Chapter 44

Sometime in the night Missy and the nurse helped Mindy back to the cot, the hospital would not allow her and Mark to share a bed no matter how "right" it felt to them. Mark slept through it all and Mindy nearly did.

When Mark awoke an orderly was bringing breakfast in and his parents were there. Commander Lewis had gone back to the waiting room until the rest of the crew arrived, and Mindy was still asleep on the fold down.

"How do you feel Mark?" His mother asked.

"Bad. Better than I did, but bad."

"Good morning Dr Watney" the orderly said. "I'm supposed to tell you to eat what you can if you have any appetite. Your nurse will be in to see you in a few minutes, and I think your doctors are coming around at nine." To assist him with eating the orderly showed him how to raise the bed to an almost sitting position, and it hurt his abs just to do that.

"Thanks." Breakfast was just hospital food, so much like NASA food, only blander. Still Mark was quite famished and ate it all, even the jello. His parents caught him up as best they could on his medical situation, mainly his mother wept about how good it was that he was getting better and his father told him what Chris had told them. Mindy slept through it all.

"Mindy must be really tired" Mark said as he looked at her curled up in a ball on the cot.

"She hasn't left your side. Mark, I think she's a keeper."

"Yeah, I kinda figured that out on my own mom." He smiled. "So when did you guys get here?"

"Wednesday night, you were in surgery." His father answered.

"Why? You didn't have to fly in jus..."

"Mark. They thought you might be dying. Where else would we be?"

"Dying? What?"

His parents looked at each other confused, then his father spoke again. "I thought they told you all that last night when you woke up. Yeah your fever was through the roof and you were seizing, and other than that, they couldn't find anything wrong with you."

Just then Chris walked in.

"Sorry, I was outside and over heard. Yeah Mark, we finally did a body scan and we found the cyst down where the antenna stabbed you. By then you were pretty wrecked. How do you feel now?

"Bad."

"Right. Could you be more specific?"

"Well, I hurt everywhere and, uh, that's about it. Really sore. And my side is killing me, I guess that's where they did surgery?"

"Your temp is back to normal, it came down yesterday. The soreness is probably residual from the seizures, and yeah, the surgical team went in right where your scar was. The good news is that pathology has cleared you for radiation damage and we found no cancerous cells in the wall of the cyst or the surrounding tissues. There were some concerns about Martian particulates being embedded in your original wound. You've been on an antibiotic drip since the surgery and your blood is looking better. Your white count is falling, so we think you will make a full recovery. You will have some testing this afternoon to make sure there is no neurological damage from your fever, but so far everything looks fine. But you're taking the next week off, then I'll decide if you need another one. Got it?"

"Uh, well, we have the school visit, when is it scheduled for?"

"Friday. I haven't decided if you're going or not. We can move it back another week."

"Uh well"

"I've already gotten Teddy's approval to have Martha ignore any scheduling instructions from you until they are cleared by me." Chris said.

"No argument from me, at least not yet." Mark smiled.

"I'm serious Mark. You could have died. You're taking time off. If you won't listen to me, Teddy will order it. Understand?"

"Got it, and thanks. The Commander said you put off the wedding, you shouldn't have done that."

"I didn't. Beth did. I just didn't argue with her about it." Chris grinned. "So, I'm going to get you something for the soreness and leave you guys alone. The crew is all in the waiting area and want to see you, plus Annie and Teddy are here. And a zillion reporters. We had a press conference Wednesday night and haven't told them much since except that you were resting and had not awakened after surgery. We have to clear up a few misconceptions this morning, but Annie will go over all that with you. Do I have your permission to go over the medical stuff with them?"

"Sure, whatever you and Annie need to do. Try to blame that jerk congressman from Colorado." Mark smiled.

"Annie has already nixed that idea since the public is doing that on their own. The nurse will come in a few to help you shower Mark. Trust me. You need a shower. Why don't we let them talk guys?"

"I was thinking the same thing. Mark we brought some pajamas from your house for you, and a toothbrush and such." Alice said.

"Talk? Who? Me and the nurse?" Mark asked in his confusion.

"No Mark" his father said as he stood with Alice and pointed to Mark's left.

The prettiest girl he knew was seated on the cot and looking at him with the most amazing brown eyes he had ever see.

"Hey" Mark smiled.

"I don't want to talk" Mindy said as she rose, then sat on the bed and wrapped her arms around Mark. Until the nurse arrived to help Mark with the bathroom and shower they just held each other and didn't say a word.

"I love you." Mark whispered to Mindy just as the nurse came in.

"When you get out we're going home and I'm going to take care of you until you are well. We're not doing anything else. We'll just lay on the couch, watch TV and get fat. I'll cook and clean and do all that stuff and you will rest. Understand?"

"Truthfully I should argue but I hurt too bad."

"Mrs Watney, I'm going to help your husband for a bit if you could give us the room. I'll let you know when to come back, okay?" The nurse kindly asked.

"Uh, okay, but... uh, we're not married... yet, so"

"Oh, you must be. Dr Beck has you listed as Mrs Watney. Mrs Mindy Watney. You know only family is allowed to stay in the patient's rooms over night here don't you?" She grinned.

"Hmm" She said as she hugged Mark one more time, "I kind of like being Mrs Watney." Mindy giggled.

"It suits you." Mark grinned.

"Mark, I'm going to have daddy run me home so I can take a shower and get cleaned up, is that okay?"

"Oh sure. You... well, its always great waking up and seeing you there. Take your time, I'll be fine."

"Well your folks are here to keep you company, and, oh. Yeah, our parents know about our living arrangement now. They were surprisingly cool about it."

"That's good, now scoot, I have to use the bathroom."

Another kiss and she was out the door.

It normally took Mark 15 minutes to get ready to face the day, but on this morning it was more like an hour.