After completing my work at the garage, which only involved some data entry, I wander aimlessly. It is been almost four weeks since my hand has been mummified, also four weeks since I have touched my car keys. Pops has confiscated my car keys, saying that he doesn't trust my driving skills when I drive with both hands, so now it is out of the question that he will allow me to drive.

It is good that I enjoy walking and can easily walk for miles, without complaining. Otherwise, I think I would have to add stealing in the lists of my talents. Because I would not have hesitated break Pops' safe, where he has securely kept my car keys, and stole them.

Last week has been filled with a lot of discoveries, when you walk you tend to come across a lot of interesting stuff.

Like, there is a shabby bar a few miles away from Kris house, which looks similar to Snuggly Duckling from the movie Tangled. A place which I will, definitely, going to explore some time soon. Kris is going crazy talking about drinking cheap beer and all, since the moment I have told her.

Then there is creepy looking abandoned house, in which we have planned to spend one-night watching horror movies. I am already excited about it, it will give so real vibes, that I can't wait for the day when we will go there.

Jake will not be included in our plans, because first, he will not allow us to do any of these things. And second, he is busy with his training. I think I am not going to tell Alec, as he is too uptight and doesn't know how to have fun without thinking about the consequences.

I guess he thinks that the entire world revolves around him and everybody will keep an eye on him. Like what he is doing, to whom he is meeting, blah blah... Although he is not snobbish, so I never told him that he is not that important or interesting that everyone will want to know what is going on in his life.

Sitting on the bench on the sidewalk, I look at my masterpiece which I have painted two days back on my cast. I am not a painter, but accidentally it turned out to be good. Well, at least to me. 

After painting my hand in the deep blue color with a hint of light blue and black, I dusted some white color on it, with the help of a toothbrush. Because I didn't know what else to do, and surprisingly it wasn't a disaster. This is the best which I have come up with. I feel like I have my night sky with stars on my hand. This reminds me of fireflies that I have seen that night.

But now, my sky is about to be destroyed. Today doctor will cut off my plaster and I am terrified. I am having nightmares that the doctor will cut my hand instead of my plaster. And I will be left with only one hand, for the rest of my life.

If the doctor cut off my hand, then how am I going to survive my entire life with one hand? 

One of the worst things about me is, suddenly developing a fear of something as useless as a white color pencil. It doesn't have to be anything really frightening, sometimes even random stuff can scare me, and it is not easy for me to overcome that fear. I try my best not to let fear control me, but still, it always lingers somewhere in my heart.

"I don't want to lose my hand," I whisper to myself, I can hear the fear in my voice, as I raise my eyes to the sky. I also mentally curse myself for watching Texas Chainsaw Massacre last night, because after that only I am afraid to get my plaster cut.

When I return home, I find Pops waiting for me. Without saying anything he wraps his arms around me, as soon as he sees my face. His embrace brings comforts, and a sense of security washes over me, dulling the frightening feeling.

"Nothing is going to happen," he says and places a kiss on my head, "Pops will not let anything happen to you." He runs his hand through my hair in a comforting manner.

Pops always talks to me as if I am still a small girl when he is trying to comfort me. And strangely, it does work, for a moment I feel like everything is going to be just fine.

"Do you want Kris to come with you?" He pulls away but still keeps his arm around my shoulder.

"No." I glance at my feet and shake my head, "She is more scared than me."

We both were watching this movie together last night, and she freaking out more than me. 

"Okay, go get ready then we will go and get this plaster removed." He nods and gives me an encouraging smile, "I can't wait to have my sparring partner back." He pats my head and chuckles.

Maybe having plaster on for the rest of my life even sounds more tempting, now.

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"What if they cut my hand or my hand lost its mobility?" I ask, Pops, dreadfully while playing with the hem of my sundress.

These days I mostly wear T-shirt dresses, as they are easy to put on singlehandedly, unlike other clothes.

"No worries, in that case, we will get you a robotic hand." Pops chuckles, as he parks the car in the hospital car park, "We will have no issues in fixing it also, as instead of the hospital you will just have to come to the garage. And I will fix your hand for free."

"I think the robotic hand will even land mean punches." I laugh as we walk towards the hospital.

"Yes, but still no one can land mean punches better than me." He ruffles my hair making me scowl at him.

