Thanks Anna and mentalistlover for believing in my work and reviewing almost every chapter of the "Red Daze" series. Thanks to xanderseye, lightrain, Krows Scared, and BlueDiamondStar for the latest reviews.
AN: I hope Dr. Seuss doesn't mind a few quotes from "The Cat in the Hat".
Chapter 11
We Did Nothing
Mattie retrieved one of the kitchen chairs, setting it close the bedside. She settled in with her Kindle and book light. His breathing slowed, but she was not foolish enough to believe he was sleeping. After twenty minutes, she put the ice packs back in the freezer and peeked in on Mr. Jane. He hadn't moved. She left the door partially open and turned on the hallway light.
In the guest room, she changed into her pajamas, spreading her housecoat along the foot of the bed. A small slither of hallway light gave her peace of mind that any sounds from the master bedroom would easily wake her.
Jane lay in the small amount of illumination from the hallway waiting for Mattie to fall asleep. His mind twisted and turned to calculating the ripple effect of his evolving plan.
Daddy, read me a bedtime story.
Jane pulled the extra pillow close to his side and sighed. He remembered every word of his daughter's books.
The sun did not shine. It was too wet to play. So we sat in the house. All that cold, cold, wet day.
I sat there with Sally. We sat there, we two. And I said, "How I wish We had something to do!"
Too wet to go out And too cold to play ball. So we sat in the house. We did nothing at all.
He gently stroked the soft pillow as if his daughter was at his side.
His eyes drifted closed as a solitary tear drifted away.
Mattie's phone alarm pulled her out of a deep sleep. The cold wind pounded upon the walls of the condominium. She sat up and rubbed her eyes attempting to focus in the dim light. It was time to check Mr. Jane and see if the swelling went down. Grabbing her bathrobe, she padded into the lit hallway. The master bedroom was completely silent. She looked at the bed. There was an empty impression where he once laid, the covers strewn about.
She heard a small murmur. Her charge was huddled in the corner of the room shaking violently. Instinctually, she knelt beside him and pulled him into a hug.
He melted into the warm body holding him. She whispered softly. "I know, I understand."
For a brief moment, he gave into the comfort. She felt his body shudder then stiffen. He pulled away looking at the floor. "I… like the couch better." She helped him to stand up, studying his demeanor.
"Why, the couch?"
He sought her eyes and needed her to know. "Because, it's not a bed!"
Mattie understood completely. Her son died at the age of five from leukemia. No parent really recovered from the loss of a child. Her marriage dissolved. When she tried to sleep in their large bed, the emptiness was too much. The couch had been her solace as well. How many years did she sleep on the couch? She finally moved on and slept in a normal bed when her husband remarried and she felt the call to comfort the sick.
In the dim light, a large smile crossed her face. "Thank ya, Captain Obvious."
She helped him to the couch. In his condition, he should be in a hospital, not lying on a narrow couch. "Mr. Jane, this isn't helping ya, but I understand."
"Mattie, are you a certified health care professional?"
"Most certainly, Mr. Jane."
"Being my medical care giver, you understand the laws of confidentiality."
She nodded and caught the importance of his statement. She felt his stare and met his eyes. "Yes."
He reached out and held her hand, a small smile on his face. "Then I trust you not to share my aversion to beds."
"Nuh said, I'll not tell a soul, but ya know your friends are more informed than I. They may figure it out, but I promise, it won't come from me."
"I trust you to keep your observations to yourself." He let go of her hand.
She let go. This man had no idea how translucent he could be.
She let him sleep on the couch but insisted on icing his damaged shoulders. He didn't resist, he took it all in stride.