Chapter 10
Meghan had thought she’d developed a cold.
Then the cold turned into bronchitis. Or maybe it had never actually been a cold.
Then the bronchitis turned into pneumonia.
Or maybe it had never been bronchitis. She only knew that when she woke up on the lab floor, the paramedics were lifting her onto a stretcher.
They looked strong. Not as strong as Dean who’d lifted her like she weighed nothing.
I wonder if Dean’s out of town with the team. She wasn’t sure whether she’d thought it or said it. She couldn’t seem to make her mind focus or her mouth work properly.
She felt better and more coherent when the oxygen started flowing.
She was still exhausted however. It was easiest to lie still.
She tried to explain to her chairman which laser would still be off limits in her absence, but he’d told her to try to rest. Grateful to do just that, she’d closed her eyes.
When she woke, she was in a hospital bed, and Dean was in a blue reclining chair next to it.
“Hello,” she murmured. Clear liquid dripped, dripped, dripped into her arm. “Hello?” she said a bit louder.
He opened his eyes. “Damnit, Meghan. You scared the hell out of me.”
“Am I very sick?” she asked, touching the prongs in her nose.
“You have pneumonia in both lungs. Your oxygen and blood pressure were critically low when the paramedics got there. Couldn’t you tell how sick you were? Why didn’t you call me?”
Her brows rose. “Why would I call you? We were taking a break so I can think.”
“Apparently you’re done thinking. When you were out of it, you asked every person you talked to where I was.”
Her cheeks burned. “What people?” she demanded.
“Your research assistant. Your chairman. The paramedics, nurses, and doctors. It’s all I’ve heard since I got here. We’re so glad you’re here. She’s been waiting for you.”
She felt her face and neck flame with embarrassment. “I don’t remember, except maybe wondering once if you were out of town. I’m not even sure I said that out loud.”
She began a coughing jag, and he sat up, looking between her and the monitor. It took a moment to catch her breath, but then she felt normal again.
“I’m sorry you were worried. Who called you?”
“Your chairman.”
She winced. “It’s so embarrassing…every bit of it. I’m awake now and not delirious, so it’s okay for you to go back to work. Are you missing an important game?”
“Meghan, stop.”
“But what…I mean, what will you even say?”
“I told them my girlfriend was hospitalized in critical condition and that I’d be back as soon as she was out of danger.”
“Critical,” she said, looking around. “How did you even get in here? Isn’t it only family that’s allowed in?”
“I told them you were my fiancee.”
“Oh,” she said, rubbing her eyes. There was no mascara crustiness on her lashes. She realized suddenly how awful she must look. “I’m okay now. But thank you for coming. It was really nice of you.”
He nodded and leaned back in the recliner, closing his eyes.
“Um, so you can go. I don’t—”
“I’ll decide when I leave. It won’t be before dawn.”
“Oh, right,” she said, lying back. “I don’t suppose anyone brought my laptop. As long as I’m up, I could do some work.”
“They didn’t bring anything with you. I’ll have someone get your purse and your laptop later today.”
“Dean, you really don’t have to do that. Or anything.”
He didn’t answer.
“Dean?”
“What?”
“I feel really badly that I disrupted your life like this.”
“When you’re completely recovered, you can make it up to me.”
“How?”
He smiled without opening his eyes. “I’ll make a list.”
She smiled then, too. “I’m afraid of what will be on that list.”
“You probably should be. Try to rest, Meg.”
The nurses had lines and tubes to remove, and Dean was too close for comfort.
When Meghan washed her face, she looked truly frightening in the mirror.
Unwashed scarecrow hair, dark circles under her eyes, invisible lashes and brows…
terrifying. How had he not taken one look at her and run the other way?
Fortunately, when he was certain that she was out of danger, he finally left.
There was a flurry of activity. Showering sapped her energy, so she didn’t even start working when her laptop and purse arrived. It was delivered by someone who worked for the team. The almighty coach apparently had scores of minions.
She was startled when the ICU team rounded on her, and the head doctor shared a joke that Dean had made. The doctor went on to say that when she was moved it would be to a VIP suite two hallways over, rather than to the normal step-down unit.
She could certainly imagine how much a VIP suite would cost in a major academic hospital. She was sure her insurance wouldn’t cover the added expense. She was determined not to get moved there, but despite three different calls, she wasn’t able to correct the mistake.
