“There wasn’t?”
I shake my head again, and I see his features tighten.
“Don’t worry. I’ll find out what happened. Now, try to stay awake. We’re going to check your head.”
“It hurts.”
“I know, beautiful. We’ll be at the hospital soon.”
Massachusetts General Hospital
“Apparently, there’s nothing wrong, but you’ll need to rest for at least twenty-four hours. Ideally, you should stay admitted. The CT scan didn’t show any major damage, but you’ll need to rest. I recommend a few days off from work.”
“A few days?” I repeat, incredulous.
The pain isn’t as bad now, and at the moment, I don’t care about it. On the contrary, I’m really worried. I just started at the hotel—how can I take time off?
Next, I look around the room.
God, I’m in a hospital.
I try to remember what my health insurance contract said. Are the expenses covered? I remember perfectly well the cost of hospitalization and tests. The money that comes out of my bank account monthly doesn’t let me forget.
But there’s a bigger reason why I don’t want to stay in the hospital: I’ve spent months in them in recent years.
“I can rest at home.”
The doctor looks at me somewhat suspiciously, and I realize it’s just the two of us at the moment.
Did Guillermo leave?
As if he could read my thoughts, I hear his powerful voice: “What kind of rest does she need?”
“Nothing too strict. Just keep an eye out for any headaches, nausea, blurred vision. Actually, any unusual symptoms.”
“And what else?”
“As I said, just be alert to anything out of the ordinary. I really don’t think it was serious, but I prefer to be cautious.”
“I’ll make sure she rests.”
The two of them converse as if I’m not present, which irritates me.
When the doctor leaves, I’m not in the mood to talk to my boss, my boyfriend, whatever he is to me.
“I guess our dinner will have to be postponed,” he says.
I turn to look at him and notice that despite trying to sound light, there’s tension on his face. “You’re not funny.”
“I have my moments.”
I give up on my bad mood when I see that he’s genuinely concerned about me. “I’m sorry for the trouble I caused.”
“Let’s not talk about it now. When you’re feeling better, you’ll tell me what happened. For now, try to relax.”
“I can’t stay admitted.”
“The doctor said you need rest.”
