Chemistry

Back to Black

Rebecca's eyes fluttered open to find that the light outside had gone pink and periwinkle; half of a day had passed and she hardly remembered it. She rolled over to find Ben there, right beside her, glasses on, reading from a script. He felt her stirring and turned his attention to her at first glance.

"Hey," he whispered. "How are you doing?" He touched her face with the tips of his fingers to find that her temperature still felt normal.

"I've been worse."

"Do you remember calling me to pick you up?"

"Yeah, I remember that--"

"You had me quite worried earlier. I drove you here, you conked out in the car and when I woke you, you started rambling on and on about the avian flu and how your symptoms matched perfectly."

"Bird flu? Seriously?" she scoffed. "That totally doesn't make sense, I'd have--"

"A fever! I know. That's why I kept checking your temp. I tried to take you back to the hospital but you were insistent on coming here."

"And I've been sleeping all day?"

"Since noon."

"And it's--"

"Getting on eight-thirty,"

"So strange. I really feel fine right now."

"I don't care how you feel, you're resting this weekend, right in that very spot."

"Ill or not, I'd be happy to spend my weekend right here with you," she smiled as she nuzzled into her pillow, reaching for his hand to hold. "I do need to go to my flat to get some things though, and to water my houseplants. Chloe is rubbish at taking care of them."

"Oh! I sent her a message from your cell earlier to let her know that I'd brought you here and she told me to ask you what happened to your strawberries."

"What do you mean, what happened to them?"

"She said they were all dead."

Rebecca turned up her nose at what he'd said, feeling confused, "That can't be. I watered them yesterday and they were just fine."

"We can go to your flat now, if you like. Do you feel up to it?" He leaned close and kissed her on the forehead, another sly way of keeping track of her bodily symptoms. Her forehead felt temperate under his lips, which comforted him, if only slightly.

***

"Holy shit!" she screeched as she took stock of the condition of her prized strawberries. "What's happened to you?" She leaned down to smell the dirt in the pot and scrunched her nose up in disgust.

"What's wrong?" Ben called out to her from the kitchen, where he was skimming over an essay of hers from a couple terms prior.

"This poor thing smells rancid!" she said as she examined the plant and its withered condition.

"Maybe Amanda has some insight. Want me to ring her?"

"Nah. It's a lost cause now," she said as she dropped the pot unceremoniously next to the door. "I'll try for more next year." She passed him on the way to her bedroom so she could pack a weekend bag before heading back to Ben's flat.

"Do you mind if I take this with?" Ben held up her essay as he leaned against the door frame.

"Because you feel the crying need to read my second term essay on autopsy and Detached Concern?"