Hope you're all staying healthy and safe! Here's the next chapter. Enjoy.
Chapter 9: Aʻohe mea i hele e like me ka hoʻolālā. (Nothing ever goes as planned)
Catherine had just finished pouring herself a glass of wine with a relaxed sigh. She took a sip, closing her eyes allowing her tongue to get immersed in the flavor. She looked over the spread she had put on the table.
She had made steak. One of Steve's favorite foods to eat. And she had made sure to make it well done because she knew he liked it best that way. She also steamed some vegetables adding some spices to the pan. Each plate had a side of an assortment of different colors of veggies along with a big slab of steak.
Catherine made sure to give Steve the bigger piece. There was also a big bowl full of purple, green mixed lettuce and tomatoes glistening with oil sitting between the two plates. And two glasses of dark red wine waited beside the plates.
She was hungry, but she would wait for him just as she had done in the past and just as she would do now. She knew Steve worked long hours. Today being no exception. She was more than ready for him to come home now so she could listen to him and be near him. She loved him, but their jobs made it difficult for them to be together.
Pushing these saddening thoughts aside, she put the final touches to the meal, lighting a candle that was positioned right in the middle of the table. She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear as she reaches for the candle. The vanilla bean scent tickled her nose with its warm, inviting smell as she brought it to life.
It was supposed to be a romantic dinner and she had gone all out for their final meal together. Tomorrow she had to leave him again and she tried to not think about it. They wouldn't even have the following morning together because she had to go back to her assignment bright and early.
The past two days hadn't gone as planned. Steve had come home late both nights and was too exhausted to do anything else. But even when he tried to sleep, he couldn't. He would jolt upright in the bed waking her. Come to think of it she hadn't gotten much sleep herself.
They hadn't even unwinded together and she had wanted too the first night when the excitement of seeing eachother again was ignited. But he had been exhausted. They had ended up curled up on the couch, watching a movie with a pizza, but Steve fell asleep before the movie ended.
The second day hadn't gone much better. They had thought they had the morning, but Steve's phone buzzed and Catherine sighed knowing it was work. When he came home at ungodly hours again, she watched him drag his feet into the kitchen, pop a few aspirin, and head right upstairs.
She didn't even have to ask. She knew when he had a headache. The way his eyes squinted when he looked at her. The long inhales he took trying to breath through the pulsing pain in his head. She knew. And she just smiled, followed him upstairs, climbed under the blankets, and read a book. It didn't matter the circumstances. She just wanted to be with him.
She was worried about him. He hadn't been acting the same when she arrived. He seemed distracted and unfocused. He had been forgetting simple everyday things. She had figured he was just tired, but a nagging feeling told her it was much more than that.
He was always being plagued by an awful headache every night and his restless nights had only added to her worry. He would wake up, drenched in sweat and pretty shaken up by whatever dream had plagued him. He wasn't eating much either. She noticed that right away.
Whenever he went on his usual run or swam a few laps, he would come back inside, hungry as a bear, searching for the best source of protein. But lately he had just been grabbing a bottle of water and popping aspirin like they were Pez.
She found that out one night when she snuck in the kitchen to look at the bottle of pills Steve had grown rather close to these past few days. She studied the label for a while, but then a noise upstairs caught her attention so she put the pills back and forgot about them.
She had only seen him take them once before work, but she knew he was taking way more because the bottle was lighter each night.
She figured he took it to work with him and she felt it wasn't her place to say anything, but she would worry. She even tried to ask him how he was feeling subtly. But he would just brush her off and give her his charming smile and tell her he was fine.
Catherine could tell when he was putting on an act, but decided to just go along with it because she knew it would only frustrate him with her constant worrying and questioning.
He hated being smothered and though she restrained hard against it, the thought of Steve hurt or not feeling well overpowered her senses and turned her into a smothering girlfriend.
She wasn't clingy by any means and she knew Steve was grateful for that. But when she knew that he wasn't feeling well or downplaying an injury, she couldn't help but want to be by his side and help him at any moment.
He had apologized both nights knowing how their reunions normally went and was annoyed at his exhaustion ruining his plans with her as well. But she just kissed him on the forehead and told him that she was just happy being with him. And that was the complete truth.
She had to be near him. It didn't feel right to waste time being separated so even when their plans didn't work out, she still wanted to be close to him all the time.
She had been on leave for three days. She had earned some paid time off and anytime she got the chance to escape from sea, she would run to Steve with open arms. It gave her such peace and she felt so special that he would always be there for her and always be hers.
