Love In Twenty And Five

DAY TWELVE AND THIRTEEN

His thumb went back and forth her knuckles, in an unconscious bid to ease her fears. Could he sense that she was afraid? Eden wasn't sure, for while his hand clung to hers, his eyes were fixed on the anesthesiologist who was administering the anesthesia. The movement of his thumb over her knuckles began to slow down, his head turning slowly until his eyes were fixed on hers, even as the drug began to take effect.

“Hey doc,” he mumbled, a small smile creasing his face.

“Hey, silly.” She smiled and watched as his eyelids slowly flickered shut, his thumb immediately stopping its movement.

Tightening her hold on his hand so it wouldn't fall carelessly to the bed, she gently lifted it to her lips and planted a kiss on it, before placing it by his side.

Eden waited until Mike was wheeled into the operating room, before making her way out of the ward. She was in the hallway when her phone chirped in her pocket.

Pulling it out, she frowned at the caller ID.

“Hey Phil," she murmured, trying not to sound as disheveled as she felt.

“Hey. Where exactly are you? The press briefing is about to begin.”

Suddenly feeling light headed, Eden paused in her tracks. “What?”

“I'm briefing the press on the Christmas party for the kids? I left messages on your machine yesterday telling you about it.”

Eden hadn't been home yesterday, and when she did get home that evening, the only thing she could bear to think about was Mike and their time together.

“I didn't check the machine, Phil.”

“Well, I'm down here in the lobby and everything is set up so you probably have about thirty minutes to get here.”

It was the last thing she wanted to deal with that morning; Phil or the press.

“You didn't tell me I would have to talk to the press.”

“No, but you're my Fiancée who is also a cool doctor that cares about kids and spend all her time trying to save their lives. Will you look good in the news? Yes. Will I look good in the news? Yes. Will we look good together, thereby making my campaign look good? Yes.”

Eden was suddenly annoyed, and greatly irritated. She wanted nothing more than to throw her phone across the hall and never speak to Philip again, but she convinced her overactive emotions not to take such drastic actions. She needed to do this for the kids —to stand before a bunch of cameras and break out a smile. She needed to not get upset about Philip's attempt and desperate means of winning the elections. She could understand that it was his lifelong dream to be Mayor, and if they were going to be married, she needed to support that dream. Besides, there wasn't anything wrong in getting a bunch of media coverage on an event that would help raise money for all the sick kids at Christmas, right? Because not only would it aid Philip's campaign, it would draw the attention of the public to the pains and sufferings of the kids and maybe even help to raise money for the medical bills of children whose parents were simply overwhelmed by all the costs.

Releasing a puff of air, she made her way to the elevator, and punched in the button of the first floor. True to his words, Philip had managed to set up a small podium right next to the Christmas tree. There were a bunch of people she imagined were part of his campaign team, working to set everything up.

“There she is!” He walked over to her with his arms outstretched, and as soon as he reached her, pulled her stiff form into his arms, his cologne assaulting her nostrils. “Hey.” He pulled away enough to capture her lips.