Chapter 92
Slumberland drags me back under.
The sun is just setting over the park outside my hospital window. A gentle knock sounds at the door and Gabriel gets up and answers it. “Hello, yes.
She’s hungry.”
He stands to the side and the lady wheels in the dinner trolley. “Dinnertime.” She smiles.
I sit up, excited, and Gabriel wheels the table over the bed to sit in front of me.
“We have chicken soup, followed by meat loaf and vegetables, and a bread roll.” She places
it all down in front of me. “And fruit salad for dessert.”
Gabriel looks over the food suspiciously. “Can she have something else other than meat
loaf?”
“That’s the only option.”
“Hmm,” he replies, unimpressed.
“Meat loaf is fine.” I widen my eyes at him. Stop.
“Would you like water, or lemonade?”
“Lemonade.”
“We’ll take some waters too.” Gabriel gives me the side eye.
She loads it onto the tray and leaves us alone. Gabriel takes the lid off my meal and gets my
knife and fork ready.
“You know, you can go home. You don’t need to babysit me.”
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Oh yeah?”
Yeah.”
“How you going to cut up that horse meat loaf with one hand?”
I stare down at the meat loaf. “Horse?”
“It’s dubious for certain.” He leans over me and cuts up my food. “How you going to take
the lid off your water?” He unscrews the bottle of water and pours it into the glass.
I’ve never felt so useless.” I sigh.
“Hmm,” he says, uninterested. “I feel like you’ve been a lot more useless than this before.”
“When?”
“When you used to work for me.”
“Are you kidding me?”
His eyes dance with mischief. “See…if I wasn’t here, who would annoy you?”
I twist my lips to hide my smile and I take a big bite of my meat loaf. “Appaloosa or
stallion?” he asks.
“You’re gross, you know that?”
A knock sounds at the door and Gabriel ducks around the curtain to answer it, he blocks the
view so I can’t see.
“Hello,” a man’s voice says.
Jack.
“What are you doing here?” Gabriel replies flatly.
came to see Violet.”
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She’s not accepting visitors.”
I don’t think that’s up to you.”
“I’ll tell her you came by.”
“Is she okay?”
“She will be.”
“You’re really not going to let me in to see her?”
“No, I’m not. Goodbye, Jack.” He closes the door in his face and then comes back in and sits down, totally unfazed.
“Are you serious?” I ask.
“About what?”
“Gabriel…”
“Look, I get that you don’t want to go out with me.” He points to the door with his thumb.
“But you’ve got to be fucking kidding me with him.” I smirk, such an asshole.
An hour later.
“So your wrist surgery is tomorrow, and thankfully your ankle is just ligament damage, so
nothing needed there.” The doctor reads my chart.
“Uh–huh.”
“Hopefully you’ll be out in a few days.”
“Yep.”
My parents and Gabriel all listen intently, it’s visiting hours at the zoo. “Nothing to eat after
midnight,” he reminds me.
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“Uh–huh.”
The orthopedic surgeon will be around later tonight to talk about the operation in the morning.”
“Thank you.”
He leaves us alone.
“I’ll organize to take some time off work,” Mom says.
“What for?” Gabriel asks.
“Well, I’ll have to stay and help out. Clearly she can’t live alone and look after the kids.”
“I’ll be staying with her to help,” Gabriel replies.
“I don’t think…”
“You don’t need to think, Mrs. Coleman. I’m staying with Violet and helping her with our children.”
“She won’t be able to shower herself or anything.”
“And…” Gabriel glares at my mother. “I’m not sure if you realize how children are
conceived.”
“Listen, you two…” I sigh, they’re both getting wound up.
“I just don’t think it’s a good idea.” My mom keeps going.
To be honest, I’m not actually sure I could deal with my mom living with me for a few
weeks…and Dad has to work.
“I can assure you that I’m more than capable of caring for Violet,”
Gabriel snaps. “I will reorganize my schedule and work from here.” “I think this is a family matter,” my dad says.
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“Exactly, and I’m Violet’s direct family. Our two children need both their mother and father,” he snaps. “I can carry her up and down the stairs to her bedroom. You can’t.”
“No,” my mom interrupts.
“I’m right here, you know.” I shap. “Maybe someone could consult me?”
“Violet. Tell your parents that I’m staying with you until you’re better.”
It is true, Mom can’t carry me up and down the stairs…maybe I could sleep on the couch.
Gabriel raises an impatient eyebrow in a silent warning.
Fine…
(
“Gabriel will stay with me, Mom, it’s okay, thanks for the offer, though.” “Are you sure?” Not
really.
Five days later.
Knock, knock.
“Come in,” I call.
The door bangs open and Gabriel and the kids all smile broadly. Gabriel is pushing an
empty wheelchair and the two kids are bouncing on the spot.
It’s been the longest nine days of my life. “Let’s go home.”
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