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41
Kris
“Did you have fun tonight?” I ask Nicolette as I’m turning down the bed and she brushes her teeth. I put everyone up, as I wasn’t letting them get in a vehicle with all the booze that was flowing. I did pretty good, only three beers and zero liquor. It’s strange I have gone from confirmed hermit drunk to a man with a house full of people that aren’t drunks or drug addicts and a beautiful woman about to climb into my bed that I want there in the morning.
“I did, they’re loud but seem to be good at what they do which is what matters essentially.” Nicolette is braiding her hair as she comes out of the bathroom. “Shit. I forgot my pill and tea.”
“I’ll go grab it. I left the mail out there anyhow. I think your phone finally came.” I see she forwent wearing today’s shirt. Probably a good idea, but she is wearing one of my buttondowns just the same.
Crossing the house I stop in the foyer to grab the little package and manila envelope I left by the door before geting her pills and thermos of tea from the fridge. Everyone appears to have crashed, which is good I was about tapped out. I haven’t had to entertain mostly sober in-well ever. I’m sorting through the mail when I get back to the room.
“Tink, looks like I was righ-” Looking up I find her kneeling on the bed, and very different than I left her. My buttondown has been replaced by a dark purple nightie, that’s nearly see through, she’s grasping the hem with that damn bottom lip between her teeth. Dropping the mail straight to the floor I launch myself toward her and paradise.
***
My heart pounds as I try to catch my breath. Nicolette is stretched across me, her head at my feet and her feet wrapped around my arm. “Christ woman, you may have the heart condition, but I thnk I’m the one that’s gonna have a heart attack.” I laugh tickling her toes making her kick just missing my head.
“Stop that!” She giggles. “Maybe we should let you see the cardiologist. You know they say it’s good to see one at your age.” She’s laughing like a damned hyena at this point.
“Har-har-har” Mock laughing I grab her foot, trying to nibble her toes and she almost nails me. “You do need to call that doc in the morning, get in asap, we can have your dad meet us for lunch. I know you want to see him.”
She rolls her eyes at me. “That means we have to go home for me to see the doc. You trust this town. Can’t I see someone here?”
I sit up on my elbows, “Did you even look at the list I got for you? It’s all doctors withing a twenty minute drive of here. I don’t know about you, but I think you need to start totally fresh and that includes a PCP and specialists.” I eye her, “I mean feel free to tell me to shut up and that I’m overstepping here.”
“PCP, sure. Gyno, okay with me. Cardiologist, has been with me for as long as I can remember. Do you think it’s wise changing that one? I mean you’re essentially talking about an entirely new team of doctors that know nothing about my heart condition. I just think we need to weigh the options of if it’s a good idea or not.”
I nod. “If you want to keep any of them it’s fine by me, you don’t need my permission, I just want you to know you have choices. No one is going to make those choices for you anymore. Personally I like the doc here in town, Kolleen Guarding and her family have been taking care of the people here for generations. Her dad was my peditritican when we would come out this way.”
“Which would be great for a PCP. I just don’t know about letting someone who doesn’t know me or what I’ve been through mess with my heart. Does that make sense? If you find a better one I’m all for talking about it I-I just don’t know, Pan. If they mess with my meds or anything it could hurt me.”
I can feel the anxiety rolling off of her. “Hey.” I crawl my bare ass across the bed and pull her into me. “I wasn’t trying to freak you out. I swear-I- apparently I have a bit of an over protecting streak in me too. I’m sorry, Tink. What do you say you talk to Kollen’s people and give them the heart docs info, this way she will have all the information, and if you like her, and she gets on with the other doc, you use her local resources to build a team for you with the heart doc at the center as it should be.” My brow furrows. “I’m sorry I keep making decisions for you, I’m not sure how not to, so just snog me and tell me to shut the fuck up and make you a sandwich.”
Her arms wrap around me. “I try not to worry but I remember what it was like being stuck in the hospital and as sick as I was. I just got you, Pan. I’m not ready to lose you.”
I swallow the lump in my throat, dropping my head to her shoulder. “Same, which is why I think I keep pushing. I want to be sure I got you, because you make me want to fight my demons. I know you think that Claudette and I saved your life, but the truth is meeting you, has saved mine.”
“I love you, Kristopher.” My sheepish smile has her looking at me questioningly.
“Sorry, it’s just strange hearing you say my whole name while not falling apart. I’ve never really liked my whole name, it always sounded too-old fashioned I guess, but when you say it-I tingle.” I chuckle. “Weird right?”
“It’s the same way I feel about Nicolette but starling ruined the Niki name for me.”
Before I can say anything else, my stomach growls, making us both laugh. “Okay, it’s two in the morning, that’s breakfast time, right?”
“I was thinking more like junk food.” she snorts covering her face. “Oooh that pasta salad was really good too.”
“Fine you have pasta salad and twinkies, but you are gonna wait, cause I’m making hotcakes, with sausage, gravy and biscuits.” Hopping from the bed I grab my sweats seeing the package and envelope on the floor. She reaches for me laughing.
“I’m not done with you.” She whines, “Bring me junk food!”
I toss the package at her tucking the envelope under my arm. “Set your phone up, by the time you’re done I’ll be back.” I leave her pouting, but as soon as the door closes, I hear her tearing into that box.
As my food is cooking and I’m making a smorgasbord of leftovers for Nicolette I grab the envelope. The return address is a PO box out of Florida. I don’t think anything of it, until I open it and find a mini-SD card. My confusion is further enhanced by the postcard from Graceland. Flipping it over I see a message.
Ten Million or go viral. You have until May Day. Instructions on drive.
