Modern Fairy Tales Ch. 06

Once upon a time...

Calla opened her eyes and blinked a few times. She had no idea where she was, but it looked like a hospital room. The walls were stark white and as she looked around, she saw no one. The bed next to her was empty and as she began to awaken, her body was radiating pain. She winced and cried out. She tried to move, but as she looked down, she saw that there were tubes connected to her arms and as she tried to lift her legs, it felt like there was a heavy weight on each of them. Her cry must have been loud enough to summon the nurse because an older woman rushed into the room. She was wearing green scrubs. Her red hair was in a bun and her glasses were perched on the end of her nose.

"Oh my dear you're awake. Don't move I'll get the doctor."

She hit a button beside Calla's bed.

"I'm Nancy, your nurse, and yes I know that sounds funny. Once the doctor speaks to you, we'll get your family in here. They have been waiting for you to wake up."

"She's awake." From the doorway was a male voice. "I'm Dr. Hines and I'm the overseeing physician at the moment. You probably have a lot of questions so you can either ask them and I'll answer or I can just explain why you're here."

Calla stared at the doctor and was taken aback by his bluntness. His eyes were tired looking and he probably had seen so much pain and suffering that it no longer affected him.

"Tell me."

"You were in a motor vehicle collision five days ago. The car was crushed completely. You have two broken legs along with a ruptured spleen. You have a major contusion on your face that required stitches. You were in surgery for three hours. We had you in a coma to allow you to recover and as of last night you were off the drugs."

"What car accident?" Calla's mind was racing as she tried to remember the accident.

"I don't know the details. I was just told you were in a motor vehicle collision."

"Calla!" Two men rushed into the room and hugged Calla tight.

"Dad! Trevor!"

"You're awake. God you gave us a scare young lady."

Calla grinned as the men sat on either side of her bed.

"Visiting hours are almost over. I'll give you 20 minutes and then you're going to need to give her some rest. Once your legs have healed, you will be discharged. That should be in about four weeks."

Dr. Hines walked out of the room, not even smiling or saying goodbye.

"Baby we were so worried."

Calla's Dad was trying to wipe away the tears. His wrinkled face didn't hide his bright blue eyes. He wore jeans and a t-shirt.

"I'm sorry Daddy. I really don't remember the accident."

"It's O.K. sweetie. We don't care about the car. We just care about you."

"The doctor said I had a cut on my face. Is it bad Trevor?"

Trevor looked down at the ground, not wanting to look in his sister's eyes. Trevor was four years older then his sister and although there was twenty years between him and his dad, they looked very much alike. Trevor was also wearing jeans and a t-shirt and his hands were rough from his work.

"It's healing."

"That's not an answer."

Calla had always been stubborn and her relationship with her brother was very close considering their mom had died ten years ago.

Calla's dad walked over and took the mirror from above the sink. He held it delicately as he put it in front of Calla. Both father and son looked down at the ground, waiting for Calla's reaction. Calla just stared at her reflection and gasped. The cut was more like a large open wound that went from her right temple down across her cheek and ended at her chin. She had stitches all along the wound and her cheeks were bruised. When she opened her mouth she saw that she had two missing teeth. Her blonde hair was in a loose ponytail, but as she tilted the mirror, she saw a bald spot on the left side of her head. It was like her hair was burnt off. Calla put the mirror down and after pulling away the sheet, saw her arms and legs covered in cuts. She had an I.V. in her left arm and her legs were in casts from knee to ankle.

"I'm so ugly."

Calla burst into tears and Trevor tried first to comfort her. He was pushed away forcefully and as she turned on her side the men in her family knew she needed time alone.

Trevor and his dad walked slowly down the hallway of the hospital. Trevor was sixteen when his mom had died and remembered the hallways vividly. He remembered walking up and down the hall when he was told to leave his mom's room. He still had not forgiven the doctor who told him to leave right before his mom died. James walked beside his son and wondered what else was going to go wrong with his family.

