I can't even afford a freaking teddy bear

Kent is still in the hosp, Erica stays by his side loyally.

Ch. 9

An hour turned into the entire night, and the entire night turned into the next half of the day. So far Erica hadn't even thought of going back to Marc's place, and Marc obviously hadn't thought of coming back to the hospital. Erica wasn't about to tell him that being with his best friend was what he needed to do, he should have already known that, but so far no one had showed up to see how Kent was doing, not even one of his trashy girls. It figured, none of those girls had real feelings for him anyway. Did that mean she did?

With all the time in the world to think about it, Erica still wasn't sure, but her heart still felt inclined to kiss him, brush the hair out of his eyes, hold his hand, and softly talk to him. According to the doctors his condition hadn't worsened or improved, it just remained the same as he lay solitary with all the various tubes sticking out every which way. Still Erica didn't see them, and just saw Kent, handsome and restful. Hopefully she would see those forest green eyes open soon, and if she didn't, she wasn't sure how she'd take it. He had probably kissed her because he was delerious and on strong medication, but to Erica it had meant something, something strong that was still within her, which she knew wasn't just the hospital atmosphere as Marc had put it.

For the day and a half Erica had gotten up a total of two times. Once to quickly use the bathroom, and once to get a snack from the vending machine. Otherwise she remained put right next to Kent's side. She hadn't even slept yet, but now it was starting to take its toll on her, especially since the last time she slept she only got four hours in. Her eyes stung with exhaustion but she tried her best to fight it.

 

"We are taking good care of him honey, he has a great chance to pull through, why don't you go home and rest?" the nurse insisted.

 

"I can't," Erica replied decidedly.

 

The nurse nodded understandingly.

 

"You know, his incase of emergency lists his fathers phone number, but I read not too long ago that he died," the nurse said looking down at a clipboard.

 

"Really? Well why don't you list me there. Here is my house number, incase it changes, and it might, just put down my work number," Erica said reciting the restaurants phone number, hoping that she still had a job there.

 

"You really love him, don't you?" the nurse smiled.

 

Erica bit down on her lip, trying to figure out what the hell to say since she didn't know herself.

"No, I hardly know him. I suppose I just care."

 

I suppose I just care had become her mantra, and her justification for the kiss, but it still didn't feel like enough to say. Then again she really didn't know him that well, and she figured maybe she just had a bit of infatuation, he was afterall a good looking man, but then how did that explain staying in a smelly hospital for a day and a half? Maybe she just felt sorry for him since no one else had come yet. Then again it wasn't like any of his friends had been contacted. Knowing Kent he probably wouldn't have wanted that.

 

"Why don't you close your eyes, I'll get a blanket for you," the nurse offered.

 

Erica nodded in agreement. That seemed like a fair deal, especially since her eyes were beginnin to shut uncontrolably.

 

The nurse draped a white knit blanket over Erica, and Erica curled up in the foetal position as much as she could in the little chair, and quickly fell into dreamless sleep, but with Kent still in the back of her mind.

...

The first thing Kent saw when he opened his eyes was the auburn glow projecting from the afternoon sun shining on Erica's hair. He immediately became alert, and wanted to know how long it had been since he'd been asleep.

 

A nurse walking by caught sight that he was awake and entered the room.

 

"I've been out for a while huh?" Kent mumbled weakly.

 

"A couple of days now. This one has hardly left your side once," she informed, pointing to a sleeping Erica.

 

"What? She's still here?" Kent exclaimed doing his best to sit up, but wincing at the movement.

 

"Easy there," the nurse warned. "You are still very ill. We have to run more tests on you."

 

"Sure," Kent replied distantly looking at the blanket draped around Erica, then submitting to the pain and lying back down. Had she just fallen asleep and not realized how long it had been? Why on earth would she stay for two whole days, let alone an hour? Then slowly the memories began returning to him. She was the one who had called the ambulance, the one who had saved his life. The memory of the kiss flickered on like a light inside him, and then he remembered Marcus's anger.

 

"Did anyone else come yet?"

 

"No Sir, just a phone call from a Mitch who has requested to visit."

 

"Of course," Kent rolled his eyes. If Kent was on his death bed, which technically he almost was, it wouldn't matter to Mitch, it would only matter that they spoke of business.

