I'm Not Leaving

Part 4

Part 4/

"Alexis, eyes here," Sonny said, pointing to his face.

"Why is everything itching?" She asked, not really sure she needed the answer, just tired of looking at needles like the one Epiphany was preparing to press under her skin.

"The chemo tends to dry out your skin and cause itchiness. I really just think that you're having an adverse reaction to the nausea meds. Why didn't you have them put it in your chart? You struggled with this medicine last time. Right?"

"I did," Alexis replied, leaning her head back on the chair - her hair vomit free and wavy from air drying after her shower. "It's not in the chart because I didn't think I'd ever have to have chemo again." She lifted her hands in the air. "Call it a move of idiotic positivity on my part. I'm not good at leaps of faith." She whispered quietly.

"Alexis, there's a handsome man trying to get you to stare at him and not this IV needle." Epiphany said, as Alexis looked toward her once more.

Sonny felt her breath quicken, before he heard her intake and hold it. He squeezed her hand.

"It's just isopropyl alcohol, Ms. Davis. You've done much harder things than this ... even in the last week."

"I'm just so tired of being poked. Cut open. Scanned."

"Hey, Lex. Is it that hard to look at me for a little bit? Gaze even? Me. The handsome man."

She looked down at her hands one last time and then straight into his eyes.

"Arrogant man."

Epiphany chuckled.
"I prefer confident."

"Sonny," she said smiling slightly at her best friend, "Why am I sitting in a La-Z-Boy? How did you have time to sneak this recliner into my living room?"

"This is not a La-Z-Boy. It is a top of the line, super soft, heated, massaging chair that happens to recline and while not keeping with your usual decor does match the color of your couch. Impressive considering the limited time window I had to sneak it in here. I had a little help."

"Your goons?"

"The men who work for me."

"Your minions?"

"My men. I've been thinking about it for a few weeks, actually. I wanted something more comfortable to sit in while binge watching so many episodes of Sherlock with you." He knew that would get her attention. "She's really into Benedict Cumberbatch."

Sonny watched as Epiphany deftly inserted the IV into Alexis's hand. She didn't even acknowledge it.

"You picked the show. My first pick was a movie. Adam's Rib."

"Spencer and Tracy." He smiled.

"It's in Alexis. You didn't even feel it." Epiphany said, rubbing her friend's arm comfortingly.

She was eerily quiet.

"Alexis, I'm going to get these fluids started and the antibiotics. I want to hold off on the pain medicine until the new nausea meds take effect. Can you take this benadryl? The Promethazine will need to be given by injection because it burns a lot when it goes through an IV."

She watched Alexis's eyes water, not quite sure if it was from all the talk of medicine, more needles, or whatever was passing between her and Sonny- the thing that had quieted her rambling.

"The good news is after we're done with this ... I shouldn't have to bother you for a few hours. I'm going to set up in the kitchen and get some work done. I've got to send some notes back on how you're doing to the doctor."