Miracle Cream Ch. 02c

"Cory..."

"Stay out of this," Cory hissed at his mother. "After five years of your abuse, you don't have a leg to stand on." Seeing his mother dropping her chin as his words cut into her. "Well, Doc? You wanted this conversation; do you not have an answer, or are you just remaining silent because your daughter is involved?"

"I can't comment on the matter since I wasn't there."

"Dayana," turning to look at his eldest sister, "you were there; who would you say was at fault?" Cory asked, wondering who she would side with him or Zoe.

"You two were pretty disrespectful, especially with the blatant flirting the three of you were doing. Hell, I stood there for another two minutes, and neither of you even noticed," Dayana said, looking at her sister and Cassy.

"How long did it take for either of you to notice I wasn't even in the fucking room? I'll tell you how long, a damn hour! So tell me, Doc," drawing out the word in a sarcastic tone, "why not put the blame where the blame is due?" Cory asked; he knew he sounded like an ass, but he really didn't care. Neither one of them has had to be poked, prodded, and stitched back up more times in less than a week than they have in their whole entire lives put together. Cory was rather perturbed about having to see the inside of a hospital so damn much.

"So, if what I'm understanding in this anger fill tirade is you feel disrespected because your friend didn't spend time with you?"

"That's what you got from that? Some shrink you are," Cory said, rolling his good eye. "I'm used to the disrespect, been dealing with it for five years nonstop, no, I'm upset about the usurpation of my time. You know, that thing you can never get back when it's gone. Time might be infinite, but I am not."

"Yet, did you not hang out with this friend of yours afterward?"

"For like ten minutes, tell me, can you really get into anything in a span of ten minutes? So, I lose what time I have with my friend before she moves to California just so those two can wet their chops on bagging a new fuckable prospect? Is that the stance you're really willing to take with me?" Cory asked, with a questioning look.

"Cory, what are you talking about?" Zoe asked, given how that never came up last night.

"What part of that was confusing to you?"

"The part where she's moving to California."

"How is that confusing?" Cory inquired with a tilt of his head. "Her father is moving them there for a job in two months. Were you two so focused on banging my friend that you didn't even notice how sad she was? Nah, you two were only looking after what you two have between your legs."

"That's uncalled-for," Cassy cut in.

"Were you or weren't you trying to bed my friend?" Cory asked, turning his gaze to her.

"I..."

"A simple question deserves a simple answer, or do you just not like the answer? Truth hurts, huh?" Cory spoke, seeing Cassy's face reddening at his tone. "So tell me, Cassandra, what were you thinking with, if not with your head? If a guy can be led around by his dick, a woman can be led by her pussy. How's that for equality?"

"You and I will have lots to work on, especially this anger of yours," Delilah spoke, while it might be true of what he said about her daughter. That didn't mean she has to like how he said it.

"Look at me! Look at what they, uncaringly, unabatingly, have done to my life! Without giving a single flying fuck while doing it! You lived through this shit, and you're standing there telling me not to be fucking angry?! You can rightly fuck off with that bullshit!"

"Cory?!" Celeste hissed at his tone. "You do not speak to..."

"It's alright, Celeste; I've heard worse in my line of work," Delilah said, holding up a hand. "No, I never said, you shouldn't be angry, Cory, so don't go putting words in my mouth. All I said was we need to work on this anger of yours. If you don't face it now, it will only fester into a cancer that you will never be able to escape from. You have every right to be angry with the way they treated you, and you might be right about what happened last night. Yet, that doesn't give you the right to take it out on them, as they never had the right to abuse you for so long. All you'll do is alienate people when you snap at them for no reason. Do you want to be known as the angry wart that simmers in his own past, or a man who's overcome it and moved on with his life?"

"Nah, I'd rather be the wart; it sounds interesting," Cory retorted combatively.

"Well then, I'll just have to stock up on wart remover because until we face this problem, I will not be going away," Delilah said, in a stern voice.

"And who said I wanted you as a shrink in the first place? I'm eighteen, I'm in charge of whom I see about my mental health if it ever became an issue. Not them, and certainly not you," Cory said, setting the foundations of his fortifications on that battlefield as he was surrounded by the ancient Gauls.

