Cupboard Love

C H A P T E R 37

MY PLACE

RUEN

"Pin..." Wiping the tears from her cheek, I gave her a weak smile. "If you cry like that, John's gonna think the worst." I took the phone from her and put it on speaker.

"I'm sorr-ry." She sniffed. "Just relieved that you finally woke up."

"Thank god, you're ok." He held back a sob. "You scared me. You scared us."

I'm sure somewhere, in between the scuffle, I must have been afraid too.

"Sorry. You're my man, John." I took a deep breath, thankful that the medication was at work, or else the simple act of breathing would have been laboriously painful.

"As long as you're ok, Rue."

I yawned. The medication's starting to make me sleepy again. Pin retrieved her phone from me now that she's seemed to calm down.

"You have to rest now, Ruen."

"I'm not tired." I must talk to John. Today, Amelia's due back in the country. I wanted to know where she was.

Is she here?

Will she still be coming back to me?

"You can barely keep your eyes open."

"Work?" Though unable to focus, I gazed at Pin. It's already way past office hours but she still hasn't left. I think her watch reads: 3:30 in the afternoon.

"The perks of being the boss, Rue." She touched my cheek with the back of her hand. I leaned into the comforting hand and sighed.

"Sleep, babe," John said through the line.

"Talk?" I slowly opened my eyes trying my luck in beating the sandman.

"I'll be the first person you'll see the next time you're up." He promised.

I want Amelia.

"She's drifting, John." Still caressing my cheeks, Pin tried to be as quiet as possible when she addressed the man.

"Is she in pain?"

"The painkiller's easing it for her."

I can only listen in. My damn eyes won't open.

"What did the doctor say?"

"Three broken ribs. The trauma also caused small pneumothorax."

"Small pneumothorax?"

"Partially punctured lung. It's confined to a small area."

"Shit! Is Miranda, there?"

"She was but Ruen said something to her that made her walk out of here with a scary determined face."

Sorry for putting you on the spot, Mim.

"Is she gonna be ok?"

"The doctor said the bones will heal on its own in a few weeks. However, the punctured lung is a tricky matter." She drew circles on my palm. "If left unmonitored, though it's small, it may progress and cause serious cardiovascular impairment."

I could hear the weariness in her voice. She's been here with me since last night. She needs to take some time out.

I slowly opened my eyes.

"Pin... tired?" I said through the fog in my brain. "Rest too."

"I'm good, Ruen."

"Been here up... all night." My eyes start drooping again. "Not... good."