Chapter 3 #3
Tall taught her how to make things appear for her, too. Like if she wanted a cup of tea, it was just a matter of her putting her hand on her table, and it would appear. There were other things that she could make appear as well, and she enjoyed making cookies for the two of them to share.
“That’s the first solid thing I’ve had since I’ve been hurt.
” He said she needed to be careful not to make herself ill.
“I only ate the one even though I wanted the entire plate of them. I’ll be careful of that in the future.
What I wouldn’t give for a nice meat sub right now.
I’m not usually one who eats meat all the time, but it sounds so good right now. ”
“Perhaps you should talk to your doctor about changing things up for a while. You might not be able to eat a sub, but perhaps you could have some more solid food. One time in my life, before my life with you, I worked for a doctor. The vampire was a good woman, but she missed her mate and decided to die in the sun. It was a shame, really. The woman was a good doctor, too.”
“That’s so sad.” She didn’t tell Tall that she wouldn’t miss Rance at all but decided that he was being so nice to her that she’d just let it go.
“Tell me about yourself. I’m betting that you’ve been around for a long time, too.
I’m only twenty-seven. I know that Rance is a great deal older than that. ”
Not only did Tall have a family, but he had two children of his own now who were grown up.
They helped the faerie queen in the gardens as they should be, and he was proud of them.
He and his wife had a nice place in Rance’s home.
She wondered why he’d so willingly share his home with faeries and not her, but again didn’t ask. She was trying to work on her mood.
When the nurse came into the room, she didn’t notice that a small man was sitting on her belly, so she didn’t mention it either.
She remembered to ask her if she could have something more solid, like some pudding or mashed potatoes.
The nurse said she’d put in a call to the doctor in the morning before rounds and for her to remind him that he needed to update her file.
Kimmy’s mouth was watering when she thought of having something so simple as a scoop of mashed potatoes instead of clear broth.
Tall told her about Rance and how he’d had a terrible childhood growing up, and she had to admit that she’d not had the best of lives either.
He told her about how he’d been abandoned as a child and that an older couple had raised him.
The same with her own childhood, and she couldn’t believe how similar their lives had been.
The only difference was that she’d not let it jade her to all people, and he had.
But then he’d had a lot longer to be jaded than she had.
After she yawned for the second time, Tall told her to rest. She really was exhausted; it had been a lot longer day than she’d thought it would have been, and she just wanted to sleep.
Tall told her that he’d be nearby if she needed him, and she slept better just knowing that.
He was quickly becoming a good friend, and she thought that she could use a few more like that.
Someone to talk to and to show her the magic that she had, along with reminding her to be careful when she did things.
While she couldn’t get out of bed on her own, she was able to sit up in the chair in her room and look out the window.
It was a nice treat for her at the end of the day.
By the time she was back in bed, she was beyond exhausted.
Settling into the bed, she was just getting comfortable when she realized that she’d not had anything for pain today.
That to her was a big accomplishment, and she was happy that she remembered.
The nurse came in to ask her if she needed anything, and she told her no. She was just fine.
“The doctor called in. Tomorrow, you can have semi-solid food. I’ll make sure you have a variety so that you can pick at things, but be careful not to eat too much.
I’m more worried about your teeth than you getting sick, but you don’t want that either.
” She promised that she’d be careful. “I know you will. Oh, before I forget, Mr. Smith called in, Rance, and wanted to know if you need him to bring you anything from your home? He said that he’s going to go by there to check on things and wanted to make sure that you didn’t need anything right away. ”
“I don’t. That was nice of him.” She said that all the Smith’s were nice and she bit her tongue so as not to say anything negative about him.
She realized that she didn’t know the others and hoped that they were kinder than Rance was.
He was the meanest man she’d ever met and didn’t know why the fates or whoever had decided that they’d make a good pairing.
When she left, Kimmy settled down to sleep.
Just as she was dozing off, she heard from Rance.
“Don’t make yourself suffer just because it was I who asked you if you wanted anything.
” She said she’d love a good book, but he said she couldn’t read yet, and that was final.
“Oh. I never thought about that. I’ve been around your house today.
The landlord let me in because I told him that I was your new husband.
He didn’t seem shocked by that. Do you entertain a great deal? ”
“I work. And I’d like to go to sleep now.
So if you don’t mind, could you leave your wit for tomorrow?
I’ve had a really good day, and you’re fucking with it.
Again. Why do you insist on being mean to me all the time?
It’s not my fucking fault that I’m your mate.
I could have gone about my whole life without you in it.
” He asked her about her being beaten up.
“If I have to put up with you throughout all eternity, I wish they’d have killed me.
Or that you wouldn’t have been able to get into my place.
Christ, why don’t you just leave me alone?
I know that I’d be better off without you in my life right now. ”
“I don’t like you either.” She said, good, and wiped at the tears on her cheeks. “I’ll stay away from you when you can prove to me that you’re strong enough to stand on your own two feet. And I’m not talking about your broken leg. Which is healed by the way.”
“Did you do that? Is that one more thing I’m going to be beholden to you about?
I wish you’d just leave me alone. I’m depressed all the time because of you, and I’m not usually the type of person who gets depressed.
Just leave me the fuck alone.” He said, fine, and she was startled that he’d given in so easily.
“Is this another one of your tricks to get me feeling better only to take it away from me?”
“No. I’m finished with you. You can live your own life the way you wish. The only thing that I ask is that you stay away from me as well.” She told him that it would be easy. “Then this is goodbye.”
The connection broke off like he’d slammed the phone down.
She didn’t know why that had hurt her so much, but it did.
Lying in the bed, sobbing because he’d been so mean to her, again, she cried herself to sleep.
It was that or get up and find him to beat the shit out of him for a change.
Kimmy finally went to sleep and had bad dreams, just because of him.
When she woke up the next morning, she knew that she’d hurt her eyes again.
They were puffy and swollen. As soon as they brought her breakfast in, scrambled eggs and milk, she cried over that as well.
She wondered if her life would ever be the same again and decided that it was going to be. Just as soon as she forgot about Rance.