Chapter 17
I can hear people talking around me, but I can't seem to open my eyes or make out who is talking. I'm in and out of sleep countless times before I fully wake up.
When I do open my eyes, the room is empty. The TV is on and there's some stuff from home around the room. Josh has obviously been here, but is nowhere to be seen.
There's a bag in the chair in the corner of the room and my coat is hanging over the arm of the same chair. To my left is the chair that Josh has been occupying. His coat is hung over the back of it and there's a half finished bottle of Gatorade and his phone sits on my bedside table.
I think about yesterday, or was it today, when I told Josh that he'd be sleeping in the bathtub if he wasn't there when I woke up. And he's not here. And I'm awake. I laugh at the memory of our conversation yesterday.
The nurse comes in the room and I pretend to be asleep. She's whistling some old tune that I don't know the name of as she shuffles around my bed. "Molly, honey." She tries to coax me out of my fake sleep. "Time to wake up."
I groan and then open my eyes. "Where's Josh?" I ask Linda.
"I made him go get something to eat. He's been here since six."
"What time is it?" I ask and sit up in my bed.
"Almost eleven. Are you hungry? Lunch will be up in about forty minutes."
I don't answer her except to say my stomach hurts.
"It's normal." She says. "You got the good deal though. It wont hurt for much longer and I can get you some pain medicine until then."
"When do I get to go home?" I ask.
"Maybe tomorrow." She says with a warm smile. "We have to wait and see. Call me if you need me." She closes the door about half way as she leaves the room.
I sit back and try to decide what to do. I look around the room. On that table that is meant to hold food so I can still sit in bed while I eat holds my clothes from yesterday.
I'm very relieved when Linda comes back in and plugs me back into my IV. "Can you push that table over to me?" She nods her head and happily does as I ask. "Do you know what's for lunch?"
She shakes her head. "I'm not sure, but whatever it is, you don't have to eat it. But you do need to eat."
"Does it matter what I eat?"
"Nope. You can eat whatever you want."
"Like fried chicken?" I laugh. "Or bacon? Or pancakes?"
"But, you don't like pancakes." Josh's voice is at the door.
"You're sleeping in the bathtub!" I yell.
He laughs. "Hey, I was here all morning!"
"He was," Linda says.
"But you weren't here when I woke up. You promised you would be."
"Blame it on me. I'm the one that made him leave." Linda laughs.
I groan. "Fine. But you're lucky."
He chuckles. "I know. Would you like me to go get you some fried chicken to make it up to you?"
I quickly nod my head. "Yes!"
He picks up his phone from the table. "What all would you like?"
"Everything. I'm starving."
"You can't eat everything, so chicken... french fries?" I nod my head. "Anything else?"
"I'm craving hot chocolate. And obviously some Diet Coke."
