Deliver Us To Temptation
Chapter 16: Ease
Everywhere, everything around her—white. God, the color that is really every color put together can really get annoying. She attempts to stand and walk away. Her legs are frozen. Her legs are—what?
In a panic, she pushes white sheet covering her legs to the ground. Two legs, sitting right in front of her. She still cannot move them. Her lips part; she forces out a soundless scream.
-
Her eyelids flutter open. Bright white is surrounding her. She throws off the sheet on her lower body and sighs when she is able to move her legs.
Thirty feet in front of her, a door opens. In walks Michael busy with his coffee, which he promptly drops when he sees her awake. The splash radius covers his shoes and the hem of his slacks, but he ignores it and flies to her side. As soon as she can really look into his eyes, the façade slips into place and he acts nonchalant.
"What happened to me?" Ah, the question of the year. Her voice is hoarse, and he pauses before replying.
He calmly sits on the chair beside her bed. "You collapsed. I found you in the doorway when I returned."
She's quiet, questioning his answer. She is not the type prone to fainting spells. "How long have I been in here?"
"Two days."
Sydney looks past him, through the little window in the door. Michael sits on a chair near her.
"How long have you been here?"
He fails to speak. She knows the answer. Why would he waste two more days of his life on her? Her throat is oddly dry as she formulates a response.
"You wouldn't happen to have some scotch, would you?"
He chuckles, his smile causing one to assimilate on her face. "Do I seem like the kind of person that would give a hospital patient alcohol?"
"You're not the average person."
"You're right—normal people have values."
"And ethics."
"And normal lives."
His comment makes her laugh, albeit slightly. "Thanks for staying," she almost whispers. He remains mute; the smile starts to fade.
They sit in silence until the doctor appears, two hours later.
-
Without a word uttered between them, Michael helps Sydney into his small car and they soon arrive at his grandmother's cabin. He turns to her as he pulls the key out of the ignition.
"I don't know what you're planning to do, but you're welcome to stay here." She turns to look out her window and he abruptly changes his chain of thoughts. "Or I can buy you a ticket to anywhere you want to go." He knows the offer is tempting—hell, if the choice had been his, he'd be on his way to Trinidad about now. She turns back to him, a smile on her countenance, eyes warm.
"I'd rather stay here, if it's okay with you." She opens the door to get out and Michael follows her lead, the beginnings of a smile crossing his face.
-
"Mm, I can't remember the last time I had pizza!" A string of cheese stretches between the slice and Sydney's mouth, and she laughs as she bites it off.
"I get them sent from Italy. Nothing like a Chicago style deep-dish, but it's pizza nonetheless."
"It's amazing, even reheated. I'm not surprised you have half a dozen sitting in your car." Her eyes flicker towards the television screen and she says, "So what's this movie about?"
"To tell you the truth, I have no idea." Sydney giggles. "I felt like watching something in English. I don't even know if it's American."
"Probably some of that crap Hollywood puts out every year."
"Most likely." He stands and goes into the kitchen. He opens up the cupboard he knows contains wineglasses and stares at them, wondering if sharing a bottle would be out of context. What the hell, he thinks as he takes two out, all I want to do right now is get drunk.
Chapter 16: Ease
Everywhere, everything around her—white. God, the color that is really every color put together can really get annoying. She attempts to stand and walk away. Her legs are frozen. Her legs are—what?
In a panic, she pushes white sheet covering her legs to the ground. Two legs, sitting right in front of her. She still cannot move them. Her lips part; she forces out a soundless scream.
-
Her eyelids flutter open. Bright white is surrounding her. She throws off the sheet on her lower body and sighs when she is able to move her legs.
Thirty feet in front of her, a door opens. In walks Michael busy with his coffee, which he promptly drops when he sees her awake. The splash radius covers his shoes and the hem of his slacks, but he ignores it and flies to her side. As soon as she can really look into his eyes, the façade slips into place and he acts nonchalant.
"What happened to me?" Ah, the question of the year. Her voice is hoarse, and he pauses before replying.
He calmly sits on the chair beside her bed. "You collapsed. I found you in the doorway when I returned."
She's quiet, questioning his answer. She is not the type prone to fainting spells. "How long have I been in here?"
"Two days."
Sydney looks past him, through the little window in the door. Michael sits on a chair near her.
"How long have you been here?"
He fails to speak. She knows the answer. Why would he waste two more days of his life on her? Her throat is oddly dry as she formulates a response.
"You wouldn't happen to have some scotch, would you?"
He chuckles, his smile causing one to assimilate on her face. "Do I seem like the kind of person that would give a hospital patient alcohol?"
"You're not the average person."
"You're right—normal people have values."
"And ethics."
"And normal lives."
His comment makes her laugh, albeit slightly. "Thanks for staying," she almost whispers. He remains mute; the smile starts to fade.
They sit in silence until the doctor appears, two hours later.
-
Without a word uttered between them, Michael helps Sydney into his small car and they soon arrive at his grandmother's cabin. He turns to her as he pulls the key out of the ignition.
"I don't know what you're planning to do, but you're welcome to stay here." She turns to look out her window and he abruptly changes his chain of thoughts. "Or I can buy you a ticket to anywhere you want to go." He knows the offer is tempting—hell, if the choice had been his, he'd be on his way to Trinidad about now. She turns back to him, a smile on her countenance, eyes warm.
"I'd rather stay here, if it's okay with you." She opens the door to get out and Michael follows her lead, the beginnings of a smile crossing his face.
-
"Mm, I can't remember the last time I had pizza!" A string of cheese stretches between the slice and Sydney's mouth, and she laughs as she bites it off.
"I get them sent from Italy. Nothing like a Chicago style deep-dish, but it's pizza nonetheless."
"It's amazing, even reheated. I'm not surprised you have half a dozen sitting in your car." Her eyes flicker towards the television screen and she says, "So what's this movie about?"
"To tell you the truth, I have no idea." Sydney giggles. "I felt like watching something in English. I don't even know if it's American."
"Probably some of that crap Hollywood puts out every year."
"Most likely." He stands and goes into the kitchen. He opens up the cupboard he knows contains wineglasses and stares at them, wondering if sharing a bottle would be out of context. What the hell, he thinks as he takes two out, all I want to do right now is get drunk.
