AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Ariel
As I gazed down at another disgusting cup of chicken soup, Marcie came over and plumped up the pillow behind my head. I was starting to feel better after my surgery – my head wasn't as foggy, and my side was not as sore. However, I was counting my lucky stars. The doctors said I could have bled out if Marcie hadn't brought me in when she did. And the emergency surgery would have been more challenging.
The doctor explained they had to take one of my ovaries, so getting pregnant would be more difficult but not impossible. He even suggested I might have to visit a fertility specialist if I decided to have a baby. Thankfully he hadn't asked questions about a husband or the baby's father. Something told me, though, he and Marcie had a little chat about my situation they'd kept to themselves. And that was fine with me!
"Why can't I eat real food yet?" I asked, whining. "I'm soooooo bored with this. It's been two days."
"Ariel, you need to give your body time to recover," Marcie said, in the same patient voice she'd been using since I'd woken up two days ago. "According to the doctor, you should be feeling a lot better in a day or two, but your body's been through a lot. So, it's going to take some time."
I sighed and leaned back against the pillows. "I know, I know, it just sucks."
Marcie chuckled and sat on the edge of the bed. "I can imagine, but it won't be forever. Just a few more days of soup, and then you can start eating solid food again."
"I hope so," I muttered.
Marcie patted my leg and stood up. "I'll ask the nurse if I can bring you a milkshake… if that counts as only liquids."
"Don't ask. Just do it anyway. If I sip it slowly, what is going to happen?"
We both giggled. "In the meantime," Marcie said, "Try to get some rest, okay? I'll check in on you later."
"Thanks, Marcie!" I waved as cheerfully as I could. Then as she turned to leave the room, I called out, "Wait! Do you mind handing me my laptop?" I pointed to the table where it had been since yesterday. "I'm going stir-crazy here and need something to do."
She smiled and set it on my tray table. "Of course, Ariel. Just don't overdo it, okay?"
"I won't," I promised. "Thanks."
After Marcie left, I was overwhelmed with emotion. Even though I wasn't sure what to say, all I knew was that I wanted to stay in touch with Guy. I wanted to see his face again. Just a month ago, he had been so gentle with me, so kind and thoughtful... not to mention hot as hell. I wished we had met years ago and often wondered how things would have been different if we had crossed paths sooner. Would we be dating for real by now? In a relationship? Who knew?
I bit my lip. The last few days' events were still surreal, and as a tear rolled down my cheek, it hit me anew. Our baby had been inside me the entire time we'd been apart, and I hadn't even realized it. I wondered what Guy was doing now and how he must be feeling with all the stress he and his friends and family were enduring. I sensed he was probably hurting as much as I was but for different reasons.
As I logged into my email account, I was surprised to see over 200 new messages. It had been three days since I'd last checked, so I knew I was in for a long afternoon of reading and responding. I took a deep breath and began sorting through them.
Several were spam, and I quickly deleted them. Then, moving down the list, I opened the one from my publisher. They wondered how the book was going and if I needed an extension on the deadline since I was ill. I quickly typed up a response, letting them know I was still on track and would have the book to them in a week or two.
Next, I saw an email from Guy, and my heart skipped a beat. My fingers trembled as I clicked it open, not knowing what to expect. He wrote:
Hey there beautiful. :-) We had a breakthrough on the case. Let's talk! I'd love to see your face instead of texting or emailing. What is a good time for me to video call you again? Or you can call me if you prefer. I just need a time that's convenient for you. With the time difference, I don't want to interrupt your work or miss you with a random call.
I sucked in a breath and glanced at the clock beside my bed. It was 10 AM my time, which meant it was 2 AM in San Diego. Good! He wouldn't get my email until he got up. I covered my face with my hands. What was I going to do? I wouldn't be out of the hospital for another few days. The doctor had told me I couldn't leave until I finished with the IV antibiotics. And there was no way I wanted Guy to see me like this. I looked and felt like a hot mess.
Taking my time, I typed out a response, telling him I'd call him at 6 PM my time tomorrow. It would be 10 AM in San Diego. He'd be at his office by then. I didn't want to wait any longer to talk to Guy, but I also didn't want him to see me like this. I hit 'send' and then leaned back against the pillows, my heart pounding in my chest.
I was desperate to find a way to conceal the fact that I was in a hospital room, and my mind was racing. Maybe I could take the call in the waiting room... But no, that wouldn't work. He might see a nurse walk by or something else that would give me away. Then I looked around my room and sighed in relief when I noticed my chair! There was an armchair beside the window with curtains that could easily pass for Marcie's place. But what about my hair? It hadn't been shampooed since arriving at the hospital... And what about my clothes? All I had on was a crinkly white hospital gown.
Slowly, I got out of bed and walked over to the chair, turning it, so it faced the door. Then I went to my suitcase Marcie had already packed with clothes I could wear home. Great, I had a sweater... he won't see anything below my waist. But what was I going to do about my greasy hair?
By now, I was exhausted, and my belly was sore, so I eased myself back into bed and rested my head against the pillow again. And I was about to doze off when I heard the familiar chime...
"Oh, shit. Guy's calling me now! Don't answer.... ignore him!" I mumbled to myself. In my state of panic, I tapped my laptop and it accidentally answered. There was Guy's face!
At first, he was grinning from ear to ear, but his smile slowly faded as he stared at me. "Hey there, beautiful. I'm up late and saw you just emailed me, so...."
"Oh, um... Hey Guy. Yeah, I saw your email." I said, trying to sound casual. "What's going on?"
He furrowed his brow and leaned closer to the screen. "Where are you? It looks like you're in a hospital room."
"What? No, of course not. I'm just... um... I'm at Marcie's place."
