Chapter 20
The Hospital
Eli felt a soft mattress underneath him. There was a warm delicate object around his hand when Eli opened his eyes.
"Hi handsome," Fiona said.
"Where are we?" Eli lifted his head up, and looked at his hand. He found out that the warm object was Fiona's hand.
"Ouch! That hurts!" Eli teased.
"I am so sorry, I didn't mean it!" Fiona panicked, and jumped out of the chair.
"Ha ha ha," Eli was laughing.
"Goofball," Fiona said and sat back.
Eli sat up as well at the edge of the bed, and he felt again that horrible pain of cramping muscles. His grind his teeth, and pale for a minute. Quickly, Eli started to mess with Fiona, so she wouldn't notice that he was in pain.
"So, where are we?" Eli asked again.
"We are in the hospital," She said, and got quiet observing him.
"Hello… planet earth to princess. Where is Declan and Clare?" Eli questioned Fiona.
-"I'll tell you if you lay down,"-Fiona sternly said.
"Are you going to tell me fairy tale? Fine," - Eli pouted, like a little child.
"That is much better. Clare is fine. Declan is in the other room. Plastic surgeon is stitching him up. He doesn't want to have a scar. He was lucky. The bullet went thru his arm, but missed the bone, so he'll be fine. That would be the end of the fairy tale, Fiona said, with a faint smile.
Doctor Jimenez opened the door slightly, and peeked to the room. Behind the doc Eli's parents were standing. Fiona rolled her eyes thinking not the doc again.
"Can we come in?" Doctor Jimenez asked.
"Yeah," Eli said.
"How is baby boy feeling?" Cece asked who followed the doc and held Bullfrog's hand.
"I'm fine. Can I go home today?" Eli asked, and they all looked each other. "Please, there is nothing wrong with me." - Eli begged.
"I guess if you really want to," Doctor Jimenez said after while hesitating. I just tell the nurse to give you the pain and antianxiety meds just in case. If you feel later on that there is anything wrong with you then come back.
"Mr. and Mrs. Goldsworthy are you okay with that?" the doc asked.
"Oh God, yes" Cece said.
"Please both of adults come with me to my office," Doctor Jimenez said, and all three stepped out.
"Fiona, where is the bathroom here?" Eli asked.
"It's around the corner. I'll be back, let me check on Declan and Clare.
"Once Eli locked the door to the bathroom, he leaned in front of the sink to catch his breath. At one moment, he almost fainted. Again he started to feel the same pain in his muscles like they were on fire. Just put yourself together Eli, he thought. I'm just sore, it will go away. All I need is to get home and rest in my bed.
Fiona put a lot of work to make her living room look beautiful for dinner. The whole apartment was gorgeous that day with lots of red, yellow, and white roses. It was a small event, but important to her because she wanted everyone to take off their minds from the latest events, and investigation that was still ongoing. There were all exhausted from all that drama around them.
"My life is a living hell since parents came in from France. I can't even look dad in the eyes anymore,' Declan said in depressed voice.
"Just give them some time. They'll get over it eventually. Trust me," Fiona said who looked beautiful that day in her little black dress.
"I am glad that you're still talking to me," Declan said with optimism in his voice.
Eli and Clare came in. Clare went over to Declan and kissed him.
"Hi," Eli said. "Grounded?" He weakly asked, and turned his head to Declan.
"For eternity," Declan sadly said.
"Princess those are the flowers for Mrs. Coyne. Do you have a vase around?' Eli asked, and he handed Fiona the flowers.
"Yeah, in the kitchen," she said, and walked out.
"Is the prince of darkness trying here to make a good impression on my parents?" Declan joked.
There all heard a metal object hit the floor. Clare picked up the keys to the car, and gave it to Eli.
"Are you okay?" Clare asked.
"Just nervous," Eli said.
They all sat down to the table with Mr. and Mrs. Coyne, and had a good time. After few glasses of wine, they all got more comfortable joking and talking except for Eli who was unusually very quiet. In the middle of the dinner Declan got up to give the toast.
"To my awesome friend Eli…" Declan stopped in the middle of the sentence.
Eli got up from the chair, and walked away. Everyone was speechless for a minute then Fiona went after Eli. She caught up to him in the middle of the hallway.
"Eli what's wrong? Why did you leave?" Fiona asked who grabbed him by the arm.
Eli turned around and faced her, but didn't utter a single word just kept staring at her.
"Are you upset with Declan?"-She asked.
"Are you upset with me?" Fiona asked again, but got no response from Eli.
Have my parents say something that offended you? She kept asking.
Finally, she grabbed him by both shoulders, and shook him then let go of him. No response again. Eli just kept standing, and staring at her with the huge green eyes. He looked wraithlike pale. Fiona took a step back, and looked at his face again. Eli's face was getting pallor with every second until he was white like a ghost, and his pupils got so big that the color of his eyes changed from green to black. Fiona stood in one place until she saw Eli's body dropped with full force on the floor.
"Eli!" Fiona screamed so loud that her parents came rushing to her.
"Damian. Call the ambulance and Eli's parents," Laura said to her husband.
"What happened?" She asked her daughter.
Fiona got so hysterical that she didn't make any sense anymore. She grabbed Eli's hand. "Wake up! Wake up!" she kept yelling.
"Don't worry Mrs. Coyne. I'll take care of her," Clare said who grabbed Fiona by both shoulders and took her to the room.