Maybe that's why she had made such an extravagant spread. Perhaps she had over done it, but the cooking had kept her mind off Steve. She had curled her hair and even put on a nice white blouse that had ruffles going down the sleeves with a necklace he had given her when they had started dating.
She fingered the necklace, a smile forming on her face as she thought about how nervous and adorable he was when he had given that to her. It was a simple piece of jewelry with a silver heart pendant that had a ribbon wrapped around the heart. The chain was silver and matched the design perfectly.
When he had gotten it for her, she was shocked at how he managed to find something that she adored and would adore for years to come. She had never hinted to him about liking jewelry or even wore much when they were around each other. But he had picked the most perfect piece that was simple and yet elegant at the same time.
He was nervous that the gift was too soon of a gesture and he was afraid that she wouldn't even like it. And when he voiced those concerns to her, she fell in love with him even more. It had shown her how thoughtful and attentive he was to her because she learned in that moment that Steve paid attention to the little details.
With an anxious sigh, Steve was immediately back in her mind. She glanced over at the clock. It was late and he still wasn't home. She hoped the food wouldn't get cold.
She started cleaning up around the kitchen to keep her mind busy. She washed dishes, threw away some garbage that had built up during her cooking frenzy, and put some unnecessary condiments back in the fridge.
She froze in place when she heard the door shut closed. Her mind jumped and her heart started beating faster and faster as she knew it could only be one person. The only one person she couldn't stop thinking about.
"Steve?"
She wiped the water dripping from her hands on a small blue towel and made her way around the counter to meet him in the living room.
She saw him leaning against the door, his hands on his face for a moment before he pulled them away. When he revealed his face, she had to hold back the gasp of fear. Steve didn't look like Steve. He looked distressed and completely worn down.
His eyes were dark and distant. The bluish grey eyes that normally held so much light and passion were now dull and glassy. His back was hunched and his shoulders slumped.
The normal tan glow that his face was blessed with was replaced with a greyish pale tone that made him appear to age within seconds. His black shirt creased over his tan cargo pants and folded up over his holster.
His hands were shaking slightly and she could see in the dim light the odd coloring on one of his hands. The veins seemed to be stretched to their full length as he drew his hands to uncover his face.
"Catherine."
"You look surprised." She said, noting his expression.
"I just didn't think you would still be here."
"Hoping?" Catherine asked tentatively, biting her lip.
With the way Steve had been acting, she felt she was more in the way rather than being a comfort to him.
"No, of course not." He walked over to her and held her arms in his hands and kissed her gently. His headache still ached behind his head, but he felt relief for a moment when he saw her. She made him forget the pain.
She kissed him back and laced her arms around his neck trying to make the kiss last longer, but Steve ended it much to her dismay.
He looks into her eyes and she looks up at him and smiles. His eyes squint as he stares at her, the headache throbbing dully behind his eye.
"How was your day?" She asks him, resting her hands on his shoulders, refusing to let go of him.
"Long."
"I'm sorry." She replies with sympathy in her tone. She knew he worked such long days and that it often left him burned out.
"It's alright." He flashes his charming smile that makes her weak in the knees and tries to change the subject.
"Something smells good." He turns his head, directing his attention over to the kitchen.
"Yeah I made dinner for us."
"You didn't have to."
"I wanted to."
Steve smiles at her and she smiles back at him, admiring his handsome face.
"Thanks." He replies softly.
He meant it too. He knew it had taken her a lot of time and work. It made him fall in love with her even more.
He had barely been eating and barely had time for her. But that would change. He would make sure to spend as much time with her as possible once he finished this case.
"C'mon let's eat. We don't want the food to get cold." Catherine says, and starts walking towards the kitchen, but Steve says something that stops her cold in her tracks.
"I'm sorry Cath."
She spins around and faces him, giving him her full attention and lets him continue to speak.
"I'm sorry these past few days haven't gone as planned. That our plans have been ruined. That…. I ruined our plans, but I promise you once I'm finished with this case, I'll take you out for a nice dinner. I'll have this case wrapped up and we'll spend some time together this weekend. I promise."
Catherine releases a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding and could tell by the tone in his voice that he had felt terrible about how he had been acting. She didn't have the heart to push him down further, but she couldn't lie to him either.
"I-I can't." She stutters out and looks down.
He stands there for a moment dumbstruck and then walks over to her. His eyes fixed on her.
"What do you mean you can't?"
"I'm leaving…... tomorrow." She says after a pause. It hurt her so much to say. She hated leaving him.
"Tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow morning."
"What?" Steve asks in disbelief.
Catherine studies him and notes his tone of voice. He genuinely sounded confused. But why? She had told him already how long she would be there.
How could he have forgotten? How could he forget? Was that why he was acting so strange? Had he actually forgotten about her? She arches his eyebrows confused and speaks again, but can't help but wince at how irritated she sounds.
"I told you I was on leave for only three days when I first arrived. And you forgot?"
"No, well maybe...but Catherine these past few days have been really busy for me."
"So you did forget?" Catherine asks tentatively, biting her lip.
Steve pauses trying to find an answer.
"Yes, but c'mon Catherine you told me this two days ago! I'm supposed to remember that?" Steve asks, getting rather irritated himself.
"You've never forgotten before! You always know when I'm coming and how long we have until I have to go back to assignment. And your saying this time, this one time out of how many years, you forgot? You never forget anything Steve. Especially when it comes to me." Catherine grounds out, now realizing she was quite more angry during these past few days then she realized and now it was all bursting out of her.
Steve winces at the tone in Catherine's voice. Oh no, had he forgotten her? No, that was something he would never do. He always made sure to make the most out of the short time they had whenever she visited or vice versa.
He had to admit to himself that he was burying himself into his work, into this case. But had he forgotten the most special woman in his life?
He chances a look at her face. Her eyebrows were knitted together on her forehead and he could see the tension in her jaw. Her eyes were searching his eyes for an answer in agonizing silence. Oh no, he had forgotten her.
He realizes the only thing, the only smart thing to do is apologize once again.
"I'm really sorry Cath." His shoulders slump defeated and he kept his eyes on his feet.
Catherine watches his change in demeanor and her face softens instantly. She can tell that he's extremely sorry for forgetting her and blowing her off for work these past few days.
He looks up at her, suddenly hopeful when an idea pops in his mind.
"I'll make it up to you Cath! We'll eat and then we can go upstairs and make up for all the time I've lost. Just you and me!" Steve pleads with her, hoping that would fix everything.
He knew he hadn't lived up to their normally active reunions. He hoped that would make her happy. And he hoped that was the answer she wanted. Although with the constant pounding in his head, he wasn't even sure he would be able to live up to what he had just said.
Catherine juts her chin out, looking more angry than before and Steve gulps.
"Damn it Steve! It's not about sex!" She barks out loudly.
Steve can't help getting startled by her harsh tone, knowing immediately he had said the wrong thing.
He looks down at the ground and curls within himself. He keeps his arms to his sides and hunches his back.
Catherine sighs, the anger escaping her as quickly as it had come and walks over to him.
She reaches out a hand and cups his cheek. His eyes look up at her and she runs her thumb softly up and down his cheek.
"Oh Steve, it's okay. I'm not mad at you. I'm just really worried about you." She finally admits. The subtle approach wasn't working. She had to let him know. She had to tell him how much he had been worrying her.
He takes a shaky breath and stares at her, but doesn't say anything.
She takes her hand away from his face, the warmth from her hand leaving him cold and lost.
"You don't need to worry about me Cath."
"But I do."
"But you don't have to. I can take care of myself." He reassures her.
She stays silent and Steve gets a whiff of the food coming from the kitchen.
"Now c'mon I can tell you put a lot of work into dinner so let's just enjoy it. I'm here now and I'm not going anywhere." He walks past her towards the kitchen, hoping he has directed her attention off examining him.
She watches him look over the table and smiles, seeing him admiring her work.
"Wow Catherine, this looks amazing! And it smells amazing too." Steve's eyes light up as he takes in the spread.
He knew this had taken her a lot of time and effort. And although he could feel the uneasiness in his stomach just by staring at the food, he knew he had to say something to let her know how much he appreciated it.
The white glazed candle, the assortment of food with different colors, and the wine glasses. He quirks an eyebrow at that. Maybe his idea earlier hadn't been that far off.
Catherine blushes like a school girl and makes her way over to the table. She watches Steve take his seat and she just shakes her head, unable to stay mad at him. She sits down across from him. Maybe they could talk once they got some food in their stomachs.
Catherine cuts into the steak with her knife, takes a bite and moans from the taste.
"Mmm."
Steve glances up at her and smiles weakly. Then he looks down at his own plate. The vegetables were sautéed and looked delicious. The smell alone was incredibly enticing, but his stomach had other plans.
