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“Yeah, a pretty serious one, according to the doctor. Your parents are on their way here, by the way.”
“Thanks for calling them,” I say, meaning it. I feel so awful. I could really use some hugs from my mom and dad right about now. I can’t imagine how much worse this situation could have been if things had turned out differently and I were living in California…or just anywhere away from all my friends and family. No one would have rushed me to the hospital and stayed with me and held a trashcan for me while I threw up the way Josiah has. I can’t imagine not having the most important people in my life around me at a time like this. I’d be sitting in this hospital all alone. I’d be scared and clueless.
“Are we at Grove General?” I ask. It’s the hospital I work at. I wonder if any of my coworkers are here at the moment and if they’ve heard I’m here. I’ve been on shift a few times when coworkers were brought in for one thing or another. Never anyone I was particularly close with, but it does cause quite the uproar amongst the staff. It’s a small town and, therefore, a very small hospital. Everyone knows pretty much everyone.
“Yeah, is that okay?” he asks as he rises from his chair next to the bed to stand next to me. He takes my hand in his and rubs calming circles on my wrist with his thumb. He stares into my eyes as if he wishes he could jump into my head and know my every thought.
“Yeah, of course it’s fine,” I reply, even though I’m not sure that it is. I don’t know how I feel about everyone here talking about my head injury or coming to visit me when I’m in such a state. I know they’ll find out about it eventually, but I’d rather it wait until I’m out of the hospital. It just sounds exhausting having to see people, and I’m already so tired. I think I’d prefer to go unnoticed in this one instance.
Josiah cradles my cheek in his palm and gives me a reassuring smile. It’s kind and sweet—exactly what I need right now…well, maybe a nap too. I know I just woke up, but I’ve never felt so exhausted in my life.
He bends over and kisses my forehead so gently. I try to lift my head to kiss him back, but nothing on my body seems to be working at the moment. My eyes, for example, refuse to stay open. I hear him chuckle and wonder what’s so funny.
“Go to sleep,” he whispers next to my ear just before I drift off.
I got home from the hospital a whole two hours ago, and my family has not left me alone since. Honestly, it was more restful at the hospital. I had to spend the night last night for observation, and even with the nurses coming in every few hours to check my vitals, I wasn’t this annoyed.
If my mom asks me if I’m comfortable or if she can get me something to eat or drink one more time, I just might blow a fuse. I know she means well, but I just want to watchGilmoreGirlsreruns in peace and quiet, thank you very much. How am I supposed to rest if I’m answering questions constantly?
My dad just layered a third blanket on me. I guess he doesn’t know what else to do for someone who isn’t feeling well, since Mom was always the one taking care of us when we were sick, but good grief, it’s sweltering under here. I don’t have a fever, just a massive headache that the hospital gave me plenty of painkillers for.
I throw the blankets off myself and move to stand. Josiah is beside me instantly, taking hold of my arms to steady me. I yank my arms free and stifle the groan that wants to escape. I can’t give them any reason to think I need more babying. I’m thankful for them. I really am. I know I’m so lucky to have people who love me and want to take care of me, but they’re driving me up the wall!
Funny how just yesterday I was wondering what I would do without them, and today I’m wondering how I can get rid of them. Not permanently, of course. I don’t need the mafia to come do a hit job or anything. I just need a little break from the pestering so I can relax and recuperate. I’m sure they think they’re helping with both of those things, but all they’re actually doing is stressingme out.
“I’m going to my room to nap,” I say in my most determined and demanding tone. I have to let them know I mean business.
“Are you sure, sweetie?” Dad asks, standing from his chair and unfolding another blanket. He holds it up to me, but I ignore it. I swear, he’s two seconds away from trying to carry me up the stairs. His back would never recover.
“Yes, Dad. Sit back down. I’m fine. I just need to sleep and have a bit of silence.” He sits back down, looking highly offended that I don’t want to be with him. Never mind the fact that I’m twenty-six years old and haven’t needed constant care from my parents for a good fifteen years.
