Page 52 of Loving Lizzy

“Maybe an hour,” she croaked out. She shivered as another chill hit her.

Michael left the room and came back with a bucket covered in bags and set it beside her.

“When did you take your meds?” He lowered his face to meet hers. His eyes showed his concern and his mouth sat in a firm line.

“I took them an hour ago, it didn’t work,” she pointed out the obvious.

“Do you still feel sick?” he questioned as he checked her pulse.

She barely shook her head as she closed her eyes. Her body shook as if she never felt the warmth of the covers.

The covers lifted for a moment, and she whimpered in protest. “Shhh, I’ll keep you warm.” He pressed his naked chest against her. His flannel pajama bottoms covered her legs. She sank into his comfort as he held her and drifted back to sleep.

Two hours later, he held the prepared bucket as she heaved again. She vowed to never eat again if the endless cycle of vomiting stopped. Michael wiped her down and helped her to wash out her mouth. He cleaned up everything before coming back to bed and holding her.

An hour later he helped her again. She dry-heaved into the bucket and winced in pain. This time, Michael made a call as she drifted back to sleep. She missed the warmth of his body and the comfort of him holding her. A tear ran down her cheek. Her whole body ached, and she felt miserable.

She must’ve dozed back off. When she woke up, Chase leaned over her and talked to someone on the phone while Kassie set up an IV pole and hung some bags. Noticing Lizzy’s eyes open, Kassie leaned down and spoke softly to her.

“Hang in there Lizzy, we’ll get you settled in a moment. Dr. Safder gave Chase permission to give you meds through the port and fluids. It’s storming outside and we’re under a tornado watch. We didn’t want you to drive into Seattle. Michael went to shower and clean up, he said to tell you he won’t be long.”

Why did he need a shower? It felt as if she’d closed her eyes for mere moments before they arrived.

A few minutes later she felt Kassie unbutton her pajama top, sterilize the area and hook her up. She opened her eyes and searched the room. Michael stood next to Kassie and covered her to keep her warm. Her hand reached out as she searched for his. His large hand engulfed hers as he slid it back under the covers and didn’t let go.

“Sleep, Lizzy. I’m right here,” he whispered. She closed her eyes and gripped him tightly, pleading silently that he wouldn’t let her go.

She dreamed of Edie crocheting a blanket as she asked Lizzy, “Will you allow him to be the lighthouse that leads you to safety or will you bail yourself out of the storm?”

Why did it seem important to her now? Her dream shifted to the last night she held Conner. She fed, rocked, and sang him to sleep. She rose from the cushioned rocking chair and placed him in his crib. She ran her finger along his sweet chubby little cheek, thinking he resembled an angel. The next morning, she cried out as she dialed nine, one, one and performed infant CPR. She was too late. Conner didn’t make it. Friends came and went, giving her their condolences. Even the government reached out to assure her they planned to keep searching for her husband. People acted as if she’d suffered a double tragedy. First, she lost Michael, then Conner. They waited for her to break. She held out hope.

The covers stifled her as she tried kicking them off. The heavy weight lifted, and cool clothes covered her body. She felt wet. She didn’t care as she remembered the day she ran from Michael. Years of foster homes taught her love only lasted until they found something wrong with you. She’d lost his son and now she stared into the mirror at the scar from her lumpectomy. She placed the picture of her rocking their sweet boy on the counter and she ran. She left before Michael realized how broken she felt…

Lizzy opened her eyes to find him sleeping in a chair next to her. Towels laid all over the floor. He now sported a new pair of pajama pants, and a t-shirt covered his thick chest and muscled arms. She frowned in disappointment of her obstructed view of his defined abs. She turned her head, and her eyes widened at the supplies sitting at the end of the bed. Bags of fluids, meds, gloves and vomit and trash bags lined the improvised table.

She must’ve made a noise as Michael leapt from the chair and cupped her cheek. He scanned her face for any discomfort.

“Do you feel better?” he worriedly asked.

“Yes, I’m tired but I don’t feel like I’ll be sick. I hurt everywhere,” She leaned into his hand, soaking in his warmth.

“Oh good, she’s awake.” Kassie smiled from the doorway holding a bundle of laundry in her arms. “I’ll get the shower ready if you can help Lizzy to the bathroom. I washed some clean sheets and I’ll grab the towels before we leave.”

He turned back to her. “Do you feel up to taking a shower? I’m afraid it turned messy last night. I know you didn’t want me to…Kassie changed you into fresh clothes.”

Lizzy thought about it. She felt grimy and a warm shower sounded like heaven. She slightly nodded. He peeled back her cover and lifted her from the bed.

“Do you need to use the bathroom?”

She felt the heat rise in her cheeks at his question. For Pete’s sake she did carnal stuff with this man, and she blushed at something as normal as peeing.

Michael glanced behind him, and Kassie dropped the clean laundry into a chair and followed him into the bathroom. He lowered her to the floor. Once he assured himself she remained stable, he let go of her and left the room. Kassie helped her with her clothing while she warmed the shower chair and grabbed a bunch of towels and Tegaderm to cover her port.

“What happened?” she asked Kassie as she guided her to the shower.

“He panicked when you didn’t stop vomiting. The storm raged around the area, and he called us. Chase stayed at the hospital longer than he anticipated. When he contacted Chase, he brought all the supplies he guessed we might need and contacted Dr. Safder.”

“I hope I didn’t trouble you too much. The room looks like a tornado hit it,” Lizzy quipped as she hung onto her friend until she felt the chair behind her knees.

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