This was so unfair. It was his favorite food. Normally a steak like this would have made his mouth water, but now it only made his stomach churn. He could feel the bile rising in his throat and swallowed hard.
Catherine notices that he hasn't touched his food when she takes a sip from her glass and eyes him.
"I made it just the way you like."
"I know." Steve smiles and grabs his fork and attempts to poke the steak, but his stomach groans and the fork falls short and taps the plate instead.
Catherine continues eating and can't help but let her eyes gaze on him.
"Steve?"
He looks up at her and can see the hurt in her eyes.
"I'm sorry Cath. It looks really good. But I guess I'm just...not hungry." He sets his fork down and sighs.
He felt awful for how he had been acting. And she had clued him in on how he was making her feel. And now he couldn't even eat the meal she had prepared just for him. He felt even more sick than his stomach was currently making him feel.
"Again?"
"What do you mean "again?"
"This is the second time you've refused to eat. You didn't touch any of the pizza or the eggs I made this morning."
Catherine had noticed Steve wasn't eating when she first arrived and they had ordered a pizza since she had come in so late in the evening.
Normally, Steve would have scarfed the pizza down, but this time he barely took two bites out of one slice. She had ended up throwing the pizza out, unable to eat all of it by herself.
The next morning she made him eggs, but he didn't touch any of it, but she knew he was late for work so she let it slide.
But now this time, she wasn't going to let it slide.
"I just wasn't hungry."
"For two days?"
"My mind's just been on work, but it'll be over soon."
"So you refuse to eat? You've had hard cases before and that didn't stop you from eating."
"This case is different, but don't worry. Once it's over, everything will go back to normal."
Then Steve stands up, swaying on his feet a little and pushes his chair in.
His unsteadiness doesn't go unnoticed from Catherine, but she doesn't say anything and puts her mouth in a firm line.
"You think this is normal? You not eating and not sleeping! That's normal?" Catherine anxiously questions, forgetting her plate and pushes her chair in and follows him into the living room.
"I told you it's just this case!" Steve argues and keeps walking to the couch.
Catherine rushes over to him and grabs his arm roughly and spins her around to face him.
"No it's not just this case! It's you! I know something is wrong and you won't even tell me! Why won't you tell me? Why won't you let me in ever?" Catherine bursts out and blinks the angry tears away.
"Catherine it is just this case! I am fine!"
Once again he knows he has said the wrong thing when he sees the change in her face.
"That lie may work on your team mates, which we both know it doesn't, because they're worried about you too. And you know that lie doesn't work on me!" Catherine points a finger out, accusing him.
She knew how close he was with his team members at work and if she had noticed it, then they certainly had too.
"Catherine, I'm just tired. That's all it is. Just tired from this case. But I'm not sick. I feel fi…"
"You're not sleeping! You're barely eating! You're taking aspirin as if your life depends on it! Yeah, don't think I haven't noticed that."
She takes a sharp breath in.
You've been looking sick and you look like you're about to fall over right now…. Steve." Catherine cuts him off abruptly, unable to restrain herself from telling him all her concerns.
But as she keeps talking, she takes a long look at him. She watches his eyebrows raise when she mentions his pill taking. As if she wouldn't figure it out. She has to hesitate from scoffing at his facial expression.
Steve looks at her and sees her eyes watering and feels like he has been kicked in the gut.
He has caused this. These tears. These angry, painful words towards him. He feels completely sick with himself. He had never meant to hurt her. But he had.
He had admitted to himself that this case had overwhelmed him. He had never felt so strongly about a case like this in a long time. And knowing the promises he made and the threats he had given, he couldn't let this one go.
But he had hurt her. He was hurting her. Would it be so bad to give her his burdens?
He takes his thumb and gently wipes the fresh tears streaming down her cheeks.
"I'm so sorry Catherine."
He pauses a moment.
"I know you took time to make dinner and I'm sorry that I couldn't eat it. And I'm sorry I've been avoiding you. It's just this case. I don't know why, but I just can't shake it off."
"Then tell me about it. Please just tell me." She begs and looks into his eyes, pleading with him.
Steve stares at her and opens his mouth. But then he sways on his feet again.
She sees him wobble on his feet and it puts her into action. She holds out her arms, ready to catch him if he should fall.
"Steve!"
Steve manages to stay upright during his dizzy spell.
"I'm alright." He closes his eyes for a second before opening them again.
"Just let me sit down." Steve searches for the couch through blurry eyes. She notices his hesitation.
"I'll help you." She whispers.
