My Dearest, Laurens

Chapter 16

C'mon Alex, just wake up. How hard can it be? Do it for John, do it for your friends, just wake up.

My eyes fluttered open and I saw John, with his head on the side of the thin hospital mattress. He was looking at my hand and touching the ring on my finger. He looked up at me and his eyes widened. He sat up, "Alex," he breathed. He quickly pressed the call button by my bed and took my hand.

I furrowed my eyebrows because I couldn't talk.

"Are you okay?" He asked, putting the back of his other hand against my cheek, "Do you need anything?"

Luckily a nurse walked in before John could get up to get something that I probably didn't need. "Oh, you're awake," She said. She walked over and checked on my IV. She turned to John, "we got the test results." She said.

John looked worried and I didn't blame him. I did a lot to worry him. "And?" He asked, desperate for answers.

"And everything is fine. He just needs to eat. Make sure he does." she said writing something on a paper. "I've got to talk to the doctor but I think we can release him today." She smiled and left the room, but not before saying, "you picked a good one honey," to me and motioning with her eyes to John, who was playing with my hair.

"What does she mean?" I asked, my voice scratchy.

"I dunno." John said shrugging his shoulders.

I rolled my eyes. "John I could hear you the entire time I was out." I said.

"I know. They said you could." He said twirling a strand of my gross hair.

I pushed his hand away. "John, germs." I said.

"Oh, pssh," he said taking my hair between his fingers again. "I married you to get all of your germs."

I stuck my tongue out at him. "My hair is gross." I complained.

He shrugged, "I don't mind."

"I do, I want to go home and wash my hair. Twice." I said.

"Honey it's been two days." John replied, putting both hands on my cheeks.

"Yeah and I missed the opportunity to condition my hair twice." My voice came out funny because John squished my cheeks.

"I love you." John whispered.

"I love you too," I replied with a squished face, making us both laugh.

John pulled my face closer to his and touched our noses together. I closed my eyes and smiled. "I missed you." He whispered to me, his breath smelled like gross hospital coffee.

"Blah, you smell like cheap coffee." I said.

"Wanna taste it?" He asked.

"If you mean I can have some, yes. If you mean you wanna kiss me, yes." I responded.

"I'll just go for the latter since we're here." He said closing the small space between us.

I smiled into the kiss, accidentally ending it. "I wanna go home." I said sadly.

"Me too. You get home after a month away from me and the next morning you collapse from malnutrition."

"I'm sorry." I whispered. "I didn't think I was good enough for you."

"No, Alex, I'm sorry. I should have noticed. I just missed you so much that I didn't realise that you lost almost thirty pounds." A tear slipped down John's cheek and I wiped it off with my thumb, I noticed how thin my wrist was. "I could have lost you."

"Well you didn't." I reassured, "and I am coming home today." I said.

"Good because i have a surprise for you." He smiled and kissed my nose.