"Combative, defensive, all clear signs of a patient who has suffered abuse," Cory was growing weirded out by the smile on her lips, "I was the same way with my abusive ex, lashing out at those that only wanted to help. But you see, I'm stubborn when I know you need help. So, you best get used to seeing me around. Whether you like it or not, I am going to help you and see you, along with your family."

"Well then, seeing how I can't physically stop you at the moment, I'll just become a functioning mute, then how will you ever get anything out of me?' Cory stated, rallying the defenders to the ramparts to stave off the wave of angry barbarians at the gates.

"I like a challenge, Cory; sooner or later, you will speak to me, I know it, you know it, you're just being stubborn, and that's quite alright," Delilah said, lightly patting Cory's right forearm. "You've had to protect yourself for so long; being defensive is the only thing you know when faced with confrontation. Attacking those that are here to help you is another sign who's had to protect himself constantly from attacks. So, you do the only thing you know how to keep yourself safe, attack. It's a natural reaction for people that've suffered through this. We'll address this as well." She was waiting for his rebuttal, yet all she was met with was absolute silence on Cory's part. So, it seemed to her he was enforcing his mutism early.

"Cory," squeezing his forearm, "she's only trying to help," Celeste said, in a soft tone.

"Who is she trying to help here? I didn't ask for help, did you?" Cory asked, with an arched eyebrow.

"Yes, I did," Celeste nodded.

"Then you deal with her; this is on you, not me."

"We," Celeste emphasized, "will be dealing with her together," putting her foot down.

"So what I want means nothing?"

"When it's hurting, our chances to repair what we took for granted," Celeste said, not hiding the hurt from her eyes that Cory would throw this all away. "Please, Cory, I know you're upset about last night. I get that time with Jessica is important to you, given her upcoming departure from your life. I'm sorry you're going to be losing a friend soon, truly I am. Yet, can't you see they couldn't have known that. That taking it out on them isn't right, since you've never made it known that she was there to see you..."

"That should have been obvious," Cory spat.

"Granted, they should have, but they let their hormones blind them. Haven't you ever done that?" Celeste asked, lightly rubbing her thumb along his forearm. "Or are you saying that you're the most perfect of individuals on the planet?" A smile appeared on her lips as once again Cory became speechless when he couldn't refute her words. "People make mistakes, some small, some so large that they fail to see the damage it caused before it's far too late to stop it. Yet, they admitted their mistake and apologized."

"An apology from you all means little to me," Cory stated coldly.

"I can understand that, Cory," nodding along, "we haven't given you much confidence in our words over the years for you to blindly trust them. Yet, can you not forgive them, not about the past five years, just last night, given how they didn't know about Jessica's situation."

"I... fine, whatever," Cory said, blowing his mother off.

What could be said after that would never be known as the doctor who oversaw Cory knocked on the door to his room. Who had them leave the room while she looked over Cory before she discharged him.

"Your blood pressure has stabilized; your vitals look good. I don't see a reason to keep you here overnight." Cory tried to remember where he's seen the woman before as she wrote something in his chart.

"Have we met before?" Cory asked, as he examined her with his good eye.

"We have." The smack of his palm on his forehead was loud in the room when the woman smiled.

"How could I forget that smile? It's rather stunning. Do forgive me."

"This time," she teased, "but I expect you to remember me next time you come in. So, Mr. Miller, care to explain how you found yourself in this situation?" she asked, her eyes ran over his wounds.

"Got into a fight down at the beach. Would you believe it was three on one? Took two down, one of them landed on top of a jellyfish. You should have seen him prancing around," Cory chuckled, then his gaze turned dark. "Then the ring leader stabbed me, lost my spleen. Poor little guy, never had a chance," he sniffled. The corners of his lips lifting at the sound of her giggle.

"How's your hand doing?"

"It hurts, but at least I can feel my finger!" Cory exclaimed with a wide, happy smile.

"Oh? Was something wrong with it?" she asked, opening up his file again. "Ah. I see. An ulnar nerve reattachment. That must have been one helluva fight to cause it to sever like it did."

"Must have been the uppercut I landed on one of his goons. How I got the broken knuckles."

"Could you not have talked or walked away from the fight?" she asked; she wasn't one that advocated for violence.

