Ch. 8 Stay with you

Romance and drama :P

Chapter 8

        "Marcus, this is fifth time I called, I'm at the hospital, Kent is really sick, you need to come quick," Erica said tiredly into the phone. For the past couple of hours Erica had been trying to call, but obviously Marc was still surfing. She could have left to try and bring him back to land but since it had been a useless attempt before, she decided to stay, especially if anything was to happen, good or bad.

Just as Erica hung up the Dr. came out of the swinging doors to the emergency room came to her. Finally, Erica thought. She studied his expression carefully trying to determine what happened before she had to hear it. Anxiously she stood up, trembling with the notion that something was certainly wrong.

"I'm Dr. Anson, you are the one who called 911 for Kent Whitlock, correct?"

"Please, just tell me what happened."

"Well first of all, if you hadn't called he'd be dead. You were very adept in knowing to call 911."

Erica exhaled in relief, her heart skipping a beat knowing that she had saved his life.

"And may I ask, how are you aquainted with Mr. Whitlock?"

"Just a friend."

"Are you sure about that?" Dr. Anson asked carefully pointing at tears that had fallen down her face.
She touched the moisture and wondered how long she had been crying, she had hardly been aware of it. Either way wasn't it a little bit unprofessional of the Dr. to say such a thing?

"Of course I'm sure, I'm engaged to his best friend."

"I apologize Ms.-,"

"Ms. Grey," Erica answered.

"All of that aside, he's awake, he's asking for you."

"He's asking for me?" Erica said in disbelief. "He actually said where is Erica and not waitress?"

"Huh?"

"Nevermind. Of course, I will go back there. What is wrong with him exactly?"

"Come on I'll tell you as we head back there," the Dr. motioned as they began walking to the private hospital rooms. "Well, we know he has meningitis, we can't tell what type, so we have to do a spinal tap."

"What is a spinal tap?" Erica frowned, it sounded painful.

"It is where the patient is injected with a long needle into the small of their back. Spinal fluid is removed to determine infection. Anesthesia is applied but the procedure can still be pretty painful. I've had a woman tell me that it's worse than child birth."

"Worse than child birth?"

"It feels like a lot of pressure in the back, Kent seems to be a strong young man, but it always is best to have someone with the patient."

"Of course."

When they finally reached the room Erica took a deep breath before the door was opened. Even though she knew Kent was alive she was still nervous to see him, but in about two seconds she wouldn't have a choice.

It was only him in the center of the room, and the relief of seeing him breathe, even with the tubes strewn all over his body that she thought she'd be so afraid of. Then it was his slight smile that washed over his features that caused the creepy hospital room disappear.

"Thank you for staying, you didn't have to," he said weakly.

"Don't- say that," she stuttered.

"I'm sorry there is not a lot of time, Kent, Erica, we need to get this procedure done."

"Oh, I'm so sorry! Yes please, do what you can," Erica said feeling herself grow flustered.

"No apologies," Kent reminded her hoarsely.

"Right," Erica managed a smile in an attempt to cheer him up.

"Okay Kent, we are going to have you lay on your side, the procedure will be about fifteen minutes," a nurse said preparing the needle.

Kent nervously took a deep breath in and rolled over. With his shirt already removed the nurse applied alchohol to the small of his back, then handed the needle to the Dr.

"Are you ready?" the Dr. asked.

Kents green eyes looked to Erica, then looked down at the floor ashamed. He looked up again timidlly. Erica knew he would never ask, so she walked to the bed and took his hand.

"Thanks," he whispered.

As the needle was inserted he squeezed her hand tightly, and she instinctively placed her other hand over his. Deathly afraid of needles she closed her eyes afraid that she would faint if she saw anyhting. She could hear him breathing quickly and knew it was because he was in pain. Under her palm she felt his hand beginning to shake, and tried to hold it steady.

Feeling Kent's stare she dared herself to open her eyes to see that his were watering.

"I'm sorry I called you waitress," he said quickly.

