Love Against the Odds: Rogue in Love | Open Wounds by Inger Iversen

Author:Inger Iversen [Iversen, Inger]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Inger Iversen Books, LLC
Published: 2017-11-29T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 2

Thea

Thump. Thump. Thea woke from a dreamless sleep to the sounds of an animal lurking outside her window—again. Last night it was a possum with sharp teeth, beady red eyes, and pale white fur. It’d been the cutest thing she’d ever seen … that was until the neighbor shot him. Blood soaked her from head to toe, the siding of the house needed to be power washed, and Thea had picked brains and fur out of her hair.

Rolling over in bed, she lifted the pillow and crushed it over her head. Sleep shouldn’t be so hard to obtain. Especially, not after working all day in the ER and then coming home and caring for her ailing grandfather. The thrill of memorizing and learning new information was what kept Thea driven to excel. It was like a rush to her. So, at the moment, it was unclear as to why she couldn’t remember any of the bones in the foot. Most people counted sheep, but Thea recited bones, the Constitution, or rare infectious diseases and their causes. A bit morbid? Maybe. But it sure worked.

A shuffling sounded outside her window. Raccoons no doubt. Now, those little bastards hated her and plotted to drive her insane. She forgot to latch down the cover on the garbage, and if she went out there now, she would interrupt a raccoon smorgasbord and she’d be damned if she’d do that again.

Lifting the pillow from her head and kicking the covers from her overheated body, Thea listed the bones in the foot. “Talus, tarsus, navicular—”

Thump. Thump. Thea sat up, confusion clouding her already sleep deprived mind. Now that sounded like footsteps outside of her window. “Calcaneus, cuboid.” She lay back down, sure her mind was creating sounds just to keep her awake, confused, and out of her head. Getting comfortable, she started again, but just as she opened her mouth to speak, the familiar sound of a bell clanged, jolting her upright.

Throwing her bare legs over the side of the bed, Thea rose. She shoved her legs into some yoga pants, headed out of her room, and bounded down the hall. The tinkling bell sounded again, forcing her to pick up the pace. Earl’s bedroom sat on the far north side of their small, humble abode. His room offered little privacy, and with reason. Placing her hand on the door, Thea pushed a bit and a crack formed. Pill bottles lined the dresser along with old pictures and a few dusty knick knacks.

“Did you need me?” she asked. This old folk’s community catered to the timeworn and ailing, but when Earl’s caregiver had given her the brochure to the complex, the sticker shock Thea felt had nearly sent her to her knees. “Paw Paw?” Though the bell was meant to call Thea when Earl was in need, Thea always tried to offer Earl the one thing sick and elderly people were forced to give up after being poked and prodded, x-rayed and coddled all day: a semblance of privacy.

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