Can't Take My Eyes Off You

Part 2

Catalina arrived home and put her heavy bag on the armchair. “I’m starving!”

Her mother looked at her from the couch, with a raised brow. “Why haven’t you eaten out?”

“I had no time to eat, mom,” she said, going to the kitchen. “We had classes at the Laboratory today, so even if I wanted to eat, I’d probably puke after dissecting my guy.”

“After a whole year, you are not used to it yet?”

“I will never get used to it” she said, going back to the room with a bag of chips. “It’s so gross, seriously!”

“You had no proper meal the whole day and you are eating this?” her mother said, with a reproaching look. “We have chicken!”

Catalina sat on the other side of the couch. “You don’t wanna know what chicken reminds me, mom.”

Before her mother made any comment. Her sister entered the room, looking annoyed at Catalina. “Those are my chips.”

“I’m hungry, Sophia! Give me a break, please…”

The girl went to her sister and took the bag from her hands. “It’s the third time this month you end my chips. You work, so you buy some for you. Those are mine.”

“You’re such a little pain!” Catalina complained, looking at the 10-year old girl.

“There is chicken!” Sophia screamed from the kitchen.

Catalina sighed; it was clear that she would have to get something else to eat. Annoyed, she stood up from the couch. At the same time she did, she felt a striking pain in her head, and her view went dark.

“Catalina?” she heard her mother voice from very far away; she did not reply. Her head was spinning and she could not see a thing.

“Daughter, are you alright? Sophia… Sophia! Call your father, quickly!”

Very numbly, the girl felt her mother taking her slow body and laying her down on the couch. Catalina had no strength to say or do anything. Everything was spinning so fast… She thought she heard her father’s and her sister’s desperate voices before losing her senses.

~*~

“She is awake!” Sophia screamed.

Catalina opened her eyes lazily. She could still feel her head aching.

“Dear God, Catalina, are you OK? Talk to me, daughter… What are you feeling? Can you talk? Catalina…”

“Let her breathe, Maria” her father said. “Calm down…”

“My daughter had just passed out and her nose was bleeding!” she burst out “How can you tell me to calm down, Don?”

“Just let her breathe, don’t suffocate her…”

 Sophia put her hand on her sister’s forehead kindly. “Was this because of the chips?” she asked with a smothered voice. “I’m sorry Cat… You can eat them… I didn’t mean…”

“Don’t be silly, Soph… It wasn’t that!” her mother said. Catalina managed to give them a weak smile.

“What happened?” she asked.

“You passed out” her father explained “You fell down and you had a nosebleed. Don’t worry,” he said when Catalina put her fingers behind her nose. “We cleaned it, it stopped.”

Catalina didn’t say anything.

“What was it, daughter?” her father asked, with a controlled voice. “I believe you’re supposed to know.”

She frowned; the fact that she went to Medical School usually made her family think she was able to diagnose and treat anything, though she was only starting her second year. “I don’t know, dad. I suppose I’m just too tired and stressed out.”

Her parents looked relived. “And the nosebleed?”

“Maybe it was only that… It happens…”

Her mother sighed relieved, and sat next to her. “Your life is so hectic! You work the whole day and then study… You have no rest! I wonder how Ferdinand takes it up…”

“He is fine…” Catalina sighed, tired. “I’m fine… I’ll be alright… Just let me rest, alright?”

Don touched Maria’s shoulder. “Let’s leave her alone. She needs rest.”

“Alright… Rest, Catalina, maybe tomorrow you shouldn’t go to work? Call sick?”

“Goodnight mother.” She replied, closing her eyes again “Goodnight… Tomorrow I will be alright.”

They left her alone, and as soon as they left the room, Catalina reached her mobile and called Ferdinand. She put her hand on her forehead; she was having a fever.

“Hey, beautiful,” he said.

“Hey, darling…”

“Is everything alright?”

“Yeah, why?”

“You don’t sound well.”

She had to smile; Ferdinand knew her better than anyone.

“I am well, Nando, I’m just having a headache. Too much work, I just got home. Just called to say I love you.”

“I was thinking about you. I love you too, Cat… Now, if you’re not feeling well, go to sleep, baby. Will you call sick tomorrow?”

“Can’t…”

He sighed from the other side. “Then, bed time, wifey. I’ll call you in the morning, I promise.”

Catalina smiled happily; Ferdinand had started calling her “wifey” ever since he had suddenly proposed to her on the roof, weeks ago.

“Good night, hubbey…”

“I can’t take my mind off you…” he said, before hanging up.