Living A Lie

Chapter 5 - The Set-Up

"Oh please, like I meant to hit the woman I love." "If you loved her you'd have never cheated on her so you can knock that bullshit off." "I didn't cheat on her." "Dude, she found you in bed with another woman, naked. You cheated on her." "I did not cheat on her. I would never do that her." "Uh news flash you did, now leave before I have to beat you up again." "You hit my best friend!" "I didn't hit her on purpose Erin you know I'm not that kind of guy" "Get out of here Alex, she doesn't want anything to do with you, especially now that you hospitalized her." "I'm not going anywhere. You and the help can't make me, so deal with it." I groaned. I have a headache and the voices aren't helping. "Kate?" "Kat?" "Kate?" I recognized those voices. Alex, Erin and who is the last voice? Kaleb? Yeah, Kaleb. "Kate, honey, open your eyes. I need to check you out." Erin. Nurse Erin. "Kate, I'm so sorry, I forgot you were right behind me. I shouldn't have ducked. Kaleb. My boyfriend. That's so weird. "Kat, baby, I'm so sorry, I never meant to hit you, you know I'd never hit you." Alex. He sounds so worried. "It's...okay...Alex." I groaned again. Talking hurt. "That's the first time you've called me Alex in two years. God, I really hit you hard, I'm so sorry." I groaned again. "Kate, I'm right here, open your eyes for me please sweetheart." I felt someone grab my hand. Gotta be Kaleb. I tried to open my eyes, but the lights started dancing again. "Trying..." "Great you idiot, you gave her a concussion." "You don't know that yet." "I'm a nurse, idiot." "So you did pass nursing school good job." "Shut...up" I mumbled. Quiet is a nice thing.

"Kate honey, please open your eyes. You need to try hard." I groaned again and it hurt like hell but I managed to open one eye. "Good job. The doctor said you had a concussion. You've been in here for almost 24 hours." "What...happened?" "Your stupid boyfriend hit me, and then ducked when I tried to hit back, and you got the punch instead." Alex stepped into my vision. "God baby, I'm so sorry, I really jacked your face up." I looked up at him as he held a mirror up. I had two black eyes. I couldn't open the left eye because it was swollen shut. I also had a cut over my left eye. "Where's Kaleb?" I watched as something flashed in his eyes but it was gone before I could figure out what. "Getting you some soup from Panterini. I told him you like chicken noodle. He should be back soon." Erin stepped into view. "Erin. Are you my nurse?" "Yes honey, the idiot behind me called as soon as you blacked out. David drove you here and Alex carried you in." She smiled softly. "You look like hell." "Thanks best friend." I closed my eye. "Erin, my head really hurts." "Open up honey, I have some Oxycodone for your pain." I opened and she dropped the pill into my mouth and then trickled some water in after. "Is she awake?" "David. Come here." He sat the soup down on my bedside table and sat next to me. I scooted over and he laid down and laid my head on his chest. "I forgive you for ducking." "I'm glad sweetheart." He kissed the top of my head and I smiled at the warmth that radiated from that spot. It actually made my head hurt less. 

I got discharged once the swelling in my left eye went down enough that I could open it and actually see out of it. Kaleb drove me home and he's been staying here to take care of me while Erin is at work. Kaleb walked into my room with a soup bowl and a spoon. It still hurt to chew so I've been on soft foods until it doesn't hurt. But I think I can handle it I just really like Panterini's soup. "Here baby girl. Eat up" I smiled at him. He's been so good to me the last few weeks. My face is looking better. The bruises and mostly green and yellow which Erin said means they're healing. Alex has been calling her every day to check up on me and I honestly don't know if she's telling him anything. "Kate?" I looked at him. "Yeah?" "Are you okay? You've been staring off into space for the last 15 minutes." I looked down at my soup bowl and found it empty. Huh. Must of drank it while I was thinking. "Kaleb, am I ugly with my green and yellow bruises?" He smiled. "No baby, just as gorgeous as you were without them." I smiled. And for the first time in a week and a half, it didn't hurt. He kissed me gently so as not to hurt me then went into the bathroom to start me a hot bath. Like I said, he's been taking such good care of me.