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“And don’t come back until you’ve got something to tell me!” Runa jabbed a finger at the fleeing nurse’s back before turning her attention towards the lone soldier that remained. “Now, my sister’s boyfriend and I are going to be sitting right over there.Whenyour counterpart comes back, that’s where she can find us.” Runa spun on her heel and stomped back over to me.
“That was amazing,” I said, almost breathless at how easily she took charge and kicked verbal ass.
“She’d do the same for me,” Runa said knowingly as she motioned to a pair of chairs behind us. We sat down. Another half-hour passed before a tall, striking man appeared. He looked calm and composed as he met our eyes and asked if we were Dee’s family.
“I’m her sister,” Runa explained as she jumped to her feet. “And this is Travis, her boyfriend.”
“I”m Dr. Rossington.” The doctor shook our hands before alleviating our fears. “I’m happy to tell you that Dee suffered an allergic reaction. She’s stable now that we’ve given her something to counteract the reaction. Right now, we’ve got her on an IV drip to help reduce inflammation and treat any residual hives.”
The air in my lungs whooshed out. Runa and I deflated, each sinking against the other, glad to know the woman we both loved was going to be okay.
“Can either of you confirm what she was drinking earlier? I need to know whether she consumed anything she might be allergic to.” He looked at both of us. Runa glanced at me. She’d spent most of the night dancing whereas I’d watched Dee like a hawk.
“Um . . .” Runa began before I spoke over her.
“She had a few lemon drop martinis. She also had this drink that looked like a garden,” I recalled.
“This drink she had, it wouldn’t happen to be anEnglishgarden cocktail, would it?”
“That’s it!” I snapped my fingers. “That’s what she had. I overheard the bartender tell her she’d love it.” I wanted to beat the guy’s face in for flirting with her. The dickweasel promised her this drink was the best thing she’d ever put in her mouth. Although Dee had missed his double entendre. I hadn’t.
“English Garden? Eww. What the hell is that and why would anyone drink it?” Runa wrinkled her nose in disgust.
“It’s a cocktail with gin and elderflower cordial, served with cucumber,” the doctor explained before adding that his wife loved them.
“Dee’s allergic to elderflowers! She’s always had a bad reaction to anything elderflower since we were kids. Our MoMo gave us these elderflower candies. They were super gross, by the way, but Dee loved them and they always made her break out in hives.”
“Just as I thought,” the doctor said with a smile. “My daughter has the same allergy.”
“But she’s okay?” Runa asked worriedly.
“She’s okay. We gave her some medicine to counteract the reaction. She’s going to be fine..”
“What about the vomiting? That’s not something we should worry about, is it?”
“No. The vomiting is most likely from the alcohol. When Dee woke up briefly, she admitted she lost count of how many drinks she had. She also confessed she didn’t eat much before she started drinking.”
“That liar! She told me she stopped and got a burger on the way home!” Runa planted her fisted hands upon her hips again. “I bet that bitch ate one of those stupid granola bars instead!”
The doctor did his best not to laugh while I shot Runa with a scathing look. I didn’t like her calling her sister a bitch, nor did I like learning Dee hadn’t given herself time to properly nourish herself. It was a pattern I noticed at work. If I didn’t drop by to remind her, she’d work through her lunch break and most likely skip dinner too. That was going to change. From now on, she was going to eat her meals. Even if I had to feed her myself.
“Thank you, doctor. Thank you, so much. When can we see her?” Runa asked.
“A nurse will be by shortly to take you to her. We’re keeping her overnight for observation, but barring any other side effects or subsequent reactions, she’ll be discharged tomorrow.” The doctor shook both our hands before heading back to work. Runa turned and hugged me as she let out a huge sigh of relief.
“Thank you for taking care of my sister.” Runa patted my back and gave me a squeeze. “Thank you for keeping an eye on her and making sure she was safe.”
“I’d do anything for her,” I replied honestly. Runa pulled back and eyed me closely.
“You love her, don’t you?” she asked bluntly. I didn’t want Runa to be the first to hear those words so I chose to nod instead. “I think she feels the same about you, and if it has any worth, I approve.”
“You approve?”
“I do, but can I tell you something? Promise not to tell my sister yet?” I nodded. Runa sucked in a deep breath. “Ineverapproved of Dennis. Yes, he's a nice guy but it always seemed like she intimidated him. No matter what she did, he had to be better."
"I got that impression too. It's like he thinks he's better than her."
"That is exactly why I knew he didn’t deserve her. Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that he’s a creep. Dennis is a good guy and he was good to my sister—well, except for right there at the end—but I never saw it lasting between them. They’re too different. Dee needs someone who appreciates her strength and isn’t intimidated by her confidence. Dennis claimed to do both, but if you ever saw them together, you could see that wasn’t the case. That's why I think you two are a good match. You see the beauty in who she is and I can see that you respect and cherish what other men are put off by.That’swhy I approve of you being with my sister. You’re good for her and she’s good for you too.”
