I smiled, but it hurt to speak or move. And as much as I wanted to keep looking at her, my eyelids began to droop.
“Go to sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up.”
I did, unable not to, and when I woke next, I was in a different room yet again, this one less sterile-looking. Lucia again sat by my bed, talking to her sister, who sat on another chair, and Effie, who was watching TV with the sound muted.
“He’s awake,” Isabella said.
Lucia turned to me. “Finally. I didn’t mean sleep for three more days.”
This was surreal. “I want to sit up.”
“Bossy already,” she teased and handed me a remote control. “Here, push this button. Stop if it’s painful.”
I pushed, and the bed moved. Effie came over to watch, entranced by the operation.
“Wow! Can I get one of those, Mommy?”
“No,” came Isabella’s voice.
I smiled and came to a stop when the slight throb at my side became painful. “How long has it been?”
“Almost two weeks.”
“I baked you some M&M cookies” Effie said, coming over with a tin. “They helped Luke, and he’s out of the hospital now. If you eat these, you’ll be out soon too.”
“That so?” I asked.
Lucia took the cookie Effie had fished out for me. “I’ll give it to him after his dinner, okay? We don’t want to spoil his first proper hospital meal, after all.”
I made a face, and so did Effie. She then turned to me. “Grilled cheese is the only safe thing,” she whispered. “And no matter what you do, do not eat the pea soup.”
I laughed but had to quit; it hurt too much.
“All right,” Isabella said, taking Effie’s hand. “Time for us to go.” She looked at me. “I’m glad you didn’t die.”
“Thank you?” I guessed.
Lucia walked them out then returned to me. “Effie’s a hoot,” she said.
“Yes. And I’m staying away from that pea soup. I trust that kid.” It grew quiet as our smiles faded.
“I thought you were dead. I couldn’t feel you breathe, and you were so still. And the blood…”
Her eyes filled with tears.
I reached up to touch her face, although my arm felt sore even with that small movement. “I’m not that easy to kill off.”
“I kept the clothes I was wearing.”
“Huh?”
She shrugged a shoulder. “With the blood.”
I must have made a face when I got what she was saying.
“I know, it’s creepy.”
“You can throw those away now. I’m not going anywhere. I have a promise to keep.”