"Yeah, that wasn't going to happen; it was either that or watch them rape my sisters. I'm an ass, but not that low of a douche to let that happen."

"Really?!"

"Oh, yeah," Cory nodded vigorously. "From what I understand, the police raided their place, found tons of evidence of their crimes."

"Oh my," she gasped, placing her fingers lightly over her lips. "I'm sure your sisters are very proud of you for not given them what they wanted."

"Probably," Cory uttered with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Well, do try not to injure yourself anymore; I would rather see you on the street than laying in one of my beds," she said, with a warm, friendly smile on her lips. "By the way, how are your ribs doing?"

"You know, this," gesturing to this chest, "does not hurt as much as those damn things did. But at least they're about the only thing on or in my body that isn't hurting right at this moment. Although, I wonder if I get one of those cards, and do I get a prize on my tenth visit?!" Cory spoke with a friendly smile.

"That happens on your third visit," she joked along.

"Dang, and I was really looking forward to that free CAT scan too." Seeing her biting her lower lip to contain her chuckle.

"I'll get your discharge papers started. If you need to come back to the ER, I normally work the morning shifts in case you need or want a doctor who's familiar with your medical history."

His deep lime green eye ran over her name tag that was pinned on her doctor's coat, "I'll keep that in mind, Dr. Cooper. Any relation to D.B. Cooper?" Cory joked, cocking a smirk.

"Shh, he's my dad, don't go spreading it about," Dr. Cooper stated in a low whisper, holding her finger to her lips with a smile on her face. "Eat light, if you eat at all tonight," she said, patting his leg before heading off to fill out his discharge papers.

Lifting the sheet, seeing how he was nude once again on a hospital bed. Wondering... turning his head when Cassy walked back in. With his shorts, a new shirt, and his shoes in hand, and closed the door.

"Sorry, Cory, but we couldn't save your shirt, hospital policy about blood-borne pathogens. But we were able to save your shorts," Cassy said, as she walked towards him.

"They better be reimbursing me. I loved that shirt," Cory huffed.

"Really?"

"No, that was sarcasm."

"Oh."

"Still would it kill them not to destroy my wardrobe?" Cory grumbled as Cassy helped him into his shirt.

"I am truly sorry about last night. I had no idea she was leaving or that you needed your friend then. If..."

"If and buts won't change what's happened, Cass," Cory stated, cutting her off.

"I'll make sure it won't happen again," Cassy said, in a firm tone.

"You shouldn't make promises that you can't keep. You see a pretty girl, you become like a guy in a way, tunnel vision," Cory said, as she pulled up his shorts as he slid off the bed.

"Can't help it, Cory," feeling her cheeks reddening, "it's just in my nature," Cassy said, tying a tight but loose knot in the drawstring. "Now sit back down, and I'll put your shoes on. So is she really leaving?"

"Yep, her mother isn't too happy about it either," Cory uttered as she tied his right shoe.

"I'm sorry to hear that; I'm sure she's a wonderful friend to have," Cassy said, peering up, trying not to gaze up the leg of his shorts to spy upon that rod of his.

"She is," Cory agreed.

"I hope the two of you can stay in contact with one another. A friendship shouldn't end because one of you was forced to move to the other side of the country."

"Me too, but you never know. She might forget about me with all that glamour in SoCal," Cory said, with a hint of sadness in his voice.

"I doubt that, Cory, even when you're being an ass, you leave an impression on people that isn't easily forgotten," Cassy said, sitting down next to him once she had finished tying his shoes.

"Oh?"

"It's true," Cassy nodded. "You know, Mom only takes new patients on referrals now. She's taken a liking to you, not because of what you have swinging between your legs because she knows what it's like to be in your shoes. Mom was angry for a long time too. You have no idea how many times, my dad put her in the hospital. It's not even funny," she said, her tone took a dark hue to it as she reminisced her childhood. "I tried to stop him, but I was just a little girl. He's kind of the reason I'm more into the ladies than men." Seeing him listening to every word she spoke.

"And where is he now?"

