After the nurse finished bandaging me up, she made sure everything was clean and in place. She applied a cold compress to help with the swelling on my eye. She then bandaged my shoulder to keep it stable and provided some over-the-counter pain relievers for the pain and swelling.
I was instructed to take it easy and rest. When I was led back to the office, I did my best to dodge her persistent questions about what had happened.
I kept responding with one-word answers. “Can I leave now?” was my constant refrain. She asked if I wanted to lie down, clearly worried about my condition. I kept insisting that I’d be fine, and eventually, she let me go with a gentle reminder to be careful and get some bed rest.
Outside, Kevin and Fiona were chatting as if they were long-lost friends. Their conversation seemed strange to me, especially given their usual indifference to each other. Fiona’s exaggerated concern didn’t help either.