“You’re fine, Miss Parker.” Dr. Green leaned over his desk and folded his hands in front of him; Ali smiled back, relived that he had given her good news.

“Are you sure doctor?” Nick asked, still sounding a little concerned.

They were at the hospital, getting back the results from tests that Ali had taken two days before after Nick had practically ordered her to get them done. The results had shown nothing but improvement in Ali’s condition and she was happy to hear that. Nick on the other hand, was still not convinced.

“Nick, you heard him. I’m fine.” Ali said, rolling her eyes slightly.

“She really is.” Dr. Green continued. “Every test showed improvement since last time.”

“What about the fainting and the tiredness?”

“Let me explain this to you again Nick. Ali’s body has been under a lot of pressure. The fainting is her body’s way of telling her that it’s keeping an eye on her. When it gets too tired, that’s how it reacts, but it doesn’t necessary means that something is wrong. It’s the same with the tiredness.” He turned to Ali and continued to speak. “If you do feel light-headed or tired, just lie down for a while. Make sure you eat plenty of vitamins, fruit, vegetables; red meat is good and drink milk. In the state you’re in right now, your body is trying to regain strength, so these things are important.”

Ali nodded. “Thank you doctor.”

“I’ll set up a new appointment for you in a month. If you have any questions, or I there’s anything else I can help you with, don’t hesitate to call me, ok?”

“Ok, I will. Thanks again.” She stood up and shook his hand, as did Nick.

They both walked out of Dr. Green’s office and continued down the empty hall towards the entrance. For a minute or two, none of them said anything. Ali was relived that there were only good news for her, and she was also glad that this might calm Nick down a little bit. He was being very overprotective towards her, something she appreciated, but it also got on her nerves at times. She knew he was just trying to look after her, and that he meant well, but she needed him to chance his attitude in order for her to get better. She was constantly worried about what he was thinking, why he worried so much and if he would ever stop. It was tearing on her, just as much as anything else.

“I think we should see another doctor.” Nick said suddenly as they reached the main entrance and walked out of the clinic.

“What?” Ali stopped and looked at him, raising her eyebrows slightly.

“I said, I think you should see anoth---“

“I heard you. Why do you say that?”

“Because I still think they’re missing something.”

“Are you serious?” Ali asked, feeling a little irritated. “They ran ten tests and every single one of them showed that I’m fine.”

“I know that… I just have this feeling, ok?”

“No Nick. It’s not ok. You’re making it sound like you don’t want me to be ok.”  

“What? Of course I want you to be ok. That’s why I’m doing this.”

“I can’t believe you… Why can’t you trust what the doctors are saying?”  

Nick took a few steps closer to her and put both of his hands on her shoulders. “Because they don’t live with you! They don’t see you every day, getting out of breath just by walking up the stairs, or fainting just by taking a short walk on the beach. They don’t see how you are in your sleep when your whole body is aching to get out of those nightmares. It’s not normal Ali. They didn’t know you before any of this shit happened, and that’s why they can’t see that you’re not the same person that you used to be!”

Ali closed her eyes for a second, sighing slightly. “How can I ever become that person again Nick?” She whispered, looking down. “I was gone for 16 months, living under the worse conditions possible, something you would never understand no matter how hard you try. I will never be that same person I used to be Nick. Right now, I feel like I don’t even belong here. I want things to be the way they used to be, but I really need you to help me get there. And by that, I need you to let me make my own decisions, but walk with me, on the same side of the street!” She was almost crying as she finished the last sentence. Suddenly, she felt very dizzy again, and leaned out to support herself on Nick.

“I’m sorry….” He whispered and gently pulled her into a hug. “Are you ok?”

“Just take me home.” She whispered, silent tears rolling down her cheek.

Things were tense between the two of them for the next couple of days. Ali was spending a lot of time in her room, using the fact that the doctor had said she needed to rest as an excuse not to go downstairs and face Nick. Nick was feeling frustrated because he knew he couldn’t tell her otherwise than to follow the doctors orders. Even so, he still spent his nights half awake, worried that Ali might have another bad dream so that she would need him by her side. Sometimes, he even hoped she would. At the same time he felt bad for wanting her to feel bad just so that he could feel good about being there for her. It was all confusing to him, the fact that he constantly worried about her. He knew that he had always acted overprotected towards her, ever since they were kids, and he assumed that those instincts were just getting stronger now that she was back with him and needed him more than ever. At the same time, he was also scared to death that what he was doing to her was wrong. How would she ever manage on her own again, when he was always there to help her? He knew she couldn’t stay with him forever. Eventually, she would want to start her new life, he would want to get his old life back, but right now, there were restrictions that made that impossible for both of them.

Things weren’t easy for Ali either. She kept having moments when she was forced back to the cold, black spaces where she used to be. Not having Nick around as she normally would have, made it even harder, but she was stubborn, and there was no way that she would give in and admit that he was right. She was certain that there was nothing wrong with her besides the fact that she had been through hell and back the last year. The thing that bothered her the most was the fact that even though she wanted to, she couldn’t stay mad at Nick. She knew he only meant well, but she just needed to let him know how she felt about the situation, and that that was the reason why she acted the way she did. It was her way of talking, but Nick knew her language very well and knew from the very beginning that she wasn’t really mad at him, but that she needed some distance and a little space to breathe. They were both hoping that the weirdness between them would pass by eventually, but at the same time, they both wanted that eventually would be now.