Chapter 3: THE DOCTOR'S VISIT

The morning after the attack the house was too quiet and it was weird because usually there was at least someone dropping plates or Carla gossiping but today it was just footsteps and people whispering like someone died.  

I stayed in my room until Mrs Delaney knocked.  

"Up Doctor is coming at 10."  

My stomach dropped straight to the floor.  

"I don’t need a doctor."  

"Not your choice Mr Romanos orders."  

I nodded even though she couldn’t see me. "Yes maam."  

I took my pills with tap water that tasted like metal and put on the uniform even though the apron felt tighter today like my body was already swelling or something.  

At 9 45 there was another knock and it wasn’t her.  

I opened the door.  

Sal.  

He wasn’t in a suit which threw me off because he’s always in a suit but today it was just black pants and a black shirt and his hair was a mess like he’d been dragging his hands through it all night and his eyes looked tired as hell.  

"Ready" he asked.  

"For what"  

"The doctor We’re going."  

"We"  

"I’m not letting you go alone."  

"I go alone all the time I’ve been doing dialysis alone for a year Sal."  

He didn’t argue he just stood there looking at me with those gray eyes and I swear to god he looked exhausted like he hadn’t slept since the shooting.  

"Please Maya."  

Please.  

The Don said please.  

That messed me up more than the shooting did.  

"Okay" I said because what else was I gonna say.  

The car was black and huge and smelled like leather and him and there were two guards in the front who didn’t talk and Sal opened the back door for me like I was some kind of lady which I’m not I’m a maid but I got in anyway because my legs were shaking.  

We didn’t talk for like ten minutes I just watched people outside living normal lives going to work drinking coffee while I was in the back of a mafia car trying not to throw up from nerves.  

"Are you nervous" he asked finally.  

"A little."  

"About the doctor or about me"  

"Both okay" and he almost smiled at that like the corner of his mouth twitched.  

The clinic didn’t even have a sign it was just a white building with guards and inside it was too clean like hospital clean but fancier and a nurse took my name without asking anything and just led us back and Sal followed me in and the nurse looked at me like "is this okay" and I nodded because I didn’t want to be alone in there.  

Dr Hale was the same guy from the other night and he flipped through a file and then looked at me over his glasses.  

"Miss Carter Kidney failure Stage 3 Correct"  

"Yes."  

"How long since your last test"  

"Four months."  

He frowned and I could tell he was pissed. "That’s too long."  

"I couldn’t afford it."  

Sal shifted next to me and I felt the chair move and suddenly the room felt too small.  

Dr Hale asked about pain and meds and dialysis and I gave him short answers because talking made my throat hurt and then he looked at Sal and said the thing I was dreading.  

"She needs a transplant within 6 months Maybe sooner And she needs to stop working Rest Better food Less stress."  

My chest got tight instantly. "I can’t stop working."  

"Miss Carter"  

"I said I can’t I need the money."  

And then it got quiet and Sal spoke up and his voice was flat. "She won’t stop."  

Dr Hale sighed like he was used to stubborn patients. "Then we manage it I’m adjusting her medication And I want blood work every week Here And she needs to eat Proper meals Not bread and soup."  

"I’ll handle it" Sal said like it was that easy.  

We left with a bag of pills that cost more than my rent used to and a paper full of appointments and in the car back I stared out the window and whispered "Six months" like if I said it quiet enough it wouldn’t be real.  

"Hey" Sal’s voice was soft and that was worse somehow. "Look at me."  

I did.  

"We have time Okay We’ll figure it out."  

"You don’t have to do this."  

"Do what"  

"Care Pay for this I’m just your maid."  

His jaw ticked and he looked pissed but not at me. "Don’t say that."  

"Why not It’s true."  

"It’s not true."  

"Then what am I"  

He didn’t answer he just looked out the window and I hated that I asked.  

Back at the house Mrs Delaney was waiting in the kitchen with her arms crossed. "How is she"  

"She’s fine" Sal said "New meds Weekly checkups And she eats with us now At the table Not in the kitchen."  

Mrs Delaney blinked. "Sir"  

"You heard me Starting tonight."  

And he walked off like he hadn’t just changed my whole life in one sentence.  

