A Rose in Bloom

Like Goldilocks… it’s ju----st right.” Jaxon chuckled.

“Okay, I’ll leave it at this level.”

He peered across the big rubber mask over his nose, blinking to focus his eyes. Dr. Evans smiled behind the clear visor she wore across her face.

“You look like a welder with that thing on.” The thought of Dr. Evans welding made him laugh out loud.

She smiled again and nodded. “Yes, I suppose I do.”

Jaxon struggled to hold his heavy eyelids open.

“Jaxon?”

“Hmmm?”

“Tell me about you and my niece.”

“Your niece?”

“Yes. Elyssa. Tell me about you and Elyssa.”

“Elyssa hates me.”

“Why do you think she hates you?”

“She gave me her evil-eye. No one can survive the evil-eye.” Jaxon was overcome with laughter.

She chuckled. “Yeah, I’ve seen it. Her evil-eye is pretty awful. But what about you, Jaxon? How do you feel about Elyssa?”

“I saw her eat chocolate cake in her sleep, and I didn’t tell her.” Jaxon pressed his lips together and giggled through his nose. Then he sucked in another deep breath of gas and floated into oblivion.

“Jaxon? Jaxon?” Dr. Evans' words broke through his consciousness.

“Hmmm?”

“Do you like Elyssa?”

“I can’t tell you that. You’ll tell her what I say.”

“No, I won’t. Doctor-patient confidentiality. I can’t repeat what you tell me if you don’t want me to.”

“It doesn’t matter anyway. She hates me. She likes Baron Carrington.” The man's name tasted terrible.

“But what about you? What do you think of Elyssa?”

“What do I think of her?” Images of Elyssa drifted though his mind. He motioned Dr. Evans closer with an awkward wave of his weighty hand. “She’s really cute. But don’t tell her I said that.”

Dr. Evans patted his shoulder and made a zipping motion across her face with her latex-covered hand. “My lips are sealed.”

“I kissed her, you know. But I don’t think she remembers.” He snorted with mirth. “I guess it wasn’t very impressive, huh? She doesn’t even remember it.” He took a deep breath through his mask and blew it out slowly through his mouth. Dr. Evans spoke to him again, but he couldn’t make his mind understand her words. “What did you say?”

“I asked if you were trying to influence her to sell her building to you?”

“No one can make that girl do something she doesn’t want to do. No one.” Jaxon laughed again.

“You have a point.”

“My lip feels funny.” Jaxon chortled. “Funny—get it? It’s funny that it feels funny.”