Page 40 of Mac
"You didn't scare me, just startled me.A little warning would be nice the next time you decide my legs aren't good enough."Elyse tried to sound angry but didn't think it was coming across well.
"Your legs are perfect, but you're whiter than your sheets.Rest, I'll get what you need and be right back."
How could you argue with reasoning like that?Elyse wasn't sure but give her a few minutes and she'd do her best to figure it out.As it turned out, she didn't have that few minutes.Mac brought her a big glass filled with ice and tea and a sleeve of butter flavored crackers quickly enough she wondered how he knew where to find them.
"Thanks."Elyse took a bite of one of the crackers, trying not to make a face as it tasted like chalk.She swallowed and sipped from the tea, which washed down the cracker and left her able to speak.
"Thanks, that will help."She finished the cracker, even though she had no desire.Something now would keep her stomach from getting worse later.
"No problem.Anything else I can do?"
Elyse shook her head and immediately regretted it."No thanks though."
Mac eased down to sit beside her.
She leaned against him and spoke after a while."Did I hear you talking earlier?"
"You did," he said after a moment."I was giving instructions and answering questions about a couple jobs."
She frowned, feeling like she was missing something.After staring into the distance for what felt like way too long, she spoke."Wait, why aren't you at work?"
"I didn't go.You needed me here."
She turned and frowned at him, waiting for more.
"You got up when your alarm went off, made a phone call and got back in bed, but you never stirred when my alarm went off.I thought it was weird but even as I moved around, you didn't stir.I tried to wake you and got no response.I was worried, but your breathing was fine."His head was shaking slowly."You got up and used the bathroom a couple times, but something was off.I spoke to you and you didn't respond.it was like you never even heard me."
She tried to remember getting up, and if she'd heard him say anything to her, but the last thing she remembered was getting up and calling Lisbet."My meds do that sometimes."She didn't tell him it was usually when she had to take a second, or worse, third dose, like she had taken when she'd gotten up to make her call.She didn't want to admit how much she'd taken.The doctor had told her she could, if she needed it, but she hated the way it made her feel so almost never took more than the second pill, and that very rarely.
He looked down at her, his face serious."You slept so long and hard, it scared me."He fell silent again and Elyse sat there thinking.
"How long?"she said after a while.
"Huh?"
"How long did I sleep?What time is it?"
"Oh.A little after 9 a.m."
"That's not that bad."From the way he'd talked she'd thought it was late afternoon, but the drawn blackout curtains only let in a dim light, with no hints of which direction it was coming from, so it was no help.
"It's Wednesday morning."
Elyse blinked once while his words processed then she turned to stare at him.
"Did you just sayWednesday?As in I've been asleep for more than twenty-four hours?"
Mac nodded."Not the whole time, like I said, you got up and went to the bathroom a couple times, but you were weird.I didn't want to leave you alone, especially when I couldn't rouse you and you acted so strange."
Elyse fell silent, thinking back again.She still couldn't recall moving since she'd called for her replacement.Replacement.Shit!
"Where's my phone?I need to make a call."
"If you're calling into work, don't worry.I used your print to unlock your phone while you were out this morning and called the last number you'd dialed.Told the woman who answered, I think she said her name was Elizabeth, but I'm not sure, that you were still sick and wouldn't be in today."
"When was that?"
"About six this morning.About the same time, you called her yesterday.I figured if it had been a good time to call on Tuesday, it was a good bet it was a safe time to call on Wednesday."