Erica bit her lip to keep from laughing. Was he seriously apologizing during a time like this?

"Shh, none of that matters."

"What if I don't get the chance to say those things?"

"You'll get to call me waitress plenty after this I promise," she joked trying to lighten the mood, but swallowed a large lump in reaction to the words. "Just don't talk, it's almost over," she assured.

She found herself having to close her eyes not from the horrible looking needle, but from looking at him, and not just because he was in pain, but the more she looked the deeper she fell into him. She wasn't sure what the feeling was, but there was definitely a certain tenderness that remained even when she closed her eyes.

"And we're finished," Dr. Anson announced.

Kent flinched as the needle was removed.

"Now he will rest as we wait for the results. Kent you may have a severe headache shortly from the chemicals, it is part of the spinal tap, and you must lay flat."

Kent nodded wearily. Erica realized she was still holding his hand and slowly let go.

"What will this test show? Why does it matter what type of meningitis he has?" Erica asked.
The nurse looked nervously to the doctor, and then to Kent.

"It's alright," Kent said. "I already know."

"Know what?" Erica frowned.

"If he has bacterial meningitis, even with treatment it is usually fatal. Most patients don't live past twenty four hours. There can also be severe brain damage which results in paralization"

Unable to hold back anymore Erica cringed as if someone punched her in the stomach, and had to lean on the wall for support.

"With viral meningitis he should be out in a couple of days."

"God damnit then what the hell are you waiting for? Find out now!" Erica shouted not caring who heard.

"It's already on it's way to the lab," the docotor assured.

"So he could be dead tommorrow. Just like that, and you can't do anything about it? What the hell did you go to school for then? I mean your pretty much useless," Erica said growing angry.

"Erica," Kent whispered.

She looked and realized going off at everyone wouldn't help, but it certainly felt good.

"We are doing everything we can."

"Good, just don't talk to me so I can pretend you are actually busy helping," Erica said turning her back.

"Very well," the Dr. nodded leaving the room, with the nurse shortly following.

Left alone faced with sadness instead of anger, Erica could barely look at Kent.

"Please don't cry," he tilted his head in her direction.

"I'll try not to Kent," she said wiping away tears, "I just-," she bit her lip to try and tried to come up with an explanation. An explanation how someone could just be gone within hours.

"Maybe it's just my time or something," he said, his eyes half closed.

"God no, don't say that. You are so young, you have so much to do and live for."

"Right, for what? To f**k up my dads business-ow," he cringed and slowly raised his hand to his head.

Erica pulled up a chair and scoot it next to his bed.

"What on earth are you talking about? Everything about you, you are like a prince. The garden you made, everything, you are so different from anyone I've ever met. The world wouldn't be right with out you."

"Right, " Kent half laughed and coughed.

"All those mansions on the colony are all the same, rich, showy, and boring. Yours stands out from all of them, like the way you do, I don't know how to explain it, and I know I haven't known you that long, but I know the world would be at a loss without you in it," Erica tried to explain feeling foolish, but not caring as long as it got the point across.

"No one would be at a loss, trust me. My mother wouldn't know the difference, and if my dad were still alive he'd tell me this is a form of weakness."

"Who cares about all that Kent! You arn't going to let yourself die, because I'm not going to let you," Erica insisted, then trembeled as her commandment became a plea. "I've hardly gotten to know you, you can't leave yet, not when you've become so amazing." Unable to talk anymore, Erica became swept in emotion, hating herself for not remaining strong around Kent.

"I'm not ready to leave you yet either," Kent admitted.

"You don't have to say anything," Erica replied through sobs. "Just rest," she said taking back his hand and kissing it, not worried about what was appropriate anymore.

"If I close my eyes I might not wake up," Kent said softly.

"You will I swear, I promise. I will be right here, just rest."

"Alright," Kent agreed seeming unable to keep his eyes open anyhow.

