Once he’s gone, I go to the hallway, and see my mother’s wooden serving tray with a giant bowl of oatmeal, toast with jelly, along with more bottled water and a note.
I lift it, close the door behind me, then climb back into bed. I grab a spoon and dive in. I blow on it and then swallow, enjoying the warmth. It actually feels really good on my throat, and though I have no appetite to continue, I do anyway. Then I open the piece of stationery and smile at Eli’s sloppy handwriting.
Can’t stop thinking about you :)
I’m swooning.
Completely smitten by this man who’s captured my heart.
I wish more than anything we could be together right now and devour each other like we both want.
I take a few more bites then look over at the bottle of Tylenol. Not enough time has passed for another dose, so I force myself to wait before taking more. They haven’t kicked in yet, which means I’ll have to deal with this fever the best I can.
After I’m finished eating, I place the tray outside, then change into some comfy clothes. I text Eli so he knows I’m done and feel sad when I hear him grab everything. I wish he could come in and wrap his muscular arms around me. Instead of dwelling on that, I turn on the TV, but the news is bleak, and it pushes me into a panic, so I click through the channels to busy my mind.
I don’t know for certain what is wrong with me, but it’s best to act like I have the virus and take every precaution to keep Eli safe. Thinking about each moment Eli and I have spent together has my heart racing and my head pounding. I’m more frightened about him getting it than I am for possibly having it.
I adjust my pillow and settle on the Hallmark channel. Though it seems impossible, I try to get lost in a movie where illnesses don’t exist and all the sex scenes fade to black.
Instead of being cooped up in this room with horrible thoughts floating through my mind, I want to be on the couch with Eli watching stupid shows and playing drinking games by the fireplace. It’s become my new normal, and I already miss his company.
In fact, I think I’m falling in love with him. And truthfully, I’m okay with it. He treats me well, calls me out on my shit, and wants the best for me. I’ve never had a man make love to me and please me in the ways Eli has. We understand each other on a higher level, and over the past few days, I’ve seen a side of him I never imagined. Elijah Ross is the whole damn package, and I want him in my life forever.
The movie ends, and another begins. This time, it’s about a couple who grew up together, lost touch, and are now back in the same town. If I wasn’t so out of it, I’d think it was cute and would be more invested in the story. However, I drift in and out of sleep and go from being ice cold to blazing hot. No matter what I do, I can’t get comfortable. At some point, I wake up and check my temperature, noticing it dropped some. My phone buzzes on my nightstand, and when I grab it, I see it’s my brother. I desperately answer it.
“Just seeing how you are.” He sounds exhausted.
“Fever’s high. Chills and sweats. I’ve taken Tylenol every six hours like clockwork, but it doesn’t seem to do anything. Drinking water. I’m eating, though I’m not hungry,” I explain.
“Seems like you’re doing everything you can. I wish there was something more I could say, sis, but there’s not. Make sure you try to walk around some. It won’t be easy, but it’ll keep your lungs functioning. You’ll be tired, and your fever will probably stay high for a week, maybe a little longer, but keep an eye on it. If it doesn’t go down and your coughing worsens, go to the ER.” He recites it as if he’s repeated that dozens of times to his patients.
I blow out a frustrated breath, feeling overwhelmed by everything he’s said. “I’m going to be okay, right?” I know he can’t answer with certainty, but I still want some comfort from him because he’s seen different scenarios from those who’ve tested positive.
“I’m sure you will. If you feel like you can’t breathe, try rolling onto your stomach. It’s helped some of my patients,” he explains. “Stay hydrated. If you’re cold, don’t cover yourself unless you want your fever to increase.”
I laugh, kick off the blanket and pull the sheet over my body. He knows me so well.
“You’re your own best advocate with your health. If something isn’t right, tell Eli and call your doctor. Most are able to recover from home without major complications, just watch for signs. You know you can text me anytime, too.”
“I know.”
“How’s Eli doing? Keeping his distance from you?” I’m sure Ryan is just as concerned about Eli as I am.
“As far as I know he’s okay. Staying away from me but helping from afar.” I wait a few moments. “How are you?” I ask.
He lets out a lengthy breath. “Good as I can be. Not sure how much longer my colleagues and I can keep working these back-to-back shifts, but we’re short a few doctors because they ended up getting too sick to work. Luckily, we’ve had teams of medical staff fly in from other states to help.”
That’s the most I’ll get out of him about his well-being and don’t push any further because I can only imagine what he’s seen or had to do. It’s a war zone out there. Ryan has been training to save lives for years, but he wasn’t prepared for a pandemic. None of us were.
“Please take care of yourself,” I plead. He’s my best friend,
