Wade was baking her a red velvet, heart – shaped Valentine's Day cake.
"We are going to eat it together", he announced proudly. "This IS our special day after all!"
She smiled, unable to tell Wade that they couldn't eat his cake, because red velvet cake NEEDED to be iced with cream cheese frosting, and they didn't have any. The gesture had been just TOO sweet.
It was a hazy, hot, February afternoon and the daffodils were blooming outside Lavon's kitchen window. Lavon's oven beeped in a cartoonish manner and Wade informed her that his cake was done.
As Wade removed his cake from the oven, she started to tell him that they had no cream cheese frosting to ice it with when a pink, magic wand appeared and thrust itself into Wade's hand. Wade twirled the wand professionally and "poof" his masterpiece was suddenly laden with thick frosting, marzipan words reading, "I love you Zoe", written neatly on the top.
She clapped delightedly. NOW they could eat Wade's cake. They walked outside with their dessert, hand in hand. Boy! It was hot out there! Her forehead began to perspire and her lips began to chap as she and Wade sat down on the wet, Alabama grass. Lavon waved hello to them from a distance and Burt Reynolds pranced happily around them, scaly tail pointed upright like a curious cat's. Wade attempted to kiss her, but she protested, claiming that her lips were too chapped! He shrugged and despite her objections, gently placed his hand around the back of her head, drawing her closer and closer towards his lips…..
Bolting upright she awoke with a start, moaned and immediately slumped back down into her welcoming pillows. OH YES, her forehead was literally CAKED in sweat! OH YES, her lips were painfully chapped! OH YES, her entire body felt like it was on fire!...but there was no Wade there to make all the pain go away. Zoe Hart was feeling the crappiest she had felt in a very long time, and she was completely alone.
Zoe grabbed the thermometer resting on top of her bedside table and feebly took her temperature. The meter read 102.4! "Ughhh, stupid fever – induced dream!", "stupid Alabama woods!", she mumbled to herself.
Zoe would have told any patient who planned to go to work with a 102 degree temperature that they were crazy. She also would have ordered them to stay home. BUT she had sworn that she wouldn't call in sick, fever or not, so getting ready for work it was!
Zoe slowly pulled herself out of bed and gradually rose to her feet. Feeling no more than a little light – headed, she made her way towards the bathroom. Suddenly overtaken by a strong wave of pain and dizziness, the tiny doctor's knees buckled beneath her and she collapsed onto the bathroom floor.
Sheer exhaustion engulfed her, causing Zoe to want to do nothing more than lay quietly with her head pressed gently against the cool and hospitable bathroom tiles, so eager to relieve her of all her fiery pain. She reluctantly shot up as an eruption of nausea surged through her aching body, forcing her to projectile violently into the toilet.
Zoe began to sob. Why was she being so idiotic? Who was she kidding? There was no way in hell she'd be able to function at work today! But she had to! She had to because although she was gaining popularity, she still felt as though she had something to prove to the town of Bluebell! She had to because she felt the need to apologize to her patients, for unleashing the absurdity that was Joel upon them! But most of all, she had to because she didn't want Wade to find her like this, which he undoubtedly would if Zoe decided to stay home. Being the subject Wade's pity was certainly no way to attempt to re – establish a relationship foundation! Wade Kinsella had fallen in love with smart, sassy Zoe, NOT pathetic, sticky Zoe…EWWWW!
Zoe abruptly reached up and used the bathroom sink to pull herself firmly to her feet. She brushed her teeth and took a cool shower, which provided her with some temporary pain relief. Subsequent to popping 3 Tylenol 3's into her mouth, Zoe weakly got dressed and headed out the door. Surveying her surroundings, Zoe carefully insured that Wade was not watching her. She forewent attempting to eat breakfast and decided to sneak past Lavon's mansion without so much as a "hello", in order to avoid being whisked back to bed, "Crimson Tide style".
It took Zoe twice as long to arrive in town as it normally did, on account of the fact that the tiny doctor felt as though she was going to collapse every five minutes, and she still beat Brick to the practice!
"I am good!" Zoe heaved breathlessly. However, she didn't feel too peachy. Zoe's head cleared for a moment, allowing her to responsibly tie on a face mask, in order to prevent the good people of Bluebell from contracting the worst bout of flu ever. But her lucky streak didn't last too long.
Zoe was busy writhing in pain and connecting with her best friend the ground, when she was interrupted by a mortified, "WHAT ON EARTH, DR. HART?"…..the nerve of some people.
Limply, sprawled out on the floor, Zoe looked up to see Dr. Breeland swimming in and out of focus. "Brick"?, she asked disoriented. Brick nodded and knelt down worriedly in front of his colleague to lay a cool hand on her forehead. "Jesus Christ!", the older doctor spat. "Zoe, what were you thinking coming into work, today?"
Zoe was so dizzy that she found that she was unable to answer Brick coherently. "I….I", she mumbled fervently.
"Jesus", Brick breathed frantically. "You have to learn how to take better care of yourself, missy!""
Zoe smiled. "I thought you'd miss me too much", she managed to cough.
Brick shook his head and chuckled. At least some part of his feisty colleague was still in there. He produced a thermometer and proceeded to take Zoe's temperature. Zoe groaned, she had had enough of being sick.
"As soon I'm finished with you, I'm driving you straight to Lavon's, young lady", Brick declared. "You can't be at work and you CERTAINLY can't be left alone in this condition!"
Zoe gushed. It felt weird having her colleague fuss over her. Then again, she had always thought of Brick as a father figure.
"Wait!" Zoe gasped, suddenly remembering something she feverishly deemed to be important. "Sheriff Bill's sick, Addie wanted me to bring his prescription over to her house a…"
Brick raised a hand to silence her. "Zoe", he whispered softly, with nothing but compassion and sympathy in his eyes…."I can"…"WOAH!"
"What?", Zoe mumbled.
Brick starred mortified, at his thermometer's meter.
"What"? Zoe chocked as her chest tightened and another wave of nausea hit her.
"104. 3", Bricked panted laying a gentle hand on his colleague's shoulder. "Zoe, sweetie, I'm going to have to take you to the hospital!"
Zoe gulped. As a doctor she had difficulty rationalizing it, but being a patient at a hospital was Zoe's worst fear. "But, Sheriff Bill", she protested desperately.
Brick shushed Zoe gently and ran to his office to grab some blankets.
Zoe seized this opportunity. She bolted upright, grabbed her medical bag and ran out the door. She would go and treat Sheriff Bill! Doing so seemed logical in her fever – addled brain.
Brick returned to his practice's foyer to find sick Zoe, gone!
He panicked, but then remembered how intent Zoe had seemed on treating Sheriff Bill. Brick quickly grabbed the office phone and dialed Addie's number. Hopefully he could get Addie to keep Zoe at the Pickett home until he arrived.
Brick really cared for his irrational colleague. "How did that damned, hopeless girl get so sick?", he muttered to himself.