Finally after he seemed to drift to sleep Erica ground her teeth in distress. How did this possibly
happen? And where the hell was Marc? Frustrated, she pulled out her cellphone, went to the corner of the room and hissed her previous message into the phone. Surprisingly Marc finally picked up.

"Hey what's going on? I just got in," Marcus asked cheerfully. "I haven't listened to your voice mails yet, the waves were so huge! Why didn't you ever come out?"

"Damnit Marc, are you kidding me right now?" Erica yelled, then put her hand over her mouth forgetting that Kent was asleep.

"Why do you sound so mad? I got the boogie board-,"

"Kent is in the hospital, thats where I was, that's where I've been for the past two hours. I was riding with him in the back of an ambulance, and the doctor says he could be dead by tomorrow."

"Dead?" Marc said in what sounded like a chuckle. "From a cold?"

"No, he really had meningitis Marcus. It's really serious, you need to come down here right away."

"Alright, alright," Marcus replied. "Let me just go home and change, I'll be there in a little bit."

"Fine," Erica said hanging up as she saw the Doctor returning. Unfortunately the Doctor turned the other way and walked into another room. Why was he seeing other patients when this one had the possibility of dying? Sure maybe other people did too, but feeling selfish she just wanted all the help to go to Kent.

Her gaze rotated between Kent's breathing, the hallway, and the clock. She couldn't believe Marcus still wasn't here. What the hell was he doing anyway? Erica scoot closer to Kent wanting to lean her head on his chest, but instead rested her chin on the bed carefully making sure he was breathing properly, even though he had plenty of breathing tubes.

Two Doctors, the male from before, and now a female approached the room and Erica rushed to the door to let them enter the room. Anxiously she waited for them to speak, and when they didn't she quickly asked.

"So what is it? Will he be alright?"

"Unfortunately it is bacterial meningitis."

Erica's face dropped and she nearly did, but stayed strong to hear any more information.

"Thankfully it's been caught early, and with a series of antibiotic injections he may be able to be cured."

"He may be able to be cured?"

"Well with bacterial meningitis brain fluid is leaking into the body, a person can become paralized or worse."

Erica slumped onto a chair, having nothing else to say. Where the hell was everyone to come care for him? Wasn't anyone aware of this?

"If you are going to hang around you might want to take some antibiotics so that you don't catch what he has," the Dr. warned.


"Right, I'll take them in a minute." she said light headedly.

"You have to know we will do everything we can. He has a good chance to make it, he seems to be
healthy normally, but again you must be prepared-,"

"He's going to live, I'm not preparing for anything otherwise," Erica replied sternly.

Kent's eyes tiredly fluttered open. "What's going on?" he asked looking up at the Dr. and nurse, then to Erica.

"Nothing, I'm not going to let anything happen to you," Erica promised.

Kent frowned, he was too smart to pass off this reaction.

"The bad one huh? What a pain in the a*s for you guys" Kent chuckled.

Erica's eyes widened. How could he just joke about this? Wasn't he afraid?

"I'm not going to let anything happen to him, please promise me that you arn't either?" Erica pleaded.
Both Dr's nodded, watching the two of them.

"I can tell you love him very much, we'll do everything we can," the female assured.

Erica blinked out the tears, and for the first time became aware of herself. It must have been odd for them to see a woman so emotional over a man who wasn't her boyfriend, but the female doctor was right, there was love somewhere there, she wasn't sure where. Right now she was just reacting, doing what was natural to protect him.

Erica jumped when she turned around to see that Kent's eyes had opened, and strangely looked full of color as if they were trying to take something in. He looked to Erica cockily questioning her with his expression, making her blush.

"I just-care," she stammered.

He managed to laugh outloud, not sounding at all like he was sick. "It's alright", he reached out to stroke her cheek, but flinched and put his arm back down. "You don't have to be here."

"I'm staying Kent, I'm not leaving you."

"It's been hours already," he said squinting at the clock.

"I'm staying," she repeated.

