Party of Two

by Tey Holden

  “Blair, you don’t need our permission to stay with her. She’s a grown woman. Do you think she might not want you there?”

  “She’s kind of stubborn. She said she didn’t call me because she didn’t want me to see her like that. I don’t know what she was thinking. I see sick people every day. Maybe she thought her hair was not looking pretty or something like that. Which is not true, her hair is fine. But—.” Blair noticed that she was digressing. “I’m sorry. So, you don’t mind if I stay and care for her?”

  Addy chuckled. “Not at all. As a matter of fact, I’m very glad to hear that you want to do to that. It will give me peace of mind to know that you are there. You stay with her, you hear. Forget what the stubborn one says! Just tell her that it’s not her hair that has you there!”

  “Yes, ma’am. I’ll stay. Please, be assured that I will take good care of her. I’m her doctor.”

  Addy smiled. “Yes, you are definitely her doctor. Thanks, Blair. I can’t wait to meet you. I already like you.”

  Blair smiled with great relief. “Me too.” At least I have one mother on my side!

  “Good night, my dear. Stand firm! It’s the only way to beat stubbornness!”

  “Yes, good night and you get some rest too.”

  ***

  Once in the flat, Blair helped Alex to the bed and tucked her in. In order to give Alex some privacy she turned around when she took off her sweat pants. She noticed that Alex was looking at the sweats before she threw them on the floor probably wondering how she came to wear them.

  Blair remembered Addy’s words, and left nothing to doubt. “I’m staying for the night.” When Alex thanked her, Blair was surprised that there had been no resistance to her staying. This is good. Exhausted from her ordeal, Alex fell asleep as soon as she hit the bed. However, an hour later, she woke up sick again. Blair, who was also asleep on a chair next to the bed, woke up when she heard Alex.

  “Bucket!”

  Blair ran to get the bucket, but when she was coming back Alex was already throwing up. Unable to move, she missed the bucket and vomited on herself and on Blair.

  “Oh God! I got it all over you!” She continued to throw up and began to cry. “I think I’m going to die!” She started to cry.

  “It’s okay, it’s okay.” Blair caressed her back with her right hand, while she held the bucket for her with her left hand. “Here have some tissues. You are not going to die. You will be fine once the virus is out of your system.” She helped Alex wipe her mouth.

  Alex snuggled into her arms but continued to cry. “Don’t cry, you’ll be fine. You’ll see. I know what I’m saying.” Blair held her and continued to caress her back.

  “I threw up all over you. I’m so embarrassed,” Alex said through her sobbing. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Don’t worry, these things happen all the time. Let me get you the pill for nausea.” She let go of her and got up to get the medication. Alex continued to throw up. “Here put this under your tongue.”

  “I’ll throw it up.”

  “Even if you throw up, the pill will be absorbed by your glands and it will work anyway.”

  Alex took the pill and did as Blair instructed. She instinctively leaned into Blair again. Somehow, the comfort in those arms made her feel better.

  “Now, let’s get you cleaned up. Where do you keep your tops?”

  Alex pointed to her dresser. “Third drawer on the right.”

  She took a T-shirt from the drawer and handed it to Alex. “Can you do it?”

  “Yes, turn around.”

  While Alex put on her shirt, Blair began to look in the drawers for something that would fit her.

  All of Alex’s T-shirts were small and fitted. She looked in the lower drawer and found a bunch of sweatshirts embossed with the Harvard logo. Harvard? She grabbed one and removed her sweater and sports bra unaware that Alex was half awake and watching her from the bed. Even in her sickness, Alex couldn’t help look. Blair’s back was perfect. Her curves were well defined, not a gram of fat, and it was all beautifully toned muscles. When Blair turned around, Alex closed her eyes. She didn’t want to see more, or get caught looking.

