Miss Artist Can Suffer

If you call that caring...

He went in kitchen in meantime to drink some water. Everything was clean finally. He glanced across the kitchen. Just as he had left it. Even the cold and stiff oatmeal too was on the counter. Just as he had left it. Which means that she hadn't eaten anything, he thought. And she hadn't eaten last night too, he remembered. 'Stupid girl!' he thought as he put some vegetable soup on the gas.

The doctor came and checked her pulse. "Shouldn't you keep her dry?" He asked. Gerald saw what he was talking. She was still bone-wet from the sprinklers. He mentally slapped himself.

"Sorry doctor, I forgot. I'll change her clothes now." he took a hurried step towards her.

"After I leave, son." The elderly doctor chuckled.

Gerald's eyes widened as he understood what he was about to do.

"She's just weak. She'll be alright. I'll suggest a day's bed rest. These are some tonics and keep her strong." Doctor said and then added, "And dry."

Gerald took the tonics and mumbled a thank you.

"Is she your girlfriend?" The doctor asked. Apparently, Gerald's stoic behaviour was quite known in their small town.

"What? No, no. She is just a- she is a guest." Gerald stumbled. The doctor chuckled again, patted his back and left.

Gerald remembered his soup and went in kitchen to turn the gas off. Then he put some pasta for himself and once again went to Keira.

He stood their contemplating over how to change her clothes. He thought of various ways to undress her causing minimum damage. But that didn't help. In fact it only resulted in making Gerald more and more uncomfortable. He sat down over the edge. Keira's face was pale. Some strands of hair had stuck to her face. His fingers itched to have her face free of them. He rubbed his fingers as he sat there but he gave in finally. He brushed the strands off gently and jerked his hand back as if it had burnt.

Then he surrendered and walked outside to check on his neighbour. His neighbour house was 2 minutes away. For the first time in two years he was visiting his neighbour and it felt really weird. Never before he saw any need to visit them. He didn't even know if there lived any girl to help him. If some guy lived there then he was doomed.

He knocked on the door hesitating a lot and heaved a huge sigh of relief when a middle aged woman opened the door.

~~

Keira woke up, feeling that she was riding on sea-waves. Has somebody abandoned her on a wooden raft in a sea? After the fight before, Gerald won't hesitate to do it, she thought.

She opened her eyes and after adjusting them to the bright light coming through windows, she saw Gerald sitting on the chair, directly under the window. His profile could be seen by her. He was writing something and had his glasses on. The yellow sunlight fell on him and his cropped short blond hair. She stared at his angelic, chiesled face. Why do some men look absolutely hot when they have their glasses on? Keira blinked, thinking she was knocked out pretty bad. To think she found Gerald sexy!

"Not once, in my entire career have I taken a day off. Even when I was sick, I would go to office." He said, not looking up.

Keira tried to sit up, her head feeling like it weighed tonnes. She blushed at the thought of him catching her staring at his face. She remembered having a row and then losing consciousness. She looked around. It was definitely not her room. Also, she saw water bed which caused wave like feelings.

"So you took a day off for me?" She asked, unbelieving.

"No," he hastily replied, "I... I am going in the evening."