Catherine wraps her arm through his and guides him over to the couch. He sits down with a groan and she sits down beside him and turns her body to face him.
"Guess these past few days have been a bust, huh?" Steve jokes lightly. He feels a little better when he sees her mouth turn up into a small smile.
"We've never been good at sticking to our plans."
"Yeah." Steve agrees and his eyes become distant as he stares blankly into space.
"Steve?"
He looks over at her.
"Just tell me."
Steve glances at her sincere expression. Then he leans over and rests his head in his hands, allowing the darkness to take over for a moment. He feels her hand rest on his back.
"Please." She says in a warm voice.
He straightens up and faces her.
"It started out just being a car accident on 10th avenue near Ana Kai Road." He says, noting her face when she recognizes the location he's talking about.
"An oncoming vehicle was hit. The first driver was a teenager. Probably in his early twenties. He was shot twice and the other driver was a woman. She had been injured from the impact. It seemed like a simple case. But then….it turned into a homicide."
Catherine draws in a sharp breath, knowing it was hard for Steve when people died. But she knew he had become immune to people dying. It was part of the job, but for some reason, whoever had died was having such an effect on Steve.
"Who died?" She asks softly, knowing by his reaction to the question that that was the part of the case he couldn't shake off.
"A little girl was in the backseat with the woman. Her daughter. Not even eight years old yet. Her name was Sophie."
"Oh no." Catherine coos more to herself. She didn't understand it. Why did things happen like this? Why did violence never end?
She sighs and reaches for his hand and holds it, stroking it gently with her thumb. She knew he blamed himself when things happened like this and she needed him to know it wasn't his fault.
"It's not your fault. You couldn't have stopped it. You couldn't have known."
Steve leans forward again, resting his elbows on his knees, keeping his eyes low.
"They were both unconscious when the paramedics took them in the ambulance. And when I finally got to see the mother….Catherine. I'll never forget the noises, the cries that came out of her when I had to tell her." Steve paused at her name, unable to contain the emotion overwhelming his voice.
His eyes held a haunted look as he flashed back to when he had to tell the mother that her child was dead.
Catherine stays quiet and still holds his hand, trying to comfort him with her warm touch. She knew for Steve that one of the hardest parts of the job was giving the news. As if seeing dead people wasn't enough.
"The kid had been shot. And when we went to the hospital to talk to him, he didn't even care Cath. He didn't even care." Steve's voice shakes with anger.
Catherine tightens her hold on his hand, hearing the anger in his tone. She gazes over at his other hand.
She had seen the bruises in the dull light when he had come home, but she didn't say anything. She figured he had gotten on someone's bad side. And often he came home with scratches and injuries from work. Or as Steve liked to call them "medals."
But when he came home she was just so happy he was back with her that she just forgot about it. But now putting what he said together, she realizes he inflicted those bruises upon himself.
"Is that why your hand looks like that?" She gestures over to his left hand he was hiding beside his leg.
"Yeah."
She lets go of his hand and reaches over to pull the other one to her, careful not to hurt him and examines it gently.
"Oh Steve." She murmurs. The bruising wasn't too bad, but it also didn't look good either.
"He deserved it Cath. Smug bastard." Steve mutters watching her gentle prodding of his hand.
"You stay there." Catherine orders with a soft motherly tone and gets up from the couch to grab him an ice pack.
She walks back over and sees his eyes drooping shut. She sits down beside him and places the ice pack on his hand gently. He groans still and she gives him a sympathetic look.
"Sorry."
"No I'm sorry."
Steve closes his eyes, relishing in the cold reaching deep into his aching wrist. Then he opens his eyes and looks at her.
You did all this work and have been so sweet and I've been such a jerk. I'm so sorry."
"Oh Steven, I'm used to you being a jerk." She jokes lightly and looks over and sees his mouth tug into a smirk.
He chuckles and can't contain the yawn that escapes him.
"You look so tired. Why don't you go to bed and I'll clean the kitchen and then I'll come upstairs and tuck you in?"
"Alright." Steve agrees and stands up. Catherine makes sure he doesn't stumble on his feet. Her fears were confirmed of Steve's well being when he didn't try to fight her.
They walk to the stairs together. Catherine stays behind him in case he needs her help. She knew it was much more than exhaustion, but it could wait until tomorrow. He needed rest.
"I'll be up soon." She manages to say and then leaves his side to put away the food and finish cleaning up somewhat. She didn't want to leave his side for too long, but she knew she couldn't leave the food out.