Trevor and James made their way out of the hospital and got into the truck. They drove home to the motor home park and pulled into the parking spot in front of their home. It was actually a large motor home, considering the sizes of some of the other homes around them. There was a living room and dining room combined with a small galley kitchen. The front of the motor home was where James slept and in the back next to the washroom was a small room that fit Calla's bed and dresser. Trevor slept in the side room that was really a patio with walls. The men entered the home and went to their respective beds.

The next morning Trevor and James were up with the sun. They moved around the motor home quickly since they had to be at the worksite by seven. James had been a construction worker since graduating from high school and it was only assumed that Trevor would join him. Right after graduation, Trevor had begun working with his dad and they made a good team on the field. They got out to the construction site and began their work. They thought about Calla in the hospital and were excited to see her at the end of the day.

Calla woke up around eight and after calling the nurse to get her breakfast, asked to see the doctor. Dr. Hines was on duty again and he walked in and sat on a chair by the bed.

"What would you like Calla."

"I want to get out of bed so I can have a shower."

"I'm sorry Calla, but that won't be possible. Nancy can give you a sponge bath, but the casts have to stay on for another four weeks at the least."

He got up and walked out. He really despised his job, especially when he had to deal with patients that refused to understand their situation. Calla's legs had been broken in three places and she was lucky that she didn't need steel plates to reconstruct her them. The surgeon had done a great job and, sometimes, he wished he had listened to his mom and become a lawyer.

Calla picked up the phone that had been placed in her room. She had demanded she get a phone and after some arguing, she got her wish. She picked up the phone and called her boyfriend.

"Hi Sawyer. Yes I'm fine. I'd like for you to come visit me."

Calla hung up the phone and smiled. Sawyer had been her boyfriend for almost a year and she loved him dearly. He was from a rich family and had been a football player in high school. He was attending the state college so he could become a lawyer like his father. Calla loved how tall and handsome he looked. She knew she was ugly looking, but after a year she knew that Sawyer, like her dad and brother, wouldn't care what she looked like on the outside.

"Oh."

Calla looked over and saw her boyfriend at the door. He didn't even step into her room.

"I have to go Calla. I hate hospitals."

Calla noticed that he couldn't even look her in the eyes.

"Call me when you get out."

And with that, he was gone. Calla burst into tears and sobbed for almost an hour. She was an ugly duckling and she would never be pretty again.

After work, Trevor and James went to visit Calla. She was rude, bitchy, and refused to listen to their positive words. She never mentioned Sawyer's visit and realized that she would need to do something drastic to win back his love.

As the days went by, the routine was the same. She would lie in bed writing in her journal, going on and on about how hard her life was. Her dad and brother would visit her in the evenings and she would be mean to them. After an hour or so, they'd go back home.

After three weeks, Calla was disgusted at her body. She had gained a lot of weight from the hospital food. She refused to go outside her room. She hadn't left her bed for more then a few minutes a day and that was when the nurse moved her to the wheelchair so the sheets could be changed. While Calla was writing in her journal one morning, in came another patient. She hid behind her book as she listened to the nurse and doctor settle him in. The new patient's name was Derek and he had broken his leg snowboarding. He was admitted to the hospital for a few days because he was practicing his snowboarding moves at home and after falling off the coffee table one too many times, his mother had freaked out and demanded he go back to the hospital to recover.

"Hi."

His voice was deep and sexy. It made Calla blush.

"Hi."

Calla looked over and instead of him staring at her face in disgust he smiled back.

"I'm Derek. You must have heard I'm here because I'm stubborn. What's your story?"

Calla told Derek her story, including the part about her thinking how ugly she was. She left out the part about her family problems and before she knew it, her father and brother had come to visit. Derek and Calla had spent the entire afternoon chatting and it seemed like it had only been a few minutes.

The next day, Calla's nurse was shocked, but pleasantly surprised to see Calla and Derek racing down the halls in their wheelchairs. They were laughing and giggling and almost ran over a few of the patients. Nancy had never seen Calla smile before and she was happy to see Calla's spirits up.

