Chapter Twelve
Recovery
She heard the commotion from down the corridor and sprinted the rest of the way down the hall, splashing coffee onto her shirt and shoes in the process. Grant had been admitted to the hospital two days ago, but had remained under heavy sedatives as fluids were poured into his veins. Ellie hadn't left since his arrival and only unglued herself from his side to refuel on coffee and sandwiches from the cafeteria. Grant had no next of kin listed in his medical charts, so the staff had hesitantly put up with Ellie temporarily moving in. Besides, Dr. Grant was the small town's hospital's celebrity.
Ellie burst into room 273, her eyes instantly falling on the man in the bed who was angrily debating with Nurse Owens. "But I'm fine," he insisted. "So I broke a leg…it's not like I lost it!"
"Sir, you can't just waltz out of here when you feel like it. My goodness, when you just tried getting out of bed you fell! You are not strong enough at the moment to even be walking around let alone leaving."
"I think I'll be the judge of that, thank you ever so kindly. And the only reason why I fell was because I hadn't realized just how bulky this damn cast is. Now if you would please find my doctor I'll be eternally grateful." The last few words dripped with dark sarcasm.
The nurse left in a huff mumbling about how no one appreciated all that she did. Ellie clucked her tongue as she approached the bed. "Alan, that wasn't very charming."
"I wasn't trying to be charming." He looked her up and down, noting that her clothes were doted with brown liquid. His eyes came to rest on the damp coffee stain covering her left breast. "What the hell happened to you? Have a fight with the coffee machine?"
She held up her now half-empty mug. "No, we were having a race." She set the cup down on the nightstand beside the bed. "How are you feeling? You've been in and out of conscious for the last couple of hours. It's good to see you fully awake."
"It's good to be seen." Grant hissed as he shifted, his body still battered from his four-day hike through the wilderness. He pushed a few buttons on the panel to get his bed in a more upright position. "I cringe at the thought of what happened at the dig site while I was taking my leisurely stroll through Hell. Just tell me all the fossils are still intact."
Ellie came around the bed to sit on the cot she had been sleeping on the past couple of nights. "Everything was in good hands. Granted we didn't get much work done with you gone. Everyone was so worried and after they found your truck…" she looked at the floor. "You scared me to death, Alan." When she peered back up at him, her eyes were glazed with unshed tears.
Alan Grant was flummoxed. He wasn't good with feelings, especially those of an emotional woman. He did the only thing he could think of. He reached out and offered his hand. When she took it, he clasped his strong fingers around her slender hand and squeezed gently. "I'm all right, Ellie. Just a few bruises and a broken leg that'll mend just fine as soon as it gets some fresh air."
Ellie smiled and leaned forward, planting a chaste kiss on his forehead. "It's good to have you back, Alan."
Grant finally seemed to notice the piece of furniture she sat on. "What? Did they run out of chairs? Don't tell me you've been my roommate."
Ellie looked bashfully away. "Well…I wanted to be with you when you woke up. The dig site is such a drive to make every day. I…you don't mind, do you?"
Grant grinned, the effect lightening up his eyes. "Of course not. What happened to Mike?"
Ellie licked her lips, unsure of what to tell him. "Well, the engagement is broke off. It was a mutual agreement."
"I'm sorry to hear that."
"Yeah, well, what's done is done." Ellie wasn't sorry in the slightest. The day after Grant had gone missing, Mike had confronted Ellie with his knowledge of what had almost happened on the hill. Ellie had admitted that she had wanted to kiss Alan; that she still wanted to kiss him. Needless to say, Mike wanted her to choose and Ellie chose Alan.
Alan sighed, releasing her hand. Ellie felt the loss immediately. "So, Alan, do you think you're up to eating anything? Applesauce? Jell-O? Soup?"
"Sure."
Ellie rolled her eyes in exasperation. "And here I thought I'd actually gotten you talking. You're not much of a conversationalist unless you've got something to share."
"What's the point on talking if I've got nothing to say?"
Ellie smiled. "You're really something, Alan."
He shrugged and murmured in his usual soft, but deep voice: "Well…it's a gift." It was a voice that she could listen to forever and never tire of. It was rich and soothing. "Applesauce."
"Uh?" Her mind had wandered at the sound of his voice.
"Applesauce would be good."
"I'll be right back. I'll track you down some applesauce. Don't you go running off."
"Not on you."
Ellie paused, tilting her head in the slightest, thoughtful. Did he mean it in the way that she wanted him to? She studied him quietly, his expression revealing nothing. Yet, his hazel eyes were deep with…with something. A bright smile formed on her lips and she set off to get him what he wanted.
End Chapter
/sigh/ I don't know…I just don't like ending without saying something to the readers. So…uh…PLEASE REVIEW!