  Blair slowly came closer thinking that Alex was asleep. After checking her, Blair paused to appreciate the beauty of her patient. She covered her with the comforter. When Alex stirred, Blair touched her forehead to check for fever and then very gently and lightly combed strands of hair that had fallen on her face. “You have a bit of fever. I’m going to give you ibuprofen.”

  After she took the medication, she settled back in bed. “Try to get some rest.”

  “Are you going to leave?”

  “No, I’ll be right here.” She brought the nearby chair closer to the bed. “Close your eyes and get some rest.”

  As she drowsily fell back to sleep, her eyes were fixed on Blair until eventually sleep overtook her. A couple of hours later she woke up startled. She found Blair sitting very uncomfortably on the chair with her head hanging down and obviously asleep.

  “Blair?”

  Blair woke up and ran to get the bucket thinking that it was needed again. “Here!”

  “No, I’m okay. Not throwing up now. Can you get me some water, please?”

  “Sure.” Blair went to the kitchen and came back with a glass of water.

  Alex drank some and gave the glass back to her. “Why are you sleeping on that chair? It’s uncomfortable. You can go to one of the other bedrooms or lie here, with me.”

  “I’m fine here. I don’t think it’s appropriate for the doctor to lie down with the patient. Ethically, I mean.”

  “Why? I’m sick and you are taking care of me. You are not just my doctor, you’re my friend, get in here. “

  “No, Alex. I don’t think the Medical Board would approve of this doctor-patient type of care, or for that matter neither do I.” Alex smiled, wondering if such a question had ever been brought to the Medical Board’s attention. “Get some rest. I will be right here. How are you feeling?”

  “Very tired.” She closed her eyes and again fell asleep almost immediately. Blair leaned her head on the reclining chair and observed her. She had to be the most beautiful woman in the world. Alex’s hair was all over the pillow. Blair smiled. She then thought of what a beautiful child she must have been and wondered if Alex ever had children if they would they look like her. Then she felt an overwhelming desire to kiss her, so close and yet so far. She got up and went to the bathroom and washed her face. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and chastised herself. “Snap out of it! You’ve fallen like an idiot! I can’t believe how stupid you are!”

  A few hours later, Alex woke up, but was still groggy. It was already light outside. “What time is it? Do you have to go?”

  “No, I switched my shift last night with another doctor.”

  “I didn’t know you could do that.” She was a bit more awake now.

  “I can, but that means that my next shifts will be back to back.”

  “I don’t want you to do that. I don’t like you riding your bike so late at night. It’s not safe.”

  Blair looked amused liking that Alex worried about her. “I was not going to leave you alone until I knew you were better. How are you feeling?”

  “Well, I’m not throwing up. But I feel very tired. I don’t feel like getting up, or doing anything.”

  “You are weak, you’ve been sick and your stomach is empty. I’m putting you on a liquid diet today. I’m going to go see what you have in your refrigerator. We need to start getting some food in that stomach. I’ll be right back.” Alex lay back on the bed while Blair ran an inventory of her refrigerator. “You have absolutely nothing suitable for eating in that refrigerator! There’s just old take-out food in there.”

  “Sorry.” She smiled apologetically.

  “Actually, there’s very little food anywhere in that kitchen, don’t you ever eat?”

  “When I go home, I eat. Normally when I’m here, I just get take out.
I like to cook, but not just for me.”

  “Well, there’s a grocery store around the corner. I’ll go get a few things. I want you to stay in bed and wait for me. I’m taking your keys.”

  Alex nodded, smiled and turned on her side. She liked the way Blair took charge of things. While Blair was grocery shopping, Alex decided to call the moms. She was surprised that they hadn’t called yet.

  “Hi M’Addy”

  “Hi, baby, how are you feeling today?”

  “I’m much better. Surprised that you hadn’t called yet.”

  “Well, we knew Blair was with you and we didn’t want to wake you just yet.”

  “Well, I finally stopped throwing up, and I don’t have a fever anymore. Last night was bad. Even after we came back from the hospital, I was still sick. I threw up all over Blair. It was so embarrassing, M’Addy.”

