“I hate hospitals, Blake.”
“I know, baby. I don’t think anyone likes them.”
More shivering.
“Can I have a bath? I feel gross.”
“I’ll run it now. Are you hungry?”
Danielle shakes her head, falling back onto the pillow as I head into the bathroom.
“The doctor should have your blood results back today,” I call out, drizzling coconut-scented bath foam into the steaming water.
“Mm.”
I pull out some pajamas, thick warm ones that should keep her toasty no matter how cold she feels.
A fluffy white towel drapes over the heated towel rail, and I test the water before announcing that it’s ready.
Danielle can barely undress, yawning and wincing as she tries.
“Arms up.”
I lift her shirt over her head, tugging her bottoms down to the floor and helping her into the bath.
Her skin is pale. Her eyes are closed. But she exhales when she lies in the bath, and I decide I like that sound.
It’s a sigh of contentment.
“I need to wash my hair,” Danielle croaks out, her lips dry and cracked.
“I’ll do it,” I say, unhooking the showerhead from beside the taps. “Shampoo, then conditioner, right?”
Danielle nods, wrapping her arms around her knees as I rinse her hair of the bubbles. Massaging the shampoo into her hair is pleasing enough, but there’s something satisfying about seeing it glossy and sleek as I rinse it out.
The conditioner is next, and I make sure to rub it into her scalp as she moans with delight.
“I’ll wash you if you want? While we wait for the conditioner to soak in or whatever it does.”
Danielle doesn’t respond, and I make quick work of getting her clean.
It’s easy not to be distracted by her when she’s ill.
All I want to do is protect her.
“Love you.”
I snap my head up to Danielle, who’s staring at me through sleep-stained eyes. “I love you too.”
I kiss her wet forehead and rinse out the conditioner. Her hair feels like silk in my hands as I wrap a towel around her shoulders, helping her to stand in the bath.
“One warm towel. Let’s get you to the bed so you can get dressed.”
It takes a good ten minutes before she’s dressed, and she crawls back to her previous position on the bed, falling to sleep almost immediately.
Is this what it feels like?
To love someone so much you just want them to be okay?