"Look who is here to support you," Pops points out in front of him, I glance in the direction he is pointing and find Jake standing there with his mobile on his ear.

"Hey." He smiles as he sees us.

"Kris wanted me to be here, to knock out the doctor if he hurts you." Jake rolls his eyes as he passes his phone to me. I already figured it must be Kris on the phone.

"Kris," I sigh into the phone, "Will you still be my friend if I have only one hand?"

"Avery, will you still be my friend if I burn the doctor alive if he cuts your hand?" She asks without missing a beat.

"I guess, we both will be together for a long time then." I laugh and she also joins me.

Saying my goodbye to her, I hand back the phone to Jake. He forgot his keys in his bike ignition, so he went outside to bring them. Let's just pray nobody runs away with his bike.

Keeping my elbows on my knees, I sit on the chair, waiting for my turn, while Pops is busy talking with someone he knows.

My heart thumps feverously in my chest, and a shiver runs down my spine imagining saw blade touching my hand. 

Images of blood and flesh splattering come in my mind, making me want to throw up.

This is not Texas Chainsaw Massacre, nothing as such will happen. There will be a doctor, not Leatherface inside the room.

My bottom lip starts to quiver, tears start to fill in my eyes.

Stupid Avery, Stupid stupid Avery. Who gets scared of something so small? Nothing will happen.

Holding my breath I walk outside the waiting room, towards the drinking water fountain at the end of the hallway.

Without thinking I dial Alec's number, just wanting to talk to him. The phone rings but he doesn't answer my call.

"Moron, jerk, scumbag, asshole." I glare at the phone in irritation imagining it as Alec.

Turning around and I almost jump finding Alec standing behind me, with an amused expression.

"What are you doing here?"

"I was waiting for the moment when you will notice me." He stuffs his hands in his pocket.

"You were here?" I raise my eyebrow. Then both my eyebrows shoot up when I realize he may or may not have heard my choices of words for him. "You were standing here the whole time?" I carefully ask. 

"Yes, Firefly." He slowly nods his head, corner of his lips slightly upward in an amused smile. "By the way nice choice of words, and if I am not mistaken they were directed towards me, huh?"

"Oh, yeah." I nod my head since he already knows then there is no use of denying, "There were a few other interesting words also which I called you in my mind, but you can find about them some other day." I fold my arms and shrug.

"So, now what are you doing here?" 

"I was with Jake when Kris called, or should I say threatened, him to be at the hospital with you." He shakes his head in amusement.

"So you also came here to be with me?" I ask in disbelief, "But you can't be seen with me, you can be in trouble, right?" I look around and whisper yell.

"Silly girl, I can't be in trouble if somebody finds me with you, it is the other way around." He lightly laughs.

"And I will be always there for you when you will need me." He gives me a small smile, "Trouble or no trouble."

"So does Jake knows you are here?" I ask, now noticing he is wearing a hoodie with its hood up, which almost covers his face. Just like the second time I had met him.

"No." He shakes his head, with a mischievous smile tugging his lips, "I soon left after him."

He is really enjoying being sneaky.

"Alec, the doctor will cut my hand." I swallow and glance at the linoleum floor then back at him. Then without thinking, I reach for his hand. I don't know why I did that, but I am glad that instead of retracting away his hand, he securely holds mine.

His calloused hand almost swallows mine, but the warmth which envelopes my hand is comforting.

"No, he will only cut your plaster." He shakes his head, "Nothing will happen to your hand." He smiles reassuringly.

"But if he will, you will lend me your gun to make an extra hole in him, right?" I ask him giving him my best puppy eyes look, even though I am serious about making an extra exist point in the doctor's body if I lose my hand by his mistake.

Well, if in case I lose my hand, at least there is going to be something else which I can gain... something interesting like a gun.

"Yeah, sure." He deadpans, his words laced with sarcasm, clearly not affected by my innocent look.

"Coming," I reply when I hear Pops calling my name. Taking a deep breath, reluctantly I leave his hand then turn to go and to get this freaking plaster removed.

Just when I about to enter the clinic, I glance in his direction. He gives me a small smile, which is enough to calm down my nerves, and nods his head silently prompting me to go. Returning his smile I go inside to decide the fate of the doctor.

If I walk outside with one hand, then the doctor walk outside with another hole and no ball.

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