Well, here's the next chapter. I know you readers had to wait awhile on this one, and I'm sorry about that. I got pretty busy with life. Anyway, hope you enjoy it!
On Friday afternoon, Bill leaves work and has a nagging feeling in the back of his mind. He senses that something is wrong with Sharon. As he starts to drive to her condo, he pulls out his cell phone and tries to call her, worried when she doesn't answer. He pulls up to her apartment complex and quickly makes his way in, riding up the elevator and knocking on her door.
The door opens to reveal a shaky, weak Sharon. She smiles and says distantly, "Hello Bill." Then she passes out and collapses into his arms.
Bill catches her just as she falls and he tenderly picks her up in his strong arms. His knees groan as his old age protests. He pushes the door closed with his back and then carries Sharon to her bedroom, laying her down gently on her bed. He pulls the afghan over her and then sits down on the side of her bed, taking her wrist in his hand and checking her pulse. He looks at his watch and sees that her pulse is low. Hoping that nothing is seriously wrong, he remembers that she'd had another chemotherapy treatment today. He lowers her hand back to her side and figures that she probably just has low blood sugar. She may have been vomiting so she could be dehydrated as well. He walks out of her bedroom and into her kitchen knowing that there has to be candy somewhere, there is a teenager who lives in this house. This reminds him of Rusty and he wonders why he is not here. He rustles through a few of the drawers and finally finds a few peppermints. He takes them out of the drawer and then pours a glass of juice. He walks back to her bedroom and sees her eyes fluttering open. Bill puts the glass and mints on her bedside table and then sits down on the side of her bed, taking her hand in his.
"What happened?" Sharon says, her eyes open and focused on Bill.
"You passed out and collapsed into my arms. You probably have low blood sugar. Were you vomiting earlier?"
"Yes," Sharon says quietly.
"Then you're probably dehydrated as well. Where's Rusty?"
"I sent him out for the night. He asked me if he could stay at a friend's house for the night and I said it was okay. Not to sound mad, but why are you here?"
"Oh, that will probably be good for him. He can have some time to let go of the worry. I, uhm, had a nagging feeling when I got off of work. I just felt like something was wrong."
"Well, I appreciate you coming over. I could be lying on the floor right now with blood draining from my head."
"Yes, it is a good thing. Now, why don't we try to get your blood sugar back up and get some fluids in you? Drink this glass of juice and then suck on this mint." He helps her sit up and take small, careful sips of the juice, keeping a firm grip on the glass because Sharon's hands are shaking. He puts the glass back on the table and then hands the mint to her. She unwraps it and pops it into her mouth.
"Do you think you're up to eating something?" Bill asks when she is done sucking on the mint.
"Yeah, I think I can keep something down," Sharon replies.
"Well, I'm going to go start dinner then," Bill says in an obvious tone.
"Oh really? Are you planning on taking care of me?" Sharon says with a flirty smile plastered on her face.
"Yes, I am, for the night," Bill says, seeing the surprise on Sharon's face. "I have to make sure you're going to be okay."
It surprises Bill when she doesn't object. "Alright," Sharon says slyly. "But before you start making dinner, can you bring me a wet wash cloth? I have a major headache."
"Sure, I can do that," Bill says. He squeezes her hand tightly and then rests it on the bed. He turns off her lights and then goes to the kitchen to dampen a washcloth. He takes it back to her, lies it down on Sharon's forehead, and hears her whisper, "Thank you." Without thinking, he leans down and places a gentle kiss on her lips. He leaves the room as a small smile graces her lips.
As Sharon rests, Bill learns his way around her kitchen. He starts making Chicken Pot Pie and just as he finishes, he feels her arms snake their way around his middle. He feels her rest her head against his shoulder blade as she says, "You look so normal in my kitchen, it's odd, but nice."
"I'm glad. Well, dinner is almost ready. Do you think you can set the table?"
"Yeah, I can," Sharon replies. She sets the table and pours two glasses of water. As she sits down at the table, Bill brings over the food and then serves it. They both begin to eat.
"How are you feeling and how did your week go?" Bill says, making conversation.
"I'm feeling better; the juice helped quite a bit. My week went well. We had a case that I got caught up on. We had a man that was killed and three people admitted to killing him. Eventually, we found the connection and caught the real man behind it all. It was nice to be back."
"I'm sure it was. But it seems as though you pushed yourself a bit too much."
Sharon forcefully places her fork down on her plate. "Bill, don't start with me. I get it from Rusty and I get it from my team, I can't get it from you too," Sharon says. She then sighs and says, "I'm sorry, Bill. I…" She shakes her head and looks down at her plate, continuing to eat silently.
Once Sharon finishes, she stands up from the table, puts her dishes away, and walks off to her room. Tears well in her eyes as she closes the door behind her. She walks into her bathroom and also closes that door. She collapses against the door in a fit of tears and slides down to the floor.
