I'm A Loser

Treat Her Gently

Paul searched for Linda in the wet streets and splashed in the puddles on his way. He carried with him an umbrella and a coat for Linda.

Paul thought about where she might've gone and ran to the pier. He found her under the pier, crying and screaming.

"Linda! Oh Linda, thank God you're here." Paul cried tears of relief.

"Get away from me!" Linda shouted. "I thought you didn't want me to screw up your life any more than I have already!"

"Linda, I didn't mean it! I'm so sorry." Paul said as he wrapped the coat around Linda.

"Linda, you can stay mad at me but please come back to the house; you're gonna freeze out here." Paul begged her.

She agreed and the two went home. It was midnight and everyone else had gone to sleep.

Paul turned the lights on in their room and noticed there was blood on Linda's thigh.

"Did something happen?" Paul asked.

"I just scraped myself." She lied.

"Well let's get you cleaned up." He said and helped her to the bathroom.

Paul washed off the blood to find that there were little cuts all over her leg.

"Linda..." Paul began to say, astonished. "You've never cut before."

"That's cause no one's ever broken my heart before." She whimpered.

"Linda, I'm so so so sorry." Paul whispered in her ear and hugged her.

Paul put bandages on her leg and helped her to bed.

"Goodnight, Sweetie. I'll go sleep downstairs." He told her and began to leave.

"Why are you sleeping downstairs?" She asked from the bed.

"I assumed you wanted no piece of me for a good while." He said.

"Stay here." Linda mumbled to him as she pulled out the sheets so he could lay next to her.

Paul smiled and turned the lights off and got in bed. Paul gently rested his hand on Linda's stomach and could feel the baby kick.

"I promise I'll never yell at you like that ever again." Paul whispered to her.

"Okay." Linda whispered back and rested her head on Paul's chest.

In the morning, Prudence woke up with a fever and was getting sick constantly. George had already left with Julian to take him to his annual check up before he knew Prudence was sick. Paul and Linda were taking care of her for the meanwhile.

"Was it something you ate?" Paul asked her.

"I don't know...I don't think I ate anything out of the ordinary." She said.

"Is it cold in here?" Prudence asked.

Paul shook his head. "No it's rather warm, and you're burning up." He said as he felt her forehead.

Paul grabbed her a blanket and wrapped it around her.

"I'm sorry you have to take care of me." Prudence said shyly. "Probably had something planned."

"It's not your fault, Sweetie. You couldn't help it." Paul assured her and brought her some tea.

"If you and Linda had plans you can go. I'll be fine." Prudence lied.

"What are you talking about? I'm not leaving you home alone with a fever and you getting sick every five minutes." Paul told her. "Linda's at the store now getting you some medicine and a proper ice pack."