Final Hours

Chapter Seventeen

I sat in the chair that I'd planted myself in hours ago, I'd spaced out by just staring at Eric...waiting for him to wake up. Any movement he made caught my attention, but other than breathing not much was happening. Chris had brought me some food but I hadn't eaten, I couldn't eat. Eric stirred and groaned, I shot out of my seat and over to the couch. His eyes fluttered open, but the sunlight was keeping him from opening them. "Has it...always been so bright." He asked sarcastically, laying his head back against the couch. I stood up and walked over to the window closing it, now only the dim light from the chandelier lit the room. "You look like hell." He joked, going to sit up. He winced in pain and dropped back down into his back, "and I feel like hell." He groaned. "I got stabbed and had a shelf fall on my ankle...starting to think you're a bad luck charm." He laughed quietly. I just shyly smiled sitting back down on the floor.
   "Don't move so much...I don't know how well those stitches will hold." I said examining his wound. "I need to grab some things to clean it...and some greens, they're high in iron, and your body needs to make as many blood cells as it can right now." I added walking out of the room and into the kitchen.
    "Where in the world did you learn this exactly?" He asked from the other room.
    "Mixture of Girl Scouts...and a little bit of Home Ec." I answered, pulling some spinach from the basket of vegetables and fruit and washing it in the sink. I grabbed a couple towels and ran them under the cold water, and an extra dry towel.
   "What Home Ec class teaches you to stitch up a stab wound..." he said as I sat down on the floor setting everything on the coffee table.
   "None...I just hoped hand stitching was somewhat similar." I joked, his eyes widened in concern. "I'm kidding, it was a course I took in Girl Scouts. Survival was always a big thing with my brother so I thought it would come in handy." I smiled, grabbing the towel and dabbing up dried blood. He winced in pain as I lightened my touch. "Sorry." I whispered looking at his stitches. "Good news, nothing's infected." I smiled looking up at him.
   "So when can I be released Dr. Feldman." He laughed, I rolled my eyes and dabbed the wound dry with the other towel.
   "I'm not sure Mr. Branson...I'd say little to no exercise for a week, then monitor it for the next few days." I smiled snarkily. He rolled his eyes. "I'll help you sit up, you need to eat this. Once you regain your strength I'll find some type of meat for you to eat." I added, I slid my hand behind his back and helped guide him slowly upwards sliding a pillow behind his back. He jolted his hand downwards towards his wound as he laid his back against the pillow. "It's ok I promise...it's gonna be sore for a while." I reassured him, turning and grabbing the bowl of spinach and handing it to him.
    "Wet spinach...how appetizing." He remarked sarcastically, taking the bowl from me. I rolled my eyes and stood up. "Would you like something on it, how about tomatoes?" I asked walking over to the kitchen door. He scrunched up his nose in disgust and looked back down at the bowl of spinach.
    "Ya...tomatoes will do." He sighed picking at the green leaves. I nodded and walked back into the kitchen. I sliced up half a tomato and brought it back out to him sprinkling it into his bowl. "So...uh, when will I get my shirt back?" He asked looking over at me.                        
    "Sorry, that shirt is long gone, hope you didn't have any emotional connections." I joked sitting back down in the armchair and picking at the sandwich Chris had brought me almost an hour ago, how a sandwich could be both dry and soggy at the same time amazes me.
Eric grabbed at his heart dramatically, "how will I ever live one...that was my favorite shirt." He cried pausing for dramatic effect between statements. I rolled my eyes, tossing an olive at him. "Ah...I'm hit! I'm hit!" He yelled sarcastically.
   "I swear to god it's like taking care of a toddler." I mumbled under my breath.
   "Ow...the world could use some light hearted humor in times like this." He said looking over at me.
   "Just eat your spinach." I rolled my eyes standing up. "I want it gone by the time I get back." I said assertively walking out of the living room.
   "Sir yes sir!" He exclaimed, I turned around to see him saluting me as I walked out of the room.
   "I can't stand you." I sighed walking up the stairs towards my room.