whipped her head over to Kipps’ direction with her eyebrow raised.
Lockwood raised 3 fingers to his forehead and manoeuvred them to make them appear to be the letter W, then an E, an M, and lastly, an L.
Slowly blinking, Kipps opened his mouth and spoke through a mouthful of gauze, “Whath doesth thath eventh meanth?”
Lockwood made the motion again. “Whath, everth, majorth, losther.”
Kipps went back to staring like a dead fish before gradually appearing offended. “No you!”
Lockwood shook his head. “...If the shthoe fifths.”
“Boys, absolutely no talking,” Nurse Susan finally butted in. She stood in the middle of the two recliners already looking like she currently regretted her life’s decisions.
“I hathe your faceth,” Kipps spat.
“I hathe all of you,” Lockwood shot back.
The nurse let out an exasperated sigh. She then wordlessly went over to the curtains and with one swift motion, forced them closed. George had to bite his cheek from letting out a laugh at Lockwood’s sudden look of bafflement.
“He goth away!”
George gave Lockwood’s shoulder a light pat. “Yup, he’s gone now. But hey, remember what the nurse said? No talking.”
Lockwood nodded and used a more hushed tone. “Okay.”
“Nope, whispering doesn’t count.”
“I’m noth whispering!” Lockwood shouted and a bit of spit hit George’s glasses.
George stood there before taking off his glasses and silently wiping them off on the front of his shirt.
A new nurse with her red hair in a low bun had entered through the curtains. “Hello, my name is Monica, I’ll just be writing down your vitals here.” The movement behind him had peaked Lockwood’s sudden interest and he was now twisting his body around to face her. His bleary eyes focused onto her hands which were currently writing down his results. Lockwood then turned back at George with a look of unease.
“What’sth she doing?” Lockwood whispered loudly.
“Your vitals,” George simply responded. “And stop talking.”
Lockwood leaned back into his seat with a huff. “You’re the oneth talkith.”
“Alright, it appears everything looks good.” Nurse Monica cut in, luckily, since George appeared closer to losing the rest of his sanity. She placed her clipboard on the side table next to the recliner and stood to face Lockwood. Her red lips spread into a warm smile. “Now, I’m just going to have you come with me and we will ensure you’re ready to walk. Then you can get going home.”
Lockwood brought both hands up to the armrests of the chair and immediately began to make the motion to start standing up.
“Slow it down hun,” the nurse rushed in and put a hand on his shoulder to ease him back down into a sitting position.
Lockwood furrowed his brows. “I can walkth.”
“Yes, I’m sure you can,” Nurse Monica patiently responded. “But you just had a procedure so it's best if we take things slower.”
Lockwood’s face scrunched up in confusion. “I didn’th haveth a prothedure,” he said as if the mere idea of it was absolutely insane.
George rolled his eyes from his spot in the chair in the corner of the room. “Yes, you did. You had your wisdom teeth out.” He then groaned. “Why am I talking to you - you’re not supposed to be talking.”
“Yes, that’s absolutely right. Now, let's get back on track.” Nurse Monica placed one of her hands onto Lockwood’s. “Do you think you can stand with me?”
Lockwood immediately recoiled his hand from her. “I’m noth interesthed.”
“Lockwood, you have to listen to the nurse.”
Lockwood leaned further back in the chair. “I love anoth-ther girl.”
The moment those words left his mouth, the room fell into a silence. Apparently, Lockwood took this as an invitation to continue to blab.
“Her name’sth Luthy,” He smiled up at the ceiling. “She’sth cool.”
George stood back with a grin and clasped his hands behind his back. Where was the popcorn? He could use it during instances like these.
The nurse smiled, seemingly ready to play along. “Lucy, is it? How long have you two been together?”
Letting his head drop back further, Lockwood closed his eyes and hummed. “A year.”
George brought a hand to his own mouth to hide the snort that threatened to explode out of him. Would Lucy agree with that statement??
Lockwood’s answer only seemed to fuel the nurse who apparently was invested in teenage drama - and apparently forgot about the whole ‘no talking’ order. “A year huh? That’s quite a while!” Her voice was laced with over enthusiasm as if she were addressing a ten-year-old - which with Lockwood’s current state, wasn’t far off.
