Chapter 6
Abby fumbled with Luka's keys trying to find the right one to open the apartment building. "Oh, here it is!" She pushed the silver key into the lock and the door swung open. She held it open with her foot as she helped Luka into the lobby.
She pulled her gloves off as they waited for the elevator to arrive at the ground floor and shook the chill out of them. Abby entwined her arm in Luka's to help steady him as they waited; he was still very weak. They had just left the hospital for the first time and Abby was staying with Luka until he had his feet back on the ground.
Earlier that afternoon, Abby had gone to Luka's apartment, turned the heat back on and tidied up the place. She made up his bed with clean sheets and a warm, navy-blue, goose-down duvet that she had picked up the day before at the department store. She had thrown together a chicken and rice casserole and popped it in the oven before heading to the hospital to bring Luka home.
The elevator arrived in the lobby and Abby ushered Luka into the elevator car. The steel doors swung closed as she pushed the button for floor two. "How are you feeling?" Abby glanced over at Luka, whose skin was still ghostly pale and his figure much slimmer than when he had left for Africa nearly a month and a half previously.
"Okay. I'm just really glad that I'm finally home." He closed his eyes, "I cannot believe how tired I still am."
"You were deathly ill only a week before and now you are home walking on your own two legs. I think that you are going to be fine, but it will definitely take a while for your strength to come back." Abby took his hand, hoping that that would be acceptable. If Luka didn't think so, it didn't show. He made no attempt to untangle his fingers from hers; in fact, he gripped them as the elevator doors opened on the second floor.
They exited the elevator and Luka jumped as the doors closed behind him. "Wow," he mused, "its like I've been away for years."
Abby smiled and pulled him by the hand to his apartment door. She unlocked it and they went inside.
Immediately, Luka was hit with the wonderful smell of Abby's cooking. "Um, Abby. I think Martha Stewart got mad because I haven't watched her in a long time and broke in here to make dinner." He sniffed the air appreciatively and hung his coat on his old coat-rack.
Abby laughed, "No, actually I ordered from that Thai place. Tonight's menu: Chicken and Wild Rice ALA Mr. Ling from "Ling's Thai Takeout".
Luka raised his eyes quizzically, "Isn't that weird. I could have sworn that Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole wasn't on their menu. In fact, it smells like Chicken and Wild Rice ALA Abby's mom." He grinned mischievously at her and flopped down on his couch, sighing in contentment. "Oh yeah," he breathed, "I've missed this couch and the Sony Playstation." He leaned forward and grabbed the game controller, flipped the Playstation on and started to hunt zombies as Abby stirred the bubbling casserole.
* * * * * * * * *
Luka looked disdainfully at the plaid sleeping bag Abby was spreading out over his leather sofa. She opened it up and tucked the edges into the back of the couch. She then threw a white and pink chequered quilt over the sleeping bag and fluffed up her pillow.
"Abby will you please let me sleep on the couch? My bed is much more comfortable and warm." Luka hated the idea of Abby sleeping in his cool living room with only a quilt and sleeping bag.
Abby looked at him, "Exactly. That is why you are sleeping in the bed and I am on the couch. You need your rest and warmth more than I do. Besides, Richard bought me this sleeping bag when he went through this 'bush man' fad; it is very warm."
"You know, we could both sleep in the bed." Luka wiggled his eyebrows at her suggestively. I won't bite," he looked at her for a second, "hard."
Abby laughed out loud, "I think I won't take that chance and just sleep out here. I've done it before."
Luka sighed, "Fine. I guess I won't get you into bed tonight," he scuffed his foot on the floor and then suddenly brightened, "Oh well, I guess there is tomorrow night."
Abby threw a pillow at him, she never remembered him as being so flirtatious. She thought for a moment and realised she wasn't complaining. "Goodnight Luka. I'll see you in the morning."
He smiled at her; "Have a good sleep, oh, and Abby? Thank you for being here." With that, he disappeared into his bedroom, leaving Abby on the couch mystified at his behaviour.