"With someone like that by your side you are sure to make it," a nurse murmured dreamily.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"We are going to administer the first round of treatment, he will be out for quite a while fast asleep, in the meanwhile it will clear all the toxins in his body. He has a much better chance since you caught this early."

Erica nodded humbly.

The nurse removed the IV from his arm and filled it with the medication.

"I suppose I should say goodbye," Kent said nervously.

"But it's not goodbye, because you'll wake up all healed, and I will be here," Erica promised.
Kent nodded.

Erica lightly wrapped her hands around his head and lightly kissed him on the temple. She pulled away but remained close to his face. Kent blinked slowly and took a deep breath in.

"This is wrong but, I just have to do this and, I know I'm not pretty like the girls you date, but...I want to do this so bad, just incase something happens, but it won't of course! But just incase-,"
Kent interupted her rambling by closing his eyes and lightly placing a kiss on her lips. Erica automatically closed her eyes letting the feeling in she'd been ignoring since she met him. The moment she touched the soft sensation of his lips she wanted to keep going, but knew that a possibly dying man probably didn't need to waste energy by kissing.

Kent seemed to disagree and ran his fingertips down her cheek, and stopped at the center of her chin, tilting it upwards to meet his stare. He locked lips with her once again, twice, three times, then lost count.

A door swung open but neither one seemed to notice as they made answer to their question about kissing one another, the lightness and fragility of the kiss last as long as possible, as long as they could before the drugs kicked in.

"What the hell are you doing?" Someone snorted in the background.

Erica jumped about tweleve feet when she saw that it was Marcus standing at the door.

"S**t man, Marc I-," Kent cursed.

"You were kissing her. You were kissing Erica, my fiance. Are you aware of that?"
Kent breathed nervously, the beeping on the heart monitor embarassingly shot up. Erica noticed this and wondered why it hadn't when they were kissing.

"Don't hassle him Marcus please, it's my fault, I kissed him. I just reacted to the bad news, don't be mad at him, he's about to be knocked out and asleep. We'll talk about this ok? Just go talk to him, he's your best friend."

Marc slowly walked to Kent who was already looking like he was fighting to stay awake.

"I don't know what happened there." Marcus grimaced.

"I guess it makes it easier if I die huh?"

"No, it wouldn't. We'll talk about it afterwards. I want you to get better, you know that man."

"Thank you. Thanks for being my friend," Kent nodded, hoping Marc would know that he wasn't really good with speeches.

"Just get better buddy."

Finally, unable to sit up anymore, Kent's head fell against the pillow and he was out cold.

"He'll be alright," Erica assured herself outloud.

"What the hell was that? You are supposed to be my fiance!" Marcus demanded.

Erica avoidently walked to the corner of the room hugging herself in the chilly room. She faced the wall not ready to give a proper answer.

"Look, he is going to be here for at least a couple of days, why don't we get out of here? I think being in the hospital has gone to your head."

"Get out of here? Marc your best friend might never wake up, you arn't going to stick around?"

"I'm sure he's got plenty of people that are going to come see him, come on," Marcus walked to the door.

"Look, until someone else comes I don't think we should leave him alone."

"Fine, have it your way Erica, but it's late, I'm going home," Marcus said throwing his arms up in frustration. "You really arn't coming with me?"

"Not until someone else comes. It isn't right."

"Well, I suppose you can't kiss him anymore," Marcus shrugged casually. "Meet me at the house later."
Erica nodded and watched him go. How could he just leave his best friend like this? Erica stood up and walked back to her spot next to him, listening to the silence of his sleep. Again she knelt down to kiss him long and lightly forehead over and over again. Who said she couldn't kiss him?

Reviews

[Hot-N-Cold_17]

Sweet sweet betrayl I hope that Marc will totally go out of the window because he is not worth anything. Ithink that is incredible that you have the talent to make us hate the character. just using words. That is a great story. keep sending me things to read! Please:)

[ape domenigoni]

I'm glad Marc saw them kissing...I hope he goes away...haha