“Coach Ulrich was adamant,” the hospital’s operations officer said. “Why don’t we call him and—”
“No!” she blurted. The last thing she wanted to do was to interrupt him at work. “I guess one night will be okay. I’ll talk to him tonight.”
Dean arrived at six thirty. She was in the suite, surrounded by flowers, eating a snack, which was suspiciously good. Was it really hospital food?
“When I texted that I wanted to talk to you, I didn’t mean you had to come in person.”
Dean looked at the monitor, and then came to her bedside and kissed her on the cheek. “You’re off oxygen. I’m glad you’re doing better.”
“Dean, can we talk about the suite?”
“There’s nothing to talk about. The suite has a better staffing ratio, which makes it the safest place outside the ICU.
It’s also more comfortable,” he said, sitting on the couch and putting his feet up.
“I’m not planning to sit on a plastic chair in a three-by-three-foot space in the corner of a room.
I’ve visited a lot of hospital rooms, Meghan.
This is the only type of setup I want if I’m going to be here for hours. ”
“But it must cost a fortune, and no one said you needed to be here for hours.”
He held up a hand. “You’re staying here. It’s taken care of. Want to hear how my quarterback situation is going?”
“Um—yes, actually. How are things going?”
He leaned back and explained a lot of things about football and about coaching that she’d never known she could be interested in. It helped that he was witty and that he shared Lamar’s jargon for some things.
At seven, a steak and shrimp dinner arrived from the city’s premier steakhouse.
“How?” she asked.
He winked. “There are perks to staying in the VIP suite. Concierge service. Want a manicure?”
She raised her brows. “Your ex-wife must have been very glamorous and high maintenance. You realize that I mostly wear sweaters and jeans on weekends? I think I have two bottles of nail polish, both of which may be too dried out to use.”
He smiled and then popped a shrimp into his mouth. He didn’t however confirm or deny that his wife had been a diva or whether he expected Meghan to do a better job at maintaining some polish to her appearance.
“Would you like to hear about the new direction I’m taking with my research?” she asked.
“Absolutely.”
So she talked, occasionally stopping to cough or catch her breath. And his questions were insightful and quite helpful. She ended up taking notes and sending emails based on their conversation.
When he rose to leave at eight-thirty, she was more disappointed than she wanted to admit.
“Thank you for being here. And for everything.”
He swept her bangs back from her eyes and kissed her. “You’re welcome. See you tomorrow.”
“When?” she couldn’t keep herself from asking.
“Around seven.”
Meghan was released from the hospital after a three-day stay. She was still somewhat weak, so didn’t return to lecturing until the week after her release, but she was back in her lab and office within a couple of days.
Dean was out of town with the team, but he was in close contact by text and phone. Though they didn’t talk long, she’d begun to feel quite close to him.
She watched the game and was excited when they won.
She told herself it was still a ridiculous preoccupation for grown men to have, but she found herself becoming more and more sucked in.
He had so many decisions to make that could affect the way the team played.
There were so many variables during an actual game.
Knowing a bit of the behind-the-scenes stuff made it really compelling to watch.
When he got back to town, he only went home to drop off his bag and pack fresh clothes before coming to her house.
She’d been walking around the neighborhood as part of the instructions given to her by the hospital physical therapist and was almost back to normal in terms of her endurance. She’d also lost weight.
The big surprise for him was her hair. She’d gone to a salon and had lightened it to a coppery color with highlights. It was a mix of the colors of old and new pennies. The smile on his face when he saw it made it worth the three hours she’s spent coughing at the smell of chemicals.
He’d eaten with the team, so she’d decided to skip food until later in favor of luring him into the bedroom.
He leaned against the doorframe and watched her strip down to her bra and panties.
She put a palm over her stomach which felt flatter than it had in quite awhile.
“I certainly wouldn’t want to have pneumonia again, but it was a good diet.
I’ve lost ten pounds. Also, it’s been good to get out and walk around more than I had been.
I think maybe I’ll take a pilates class this semester.
Faculty have free membership at the recreation center.
I never take advantage of it, but I really should. ”
He looked her over. “Are you planning to lose more weight?”
“Yes.”
“How much?”
“Another fifteen pounds. At least.”
“Exercise is important. So is eating healthy. I totally support that. But fifteen pounds?” He frowned.