Faith

Chapter Eighteen

James 5:15 (ESV) -- And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

"Kaitlyn, wake up for a moment." Sam's voice urged at me while he shook my shoulder gently. "Kaitlyn," he continued to murmur into my ear.

I opened the eye that wasn't pressed into the couch and groaned. "Why? I'm tired." But as soon as the words left my mouth, a huge coughing fit overtook me and I started hacking. Sam helped me sit up and waited patiently for me to stop.

Once I did, he spoke tenderly, "You have been trying to cough in your sleep but you couldn't breathe. You should get up so you can breathe better. I figured you wouldn't want me to fix you in your sleep." Sam winked at me and cracked a smile.

I actually found the breath to laugh without having a coughing fit. "That was a really smart decision, Sam-I-am. Maybe the first you have ever made."

Sam immediately protested. "I have made plenty of smart decisions!"

"Name some," I taunted.

"Becoming your friend, deciding to help you with your life, letting you open up about your past. Should I go on?" He raised an eyebrow and smirked, while I sighed. He knew I was defeated and would not have anything else to say.

My stomach chose this time to let out a huge rumbling growl that sounded like a monster trying to eat the house. My face got a little red at how loud that was. Sam obviously heard it because he started to smirk at me. "Somebody's a little hungry," he stated with a twinkle in his eye.

"No," I spoke, sarcasm oozing out of my mouth. "I ate about five minutes ago and I am stuffed."

Along with an eye roll, Sam said, "Even being sick doesn't stop your sarcasm." I stuck my tongue out at Sam, then started to cough. Sam continued to talk. "Let me go get you some soup. Chicken noodle?"

"Yes please," I coughed out.

Sam walked into the kitchen, and I leaned into the back rest of the couch. I heard dishes banging around, then the sound of a microwave beep after a few minutes. I let myself relax into the plush couch and Sam re-entered the living room, a steaming bowl of soup in his hands and a smile on his cute face.

"Bon appetite, Kaitlyn Faith." Sam handed me the soup carefully, and I made sure that I didn't burn myself on the hot bowl. I quickly scarfed down the soup and set down the bowl, once I was finished. I pulled my legs onto the couch and folded them so I sat Indian-style.

I broke the silence and asked Sam a question. "What time is it?"

"Almost eight," he replied nonchalantly.

"I napped for almost five hours and you just lounged around my house? Why didn't you just leave?"

Sam shrugged. "I didn't want to leave you home alone, especially since I got you sick. Speaking of being alone, where is your dad?"

It was my time to shrug after being asked a question. "It's Saturday night so he is probably doing some church thing."

"You could join him."

"I'm sick though."

"That's just an excuse, Kaitlyn."

"No it isn't."

Sam and I went back and forth like that for a while before he threw his hands up in the air. "Fine, I give up. You are too scared to go back to church because you really don't want Him in your life."

Right away, I got defensive. "Hey! I'm not too scared to go to church. I could go next weekend if I wanted to and it wouldn't be a problem!"

Sam smirked. "Okay, that settles it. You are going to church next week."