AMB~she~OUS

FORTY THREE.

"This way please." A nurse guided me through the numerous halls toward the VIP ward.

Craig was getting discharged earlier than I had anticipated but the doctor had given him a clean bill of health, he could go home today.

My job today was to take care of Craig and ensure that he did nothing strenuous that could trigger another episode. It was also a good excuse to stay away from the office in case I bumped into Nick. We hadn't talked since the night we kissed and he hadn't shown up at the house either. I preferred it that way.

"Take a left down that hallway, I have to attend to this." A beeping sound was going off in her pocket.

"Can I come in?" I asked knocking softly and peering my head into the room.

"You didn't need to ask at all." Craig responded from the bed. He had regained some color and looked better than he did a few days ago.

"I think the doctor should have let you stay for a bit longer. There is no need to discharge you so quickly." I grumbled from the foot of his bed.

"I don't want to spend my retirement days lying in the hospital."

"It's cause you are doing too much that landed you here in the first place." I retorted.

"I promise to take it easy." He smiled.

"You better, I'm too young to be a widow." I said with a laugh.

"We wouldn't want that."

He was okay, if anything the playful banter was proof of that.

"Should we get you ready to leave?" I asked holding up a duffel bag with a fresh pair of clothes for him to change into.

"You didn't have to do this you know, the driver could have easily driven me home."

"And give the press something to gossip about? Mmm, I don't think so."

That and I was avoiding your son and staying away from the office was the best way to do so.

"How are things at the office?" Craig asked from the passenger seat. He had been mostly quiet the whole way, I hoped he didn't think he had ruined anything with his collapse.

"Good. Nick and I released a joint statement and threatened to take legal action against any release of false information. You don't need to worry about anything." I assured him.

"I'm sorry you've had to deal with ridiculous tabloids instead of enjoying the success of the new hotel."

Craig was that kind of person, he was kind and selfless like that. He wasn't perfect but definitely wasn't the person his son thought he was and part of me wanted so badly to prove that to Nick.

"You don't have to be sorry." I had clear instructions to keep him from everything stressful, the last thing I wanted him to worry about was what the speculations in the media about his health.

I wanted to keep up the positive spirits but turns out that was much harder than I anticipated.

"How can they still be so shameless?" I muttered to myself when I spotted what looked like a reporter hanging suspiciously around the gate.

I started to slow down and I wanted to give her a piece of my mind, maybe even make an example of her. Nothing annoyed me more than people that didn't know when to stop.

"Don't stop, just drive." Craig spoke.

"But-"

"Katherine. Drive." He spoke sternly in a voice I had never heard him use with me before.