Left to Love (The Next Door Boys) (35 page)

I felt bad about what they were all doing for me.

“You’ve been so accommod
ating lately...” He smiled
. “Will you do me a favor?”

“I’m not going to like it, am I?” I asked, wrinkling up my nose in anticipation. But after being so horrible, for so long, I’d do anything he asked.

“Dinner and a sleeping pill? Just to make sure your body gets the rest?”

I sighed. “I’d love to.”

“Yes, I can see that.” He touched my face softly. “Thank you, Leigh.”

“Only because I love you.”

“Whatever works.” He leaned over and kissed me on the cheek.

I didn’t need the sleeping pill. I was exhausted even from the small bit of excitement we’d had. I ate a few bites of frozen yogurt and drifted off, snuggled as close to Brian as I could manage.

THIRTY

L
ost

“Leigh can you hear me? I need you to try to stay awake
for a minute. C
an you do that?” Brian sounded panicked. Well, he sounded like he was trying not to panic, which was worse than panicking.

“Maybe if you hadn’t made me take a pill…” my throat felt full
,
and I was freezing. “What’s the matter?”

“You’re burning up. I’m taking you in.”

“I’m freezing.” My teeth chattered and my eyes felt too heavy to open.

He slid a hooded sweatshirt over my pajamas, picked me up, and carried me to the car. I clutched myself to Brian every time I could feel him touching me. I wasn’t aware of a whole lot else until I was pulled away from him. My protest was brief. I didn’t have the strength to put up a fight. 

My body shivered on and off for what felt like hours. I heard Brian’s voice and nurses’ voices. I heard Dr. Watts at some point in time, but I didn’t know if he was talking to me or someone else. Their voices sounded stressed, but it didn’t matter. I couldn’t wake up. I didn’t want to.

The noises around me got frantic, but I happily slipped into a dream. Nothing but warm light and happiness surrounded me.

I didn’t know where I was, and it didn’t matter. My whole body felt consumed with love and warmth. I
never wanted to leave. I floated in my dream and time
didn’t matter. I could do anythin
g.

I could feel my power, but it was the kind of power that made me feel like anything was possible. Like miracles were the simplest things in the world. It seemed like if I could just concentrate on any one thing long enough, I’d know everything about it. I was too happy to bother doing that, though. Instead I drifted in the peace. I didn’t feel like throwing up. I felt strong, invincible.
Then
something heavy on my head and warm. It was good. I felt familiar words, and relaxed into it.

I was ripped ou
t of my dream and slammed—l
ike hitting wet pavement after a freefall. My body felt both weak and heavy at the same time. I’d been cheated for trusting that warm touch. I drifted into a different sort of dream then, one where I was desperate to wake up and couldn’t. I tried to run down a hallway, but my legs wouldn’t work, they were still too weak and shaky. Something chased me. I wanted to just open my eyes and end it.

This is why
I didn’t like taking the sleeping
pills. Why had I let Brian talk me into taking that stupid pill? My head fogged. I remembered Brian waking me up. Had we left the house? I couldn’t recall.

My eyelids were sandpaper when I opened them. Dim hospital lights covered the ceiling. Was I in for another treatment already?

Brian had my hand in his two. He leaned over the side of my bed wearing scrubs. His head bowed down and his eyes closed.

“Bri?” I tried to whisper it but my throat felt dry and swollen.

His head jerked in my direction. He squeeze
d my hand in his. “Oh, Leigh. T
hank God.” He kissed my hand and I didn’t think I’d ever seen him that relieved. What was going on? He closed his eyes again. I saw his chin tremble, trying hard not to cry. He took a few deep breaths in, caressing my hand the whole time. “How do you feel?”

“Fuzzy,” I whispered.

A nurse walked through the door. “I’ve called Dr. Watts. He’s on his way over.” She
checked
my monitors. “Morning sleepyhead.” Tory smiled.

What happened?

He leaned over. “We’ll talk when she leaves. It’ll take Watts a while to get here.”

“Okay, Leigh, we’ll come back in after your doctor, okay?” She didn’t wait for a response and left.

My body hurt, like I’d been here too long. He could see it in my face.

“You’ve been out for three days. You got Nathan’s flu and got it quick. That’s our best guess.” He held my hands and touched my face over and over. “I’ve never been so scared my whole life.”

Three days. I’d just lost three days and I didn’
t even know it. “You look tired,
” I whispered. I tried to squeeze his hand
,
but I had no strength.

