The Frozen Ground flaws

雨水 [5] / [35]

When they got inside, Alexander said,

"You know, I can help you take a shower, if you need."

She responded jokingly,

"How are you going to do that? Get in with me and hold me steady?"

Her shower was pretty large, but didn't have an area for her to sit inside, and though she could remove the brace and wasn't worried about getting her stitches wet, she was afraid of falling.

"I can if you want,"

He smirked a little as he said it.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you? I think I can manage. If I need you, I'll let you know."

She added, again in jest, but, in her mind, she wasn't as opposed to the idea as she might seem.

Cynthia sat on the sofa with great effort. Alexander made sure she was fine, and sat next to her with a familiar awkwardness. Alexander couldn’t feel the anxiety born by Sarah’s trauma anymore. Cynthia’s accident evidently was a shock to his system: one that, for now, eased his troubled thoughts. He sighed deeply with satisfaction.

She said quietly,

“It has been a long time since I was with you outside of work.”

"Yeah, it's been a long while, hasn't it? Years in fact."

Alexander reflected, remembering happier times when they had just met, before the gradual distancing.

"Maybe this happened for a reason,"

he laughed.

"What, me crippled and you poisoned? Yeah, sounds like destiny,"

replied Cynthia with deadpan delivery, but an amused grin on her face.

"So you think this is providence then? The universe bringing us together. Funny."

She added sarcastically, but still with the faint whisper of lingering amusement painting her features.

"God doth have a sense of humor," said Alexander, reflecting.

"And stranger things have happened. But maybe you're right. Maybe it's just dumb luck. But why waste it? It really has been too long since we've talked about anything other than work. It would be nice to catch up.”

They sat on the sofa without speaking. But this silence was not uncomfortable to him.

“Oh, I need some whiskey,”

Cynthia told herself.

“What? You shouldn’t drink alcohol in this condition.”

he tried to stop her.

“A little bit won't hurt me.”

She got to her feet, and screamed with pain. He knelt down in front of her and grabbed her injured foot gently.

“Please, you've been injured. Hold on. No whiskey, alcohol isn’t helpful.”

“Just one glass of whiskey. I need it,”

her expression looked rather desperate.

“Alright then, I'll bring it to you. Where is it?”