He stood and stretched his arms over his head, he wasn’t sure how long he had been sitting and playing around with a new song.  Yawning he caught a peek at the clock on the wall.  Wow, time got away from me.  Mid yawn, his mouth snapped shut.  His houseguest, such as she was, hadn’t come down for something to eat.

“Damn, I hope she didn’t pass out or anything.”  He mumbled to himself as he took the stairs from the basement to the second floor two at a time.  The bedroom door where she was staying was half-open.  Softly knocking, he pushed it open all the way to look at the bed.  Empty.  Next, he checked the bathroom.  Empty.

Maybe she had gotten dizzy downstairs looking for him.  Swiftly he checked the living room, bathroom, and study on the first floor, alarm beginning to spread through him.  Entering the kitchen, he checked the floor behind the large island to make sure she hadn’t collapsed.  Nothing.

Running his hand on the island, he circled it trying to decide what to do now.  His hand caught a notepad and sent it spinning to the floor.  That’s funny, I didn’t put that there.

Bending he picked it up and started to put it away when he saw the note.

Dear JC,

Thank you for taking me to the ER and your hospitality. 
 As I don’t want to be a “huge inconvenience,” I will make myself scarce so you can fulfill your plans for the next couple of days instead of cancelling.  I will do my best to work around your schedule at the center.

Have a nice life,

Laura

JC scrubbed his hands over his jaw.  She had obviously overhead his earlier phone call.  He hadn’t really meant it; he had just been frustrated over the turn of events.  JC didn’t like his plans to change last minute, but that hadn’t been her fault. 

Now, what do I do?  Go after her or let her be?  Then he stuck his hands in his pockets.  His fingers met the warm plastic of a pill bottle.  The decision had just been made for him. 

Scowling at himself for forgetting to give her the pain medication, he grabbed his keys from the hook next to the garage door and stalked to his car.  This woman is more trouble than...  than…  He couldn’t think of anything.  No actually, I’m the one that has caused all of this.  I was the one that didn’t believe her about her arm and I said some stupid things that made her leave.  If I hadn’t done that, I wouldn’t need to go searching in the middle of the night.

Driving confidently through the darkened streets, he nodded his head to the bass pumping through his speakers.  He was pretty sure he knew where Laura was staying.  He would try there first; it was late enough he didn’t want to wake anyone up from the center just to admit his stupid mistake. 

Reaching the long stay hotel, he parked and took long strides to the front door.  Nobody staffed the front desk so he rang the bell that was provided there.  Turning his back to the counter while he waited, he spied a familiar looking brown head of hair over the back of a chair across the lobby. 

Walking over towards her, he tried to think of what to say.  “Why did you leave?”

She jumped slightly, but answered, “I don’t like to stay where I’m not wanted.”

JC circled around and sat in the chair across from her.  She was slouched in the chair, head resting against the back, cradling her broken arm with her good one, and her eyes were tightly shut. 

“Look, I’m sorry about the things I said.  I didn’t mean them; I was a jerk and just upset about the situation, not about you.”

“Fine, thank you for your apology.  Now that you’ve said your piece, you may go.”

His eyebrows rose at her dismissal, then he narrowed his eyes when he realized she hadn’t looked at him or moved once.  “Why aren’t you in your room?”

“I just needed to rest here for a minute.”

“Well, according to my calculations, you left my house 2?  3?  hours ago, right?  So you’ve rested a minute; go ahead and head to your room and I’ll take off.”  JC wanted her to admit she was dizzy.

“No, go ahead, I’ll be fine.”

“Why can’t you just admit you need help?”  He said in frustration.

“I don’t want to take up your precious time with my problems.”

“Laura, you’re hurt and I would venture a guess to say you are extremely dizzy right now, is that right?”

She took a deep breath and admitted reluctantly, “Yeah, I am, I barely made it in here to sit down the world was spinning so bad.”

“Why didn’t you ask the clerk for help or call 911?”

“Well as you can see, there is no clerk and I can’t see straight enough to dial the phone.”

***

Laura heard movement but was still startled when JC threw her arm around his neck before gently placing one strong arm behind her back and the other under her knees.  Rising, he cradled her against his chest.  Her eyes had flown open when he picked her up, but quickly shut against the spinning world.  With a gasp, she tucked her head into the crevice between his shoulder and jaw.  He was so warm and stronger than he looked.  He held her gently but securely against his hard, muscled chest. 

His voice rumbled through his chest, vibrating against her ear, sending a ripple of awareness through her.  “Excuse me, could you open the front door for me please?”  She heard a car door opening, before she was positioned on the seat of his car.  “Thanks,” he said back out the door as he pulled the seat belt across her lap and buckled her in.  This was becoming almost routine. 

Resting back against the head rest, she listened as JC got in, buckled and started the engine.  “I’m sorry about all this, I’m normally not this weak.” 

“No, it’s all my fault, if I hadn’t made those things up, you wouldn’t have left, and not taken your pain medication.  And you’re not weak, your body has been through a traumatic experience, broken bone, surgery…and it didn’t help that I haven’t been the nicest guy.  I swear I’m not like that.”

They fell silent as they made their way back to the ER for the second time that day. 

***

Laura was admitted to the hospital and taken to a private room.  JC hadn’t left her side, except when she was changed from street clothes to a hospital gown.  When she had an iv inserted, he simply bowed his head and thought about anything other than the fact there was a needle close by. 

They argued like a normal couple when JC settled in the chair next to her bed for the night.  She didn’t think he needed to stay, but he had made up his mind that he would take care of her so he stayed. 

They both drifted off to sleep, Laura due in part to the shock her body had gone through and the medication, and JC from exhaustion. 

He slowly came into consciousness, not sure what had awakened him.  Then he heard thrashing and frightened gasps coming from the bed.  Jumping to his feet, he leaned over, noticing Laura was still asleep and having what looked like a terrifying nightmare.  Cupping her face in his hands, he spoke gently but forcefully to wake her.  Without warning, she sat straight up barely missing cracking their heads together.