Part 24 (1/2)
”You eat the soup, give me the bourbon and the gun.” I lay on the couch feeling weak and puny.
Marvin put his hand to my head and looked at me with a worried expression. ”Caliente,” he said, shaking his hand. ”You're very pale. Have you gone to the doctor?”
”Nope, I'm gonna ride it out.” I s.h.i.+vered and pulled my robe tighter around my body. ”My throat feels like it's on fire. Be a friend and hit me over the head with something. I wanna be unconscious.”
”Shannon,” Marvin said. No honey or baby. He was all business. ”I can't leave you like this.”
”Can I have some juice? It hurts to talk, and I think you're gonna make me argue,” I said miserably.
1.
*Marvin poured me a gla.s.s of juice and pushed it into my hands. ”I'll be back in a flash.”
He took off before I could ask where he was going. I drank the juice and winced when it hit the back of my throat. I was lying on the sofa trying to remember the last time I took Tylenol and if the Valium I still had left would send me into orbit. Hailey appeared like a dream, except she was wearing a mask like Marvin's.
”We're going for a ride,” Marvin said cheerfully. ”What are you wearing under that robe?”
”Nothing and no.” I shook my head and wanted to cry from the pain it caused.
Hailey pressed the back of her hand to my forehead. ”Oh, yes, you are. Come with me.” I was too weak to put up a fight and let her pull me up with a whimper. ”We'll be back in a minute,” she said to Marvin as she steered me to the bedroom.
Hailey sat me on the bed as she fished out clothes from my file cabinet-slash-dresser. She laid a pair of underwear and sweats on the bed next to me. ”As much as I'd like to see you naked,” she began with a smile, ”I will do my best to preserve your dignity.
You turn your back to me and dress and I'll steady you.”
The trip to the bedroom wore me out. I stood wearily and pulled on my underwear and pants. Hailey slipped my robe off my shoulders. The feel of her hands grazing my back added to my fever, and if I hadn't felt like someone dropped a blow torch down my throat, I might've swooned. She helped me into my s.h.i.+rt and called for Marvin.
”I'm going to need your help. She's swaying all over the place.” I felt them hanging a coat over my shoulders and leading me to the door. They stood on either side of me in the elevator holding me up. I think I may've fallen asleep because the next thing I noticed was Marvin sitting in the backseat of Hailey's SUV as she pulled out of the garage.
”Hospital or doc in a box?” Hailey looked at Marvin in the rearview.
”There's an after-hours clinic two blocks down on the right.”
Marvin looked at me. ”She's looking kind of green. Let's try there first.”
1.
*Marvin knew half of the people in the waiting room. He sauntered around in his mask like he was at a social while I leaned heavily against Hailey. She stroked my hair and back as we watched Marvin flirt with some guy who looked as bad as I did. When my name was called, Hailey went back with me. I was too sick to protest.
The first thing I did after they weighed me was throw up. My eyes teared partly from embarra.s.sment but more from the pain.
That was actually a good thing because someone came in minutes later and jabbed me in the throat with a swab. I had nothing left in my stomach, but I did gag like a cat with a hairball long after the nurse left the room. All the while Hailey petted and stroked, whispering words of comfort. Despite all the embarra.s.sment, I was glad she was there.
After my blood pressure and temperature had been taken, a doctor whisked into the room. He bent sideways and smiled at me cheerily. ”I have good news and bad news,” he said as he stuck something in one of my ears, then the other. ”You don't have the flu, but you do have a nasty case of strep.”
”Yippee,” I said with as much enthusiasm as I could.
”Will you be taking care of her?” he asked Hailey.
”Yes,” she said without hesitation.
I listened as he explained the antibiotics that I a.s.sured him I wasn't allergic to. My entire body stiffened as he explained next that they were going to give me a shot for the nausea. My eyes had to be the size of saucers as he patted my shoulder, wished me well, and walked out.
”What is it, honey?” Hailey looked down at me with concern.
”Did he say shot?”
Hailey smiled behind her mask. ”It's either that or a suppository.”
”Okay, shot.”
1.
*The ride home went by in a blur. I was barely awake as they half dragged me back into my apartment. I had a vague recollection of Fuzzy circling my bed with a mask on her head before I slipped off into merciful oblivion.
1.
Chapter 25.
Breakfast and Hailey in bed.
My phone rang once before I heard Hailey answer it. She was close by and talking softly.
”I heard her cell phone ringing, but I didn't feel right answering it.” Pause. ”She's okay, but she has a bad case of strep.”
Pause. ”Yes, Marvin and I took her to the doctor last night. She's on antibiotics and is still sleeping off the nausea medicine.” Long pause. ”I took off from work. I'll be with her as long as she needs me.” Another long pause. ”I know she would do it for me. It's no problem, really.” Pause. ”I will, I promise.”
”Kalen?” I opened one eye and looked at Hailey as she put the phone down.