Commitment

Part 75

Regan took the glass and the banana. "Thanks." She got to her feet. Took a moment. Steady she said, "I think I will take this to my bedroom." She headed for the door. Stopped at the door and looked over her shoulder, "Thanks for staying, but please close the door on your way out." She did not wait for his response. She made her way to her bed.

The next time Regan woke up it was to find him still there. Camped by her bed. She looked at her watch, night. He was still here.

"Good, you're awake. I'll get you some soup." He told her and headed out of the room before she could challenge him. He was back a few minutes later, having reheated the soup in the microwave. "Right then. Can you manage or shall I help you?"

In consternation she shook her head in acknowledgement. She frowned. "Why are you still here?"

"We both know you aren't well enough to argue with me. So, just drink your soup, ok?" He held out the bowl to her. She knew she didn't have any tinned soup in her pantry. So obviously he'd gone out and bought groceries. He seemed to read her mind. "I asked Lore to bring some soup round."

"Oh. I didn't hear her." Not surprising given she barely finished eating her banana, and closed her eyes and that was it. Tony was right, this was going to be a tough week for her. Exhaustion would not help her health situation.

"You were out for the count. She brought the antibiotics." Gray said quietly.

"Oh, great. Thanks." Shifting uncomfortably, trying not to show the fact that she was mortified.

He unscrewed the cap and shook out two tiny pills. "Here." He reached for a glass of water.

Regan shuffled backwards, so that she was sitting upright on her bed, and reached for the pills and the glass. "Thanks."

She washed the pills down with the water, but even that took effort. She could not believe how tired she was. She swallowed and hoped the antibiotics would work.

Gray watched her face, and could see her effort, just swallowing two tiny pills, as she laid her head against the wall behind her bed. He scowled ferociously. Loretta was right, they should have asked the doctor to come back.

"Loretta, like me, thought we should get a doc out again, to see you." He told Regan. Loretta thought Regan looked really ill and really thin when Loretta came to the farm with Regan's prescription.

Regan racked her brains to form a suitable excuse "Not needed." 

Gray snorted at her statement. 

Regan sighed, and it also reminded her that she had not sorted out her herd. It was night, she had missed the evening milking session. But she did not have the energy to go out and do it. She was beginning to panic in earnest. She could not leave the herd like that.

"Loretta also thought you should come stay with us until you are better." Gray continued, and it rendered Regan speechless. She went from baffled to bewilderment. Why are they offering that?

"I'm not your responsibility." She mumbled, and blew out a breath and she would have to leave her bed soon. She had a herd in the paddock, waiting for her.

He blew out a sigh of irritation. "No one said anything about responsibility." He told her as he watched her sip at the spoon of soup. "Though I have to say, by the looks of things you haven't been taking care of yourself." Carrying her earlier, had shown him that she was practically weightless. Feather-light.

The last thing she wanted to do was to talk to him, about her, her health, her farm, anything at all! She glared and ignored his last statement, "I've had a rest. Now I am ready to go." Blatant lie. In any case, she had more important things to sort out. Like her herd.