“I’ll come with you,” Josiah says, giving my dad a reassuring head nod. He picks up one of the discarded blankets from the floor and motions for me to lead the way. I turn to face him and point my finger right in his face.
“You can come, but you better not harass me the whole time.”
“I wouldn’t dare.” He winks at me and grasps my wrist in his massive hand and pulls me in until my hand rests on his solid chest. It makes me weak in the knees. Or is that just the head injury talking? I guess we’ll never know. I narrow my eyes at him, but he just laughs softly.
We make it upstairs to my bedroom, and I gingerly lie down on my bed and wrap myself up in my comforter. Josiah kicks off his shoes, putting his pink socks covered in red hearts on full display. I got those around Valentine’s Day last year. He lies down next to me, causing the bed to dip down on his side. My body shifts so that our limbs are touching. I lie as still as a statue, afraid to move or breathe or make a single sound in case it makes him scoot away.
After a minute of tense silence, he turns toward me and oh-so carefully tucks one arm underneath my neck and the otherarm around my waist. He gently pulls me into his massive chest so that my face is pressed into his neck.
I breathe him in, basking in his musky, sandalwood scent. I’ve always loved the way he smells. I don’t know what cologne it is, but it’s purely him. It has always been my undoing. That should have been my sign that I definitely still had some repressed feelings for him.
I twine my legs through his, and he inhales a sharp breath as he adjusts our position to get more comfortable. Cuddling is nothing new for us, but it’s never been like this. Normally, it’s a head laid in the other’s lap or sitting side by side on the couch. I’ve never had my body pressed up to his with our limbs intertwined like this before. It has never been this intimate.
Is he okay with it? Am I okay with it? I think I am. It’s certainly making me more nervous than I’ve been in a very long time. I’m so nervous I can hardly breathe. This can’t be good for the concussion. I’m meant to be relaxing, not getting all worked up over a man.
Josiah reaches up and brushes my hair out of my face and kisses my nose. I look up at him, fully prepared to kiss him back, but he stops me. “I can practically hear you overthinking this right now. I just want to hold you and make sure you’re okay. Now go to sleep,” he says. He places one more soft kiss against my forehead before he forces my eyes closed with his fingertips. I keep them closed, only because I’m afraid that if I open them, he’ll leave. And I really don’t want him to leave.
My mind is racing with all kinds of thoughts behind my closed eyes, but moments later, Josiah’s breathing evens out. I feel his breath against my forehead, and his arms relax around me. I nuzzle a little closer and then start to count in my head.
I’ve been out of the hospital for a week, and my family is still treating me like I’m made of glass. Yes, my head still aches, and I’m exhausted for the majority of the day, but they act like I can’t do anything for myself. My mom actually asked me if I wanted her help to wash my hair this morning…and I hated that I needed to say yes. But I can do almost everything else for myself!
Josiah had to rearrange his work schedule for this afternoon so he can drive me to the doctor. Well, I guess he didn’thaveto. My mom was going to take me, but he insisted he wanted to be there with me. I told him it was unnecessary and that he should take his Zoom meeting that was scheduled long before I was ever injured. It’s important. He needs the work. Business has been slowly trickling in for him, but it’s still not enough to fully support himself. I don’t want him sacrificing clients for me when I have a perfectly good mom who’s willing to take me where I need to go. He was stubborn, though, and wouldn’t be swayed, insisting the client was perfectly fine rescheduling the meeting for another time.
The appointment went well. The doctor didn’t seem concerned and is confident that everything will continue to heal up nicely. I still can’t do much, though. I can’t even go back to work for another month, unfortunately. What am I supposed to do for an entire month? I can’t sit at home and twiddle my thumbs for weeks on end. I’ll go absolutely nuts!
I wonder if Josiah would let me help him with his work or something. I can’t do any of the design work, obviously, but maybe he’d let me help him with the bookkeeping side or work on his schedules. I could be his secretary!Although, I don’t think business is booming enough for him to have need of a secretary, so scratch that idea.