 

The chair creaked as Erica stirred from the noise.

 

"Don't let that prick come here and bug him," she mumbled groggily without opening her eyes.

Kent burst out laughing at that one.

 

Her eyes tiredly opened, then became immediately alert and excited see Kent somewhat sitting up.

"S**t, I didn't mean to wake you," Kent cursed himself.

 

"Oh thank God," Erica breathed.

 

Unsure how to respond, and still surprised that she had stayed, he simply stared back at her.

Erica removed the blanket away from her body and stood up over Kent, feeling hesitant to touch him, but too elated to care about what was proper, she took his hand in both of hers and pressed her lips agaist his wrist.

 

She shook her head in wonderment, that he was awake, then knelt by his side, pulling his arm closer and closer.

 

He grunted painfully feeling the sting of the IV in his arm.

 

"Oh no, I'm so sorry," she shook her head frantically, gently placing his arm back on the bed. "I just, I'm so happy to see you awake," she exhaled, feeling like a thousand pound weight had been lifted off of her shoulders.

 

Not sure if it was from the amount of sleep he had, or the drugs, but Kent frowned with confusion unable to say anything back.

 

"Is he going to be alright?" Erica asked the nurse with hope washed over her hazel eyes.

"The fact he has woken up is a good sign. His vitals are fairly stable, still a bad fever. He will have to stay another night and we are going to run some more testing."

 

Erica nodded and beamed back down at Kent. Her happiness became interupted by the hospital room doors loudly slam against the wall.

 

"Kenty! Marc called telling me that you were like, dying!" a valley girl voice exclaimed.

 

"Oh my gosh he's like all pale," another voice cried in fake sounding concern.

 

Erica turned around to see Tenille, the girl Kent had brought to dinner on their double date, and another girl which looked like she stepped out of a Playboy magazine. Tenille was dressed in a skimpy white dress with the highest heels Erica had ever seen, and whoever the other girl was, was busting out of her lowcut top with her large fake breasts, and looked like a brunette version of Tenille. Both girls were carrying flowers, balloons, teddy bears, and more things as if it were Christmas day.

 

"Oh I remember you," Tenille pointed to Erica. "You are marrying Marcus, right?" she frowned at the way Erica was knelt besides Kent. A girl can always sense another girls feelings for a man.

 

"Yeah," Erica replied shyly. Was this like her cue to leave?

 

"I'm Nikki," her friend announced with out eye contact. "Kent baby, tell us what hurts, we can make it better," she giggled setting all the gifts down.

 

Kent looked uncomfortably to Erica, then blushed as each girl went to either side of his bed as if they were about to have the ultimate threesome.

 

Erica raised her eyebrows at the sight, then knew for sure this was her cue to leave. It was so stupid of her to think no one would come for Kent, he was a beloved Los Angeles playboy afterall, and here were his playgirls, finally. She caught sight of her tousled hair and wrinkled clothes, she must have looked like a street bum compared to Kent's glamorous girls. Oh wait, she technically was a bum. Erica looked down at her feet then quickly stood up.

 

"Um, I guess I'll go," Erica mumbled as she watched one girl playing with Kent's hair, and the other one rubbing his bare shoulders.

 

"Bye," she said a little louder this time, feeling angry that she probably got fired from her job to stay with Kent, when he hardly acknowledged her. In a flash she was out of the room, before she heard Kent weakly calling after her.

 

Erica walked down the hallway and quickly took the elevator to the bottom floor. She had no idea how she was going to get home, and looked at her cellphone to see that whoever she had stolen it from had cancelled the service.

 

So much for that incase of emergency phone number she left the hospital with. Oh well, he looked just fine with those stupid airheads. Erica was about to leave out of the automatic doors when she felt a firm grasp wrap around her arm, and force her to turn around.

 

"Kent! What the hell are you doing? You are supposed to be in bed!"

 

"Please don't leave," he reluctantly asked. "I-," his voice trailed off.

 

"What? You seemed alright with those girls-,"

 

"I need you with me. You."

 

Erica watched as the sun danced across his pale chest, and illuminating his forest green eyes, the ones she was so happy to see again.