With Lucy now on the mind, Lockwood shifted in his seat. He struggled as he twisted about as his face crinkled, distraught. “W..where’sth…” His delirious eyes fought to scan the curtained-in square room they were in. “Luthe??”
George rushed to place a hand on his friend’s arm. “Lucy’s home Lockwood. She stayed behind in case any clients were to stop by.” He spoke in a steady voice, careful to not increase Lockwood’s hysteria.
“Home?” Lockwood repeated, eyes seeing nothing.
“Yes. And if we go on a little walk with the nurse, we can get going home.” George replied slowly.
Nurse Monica’s facial features softened. “Take as long as you need. There’s absolutely no need to rush.”
As if something had snapped inside of Lockwood, his eyes began to well up. “LuUuthy….” His voice wavered as tears began to trickle down his pale cheeks.
George fought the urge to facepalm right then and there. Leave it to Lockwood to be one of those cliche people who got emotional under the lingering effects of general anaesthetic. He gathered up his bearings and patted Lockwood’s shoulder. “It's gonna be okay mate, you’ll see Lucy soon.”
“LUuuUthyyyy!”
The nurse collected her clipboard in her grasp. “I’m going to give you two a few more minutes before we proceed,” she said through Lockwood’s incoherent blubbering before exiting through the curtains.
George swallowed down a groan.
So much for getting home for supper.
The sound of a key twisting into the lock made Lucy slap down the book she was reading onto the coffee table and rush over to the door. Unlocking it herself, she swung the door open as her eyes took in quite the sight.
“You’re back,” Lucy breathlessly spoke, blowing a stand of hair off her cheek. She pressed her lips into a small smile as if to mask her restlessness. She would never admit it, but the whole afternoon she had more than a tough time occupying herself; anxiously waiting for the two boys to return. Of course, wisdom tooth removal was not the most serious of procedures, and she knew that they all collectively had their fair share of brushes with death, but that didn’t erase the fact that she was still worried.
Lockwood ‘stood’ there with his arm draped across George’s neck. His head was bowed forward, making it hard to tell if he was awake or not. He began to sag more, making George grunt as he managed to hoist him back up.
“He passed out in the cab.” George pulled Lockwood up again from slouching to the floor. “On second thought, I think he’s still asleep. A little help here?”
Lucy swooped in and took Lockwood’s right side. She brought his arm and rested it along the back of her neck before making their way inside.
The three of them half dragged Lockwood over to the living room sofa before carefully depositing him into a lying position onto the cushions. Lockwood’s eyelids fluttered open for a split second. His eyes drifted around the room before settling onto both George and Lucy who were hovering close by. Just as his eyes slipped shut, a small smile found its way onto his lips.
Lucy felt a weight lift off of her chest seeing Lockwood in such a relaxed state. She mimicked Lockwood’s warm smile as she turned her gaze towards George. “Did everything go alright?”
George adjusted his glasses that went askew from the exertion. “Oh yeah, just smoothly.” There was a hint of mirth in his voice as his mind went back to hours ago. He quickly straightened up his face, displaying a look of nonchalance. “Oh, did any clients stop by?”
“Not one,” Lucy answered, shaking her head. “Which makes me feel guilty that I wasn’t there. I could have helped.”
George waved a hand. “Nah, it was all good. I don’t think Lockwood took it personally,” George said.
And it was probably for the best, for Lockwood’s sake, that she wasn’t there to witness all of that.
Lucy’s attention shifted back to Lockwood absentmindedly. She stood there, watching the steady rise and fall of his chest as he slept blissfully unaware of her and Geroge’s presence.
“Well,” George began, snapping Lucy out of her trance. “I’m going to get a start on supper. It says on the pain pills that they need to be taken with food.”
Lucy nodded. “Sounds good.”
As George disappeared into the kitchen, Lucy resumed her spot back on the sofa across from Lockwood. She curled up onto the cushion as she opened up her book to the page with the bookmark. Just before her eyes read the first word, she found herself stealing another glance at Lockwood’s sleeping form, a warmness creeping into her chest.
A silent smile found its way onto her face as she dove back into her book, the warmth lingering for the remainder of the evening.