Looking For A Legend (Book 1)

Looking For A Legend Chapter 37 - Valentina

            Valentina had barely left Elijah’s side since Levi brought her into his hospital room.  She was too afraid to find out she wouldn’t be allowed back in.  Eventually, she had to leave to shower and change, but she always came back.  Every day Valentina was there, holding his hand.  At night, she would curl up in the hospital chair next to him, resting her head on his shoulder.  No one asked her to leave.

            Levi came by every night after he’d finished his shift at work and stopped by Eli’s apartment.  They had a routine at first.  Levi would say hello to Lin, give Valentina a hug, say hello to Eli, and then they’d all give Eli his sponge bath.  After the third time, Valentina offered to get Eli’s things during the day, and even give him his baths.  Levi was reluctant to agree, but Valentina could tell he was relieved to have the help.

            Once Eli was washed and dressed in clean clothes, Valentina and Levi would talk to him.  To be honest Valentina was always talking to him, telling him about how she slept, or what she was having for breakfast.  She would read the paper to him, or magazines, or books.  Levi would read him Roman myths, or talk to him about work.  He talked about Lin a lot.  They hadn’t been dating long before Eli’s admittance to the hospital, but the stress on Levi had put strain on their relationship.  Lin and Levi would either be short lived, or stronger than steel, and right now Levi was optimistic.

            Sometimes they made jokes with Eli.  It had started with Levi teasing his brother, but Valentina got the hang of the light ribbing and joined in.  At the least, Valentina was laughing.  She hadn’t cried in in the past twenty four hours.  She was as thankful that she had Levi there as she was that Eli had Levi for a brother.

            This evening, Levi had brought his guitar to the room.  Lin had brought in a second soft chair a few days ago, and Levi laughed as he tuned the instrument. “Eli, we had to turn down a paying gig.  How are we going to go on without our lead singer?” He played and sang for Eli for a while.  Levi had a nice voice.

            They were interrupted as a doctor entered the room.  He didn’t ask Levi or Valentina to leave, but didn’t speak to either one of them either.  He checked Eli’s chart, the read out of the many machines, and his vitals.  The doctor’s face was blank as looked over the sleeping Eli.   He scribbled on the chart and wandered out of the room again.  Valentina almost stopped him, wanting to ask about Eli’s condition, but Levi stopped her.  If the news was bad, he didn’t want to hear it.

            Instead she decided to try her hand at a joke. “Eli, don’t think this is getting you out of work.  I’ve been wheeling your hospital bed down to Denvellia and propping you up in the lecture hall.  The first years haven’t been able to tell the difference.” She forced a smile.  Valentina took Eli’s hand again, lacing their fingers together.  Eli’s fingers curled around hers.  Her eyes widened.  She tried another.

            “Eli, it’s so unlike you to over sleep.  You are usually up before I am.” Her voice trembled, but for once it was hope she was fighting, and not tears.  “This is something I never understand, since I’m the one that makes breakfast, not you.”  Levi laughed behind her.

            “He’s looking a little better, I think.  Maybe he has some of his color back?” Levi didn’t notice Eli’s hand, but it was true.  He wasn’t as pale any more, and his cheeks held a little flush from the chill in the room.  His lips weren’t so dry, and looked at a normal pink color.  The beeps seemed to sound more positive, but that might just have been in Valentina’s mind.

            Valentina leaned in kiss Eli.  His lips pursed to meet hers.  She heard his voice, quiet and weak in her mind. “Valentina, I love you.”

            “I love you too, Eli.” She whispered back to him.