As Sharon closes the door behind her, Bill flinches at the loud noise. He shakes his head in anger at himself. He cleans up the dishes and just as he is about to sit down on the couch, he hears Sharon vomiting. He quickly walks into her room and then quietly opens her bathroom door. He sees her leaning over the toilet, throwing up the contents of her stomach. He slowly sits down on the floor behind her and gathers her hair in his hand to get it out of her face. He then starts rubbing her back in circular motions. "Just breathe, Sharon." He feels her start to cry underneath his hand, feels her body start to tremble. He tears off some toilet paper and hands it to her so she can wipe her mouth.
She throws the toilet paper in the toilet as he reaches over her to flush it.
He rests his hand on her back as he sits back down behind her. He wraps his arms around her and lightly pulls her body back against his chest.
She leans back and relaxes completely against Bill. Her tears are slowly falling down her cheeks as she brings her hand up to wipe underneath her eyes. She takes a deep breath and then turns her head to rest against Bill's chest. Her tears begin to soak the front of his shirt.
He rubs her back as he tightly embraces her. "It's alright, Sharon," he says as he presses a kiss to her forehead. "Don't worry, I'm here. Why don't we get you in the bath?" He feels her nod against his chest.
Bill slowly releases her from his embrace and then uses the wall as a support to stand. He walks over to the bathtub and turns the water on, filling the bathtub with warm water. As the bathtub fills, he helps Sharon slowly stand to her feet.
He is about to leave the bathroom as Sharon stands to undress when she wraps her hand around his wrist and says, "Stay, please."
Bill slowly turns around and takes in Sharon's gorgeous, naked form. "Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm positive," Sharon says, completely sure of herself.
Bill helps Sharon step into the tub and she slowly sits down, relaxing against the hot water. The hot water allows her muscles to release their tension. She motions for Bill to come into the water with her. He begins to rid himself of his clothes.
As he walks over to the tub, Sharon leans forward and he slips in behind her. She moves back against his chest and he can feel her relax against him. He rests his hands on her shoulders and begins to massage her neck and her upper arms, feeling her relax into his touch. She lets out a moan as he kneads a knot out of her neck. His hands move up into her hair as he begins to lightly massage her scalp, willing her to release the stress. As he massages her scalp, he slowly pulls and a clump of gorgeous, auburn hair comes out. He gasps silently and continues to hold it in his hand.
"You stopped. It felt so good," Sharon says.
When he doesn't answer, she slightly turns toward him. She looks down at what he is looking at and sharply breathes in. "Oh," she says and tears fill her eyes. She releases a small sob and then turns back around, resting her head on Bill's chest. She releases a sob, one after another, cries wracking her body.
Bill moves his mouth towards her ear and whispers, "You are beautiful, Sharon, and nothing will ever change that."
"But I'm losing my hair. I feel like I'm not in control of myself anymore. I don't feel attractive anymore," Sharon says, in between quick breaths.
"But you are, Sharon. You are extremely attractive. And you are not losing all of your hair; it's just a little bit. Sharon, you are a breathtaking woman," Bill says, holding Sharon tight to him.
Sharon looks up at him and says quietly, "Are you sure about that?" She looks into his eyes and sees them turning a different color. They become a stormy blue with passion. As something inside of her clicks, she turns around in his arms and he wraps his arms around her. She leans her head back as Bill trails his lips down the middle of her chest. Her eyes flutter shut as he silently answers her question in actions. A tear releases from her eye as Bill presses a kiss to her collar bone, then to her neck, then to her forehead, and then to her lips. As he is about to release her lips, she brings up her hand and grasps the back of his neck, making sure that he can't stop.
"Sharon, why don't we move this out to a more comfortable place?"
She releases a deep breath and quietly says, "Sure."
He stands up out of the tub and then helps Sharon up. He hands her a towel and they both dry off. He wraps his towel around his waist and just as she wraps her towel around herself, he picks her up. He hears her gasp in surprise and then he carries her out of the bathroom and lays her down on her bed. Sharon slowly takes her towel off and wraps her arms around Bill's back, bringing him down on the bed with her. She takes off his towel and throws it across the room. He presses his lips to hers and slowly flips the covers over them both. He focuses on her and memorizes every curve of her body and every little thing about her that he loves.
As she wraps her arms around his neck, he leans down and gives her a passionate kiss. Tears fill her eyes and Bill notices.
"I'm sorry, Sharon. I shouldn't have done this."
"No, no it's not that. It's just, I haven't been treated like this in so long. I've missed it. You've taught me how to love again and how to be a woman. Thank you," Sharon whispers.
Bill gives her a kiss and then slips himself inside of her.
Hope you enjoyed it! As always, reviews are appreciated!