  “Oh dear, has she gone back to work?”

  “No, she changed her shift to be here this morning. She goes in later this afternoon and then works until two a.m. She just went to the grocery store because she couldn’t find anything in the refrigerator that I could eat, and apparently I need to be on a liquid diet.”

  “I’m not surprised. You never have anything in that refrigerator. It looks like your doctor is taking good care of you.”

  Alex smiled. She knew there was an innuendo there somewhere, and she was not going to leave M’Addy hanging. “She’s been great. M’Addy, but I can’t believe I threw up on her!”

  “I don’t know her, but from the little I’ve talked to her, I’m sure she didn’t mind. She sounds like a very caring person. I think last night she ran to your place. I could hear her panting on the phone, and she got there so quick, I had to have Karen call the concierge on the other phone because I hadn’t even hung up and she was already there.”

  Alex chuckled. “Yeah, that sounds like something she would do.”

  Addy smiled. “Your Mom wants to say hi.”

  “Hi, baby girl, how are you feeling?”

  “Much better, thank God, but Mom last night I thought I was going to die.”

  “Yeah, stomach viruses are terrible. Listen the weather is still bad. We’ll come over to see you as soon as the roads are clear.”

  “Mom, I don’t want you guys on the road at all, please. Don’t make it worse and make me worry. Blair will be here until later today and she’s getting me all I need, and I will be fine. I really, really need to know for my peace of mind that you guys are not going to take any risks coming here in this type of weather, please?”

  Karen was not too happy giving in. “Alright! But tell the Latin woman because I don’t want to have an issue with her later, here I’ll put her back on.” As she handed the phone to Addy, she spoke to her, “she doesn’t want us going.”

  Alex repeated her plea and Addy was not happy either. “Can’t you ask Blair to stay one more night? You are still not well.”

  “M’Addy, I can’t ask her to do such a thing.”

  “Why not? I’m sure she won’t mind, she is close and she can come back to your place when her shift is over.”

  “I’ll offer, but I can’t ask her to stay. Let me see what I can do. I’ll call you to let you know. But I don’t want you guys on the road!”

  ***

  When Blair came back, she was carrying four bags of groceries. She set them on the kitchen counter and when she turned around to go check on Alex, she noticed that Alex was on the couch in the living room. “You got up? I thought your doctor said to stay in bed. You are weak and can get dizzy.” She then began to take the groceries out of the bags.

  “I’m fine, doc, I’m not that fragile. Oh my God! How much food did you get?” Alex was astonished.

  “Well the weather is getting bad. They are calling for more snow, so I wanted to make sure you have everything you need. I wish I could stay, but I have to go to work. I don’t want you going out in this weather. That reminds me, you have to call your mothers.”

  “I just did, and I’m not going anywhere. However, I have a proposition to make.”

  Blair stopped taking things out of the bag and looked at her. “What exactly is this proposition?” She came closer with a tiny carton of apple juice. She inserted the straw in it and handed it over to Alex. “Drink.”

  “Well, just like you don’t want me walking around or going out in this weather, I don’t want you riding your bike so late at night in this weather, so instead of going home why don’t you come back here after work. That way you can be here to take care of me and walk to work in the morning. I think it’s a mutually beneficial and prudent arrangement.”

  Blair was thoughtful. She had been ready to say no, but the truth was that Alex’s proposal made sense, and she really wanted to take care of Alex. “It’s a good proposal, but there is a problem. I have nothing to wear.”

  “Well, it so happens that I have a washer and dryer. So, you can do your laundry and in the mean time you can wear some of my stuff. Go to the bedroom and get whatever you need.”

  Blair went into the bedroom and when she came back, she was wearing a burgundy sweatshirt and pants. She put all her clothes in the washer and walked back to the kitchen to continue to put the groceries away.

  “You look good in red.”

  Blair smiled from the kitchen. “You never told me that you are a Harvard girl.”

  “Yes, legacy too.”

