Jodee

Chapter 50 - Improvement

The next day I was in the car bright and early with a bagel and smoothie in hand, ready to head to the hospital to visit Ace again.

Caleb — apparently — went on a very long and strenuous run this morning due to how exhausted and sweaty he was. He also picked up bagels and smoothies from this bagel place I love. But that place is also five miles (I think) from our house so maybe that's why he's tired.

Once Caleb got home we had a small argument about whether I had to attend school or not today — I won so now we're both going to spend the day at the hospital. But I don't know if I really won considering the fact that Caleb wasn't really arguing, so maybe he was already going to let me skip school. I don't really care, I'm just going to continue thinking I won an argument against one of my brothers for once. After that he got dressed and so did I and we headed for the door.

"There are some rules I'm going to set down for going to the hospital." Caleb declared, one hand on the steering wheel and the other resting in his lap as his head lazily turned to look at me.

I could tell Caleb was stressed about the whole Ace in the hospital situation and having to take care of me full time without Ace — at a time where I too am very stressed and therefore not exactly thinking rationally all of the time. And I really felt back for him as that stress was starting to become evident.

His hair was tousled to the point where it looked plain messy, not just the casual, effortless, messy that almost seemed put together, that I know my brother's best friend tries to achieve at times. He wore a simple collared shirt and black pants with a gold chain hanging around his neck — not his normal suit that he would wear when going to work.

Is Caleb working today?

I know that he is coming to the hospital to stay the day there with me — and Ace — and that he is going to do some online work, but I wonder if he is also trying to go into the office sometime today. He hadn't said anything about it, though. Then again my brothers don't really fill me in on their work schedule most days.

"Okay?" I responded unsurely to Caleb's previous statement.

"These are not up for discussion." He warned me, I nodded my head in understanding so he continued. "You have to stay with me in the hospital, not wandering around by yourself without me knowing where you are. I know I'm letting you skip school today, but depending on how long Ace is hospitalized for, that might not always be the case. So no arguing when you have to go to school. You need to eat breakfast" — he nodded his head to my bagel and smoothie — "Lunch, and dinner every day. And I'm not joking about this" — he turned his eyes away from the road to look me dead in the eyes — "You need to listen when I tell you something at the hospital. It could be a safety reason or whatever. But you need to listen."

"Okay, I got it, Cal." I responded.

"Good. And I'm not saying this to be mean, just so you know." Caleb threw out. "It's just the way things have to be right now and if you can't follow the rules then you can't be at the hospital."

When I didn't respond, he turned to me and shot me an unimpressed look.

"I know, I'll follow the rules. I just want to be with Ace."

"I know," Caleb mumbled.

***

It was about one o'clock, which meant lunch time — per Caleb's rules. So he had gone out to pick us up some sandwiches and I was told to stay in Ace's hospital room.

"Don't even move an inch, Jodee." Is what he told me in exact words.

I don't know why, but today Caleb seems to be super paranoid about I don't even know what. My professional opinion is that he is worried about Ace getting better and isn't sure how to take care of me all by himself. So I've been trying to be super helpful and really nice and obedient to make this a little easier on him.