Two days before both of them were to be discharged; it was a dark and rainy day. They had been going outside in the park area on the hospital grounds yet due to the weather and their casts, they were stuck inside. Calla was in her bed while Derek was sitting in a wheelchair with his foot up on her bed.

"Can I ask you a question?"

Calla bit her lip and grinned. She knew she was flirting with Derek over the past few days, but Derek had equally been a flirt.

"Sure."

"How ugly am I really?"

Derek blinked and saw how concerned Calla really was about her appearance.

"You are not ugly. Everyone is beautiful in his or her own way. You need to get used to that new way. I never knew you before and I find you very attractive."

Derek blushed bright red and Calla couldn't help but giggle. She leaned forward at the same time as Derek did and their lips touched. It was a soft kiss. Both were very hesitant yet the burning desire between the two of them was growing. They couldn't really touch each other because of their casts and after awhile Calla was getting a cramp in her side from leaning over. She pulled away and both of them grinned like teenagers.

The next day, they made bets on who would get their casts off first. In the end, Calla won and she walked hesitantly back to her room It felt so weird to walk again and she was thankful there was no pain. Derek was not in the room when she returned and in the confusion of packing up her things, being discharged, and being picked up by her brother, she forgot to leave her phone number for Derek.

Calla got home and was excited to sleep in her own bed. As she fell asleep, she saw on her dresser the picture of her and Sawyer. She wondered if she would ever see him again.

The next morning Calla woke up and not hearing any sound in the home, realized that her dad and brother were gone to work already. She had her first real shower and after spending hours shaving her legs, doing her nails, fixing her hair, and putting on makeup she picked up the phone to call Sawyer.

"Hi Sawyer it's me Calla. I know you said you didn't like hospitals, but I'm home now and want to know if you want to come over. Trevor and my dad are gone for the day."

Normally this meant that Sawyer would rush over and they would have hot passionate sex until her family came home from work.

"I don't think so Calla. I saw what you looked liked the last time I was at the hospital. I think we should just end this."

"But I love you."

Calla knew she was whining, but she didn't care. She stared at the phone when she heard the click on the other end of the line. He had hung up on her. Calla spent the rest of the day crying on her bed. She wrote in her journal about how she was the ugly duckling and how no one wanted her.

"I need to be a swan again."

Calla stormed out of the house and walked the few blocks to the nearest library. She had chosen the best make up products over a computer and this was one time she realized she had made the wrong choice. She walked into the library and saw the look of disgust and sympathy on the faces of those around her. She glared at them and made her way to the public computers. She logged on and after finding the correct site began to type in her message.

My name is Calla Johnston and I'm twenty-two years old. I was in a car accident over a month ago and I am horribly disfigured. I want to go on your show to prove to the world, and to someone very special to me, that I am a swan. I am truly an ugly ducking right now and can't live my life like this.

She typed in her personal information and pressed the send button. She smiled to herself and walked home hoping they would call her soon.

***

Calla stood backstage trying to calm herself. A month ago, she had been contacted by the show and had spent the last month going through many surgeries and procedures. The first consultation with the surgeons had been horrible to her already lacking self-esteem. They went on and on about every part of her body, but in the end she agreed to all the procedures. She had had a face-lift along with reconstructive surgery to fix her teeth. She had exercised daily to lose the weight she had gained in the hospital plus more and had a breast lift and tummy tuck. Her hair had grown in to cover the bald spot and after spending hours at the salon she was absolutely gorgeous. She had chosen a red floor length gown and knew that on the other side of the dividing wall was her family. She had told the producers to invite her father, her brother and Sawyer.

She walked out and the bright lights almost blinded her. She looked around and ran into the arms of Sawyer. Her dad and brother pretended to smile, but knew what Sawyer's real intentions were. He had accidentally mentioned before the taping that he was thankful she had gotten plastic surgery since she would hopefully be pretty enough to be his wife.