  “Undergrad or grad?”

  “Master’s in Finance, like my mom.”

  Blair whistled. “I guess brains run in the family. Where did you go to undergrad?”

  “St. Andrews.”

  “You’re kidding, right?”

  “Nope.”

  “How about law school?”

  “Oxford.”

  “Wow!”

  “Where did your mom Karen, go to law school?”

  Alex smiled. “You are making me feel bad! She went to Columbia Law and did her undergrad in Edinburgh. She is the real brain. She is very well known in her field, and still consults. There are very few people in the world with her skills.”

  “What’s her thing?”

  “Mergers, acquisitions, and corporate consolidations as well as banking. She is a genius, really. She’s behind all the family finances also.”

  “What finances?”

  When Blair asked, Alex realized her indiscrete disclosure, and immediately changed the subject. “The usual. What else did you get besides apple juice? Did you get anything good for you?” Her family’s financials were a matter she wanted to keep under wraps for now. It was all too complicated as things were.

  “I’m going to make you some gelatin, I have more apple juice, chicken noodle soup, peppermint tea, and for later, when we are sure that you are able to retain all your liquids, saltine crackers, bread for toast, cereal and yogurt. This is going to be your food for the next two days until your body craves a juicy steak, which I am also going to make for you.”

  Alex liked the thought that apparently Blair was planning to camp at her place for the next couple of days. She wondered whether Blair would have made the proposal to stay, if she hadn’t offered it first. Interesting. She didn’t remember any hesitation when agreeing to stay.

  “I’m going to make the gelatin and the soup now. Give me a few minutes, and I’ll bring the soup over. How’s that apple juice going down?”

  “Very well, ma’am!”

  Blair smiled from the kitchen while Alex watched her from the sofa. Occasionally, Blair would look up to check on her and quickly looked away when she found the green eyes fixed on her.

  “Are you always this wonderful to your patients?”

  “Only to the ones who throw up all over me.”

  “Oh God!” Alex chuckled and covered her head with the blanket pretending to be embarrassed. She was already feeling much better.

  Blair brought a bowl of soup on her hands. “Scoot up on the sofa.”

  When Alex did, Blair sat next to her. “Okay, open your mouth.”
>
  Alex looked at her in shock. “Blair, I think I can manage to eat on my own.”

  “I’m sorry, I just wanted to help.” Blair was so insecure at that moment she didn’t know what to do. “I’ll go back and check on the gelatin.”

  Alex ate her soup slowly. She didn’t finish it because she wasn’t really hungry. Blair had a sandwich in her hands when she came back to the living room. Alex leaned back on the sofa and Blair continued to eat.

  “I think I should take a shower. That always makes me feel better when I’m sick.”

  “Are you up to it?”

  “Yeah. I’ll be fine.”

  Blair helped her up and walked her to the shower. She then looked at Alex and stood in front of her.

  Alex smiled. “I think I can manage from here.”

  Blair opened her eyes not having realized that she was still standing there. “Oh sure! I’m sorry! I don’t know what I’m doing. I’ll be outside.”

  “Thanks.”

  When it was time for Blair to leave for work, she felt uneasy leaving Alex alone. “I will have my phone on me. I won’t leave it in the locker. I have to have the sound off, but I’ll put it on vibrate. If you feel sick or need me, promise that you’ll call.”

  “I will. Go. I’m fine. And don’t get in trouble on account of the phone vibrating in the middle of something.”

  “Let me worry about the phone. Why don’t you go back to bed now?”

  “No, I want to stay here. I’ll turn on the TV and won’t move. Promise.”

  “Will you call me—?”

  “Yes, go!” Alex continued looking at the door even after Blair left. Just thinking about her made her happy.

  Chapter 6

  Blair returned around midnight, a lot earlier than expected. After calling Alex a couple of times, she made arrangements with another doctor and cut her shift short. She thought it would be best to be where she thought she should be. Everything else was secondary.