“I wanted to get you some clothes, but I wasn’t sure where they are,” he tells me.
I look over the other side of the room and tip my head a little. "There's some in the dresser. I don't really have anything of mine, the couple of things I did grab I guess are at the bottom of the river now." Sadness washes over me. I'm glad that I didn't take anything else too personal, it would have all been lost, but I really do wish I had some of my things—my diary, my photos. Shit, Ican't believe I left my diary under the floorboards in my bedroom.
"What? What's wrong?" he asks.
"Nothing."
"Nova, tell me where you went just now. Please."
"I just, erm..." I swallow, my throat is so dry, I really need a glass of water. "I left everything behind besides a couple of bits of clothes. It's a good thing I guess, at least nothing important is ruined, I just wish I had a couple of things."
"Like what?" he asks, and I shake my head. "Nova?"
"Photos, my journal. My phone. Just a couple of random things." I don't say anything else. It makes no sense to stress about things that I don't have and may never see again. "Could you grab me some clothes from the drawer?" I ask.
"Of course, yeah," he tells me, gently turning and placing me on the bed before getting up and opening the drawers. "Is this all there is?" He pulls out a pair of leggings and a T-shirt, and I nod at him.
"Yeah. That's all I need," I tell him. I would like a hoody maybe as I’m pretty cold, but there isn't one there and I don't want to ask to borrow anything else from Marissa, she's already done enough for me.
A gentle knock on the door has us both looking over. The nurse from the hospital walks in, smiling at me. She doesn’t even look at Ice, just sits on the edge of the bed, placing a bag next to her.
"Nova, I'm Maria, Doc's ol' lady and a nurse. I'm going to just check you over, ask you a couple of questions. Ice, can you please give us fifteen minutes?”
"No," he states.
She just smiles, then winks at me and slowly turns her head toward him. "Wasn't a request. You can stand right outside the door, I'll call you back in when I'm done, but get the fuck out."
I laugh. "Ow." I see the look on Ice's face, and he rushes over as I shake my head. "Sorry, laughing hurts. I'll be okay for a bit. Please," I say. He nods, cupping my cheek, letting his thumb rub back and forth over it, before turning and heading out the door.
She pulls out a stethoscope from her bag. "I'm just going to put this on your chest. Can you pull the towel down a little bit for me, please?" She rubs the end, warming it up, then places it over my heart.
We don't talk for the next few minutes, while she listens to my heart, checks my blood pressure, and shines a light in my eyes.
"Nova, what happened before you collapsed in the shower? How were you feeling?" she asks me as she puts her things back in her bag and closes it before turning back to me and giving me her full attention.
"Nothing, really. I'd woken up a little groggy and drained. Felt like I needed a shower, so thought I would just have a quick one before heading down to look for Mason." I swallow and look around the room for something to drink, but there isn't anything. "I was thirsty, still am,but thought I'd be okay to have a quick shower. I don't know if it was just too hot in there, but I started to feel a little dizzy not long after I got in there. The next thing I knew, I was on the bed in Ice's arms."
It’s weird, feeling vulnerable. I realise the danger I could have been in if nobody had found me, or if the people in this building weren't so nice. I know Mason and I are at their mercy for now. But the weird thing is, I also feel safe around them. I don't know why, I don't know how, but I do. There's something about them, about this place that makes me feel like I can relax, just a little.
"How do you feel right now? Do you feel dizzy? Lightheaded? Tired? Nauseous? Headaches?" She reels off a few things and I consider each one.
"I feel tired and a little sick maybe. But I think that it's just because I'm embarrassed," I tell her.
"Why?”
"My complete panic earlier, passing out… I'm worried what people think of me," I tell her honestly.
She grabs her bag and stands. "There is nothing to be embarrassed or worried about. The men will have some questions that you will be expected to answer. Don't look so horrified, you're in their home, they have a right to some answers on things. You don't have to tell them everything, but you will have to be at least a little open and honest with them."
She grabs the door handle but stops and turns back to me. "They are an amazing bunch of people, they are family. And you can trust them. Rest, drink fluids, and if you have any symptoms or you're concerned, tell someone so they can tell me or Doc. One of us will be back to check on you in a couple of hours." She smiles and leaves but doesn’t close the door behind her.
Chapter Twenty
The minute Maria leaves, I head straight back into her room, closing the door behind me. She looks up at me and smiles.
"Can you give me a minute to get ready, please?" she asks, her cheeks turning a little pink.
I place a bottle of water on the bedside table and my hoody on the bed next to her, then take one step back and turn away from her, giving her my back. “I'm gonna stay in here, just in case you need me, but I'll keep my back to you."