Everyone around her smiled and the looks of disgust and pity were gone. She was truly a swan and she walked hand in hand towards Sawyer's car. They drove to his apartment and the moment they were inside, he kissed her.

"I've wanted this for so long baby. I want to fuck my beautiful girlfriend."

Calla grinned as she was led to his bedroom. He undressed her slowly, caressing her body as he removed her red dress and then her matching red bra and panties. His large firm hands massaged her breasts and as he latched on to her left nipple she moaned. Sawyer continued to suck on her nipple as he undressed himself. Once he was naked, he pushed her onto her back and climbed on top.

"God you're beautiful." Sawyer sank three fingers into her dripping pussy and began to push up, massaging her g-spot. He took his other hand and lightly caressed her clit. All Calla could do was lie there and moan. Her body was on fire and she was so close it hurt.

"Make me cum."

Sawyer nodded and pushed his cock inside her. He stretched her in all the right places and Calla bucked up hard. She had an intense orgasm and could only pant.

"Fuck I'm going to cum baby." Sawyer thrusted hard inside her and gripped her hips.

"Oh fuck yeah." Sawyer collapsed on top of Calla and held her face in his hands.

"Fuck I love you. You're a hot little fuck too." Calla smiled and tried to hide her disappointment. She hated how much he swore and wished he were a little bit more romantic. It wasn't that she didn't like having sex with Sawyer, but he always considered it fucking.

Before long Sawyer proposed to Calla and of course she accepted. In the past, she hadn't been invited to any of the high-class parties that Sawyer and his family were invited to, but now she was almost an honored guest. On this one night, she wore a long silver gown with high heels. Everyone knew she had been on the television show and she loved the attention. She had moved in with Sawyer and rarely had time to visit or call her brother and father. As Calla walked into the ballroom from going to the washroom, she heard Sawyer's voice.

"She's such a little hottie now. Wish she came from a better family though. Thank God she's not too bright. She hasn't caught on to me fucking other girls behind her back."

Calla barely had time to process what her fiancé had said when out of nowhere there was a flash of movement as one of the waiters tackled Sawyer to the ground. Calla approached the two men struggling on the ground and gasped.

"Derek!"

Calla watched helplessly as Derek slammed his fist into Sawyer's chin.

"You don't deserve her you asshole. She was beautiful before the surgery and you treat her like dirt." Derek tried to hit him again, but a large security guard pulled him back.

Sawyer stumbled to his feet and glared at Derek. "Stay the fuck out of my life waiter. You will never be good enough to be a guest here."

Calla stood in the silent ballroom and looked from one man to the other. There was Sawyer wiping away blood from his mouth, sneering at her like it was her fault this had happened. His words echoed in her mind. She couldn't stop the hurtful words from repeating – loser, not too bright, better family. Then she looked at Derek and saw concern and love. He had stood up for her, something Sawyer had never done.

"Sawyer. Answer one question for me. Would you have given me this diamond ring if I hadn't gone on that television show?" Calla prayed he would give her the right answer, but he didn't.

"Hell no. You were fucking ugly before the accident and the accident just made it worse. There is no way I'd be seen in public with you. The only reason I said for you to call me when you got out of the hospital was because I knew you were getting a big settlement from the car accident. Otherwise, I would have dumped you ages ago."

By this point, a circle had formed around the three of them. The crowd gasped as they heard how mean and superficial Sawyer was acting. Calla was on the verge of tears. She looked at Derek.

"Did you say I was beautiful before the surgery?" Derek nodded.

"Yes, Calla."

Calla and Derek just stared at each other. He was escorted off the premises of the country club and Calla followed. They sat on the curb next to each other.

"Can I tell you something Calla?"

"Sure."

"I've never hit anyone before in my life. I heard what he was saying about you. Every time he was there for some dinner or charity function he would go on about how ugly you were. I just couldn't take it anymore."

Calla just leaned up against Derek and when he put his arm around her and kissed her forehead she knew she was going to be O.K.

And they lived happily ever after.