"Don't know and don't fucking care. The moment Mom, with the encouragement of her friends and especially my grandfather, who was there to keep that ass from doing anything, threw him out, I haven't heard a word from him. Not that I'm expecting to hear anything from that narcissistic dick," blowing out a breath so as not to get herself riled up, "but a part of me still loves him, he is my dad, but that's about all he'll ever get from me. Like I know there is still a part of you that loves them. I have no clue what went on between you and your family, and I'm not trying to tell you what to do or anything of that sort. Yet, Zoe is really hurt," placing a hand on his left arm, "I know she's hurt you, along with the others. But at least try to put the past behind you all."

"Let me ask you if I went out and found your daddy, and brought him here, and forced you and your mother into the same room and told you to make nicey nice with him. Wouldn't you bite my head off and put it on a stake and tell me to go fuck myself for interfering in your private life?" Cory asked, with a pointed look. "Because that's basically the same damn thing you and your mother are telling me to do."

"I... can see where you're coming from," Cassy reluctantly admitted. "Yeah, Mom would probably flip out and beat you with a chair until only the stub of the chair remained. But they aren't like my father; my father only cared about one thing, himself, and whether or not we made him look good in public. If we didn't, I got the belt; Mom got the beating. I'm not telling you to break out the good china and have morning tea with them, just offer them that olive branch to show them that while yes, you're hurt and very disappointed in them for their past actions, that if you all work together, you all can build on it to at least be somewhat of a family again," she said, as Cory turned his attention away from her in deep thought.

"Wouldn't do morning tea, anyway. That's specially reserved for the Mad Hatter and his cohorts."

"As long as he isn't offering you a cracker to quench your thirst," Cassy replied, seeing the left corner of Cory's lips lifting from her position.

"True, his tea is rather rubbery, he tends to bake at high heat, and I quote: 'Of course you're here, in my- sanctum sanctorum. You always have been. You always will be. You're the Nonsense in my head that mustn't be ignored. You're the piece of me that maddens everyone, my sister the most' that's his saying on a good day," Cory said, playing along.

"And if it isn't?" Cassy asked, leaning in.

"If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn't be. And what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?" Cory said, quoting the Mad Hatter from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland / Through the Looking-Glass.

"He's quite mad, isn't he?" Cassy asked, with a smile on her lips.

"Indubitably so," Cory nodded. "But all the best ones are." Looking over at her when she laughed along and lightly bumped his shoulder.

"Cory, can we come in?" Celeste asked, knocking on the door as she pushed it open slightly.

"Only if you brought crumpets to sit on, with tea to eat, and the musical sounds of the mushrooms. Now, where is that cracker? I'm rather parched."

"W-what?!" Celeste stammered, unsure how to even respond to that.               Sighing loudly, "I must find my hatter for this place is quite mad," Cory spoke, shaking his head in sorrow. "I'm going to give you a sentence, a full sentence with a noun and a verb and a possible agitate. I don't like all these judges running around with their half-baked sentences, that's how you get salmonella poisoning."

"Yes, yes but you would have to be half-mad to dream me up," Dayana quoted, knowing exactly what he was saying. It was, after all, still her favorite book to read.

"There is a place, like no place on earth. A land full of wonder, mystery, and danger. Some say, to survive it, you need to be as mad as a hatter. Which, luckily, I am," Cory retorted.

"Ah, you do not appear to be Alice, Mister Hatter," Dayana said, with a smirk on her lips and a twinkle in her eyes.

"Of course not, but this is a dream that's not reality, who's to say which is which?" Cory replied, noting how their mother glanced at the two of them as they bantered back and forth.

"I didn't know you've read those books?!" Dayana exclaimed excitedly.

"How could I not? We're all mad here. One has to learn from the best; why not the Mad Hatter?" Cory asked, with an arched eyebrow.

"Well then, I best keep you away from any looking-glasses," Dayana said, with a stern but jovial nod.

"The horror you speak!"

"Just what are the two of you talking about?!" Celeste asked, with a rather perturbed look on her face for being left out.

"Cory's been quoting the Mad Hatter, from the book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland / Through the Looking-Glass," Dayana answered, looking over at her mother. "I just didn't know you knew that book so well."

"One could say the same to the one before me."

"I love those books; why didn't you tell me?" Dayana asked, even though she knew the reason.

"One does not willingly offer their head to the Red Queen," Cory said, keeping to his premise of being the Hatter's apprentice.

"I am not; I am the Queen of White; I'll have you know, good sir," Dayana said, turning up her nose as she played along.