Live your Life (complete)

Chapter 19

They returned back the next day, looking slightly worse for wear. "Why didn't you return any of my calls?" His mother snapped, "I was worried sick... you alright Jacob?" "I think I'm old enough to spend a night in a hotel without permission, mother, okay?" He smiled, "Okay." He went inside, "Right." She looked to Connie who stood smiling.

"I'm guessing she didn't do your tubes?" Cal asked, "She did manage to get the porter to help me into bed." "This is not too, mate. You're sweating... look at me. How's your eyesight." "I'm pretty sure you're Cal, am I right?" "Yeah, I'm pretty sure you've been on the drink. Eh? Am I right?" "I'll be fine." "Jesus Jacob" "we had a nice time."

"You what?" Sam called as he ran, while she cycled a little further back. "I um... I'm not coming to Extreme whatever-it's-called. To Norway, they need me at work." "But you said you'd support me." "I am supporting you, Sam! I hate cycling and you know I do." She yelled panting. "But there's this trip I've got to go on with Jacob." "Why can't they just get an agency nurse?" He snapped, "Because it's my job!"  He stopped, turning to her making her slam on the bike brakes "Woah." "What is this Con? Your job seems to take priority over everything these days." "Sam, this is important, okay? Trust me." "But it's Norway! It's meant to be our holiday!" "I just can't." Connie stated, he sighed and ran off, "Oh Sam!" She yelled, her phone beeped, she read the message her face dropping.

She ran around the hospital corridors trying to find where he was, seeing Cal she rushed over. "He's stable." "But pneumonia?" Connie panted, "He only had a cough on Saturday morning." "His lounge are weak, any bacteria hits him hard." She looked through the window seeing him. His father sat outside the room, "Can I go in?" "Camilla is with him. Best leave her to it." Connie continued to look at him, "It's his fourth bout in two years. The last one nearly killed him."

Camila rested her hand on in his arm, as he lay lifelessly on the bed, meanwhile Connie slept on the visiting chairs outside the room all night.

She quietly came into the room with a coffee for Camila, "Thank you." She whispered, "How's he doing?" Connie asked, "He's a little better, I think." "Would you like me to take over for a little while." Connie asked gently, Camila looked up to her, "I would really like to change my clothes." "Sure." Connie smiled, Camila left and Connie quietly took a seat, taking his hand. His eyes fluttered open, and she stood back up "Hey." She spoke gently, removing the oxygen mask, "How you feeling?" "Been better." "Oh I don't know, you'll do anything for attention Jacob Masters." "I don't think I can do witty today, Chase." She nodded placing the mask back on, his breath laboured.

"Hey, just dropping of some meds for when he gets back." Cal stated , Connie hummed, sitting at her laptop, "You alright?" "Yeah, yeah. Just, um, cancelling everything." Cal sighed, sitting in front of her. "You know don't you?" "Yeah. Oh, I've been with him for two years. His life is hard. He hides his pain when he's with you, but there have been times when I've stayed over, and I hear him screaming. In his dreams, he's still running or skiing, doing things, you know? And then he wakes I up and there's nothing I can say to him... Now I can't judge what he wants to do. Thanks his choice." "But that was before me." "Yeah, and I know that he did pretty much anything to make you happy, Look, con I want him to live, Con. But only if he wants to live." "I can't just let this happen." She uttered fighting the tears, "I can't and we're running out of time. So if I could come up with another trip that the doctors would agree to, would you come with us?" She smiled, "Yeah. Of course I would."

She came back late that night, seeing a jacket on one of the chairs "Hi?" Connie looked coming into the kitchen, "This is unexpected." "I've bought your parents cinema tickets and grandads in his room asleep I think." "You bribed my parents and jailed my grandad... good." "I am an idiot." Sam stated, "But this job of yours is just for a few more weeks. Things will soon be back to normal. And... I should be proud of the things your doing something worthwhile.l" Connie smiled from the door frame, as he stepped closer. "I don't want to argue with you, Con."

"Less than three hundred calories." He stated, as they ate, she hummed taking a bite, the pair eating silently.

"What's this?" Sam asked picking up a folder, "Oh it's the trip I told you about." He flicked through the pages, "I thought you meant Lourdes or something... Hot tub under the stars. Massages. Swim with dolphins." He turned another page as she came through, "oh look. Five star luxury twenty four hour room service... This isn't work." He scoffed, "Do you really expect me to just sit here, while you swan off with another man on a honeymoon?" "His other caregiver's coming too." She reasoned, "Oh, two guys, that's alright then." "Sam this is really important." "Do you know how this feels?" He asked, "It's like permanently running, just a little behind the rest of the field... it's like there something bad around the bend and everyone seems to know expect me." "Sam..." "Seven years we've been together, Con. and you've known him five months." "But he needs me." "And I don't?" "I'm sorry." She uttered the room falling quiet, he grabbed his coat leaving, hearing the door close she fought the tears.