Steve watches her disappear around the corner, not wanting her to mother him. Then he grasps onto the rail and hates how much he has to rely on it to climb up the stairs. He walks up the steps slowly and walks into the bedroom.
He sits down on the bed with a groan and pulls off his shoes. He takes off his holster and sets it in the drawer by the nightstand. Slowly he brings his legs over and lays his head on the pillow. The mattress cushions his sore back and legs and he dozes off a few minutes later as soon as his head hits the pillow.
Catherine finishes scooping the vegetables into the container and sets it in the fridge. She sighs thinking of how perfect this night was supposed to be and how opposite it had turned out. But it wasn't all bad. At least he was home, safe with her.
She wiped the counter and set the towel down and made her way up the stairs and into the bathroom. She took her necklace off slowly, admiring her for a moment before putting it safely away. She took her makeup off and splashed some water on her face.
Then she turned off the bathroom light and made her way into the bedroom. When she walked in she couldn't help but smile at the sight before her. The man had fallen asleep over the covers still in his work clothes he had come home in. His shoes laid on the floor.
She admired his face as he slept and leaned down and kissed his forehead. She turned the light off on his side and the room became dark.
Then she took off her shirt and jeans and put on a comfortable pair of sweatpants and one of Steve's t-shirts. She crawled on the bed and was able to get under the blanket somewhat despite Steve laying on top of them. She didn't have the heart to wake him up. She turned on her side to face him and saw the tension leave his face, leaving him in a relaxed state. She laid a hand over her stomach and sighed as she felt the stress and anxiety leave her body as sleep took over her.
Steve woke with a start feeling extremely warm. His pulse was beating aggressively in his neck and he was drenched in his own sweat. He looked down and saw Catherine's arm over him. His stomach cried out in agony and he knew he had to relieve the pain somehow and laying still and doing nothing wasn't going to work.
He gently moved her arm off him and swung his legs over. The movement caused him to groan and he folded in half from the pain tormenting his stomach. He turned his head around making sure he hadn't woken her up.
When it stayed quiet, he sighed and got up, the bed shifting from losing the weight. He stumbled in the darkness and could feel the bile rising in his throat. His stomach was churning loudly now and he could hear his heart beating in his ears.
He finally made it to the door and moaned through the pain. He took sharp inhales through his nose feeling the nauseating feeling taking over him. He stumbled into the bathroom, not having enough strength to turn on the light. He barely made it to the toilet before dropping to his knees and retching violently.
He held onto the cool porcelain for dear life as waves of agony and nausea ran through him, causing him to release whatever he had managed to keep down. He kept heaving in the darkness.
Catherine sleepily stretched her arm out and she opened her eyes when she felt nothing. She saw that the other side of the bed was empty and sat up.
"Steve!" She called out in the darkness, wondering where he was.
When she got no reply, she swung her feet over and left the warmth of the bed.
"Steve?" She calls out again and makes her way over to turn on the lamp on the nightstand.
She turns on the lamp and hears the sound of retching. She runs out of the room faster than lightning and turns on the light in the bathroom.
"My god! Steve!" She cries out seeing him dry heaving over the toilet.
She grabs a towel and wets it under the sink and places it on his forehead. He moans out. He had sweat drips coming from his nose and running down his forehead. The sounds coming from him break her heart.
But she sees something in the toilet that propels her into action.
Blood.
Specks of blood in Steve's vomit.
"Oh god." She whispers to herself.
She holds the washcloth to his head still and he leans forward again as another wave of nausea hits him.
Catherine knew she had to leave him to get him help, but she couldn't tear herself away from him. But she knew he needed help more now than ever before.
"Steve, I'll be right back. I promise. I promise I'll be right back." She says through tears and rushes out of the room.
She runs into the bedroom and scrambles for her phone on the nightstand. She curses under her breath when she hears the phone clatter on the carpet.
"Damn- it! C'mon." She searches for the phone on the floor through tears and finally sees a glint from the screen under the bed. She stretches for it desperately and pulls it from under and dials 911.
The phone dials out and she rushes to get back into the bathroom to be by Steve's side. She sees him leaning against the toilet, his chest heaving up and down from the exertion. His eyes are squeezed shut. She flushes the toilet behind him and wraps an arm around him and leans her head into his. His ragged panting fills the room.
The ringtone seems to last an eternity until finally it beeps and an operator talks on the other line.
"911, what's your emergency?"
Alright, that's chapter 9! I hope you enjoyed it. It kind of escalated. Hopefully Steve will pull through with whatever is going on with him.