I ate lunch in the kitchen like always because I was too scared to go to the dining room and Carla walked past and rolled her eyes so hard. "Guess the invisible girl is special now."  

I didn’t answer because what was the point.  

That night at 7 Mrs Delaney came to my door. "Dinner Dining room Now."  

My heart was pounding so loud I thought she could hear it.  

Eat with him With the Don  

I walked down the hall and my shoes were too loud on the marble.  

The dining room was huge and there were only two plates set at a table that could fit 12 people and Sal was already sitting and he stood up when he saw me which was ridiculous.  

"Sit."  

I sat at the other end because it felt safer.  

He frowned. "Closer."  

I moved three chairs down.  

He sighed and pulled the chair right next to him out. "Sit here."  

So I did and the chair was cold and the food was hot and it was chicken and rice and actual vegetables and I hadn’t eaten like that in months maybe years.  

We ate in silence and I was too nervous to taste anything.  

"How’s the new medicine" he asked.  

"Okay Makes me sleepy."  

"Good You need sleep."  

"Thank you For this."  

He nodded and then put more chicken on my plate without asking. "Eat."  

Halfway through he put his fork down. "Tell me something."  

"What"  

"Anything That isn’t about the job."  

I didn’t know what to say so I blurted "I like to draw People on the bus In parks I’m not good but it helps when I’m scared."  

"Can I see"  

"I don’t have paper here."  

"I’ll get you some."  

"Why"  

"Because you should have something that’s yours."  

And I looked at him and for a second he wasn’t the Don he was just some guy eating dinner and it was the weirdest most normal thing ever.  

"Thank you Sal."  

"You’re welcome Maya."  

After dinner there was a box on my bed with a sketchbook and pencils the expensive kind and I sat there and cried quietly because nobody had ever bought me something just because I existed.  

The next two days were the same light work dinner with him nobody talking to me except him and Mrs Delaney and on day 3 Carla lost it.  

I was folding towels and she came in and snapped "So you think you’re special now huh Eating with him Getting doctors You’re just a maid."  

"I’m not trying to be"  

"Shut up He’s gonna get bored And then what He’ll throw you out like trash Like he did the last one."  

My hands stopped. "What last one"  

"Nothing."  

And she walked out.  

My side hurt from stress and fear and that night at dinner I couldn’t eat and Sal noticed in like two seconds. "What’s wrong"  

"Nothing."  

"Maya."  

"I heard something today About a last one."  

His face went blank and cold and he stood up and walked out and I heard shouting down the hall and then nothing and ten minutes later he came back and sat down and pushed my plate to me. "Eat."  

"What happened"  

"She won’t bother you again."  

"Did you fire her"  

"No" he paused "I told her if she touches you she’s gone And if she talks about things that aren’t her business she’s gone."  

I ate because I was tired of being hungry.  

After dinner he didn’t leave he just stayed in the chair next to me and then he said "There was someone Before She worked here I thought it doesn’t matter She left Took money Tried to sell information."  

"Oh."  

"That’s why I’m cold That’s why I have rules."  

"Why are you telling me this"  

"Because you should know So you don’t think I’m a monster for no reason."  

"You’re not a monster."  

He looked surprised like nobody had ever said that to him. "How do you know"  

"Because monsters don’t buy sketchbooks And they don’t sit with maids at dinner."  

He was quiet for a long time and then he reached out and took my hand and his hand was big and warm and rough and he didn’t say anything he just held it.  

My heart was so loud.  

"I’m scared" I whispered.  

"I know."  

"What if I get worse"  

"Then I’ll be here."  

"What if you get bored of me"  

"I won’t."  

"How do you know"  

"Because you’re the first person in years who looked at me and didn’t want anything."  

And I squeezed his hand back. "And you’re the first person in years who looked at me and saw me."  

He brought my hand to his forehead and closed his eyes. "Don’t die on me Maya."  

"I’m trying not to."  

We sat like that until Mrs Delaney cleared her throat in the doorway and Sal let go and stood up. "Go to bed Doctor tomorrow."  

"Okay."  

At the door I turned. "Sal"  

"Yeah"  

"Thank you For tonight."  

He nodded once.  

In my room I opened the sketchbook and drew his hand holding mine because I was scared I’d forget what it felt like to be held like I actually mattered.