Catch me when I fall (Rúben Dias)

Chapter 42

"Grace!", I hear Bella yell at me while I'm making some coffee. "Your phone is ringing".

"Who is it?", I yell back.

"Bernardo!"

Why would he call me? But then my brain goes to the worst-case scenario. What if something happened to Rúben?

I run to my desk to answer.

"Hi, Bernardo. What is it? Is Rúben ok?"

"Hi. Don't worry, he's fine but also not fine".

"What do you mean?"

"He's sick", he finally says. "A stomach bug or something. And he needs someone to pick him up. We are going straight from training to the match. So I can't take him home".

"I'll be there in...", I try to calculate how long it might take to drive all the way there. "30 minutes? Maybe 40".

"Sounds good. I'll tell him and the doctors that it's you coming to help him".

"Good. Thanks for calling me".

"No problem".

Once I hang up, I start collecting my things.

"What's wrong? Is there something wrong with Rúben?", asks Bella, concerned by my actions.

"He's sick. I need to pick him up at the training ground and then take him home and look after him. Tell Andy when he comes back. I'll work from home and he can call me if he needs anything".

"It's fine. Don't worry. Just go look after him".

**

"Hi, I'm Grace. I'm here to pick Rúben up?", I tell the receptionist when I get to the training ground.

"Oh yes, he's in the infirmary. I'll get someone to walk you there".

We go to the doctor's office and when he opens the door for me, I see poor Rúben laying down on a stretcher.

"Grace?", asks the doctor, making Rúben open his eyes.

"Grace is here?"

"Yes", I say to both, not knowing who to pay more attention to. "Hi doctor, is he ok?"

"He'll be fine. It's just a stomach bug but he's been...well. You can guess how his morning has been".

I laugh weakly while he opens the doctor so I can get in and go with Rúben.

"Hi", I say, touching his face. "He's really hot. Does he have a temperature?"

"He does. I gave him some medicine but he should take more tonight".

"I'll make sure he does".

And then I notice arms around my waist moving me closer to the stretcher. Rúben has moved to his side and is now hugging me, his head on my stomach.

"You ok, my love?", I say, moving his sweaty hair away from his face.

"I am now. Can we go home?"

"Let's go".

The doctor helps me walk him to my car and once there, I make sure we have everything he might need for the ride home.

"You shouldn't be here", he says, all of a sudden.

"Why?"

"You'll get the virus too".

"Oh well", I laugh. "That's what happens when you look after someone who's sick. But I'm strong. I rarely catch viruses".