Abby fumbled with Luka's keys trying to find the right one to open the apartment building. "Oh, here it is!" She pushed the silver key into the lock and the door swung open. She held it open with her foot as she helped Luka into the lobby.
She pulled her gloves off as they waited for the elevator to arrive at the ground floor and shook the chill out of them. Abby entwined her arm in Luka's to help steady him as they waited; he was still very weak. They had just left the hospital for the first time and Abby was staying with Luka until he had his feet back on the ground.
Earlier that afternoon, Abby had gone to Luka's apartment, turned the heat back on and tidied up the place. She made up his bed with clean sheets and a warm, navy-blue, goose-down duvet that she had picked up the day before at the department store. She had thrown together a chicken and rice casserole and popped it in the oven before heading to the hospital to bring Luka home.
The elevator arrived in the lobby and Abby ushered Luka into the elevator car. The steel doors swung closed as she pushed the button for floor two. "How are you feeling?" Abby glanced over at Luka, whose skin was still ghostly pale and his figure much slimmer than when he had left for Africa nearly a month and a half previously.
"Okay. I'm just really glad that I'm finally home." He closed his eyes, "I cannot believe how tired I still am."
"You were deathly ill only a week before and now you are home walking on your own two legs. I think that you are going to be fine, but it will definitely take a while for your strength to come back." Abby took his hand, hoping that that would be acceptable. If Luka didn't think so, it didn't show. He made no attempt to untangle his fingers from hers; in fact, he gripped them as the elevator doors opened on the second floor.
They exited the elevator and Luka jumped as the doors closed behind him. "Wow," he mused, "its like I've been away for years."
Abby smiled and pulled him by the hand to his apartment door. She unlocked it and they went inside.
Immediately, Luka was hit with the wonderful smell of Abby's cooking. "Um, Abby. I think Martha Stewart got mad because I haven't watched her in a long time and broke in here to make dinner." He sniffed the air appreciatively and hung his coat on his old coat-rack.
Abby laughed, "No, actually I ordered from that Thai place. Tonight's menu: Chicken and Wild Rice ALA Mr. Ling from "Ling's Thai Takeout".
Luka raised his eyes quizzically, "Isn't that weird. I could have sworn that Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole wasn't on their menu. In fact, it smells like Chicken and Wild Rice ALA Abby's mom." He grinned mischievously at her and flopped down on his couch, sighing in contentment. "Oh yeah," he breathed, "I've missed this couch and the Sony Playstation." He leaned forward and grabbed the game controller, flipped the Playstation on and started to hunt zombies as Abby stirred the bubbling casserole.
* * * * * * * * *
Luka looked disdainfully at the plaid sleeping bag Abby was spreading out over his leather sofa. She opened it up and tucked the edges into the back of the couch. She then threw a white and pink chequered quilt over the sleeping bag and fluffed up her pillow.
"Abby will you please let me sleep on the couch? My bed is much more comfortable and warm." Luka hated the idea of Abby sleeping in his cool living room with only a quilt and sleeping bag.
Abby looked at him, "Exactly. That is why you are sleeping in the bed and I am on the couch. You need your rest and warmth more than I do. Besides, Richard bought me this sleeping bag when he went through this 'bush man' fad; it is very warm."
"You know, we could both sleep in the bed." Luka wiggled his eyebrows at her suggestively. I won't bite," he looked at her for a second, "hard."
Abby laughed out loud, "I think I won't take that chance and just sleep out here. I've done it before."
Luka sighed, "Fine. I guess I won't get you into bed tonight," he scuffed his foot on the floor and then suddenly brightened, "Oh well, I guess there is tomorrow night."
Abby threw a pillow at him, she never remembered him as being so flirtatious. She thought for a moment and realised she wasn't complaining. "Goodnight Luka. I'll see you in the morning."
He smiled at her; "Have a good sleep, oh, and Abby? Thank you for being here." With that, he disappeared into his bedroom, leaving Abby on the couch mystified at his behaviour.