“Good morning, Ms. Peterson. ”
“Ari. Please call me Ari. Ms. Peterson is my mother. ”
Maggie laughed and helped me to sit up some.
“I’m about to leave, Ari, but I wanted to give you your breakfast if you thought you could eat something. ”
I hadn’t even thought about food until that second. I was starving.
Smiling at her, I was just about to say yes when Jeff came walking in the door with a handful of bags.
“Good morning, baby! I went and bought you some of your favorites,” Jeff started to set it all out on the small table under the TV.
“I got you a cinnamon twist, a chocolate cream-filled donut, an apple fritter…well, I got two of those ‘cause I wanted one, too! Let’s see…I got a ham and cheese croissant sandwich, two sausage kolaches…oh and two cream cheese-filled koloches because I know you love those. ”
I loved over at Maggie. She was just staring at Jeff now as he put all the food on the table. I tried not to let out a giggle for fear of my ribs hurting. When Jeff looked up at me and then at Maggie and back at me, the look on his face was priceless. I let out a laugh and did my best not to show how much pain I was in.
Jeff gave me a goofy smile. While he took a bite out of an apple fritter, he winked at Maggie.
“Do me a favor, Jeff Johnson; please don’t ever come back to this hospital again. Please,” Maggie said.
Jeff started to laugh. He walked over to Maggie and gave her a hug.
“Oh, come on, Nurse Hard Knock. You know you love me. You let me sleep in the bed with the love of my life all night. ” Then, he shoved the apple fritter in her face.
“You want a bite, Maggie?”
Maggie started to laugh as she pushed his hand away. “No, I do not want a bite of your half-eaten apple fritter. ” She pushed Jeff off to the side and smiled at me.
“Good luck with this one, honey. The doctor will be in soon to talk to you, Ari. The next nurse on duty is already starting your discharge papers so we should have you out of here in no time. ”
“Thank you for everything, Maggie. ” I said with a smile.
Jeff said good-bye to Maggie and walked with her out into the hall. That bastard left all the goods on the table out of my reach, and I was starving. Damn it. I started to slowly get out of bed. When I stood up, I felt a terrible pain in my stomach. I bent
over too fast, which caused my ribs to hurt. I cried out in pain. Just at that moment, Jeff came walking back into the room.
He was over by my side so fast that I swore it was just like that scene in Twilight when Edward saves Bella from being crushed by a swerving van. I had to start laughing, which caused me to cry out again. Jesus, if this is what bruised ribs feel like, I pray I never break them.
“Baby, what are you doing? Do you need to use the bathroom or something?”
“No! I need something to eat, and you walked out with Maggie and left me hanging. ”
Jeff helped me back onto the bed and then walked over to the table. He reached into the bag and pulled out an orange juice for me. He brought it over with the other apple fritter and a koloche. Then he just sat there, smiling at me.
“What the hell are you smiling at?”
“Were you hungry, baby?”
“Yes, yes, I was. I haven’t had anything to eat since yesterday before the…the um. . . accident. ”
I felt the blood literally drain from my face. I had forgotten about it for a whole two minutes. Now, the memories were back, and it felt like someone was sitting on my chest. I couldn’t breathe.
Jeff walked over to help me stand up. He gently took me in his arms. “I love you so much. ”
Then, the doctor walked in.
“Ms. Peterson, how are you feeling today?”