Nephophile

ACHOO!!!

Jake drove a silent Jane to the nearest hospital. He had put on his car's heater, but she was still shivering from the cold. Her icy hands clung to his blazer.

"Should we let your parents know where I'm taking you?" He asked carefully, knowing he's about to hit a nerve. "She shook her head, and he nodded, understanding as to why she didn't want them to know her whereabouts. "They'll probably worry more about the state of the dress than about me." She chuckled, and Jake gave her a look of pity.

"I don't want that." Jane said harshly. Jake's brows creased. "Don't want what?" He asked.

"Pity. I don't want your pity." She said and pulled the blazer up to her chin. "Sorry." Jake apologized. "Don't. Don't do that." She looked at him. With his eyes on the road, he felt her looking at him.

"OK. I won't." He said. His facial features still held pity.

"I hope that pity in your eyes is for the asphalt and not me." Jake smiled and looked at her. "I do not pity you anymore. This pity is for the asphalt that I can guarantee you."

She went silent next to him. Jake took his hand and felt her cheek. The heat was doing absolutely nothing for her. He sped up and raced down the streets that were slowly filling with more traffic.

He stopped in front of the hospital and carried Jane inside. The nurses on standby quickly came to their aid. They took Jane, and Jake was left to fill out forms. His phone flared up with calls and messages. He read them from the notification bar and then put his phone on airplane mode.

An hour later, a nurse came to fill him in on how Jane's doing. "She's going to be just fine. She'll have to stay here for a bit. Just until her test results come back. She just has a cold. Where was she this time?" The nurse asked. Jake gave her a surprised look. This time? What did the nurse mean when she said this time?

"Had this happened before?" He asked. The nurse gave him a sad nod. "Yup. This is probably her 3rd time this year. She had it worse in August. You know, the chilly weather in Cape Town. The weather is always unpredictable here. One moment, the sky is clear, and then the next, it's colored with clouds." She chuckled at her last words.

"So I have no reason to worry? She'll be alright?" Jake asked, to which the nurse nodded. "Although, I suggest getting her to a therapist. I don't know why, but I get the feeling she might need one."

The nurse walked down the corridor with Jake short on her heels. They stop in front of her room. Jake opened the door and found Jane fast asleep under a heated blanket. Color had returned to her face, except her nose and cheeks.

Jake settled in the chair next to her bed. He watched her sleeping form. She looked angelic. Her oval face shape, big hazel eyes, and pinkish plump lips. Her long baby hairs framed her small face,making her look younger than her actual age. Jake found himself lost in Jane's beauty. He didn't want to take his eyes off of her. He understood why Harold had chosen her. She was gorgeous.

He also didn't miss the rise and fall of her chest. Jane stirred in her sleep. Her brows creased, indicating that she was waking up. Jake plucked out his phone and pretended to be busy. He replied to those messages he had ignored earlier but had not put off airplane mode, knowing that his phone would flare up with more messages.

Jane's eyes fluttered open. She stared at the white ceiling for a while before her gaze fell on Jake, who was typing away on his phone. "Why are you still here?" She asked, sitting up straight, and pulled the blanket up.

"I believe the right words would be, thank you, but politeness seems to not be in your vocabulary." Jake said, still replying to his messages and not looking up at her.