 

"S**t," he cursed placing a thumb over the open wound from the IV. Blood began trickling down his arm.

 

"Oh my," Erica gagged at the sight of the blood. "Lets just get you back."

 

Erica helped him back to the room stably, and was surprised to see that the girls had already gone. Kent slowly laid back in bed, and got scolded by the nurses and doctors not to ever do that again.

 

"Where did your...friends go?" Erica asked looking around.

 

"You think they came here to actually see me? They were just trying to kiss my a*s so I would let them use my yacht for the weekend. " Kent chuckled with a tone of sadness in his voice.

 

"Oh, I think they wanted more than that trust me," Erica said crossing her arms over her chest. God damnit, was she actually jealous? Maybe a little bit, but she was more disgusted that the girls actually had the nerve to mooch of off Kent when he was critical condition.

 

Erica looked to see that even standing had made Kent exhausted, but to her surprise he sat back up.

"I thought I told you to take it easy," the nurse hissed, now immensely pissed off.

 

"I know, just let me say a few things," Kent panted.

 

"You don't have to explain anything it's alright, and I'll stay as long as you need me," Erica promised.

 

Kent put his hand up for her to stop, silencing her.

 

"First off, I just want you here. Those girls arn't anything. I have all the money a man could have, and I've never experienced the kindness you've shown to me. I know like hell I don't deserve it, and asking you to stay is selfish, and honestly if you'd like to go, please do and don't worry about me."

 

"I told you, I'm staying till you are alright," Erica reiterated.

 

"Why? Why are you doing this?"

 

"It's not a big deal. I mean I can't exactly get you presents like your girls did. I can't even afford a freaking teddy bear, or balloons or get well cards. I supposed I could have stolen them-,"

 

"You promised me that you wouldn't steal agian."

 

"I know, I just wanted to be here, to let you know that someone is here with you."

 

With that Kent forgot about the nurses orders, sat upright and swung his legs over the bed and leaned close as possible to Erica as he could without tearing the IV again.

 

Erica reciprocated moving closer to him so he wouldn't have to go any farther, then gently fell onto his chest, with him catching her into a tightly wrapped embrance. She pulled him in closer, and drawn to his face, she pressed her cheek against his, her lips tingling with the feeling of wanting to do the same thing, but she restrained herself.

 

"Buying me things is meaningless. What you are doing for me, this is substance, and I appreciate you for it.

 

Thank you," he whispered. "I guess I wasn't ready to go yet, even though I thought I was."

 

"You're not going anywhere," she said, her lips unable to stay still any longer, so she kissed near his ear. Hopefully that was appropriate. Kent's arms became covered in goosebumps, and he shivered. It was as if a warm breeze entered a freezing dark cave, and he began feeling even more alive. It was like little by little, as he got to know her more, something was becoming torn away, the cold, the despair, the sorrow all became melted away when she was around. He pulled away looking at her face, only seeing purity and compassion when he looked at his best friends fiance.

 

"Erica, do you really love Marcus?" he questioned.

 

"I-...I," she stammered.

 

"Mr. Whitlock it is time we take you back for testing," the doctor interrupted. "You're friend here, er yeah, will have to wait out here."

 

Erica slowly unwrapped her arms from around Kent's shoulders, and nodded for him to go. Especially since she didn't know how to answer his question.

 

"Alright," Kents eyes dropped disappointed. A nurse draped a blanket over his back and escorted him out to the hallway. Before he left he turned his head over his shoulder, and gave Erica a look of upmost certainty. His now obvious feelings seared through her, causing her to shift uncomfortably, but she managed a warm smile as if to tell him the medical testing would all be ok.

 

Erica waited patiently outside the procedure doors, staring out the window reluctantly. She watched as it became dark outside, an after an hour a different nurse from before approached her. The shifts must have changed.

 

"What's going on, why haven't they brought him out yet?"

 

"We are letting him rest, he fell asleep from some of the sedatives. He is still very ill, but was telling us how he doesn't want to stay here any longer, and once he's able to he'll walk straight out of here. He isn't in critical condition anymore but he still needs bed rest. He can go home, but only if someone is there to take care of him for a few more days. The fever needs to die down before he is stable again."

 

"Can't you tell him he should stay a few more days? I don't mind being here," Erica insisted.

