Page 106 of Something Unexpected

May 22ndwas the day we’d met.

CHAPTER 25

Beck

“HOW MANY HOURShas it been now?”

Gram patted my hand. “Let’s not keep track. The doctor said it can take up to a full day for some people to wake up after they stop the medication.”

I looked over at Nora. She hadn’t stirred since they removed the breathing tube and turned off the sedation meds. That had been around eight this morning, and it was already dark outside. Gram was trying to be positive, but I could see the concern in her eyes as the hours dragged on, too. She also hadn’t eaten anything since she’d come back around ten.

“You need to eat something,” I said.

“I don’t have an appetite.”

Neither did I, but if I was going to force Gram to take care of herself, I had to do the same. “How about some soup? I saw a Panera a few blocks down.”

Gram nodded. “Okay.”

“Chicken noodle?”

“Sure.”

“I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

What should’ve been a fifteen-minute errand wound up taking nearly an hour because the hospital’s garage meter wasn’t working, and a line of cars had formed behind the wooden blockade that only went up once a ticket was paid. Then the inside of the Panera was closed due to renovations, and I had to wait on a long drive-thru line. To top it off, when I got back to the hospital, there was no parking anywhere since they’d closed the garage due to the broken meter.

I was still grumbling about it all when I walked back into Nora’s room, but my bitching came to a halt when I saw a set of beautiful green eyes.

“You’re awake.”

Gram smiled. “She woke up a few minutes after you left.”

Nora’s voice was groggy. “Why are you here?”

I leaned down and kissed her forehead. “Because you are.”

She sighed. “Beck…”

Gram looked between us and stood. “I need to use the ladies’ room.”

I set the bag of soup down and took the seat next to Nora. “How are you feeling?”

“Tired.”

I smirked. “Well, you shouldn’t be. You slept for three damn days.”

“I guess I don’t have to worry about you treating me differently just because I’m sick…”

I winked. “Never.”

Nora studied me a moment. “How much do you know?”

“Enough that I can now spell rhabdomyosarcoma after typing it into Google so many times.” I wiped a lock of hair from her face. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“At first it was because I wanted to feel normal, to have a one-night stand who looked at me like a woman, and not a sick woman.”

“And then later? Once we became more than a one-night stand?”

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