“Couldn’t sleep,” he responded.

“For thre
e days?” My heart ached for him as my heavy lids tried to take over again.

“I took a few naps I think.” I tried to reach my hand up to touch his face but he took it in his hand instead.

“Morning, Leigh.” Dr. Watts walked in smiling. “You gave us all quite a scare.”

I let my eyes reluctantly drift toward him. “I’m stuck here for a while, aren’t I?” I whispered. My voice still wouldn’t do more than that.

“Most definitely.” He rested his hands on the side of my bed. “You are one lucky girl. Your body did not have the strength to fight something like that off.”

“Nathan?” I looked over at Brian. I was suddenly worried, if the sickness did this to me, what had it done to him?

“He’s fine, Leigh. And before you ask, neither Jaron nor Megan got sick at all.”

I took a slow breath out and relaxed.

“Well, Leigh, it looks like we’re on the mend then. I’m much rel
ieved and I’ll see you tomorrow. S
ooner if you need me. When you think you can eat something, let Brian know. But I’d start with something easy like jell-o.”

“Thanks.”

Three days. That was a long time. How close had I come to losing my life and I hadn’t even known it? How would I have felt if positions were reversed? I looked over at Brian. Married eight months and gone through mo
re than most people after years.

“You must be stiff.”

“I’m more worried about you.” My voice sounded horrible.

“You would be.” He smiled. “Tell me to stop if something’s uncomfortable.” He started with my feet and massaged very lightly up my legs. He lifted them
slightly and bent my knees for me. It felt wonderful. He carefully massaged my arms and shoulders.

“Come here,” I whispered. He leaned towards me and kissed me on the head.

“All I want to do right now is to hold you
,
and I can’t.” His hand ran across my forehead.

“Soon.
” I smiled.

A nurse came
in with another bed for Brian—
orders from Dr. Watts. He scooted it as close to me as he could and we lay next to one another.

Brian didn’t leave my side. I drifted in and out but every time I woke up, he lay there, watching.

Dr. Watts appeared again at the end of his day.

“How we doing in here?” he asked as he came through the door.

“I’m worried about Brian,” I said.

Brian shook his head.

Watts checked Brian’s eyes quickly with his flashlight. “I agree.” He tucked his flashlight back in his pocket. “I’ll be right back.”

He came back in with a smile on his face. “I have one for each of you.”

“One what?” Brian looked nervous.

“You’re no good to anyone without sleep, Brian. Don’t worry, you’re a big guy. Leigh’s just about to get hers, and I’d bet money you’re awake long before her.” Dr. Watts laughed a little and
handed us each a pill. “You can wait for your meds in your IV, Leigh, if you like, but I don’t think you’ll need
anything to sleep. And don’t tell anyone Brian got one, he’s not technically a patient,” he whispered.

Brian
still held the offensive little white pill in his hand.

“I don’t think so.” Brian shook his head and tried to hand it back to Dr. Watts. Dr. Watts stood there, making no move toward him. “I’m not at home... there are people in and out… I don’t want to feel that out of control.”

Watts smiled wider. “Look over at your wife Brian and tell her you won’t do what the doctor wants you to because you don’t trust the people here enough to take care of you while you’re asleep.”

Brian let out a short hard breath and stuck the pill in his mouth.

I tried not to laugh.

“Like I said, Brian, it probably won’t affect you much, but everyone here needs you to get rest and I know you well enough to not try and send you home. We’ll see you two in the morning.”

Brian didn’t say anything. He lay down then and looked at me through the handles on the side of the bed. “I’m sorry, Leigh. T
he physical stuff is so obvious. S
ometimes I feel like that’s the only thing you’re dealing with.”

“Go to sleep, Brian.” I tried to smile.

“I’m working on it.” He reached his hand over to touch mine and drifted off. No way that little white pill worked that fast, he was just that tired. I was about to do the same.

- - -

Watts was right. Brian sat awak
e and watching me when I woke
.

“Morning,” I mumbled. “You look thoughtful.”

“I need to tell you something,” he said.

“Okay.” My brain scrambled to push the sleepy haze away.

“Remember at the beginning of all this mess when Jaron and I gave you a blessing?”

“Yeah.”

“I paused.” He looked at me, waiting for a sign I r
emembered and then he continued.
“I was waiting to hear the words that you’d be healed, and they never came. It terrified me for months.”