8. Theresa
Theresa opened her eyes, which was a Herculean feat. A machine next to her beeped every few seconds, and the room was dim, brightened only by the rising sun from the window on the wall. Or was it a setting sun? After a minute, she tried to sit up, but the motion made her head spin.
“Hey there, take it easy.” A male voice came from the other side of the bed, and she turned her head, the motion unnaturally slow and sluggish.
A familiar-looking figure sat by her bed. “Derek?”
“Shh, don”t move. You had surgery on your ankle, and everything went well.”
“What time is it?” Her throat felt like sandpaper, barely allowing her to utter a few words.
As if Derek could read her mind, he handed her a large cup of water and held it patiently as she took a sip.
“It”s almost seven.”
“In the morning? I have to get ready for work.”
“Seven at night. It”s Monday. You broke your ankle last night, remember?”
Theresa”s eyes widened as his words sunk in. “Oh no, oh no, no, no, no.”
“It”s ok, I”ve been here all day, and they said you’ll make a full recovery. Want me to page the doctor?”
She waved her hand as if brushing his words away. “I had a date tonight. I stood him up.”
Derek straightened up, his voice coming out firmer. “I think whoever you stood up will understand once you tell him what happened.”
Something in his voice warned Theresa that she wouldn”t get any sympathy from him. Someone like him would never understand, anyway. The dating service had strict rules. Anyone standing up another person on a date could be permanently banned from the dating service. There weren’t any other local dating services like this one.
“Is there someone I should call for you? Any family that can come help you out?”
Theresa turned toward the window, the sky darker than it had been moments earlier. “I don”t need help.”
“You definitely do. The doctor said you can”t be on your own for a few days, at least. You won”t be able to walk for a while, and the pain medicine might make you dizzy and fall.”
“I”m not going to take any drugs, so I”ll be fine alone.” She looked back at him in time to see him roll his eyes. “What was that for?”
“I”ve never met someone as stubborn as you.”
“What”s that supposed to mean?”
“Anyone else who had a break like yours would have begged for pain medication.”
Theresa was silent for a moment as some vague memories from the night before crept into her mind.
“You aren”t going to?—”
Theresa interrupted, “Why are you here?”
He studied her face for a moment. “I don”t know,” he answered quietly, before shaking his head as if to shake away his thoughts. “Do you remember anything from last night?”
Theresa studied his face. “I tripped on a broken piece of sidewalk and fell. Some homeless person helped me call you. I don”t remember anything else,” she lied. “And I probably got disoriented from the pain and said things that weren”t true. It”s called pain-induced delirium.” She made up the last phrase. She”d never heard of anything like it. But if even half of her broken memories from the night before were accurate, she”d told him far more about herself than she could bear.
“Well, you should probably call someone to come take care of you for a few days.”
She shrugged. “Yes, doctor.”
“You know, most people would say thank you for showing up in the middle of the night to take someone to the hospital.”
A wave of guilt washed over her, which she tried to ignore. “Thank you.”
He shrugged. “I guess I”ll head home now. You can call me in the morning if you need a ride home from the hospital. They said you”ll be discharged around eleven, unless you have any complications.”
“Ok.” She stared at him for a beat too long, not sure what to say next.
Finally, he turned to put his computer in a work bag. When he was all packed, he faced her again. “You have my number. Don”t be so stubborn and reckless. Call me if you need help.”
She scowled at him, not wanting him to see how his words affected her. Why was he being nice? Why couldn”t he just leave her alone? Any other person would have dropped her off at the hospital and left. So why couldn”t he have left too? Especially before she practically told him her entire life story and cried like a baby in front of him.
“I don”t need help. But thanks anyway.” She mumbled the last part, unfamiliar with how to say those words.
He gave her shoulder an awkward pat and opened his mouth, like he wanted to say something. Then, at the last second, he turned around, waving his hand over his shoulder. “I”ll cancel my party Friday night so you don”t have to worry about the noise keeping you awake this weekend.”
She didn”t respond, just watched him leave.
As soon as the door closed behind him, she shivered. It was as though the warmth in the room left with him.