 

"He seemed set on the idea of leaving the hospital once he wakes up. Maybe you can convince him otherwise, but if not do you think he would like an at home nurse?"

 

"My God he is stubborn isn't he? I really have no idea," Erica shrugged. "I will have to talk to him about it."

"Very well. He should wake up in about a half hour."

 

"Theres no rush."

 

"Don't you have a job to go to or something? Or something to attend to? We are taking good care of him," the nurse assured.

 

"I can't leave till I know he is completely fine. Plus I probably don't have a job to go back to anymore," she chuckled.

 

"That's a devoted girlfriend right there. I'm going to go check his condition."

 

"I'm not his-," but the nurse already left. It was pretty hard to argue that she wasnt a significant other when she was standing around like a dope waiting desperately for him to gain his health back.

 

Sick of sitting, Erica remained standing and leaned against the wall facing the hallway. All she wanted to do was get out of there with Kent and take him home. She knew he was unhappy there, but he was obviously required to stay. Erica's eyes kept fluttering open and closed, and she began falling asleep standing up.

 

Arms roughly pulled her into a bear hug from behind, and Erica was delighted to know that Kent was already up and running around. Eager to go back to his place, and maybe hear a little bit more about the garden that he made, then tuck him back into bed, she turned around, and to her dismay it was Marcus. Oops, her fiance who she shouldn't have been disappointed to see.

 

"Whoa babe, have you been here the whole time?" Marcus spat in disbelief. He looked like he had a fresh tan from surfing. How nice of him to surf while his best friend could have been dying.

 

"Yeah, on and off," Erica fibbed.

 

"I've been trying to call you for days honey, did you lose your phone again?"

 

"Yeah," she said lightheadedly pulling away from him. "He's still in here, he's just getting his last test."

 

"Oh he'll be fine. Come on, why don't we get out of here?"

 

"But they said he either needs to stay here long or he needs homecare. We have to stay till he comes out, I have to tell him."

 

"They'll tell him all that themselves. Why are you being all weird. Thinking of kissing him ?again?" Marcus asked accusingly.

 

"Of course not!" Erica exclaimed innocently, even though that was all she'd been thinking about since he fell ill. Ok maybe a little bit before that. Could she help it if he was good looking? And not only that, but he was actually a sweet guy. Yeah she could help it, she was engaged to his best friend. It all hit her that everything these past two days had been so out of place for her. It had all been out of pure instinct, and whether or not she cared about him he was better for the most part, there was no reason for her to stay. Still her feet seemed to stay planted where they were, she just wanted to see him one more time as an assurance that he was alright.

 

"I guess you just felt sorry for the kid since no one else gave a damn enough to come," Marc explained to himself outloud. "Am I right?"

 

"Well actually Tenille and some other girl with brown hair came by to see him. They practically had sex with him right in the room," Erica shook her head and couldn't help but laugh.

 

"Which girl with brown hair?" Marcus frowned, unexpectedly growing angry.

 

"Uh Ricky, something like that."

 

"Nikki?" Marc huffed.

 

"Yeah, so what?"

 

Marcus didn't do anything and instead stood there turning more maroon by the second.

 

"What?" Erica demanded.

 

"Nothing," Marc rolled his shoulders as if shaking something off. "Ready to go?"

 

"Yeah I guess," Erica agreed still feeling unsure, but took Marc's hand as he led her out of the hospital. She uncomfortably adjusted her hand in his, for she thought she would be leaving this place holding someone else's hand.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reviews

[Hot-N-Cold_17]

I love this story it is such good writing. I think that you are a very gifted writer and the stories you tell are rich in detail and that is awesome. Please whatevery you do keep writing on this. I can tell you are so menat to write stories.

[Vee]

OOOO this is amazing!!!!!!!!!!! i do hope you'll continue it!!!!!! Great work! love the plot!

[Loribeth215]

Oh, Marc has got something going on with one of those skanks, I just know it. Good, so Erica can leave him! :)

[Jason Young]

Woah, I really like where this is going, plot-wise. One thing that I wish you'd have a little bit more of is showing, not telling, and maybe a little more detail. But as far as the plot goes, this is really great. I'm looking forward to the next chapter with bated breath.