Weston (Broken Falls #6)

Chapter Twenty-Eight

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Melanie

W hen I wake up, I'm in the hospital. I can hear the machines pumping, and it looks like I'm either in the emergency room or a private room. It's been a long time since I've gone to the hospital because of my diabetes, and I'm unsure what happened today.

Glancing around the room, I spot Weston asleep in a chair that looks totally uncomfortable for his big body. I don't want to disturb him, but I also need to know what's happening. I try to speak through dry lips, but it doesn't work. So, I wet them and try again. This time, a croak comes out, and he wakes with a start.

"Melanie, are you okay?" he rushes to the side of my bed.

"Yeah," I croak. "I think so. I'm just really thirsty."

"Do you want me to get a doctor?"

"Yeah, please."

In the next few minutes, there's a flurry of activity, and I try to keep track of everything, but I'm overwhelmed. However, Weston does not leave my side. He sits next to me, holding my hand as nurses come in to take my vitals, and they give me the drink I've asked for.

Eventually, a doctor comes in. He's actually the doctor who diagnosed me.

"Melanie, long time no see," he says.

"Hi, Dr. Caswell." I give him a small smile. "Yeah, it's been a while."

He glances at the chart in front of him on the computer and then looks over at me.

"I have one question for you. Have you been rationing your insulin?"

Shame burns my cheeks. I look down at my hands, playing with them because I don't know what else to do. "I had to," I defend. "When I moved here, I didn't have a job, and I lost my insurance. So I did what I could, and that's all I could do."

"Melanie, you know from previously that you have to take your insulin as scheduled. It's bad for you if you don't, and you also know if you would have contacted me, I would have gotten you in on some government programs so you could get your insulin until you had insurance. You can't mess around with this. You know that.

You remember how sick you were before. You hid it from him," he points to Weston. "You tried to hide it from everyone, but you are sick, and you're going to be that way again if you don't take this seriously."

"I know. I know."

"Do you though? Do you really? It's dangerous, Mel. I was your friend before I was your doctor. Your parents never took you seriously when you were trying to tell them you were sick. I had to step in as a physician."

"I haven't spoken to them since you left," he continues with concern etched on his face.

"So, I need you to take this seriously. We're going to get your levels back to where they need to be, and then I'll let you go." He glances over at Weston again. "If your husband hears anything for you," he continues with emphasis on 'husband,' "he'll get you on his insurance as soon as possible so that you can be the best version of yourself you can be.

I'm not kidding," he adds sternly. "You play around with this, and you'll do some irreparable damage."

"I get it," I tell him softly. "I understand. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. Just do better."

When he leaves, I glance over at Weston. The fear on his face is palpable. And when he reaches forward to grab my hand, it helps remind me that even if we've been apart for this long, we're actually in this together.

"You've got to be honest with me, Mel," he says. "What are we looking at together?"

"I'm going to do my best to stay well. If I can do that, then anything that could affect me will be minimal. If I have complications, then we're looking at a bit more. I promise you though, I'm going to take care of myself from now on."

He grips my hand in his. "I might not have said it enough lately, but I love you. Whatever it takes for us to keep you well, we'll do. Learn to lean on me. It might not have been something we did previously, but we're going to do it now."

"Okay." I nod. "I love you, too. More than the whole sky," I whisper.

He grins, and then drops his forehead to mine. Here in our own cocoon we block out the rest of the world.