A Story by mabauterklamm
Through the closed door, Cindy's explanations sounded like a continuous murmur to Dr. Laura and Polly. But they weren't listening at the door, they were looking seriously into each other's eyes. There was a lot to talk about.
"Listen to me, Polly. You're our last hope of beating back my sister." Laura looked at Polly as if she were a superhero coming to rescue people in distress.
"Yes, Dr. Laura. What can I do to get back at her? Should I secretly follow her home and..." Polly hesitated for a moment. The feeling of revenge was completely unfamiliar to her. But as soon as she thought about what Laura's sister Lena had done to Cindy, it made her angry. "And make it look like an accident when I break her metatarsals, ankles, tibias, fibias and femurs?"
"For God's sake, no! If you do that, you'll definitely end up in prison for assault! Lena has excellent lawyers!"
When she heard "prison", Polly turned pale. Even the thought of prison triggered an anxiety attack in Polly's head. The one night in prison still plagued her like a nightmare. Unimaginable if she had to live in prison for many years! "That's true, Dr. Laura. I don't want to go to prison." Polly blinked her eyes sadly.
"Listen, Polly. You need to sharpen your skills and your durability. You're going to have to keep working under her in this hospital in order to find her weaknesses. And to make sure she'll suffer a 'little accident'..." Laura awkwardly lifted her plaster arms and drew touch marks in the air with her fingers. "... which break all her bones. Lena is not your average woman! To be successful, you need special skills."
"I already have so many skills, don't I? I'm the best head nurse in the hospital. Isn't that enough?" There was a certain defiance in Polly's blue eyes. The way Dr. Laura said it, it sounded like she didn't believe in Polly's abilities.
"You may be right, Polly. But pride comes before a fall and..." Dr. Laura paused, straining to push the wheelchair with her two plaster arms towards the window. She looked thoughtfully at the outside world.
"I'm just worried that you might be a frog in the well, Polly. You know: A frog that only knows the well and thinks it's the whole world. But you need to see the big world out there. You've mastered everything you need to know in this environment, but what about the outside world? Lena is a woman who knows about everything, and when you're facing a woman with that kind of knowledge, you're going to be in trouble if you have no idea what's outside the well."
Dr. Laura turned to Polly and looked at her silently for a moment. Instinctively, Polly stepped closer and as soon as she stood next to Laura Dr. Laura grabbed Polly's hands with the fingers that poked out of her casts.
"It's not that I don't trust you. You're my best assistant, a great partner and a valuable friend, Polly."
"I understand, Dr. Laura." Polly tried to nod, but her neck and back support wouldn't allow her to. "So, what's the plan?"
"There's a non-governmental organization called 'Enhancing Values In Life'. They're looking for women to train them to become strong and independent. They're starting a training camp next week." Dr. Laura paused.
"And you want me to join," Polly asked.
"That's right. I think your broken leg is fully healed now and I also think it's time to stop wearing the fake cast for fun. Next week you'll be completely free again and ready to face the challenge." Dr. Laura stroked Polly's thick leg casts and allowed herself a furtive sigh.
"Yes, I understand. When you're really fighting, there's no room for fun," Polly said firmly, clenching her hands into fists. With Laura's fingers still in hers, Laura groaned softly.
"Oh, sorry, Dr. Laura." Startled, Polly let go. "But who's going to look after you when I'm gone?"
"Don't worry about it, Polly. Gemma will look after me. She said she can look after me before and after her shift."
"Wait, she has a broken wrist and doesn't get sick leave?"
"Yes, as you know, this is Lena's time now. She won't let anyone go with a simple broken bone."
"That's reason enough to take Lena out of business. She has no heart at all."
"I've told you that. But she has money and brains!"
"I promise you, Dr. Laura. Right after I say goodbye to Cindy, I'm going to get ready for 'Enhancing Values In Life' camp! It's time to face new challenges with determination."
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I've been drawing Dr.Laura a lot these days xD