THE AMERICAN PATIENT
Chapter 2 - Blow Out
"Erm thanks, you didn't have to do this," she said a little awkwardly as she fastened the seatbelt.
"Yeah, well I'm all heart, hadn't you heard?" Robert said sarcastically. "I take it you're going home?"
"Yes," she answered back, her tone clipped.
"So you gonna tell me where home is or do I have to guess?"
"2111 Dupont Drive. Do you know where that is?"
"No, but this baby does." Robert patted the satellite navigation system, and punched in her address to be rewarded with clear instructions. He gunned the Jaguar's engine and off they sped.
Elizabeth looked around his car. It was in immaculate condition, which didn't surprise her at all.
Boys and toys! Can't pick their socks up off the floor but give them a gadget and they'll treat it like precious gold.
They drove on in silence for a while before it got too much and Robert turned on the radio. Norah Jones,' 'Don't Know Why,' suddenly filled the air. He loved that woman's voice and automatically began humming away in tune with the music.
Elizabeth turned to look at Romano slightly bemused as he'd started humming. She'd heard the song before, but couldn't recall who it was by. He was actually very good she thought to herself.
Robert not accustomed to carrying passengers got caught up in the song and switched from humming to singing. Now Elizabeth was really impressed and her mouth dropped open slightly in shock.
My God how does a voice like that come out of a mouth that hurls insults and wisecracks all day long?
All too soon the song finished to be replaced by some new soft rock band and Robert went back to the business of driving, oblivious to his public performance in front of Elizabeth.
Suddenly Robert's body tensed up and his hands gripped the wheel tightly. They could hear a rumbling sound as the car started veering to the left into oncoming traffic. He did his best to avoid hitting anything, and fortunately there was not too much traffic about.
"What's wrong? Robert watch out!" Elizabeth shouted sounding panicky.
He didn't answer, instead taking his foot off the gas and allowing the car to slow of its own accord. He punched the hazard lights on, and only when they had safely stopped did he look over at Elizabeth. She looked alarmed and was gripping the handle of the door with one hand, so he placed his right hand over her free one reassuringly.
"It's okay, I think we just blew a tyre," he explained.
"Oh, right."
"I'm gonna take a look, okay?" he said, and undid his seatbelt and climbed out of the car.
Elizabeth glanced around. Well that was scary, she thought.
A moment later Robert opened the door and stuck his head in. "I was right, we got a flat. It'll take me a moment to change it, okay?"
"Robert, it's pitch black and peeing it down! You'll get soaked through! Just get back in and call triple A or something."
"To change a tyre?" he laughed. "I don't think so!"
And then he was gone again.
Elizabeth picked up her cell phone and called home.
"Hi Chris, it's Elizabeth – look a friend was giving me a lift home, only we've got a flat tyre. Are you all okay to hang on?"
'Yeah, no problem...but how long do you think you'll be?"
"Erm, just a minute." She put the phone down on the drivers seat, undid her seatbelt, leaned across and opened the door.
"Robert?" she yelled.
"What?" he shouted back, sounding a little frustrated.
"How long do you think we'll be? I've got my nanny on the phone."
"Honestly? In these conditions, could be maybe an hour!"
"What?" she exclaimed. "WHY?"
He appeared at the door again, already soaked to the bone and looking annoyed.
"Have you ever changed a tyre, Elizabeth? No? I didn't think so – it would take a half hour on a good day, but it's NOT a good day is it? As you've already pointed out, it's dark and pissing it down with rain! If you don't want to wait, you can always call a cab!" he shouted and then disappeared again.
Elizabeth was livid. How dare he shout at her like that! This was just so typical of the man! Then she remembered Chris.
"Hello Chris, are you still there? Good, look I'm going to be some time, two hours tops. I'm so sorry...Oh, you can? Thank you so much, I'll get there as soon as I can. Bye."
Elizabeth put the phone back in her bag and looked at her watch, 7:20 pm. She sank back into the seat and played with the radio, then closed her eyes, and pictured herself slapping Robert around his little bald head repeatedly! Hmm. Yes! A wicked smile spread across her face.
She jolted awake as Robert opened the car door and climbed back in. "I'm sorry about earlier," he mumbled without looking at her, coughed badly and then started the engine.
Elizabeth chanced a sideways glance at him. He was soaked through and his face was set rigid, his expression unreadable. Despite being wet and no doubt frozen, his face was still flushed and now his left knuckle was bleeding too.
'Serves him right for shouting at me!' she thought peevishly.
She glanced back down at her watch. 8:30 pm. "We better get going," she said matter of factly.
"Oh, belt up woman," he said quietly.
"Robert do not talk to me like that," she said slowly, her voice low.
He turned his head towards her and smirked slightly. "Seatbelt Elizabeth, you need to belt up."
She fixed him with a fierce glare. She knew exactly what he had meant, but fastened her belt anyway. Robert manoeuvred the car back onto the road and they were on their way again.
The rest of the journey carried off uneventfully and they arrived at Elizabeth's house shortly after. The rain had increased in ferocity and was bouncing off the car making an almighty noise. Robert coughed and raised a bleeding knuckle to cover his mouth.
Elizabeth looked at him bleeding, feeling unwell and cold and wet to boot. She felt a twinge of guilt, and so against her better judgement said, "Come on inside and dry off? I'll make some coffee."
He stared dead ahead and shook his head a little. That took her by surprise slightly.
Christ he must really be feeling lousy, she thought.
She looked at him intensely then, her eyes boring into him. His shoulders were slumped, he was shivering and was having difficulty keeping his eyes open. She reached over and removed the keys from the ignition and jabbed the release on his seatbelt. He looked at her with puzzlement evident on his face.
"Robert get out of the car and come on inside." She climbed out and ran around to open his door. He looked up at her as if seeing her for the first time that day.
"Elizabeth?"
She pulled him up, closed the door and locked it behind them, then literally had to drag him up the steps to the house. They reached the door and she got it open and pushed him inside.
"Hi Chris I'm back," she called out. Chris popped her head out of the lounge.
"I'm sooo sorry I'm late, but you can blame him," Elizabeth joked, pointing at Robert who stood slumped against the wall. "This is Dr Romano, my knight in soaking armour." Robert managed to wave a hand in acknowledgement at Chris, who waved back at him.
"Well, Ella had dinner and went down all right...I'd better get going now Dr Corday. I hope you have a good week off."
"Thanks and have a good one yourself," Elizabeth said and closed the door. She turned around to face Robert and get a better look at him, now that his face was illuminated by the hallway lamp. He looked quite unwell and she closed the distance to him and felt his head. He was on fire.
"Bloody hell Robert you never said you were this bad!" she said, and started pushing him upstairs towards the bathroom.
"What the hell are you doing, Lizzie?" Robert tried to recover himself, but a fog was descending over his brain and it hurt too much to rally against her. She pushed the lid down on the lavatory and told him to sit. He did as he was told and watched as Elizabeth started to run a bath. She left the room and returned a minute later with some old sweats of Marks and a clean towel.
Elizabeth turned off the water, dipped her hand in to check the temperature and turned to Robert.
"Please tell me you are capable of undressing yourself?"
He nodded.
"Good. Get out of those wet clothes and get yourself warmed up in there. I'm going to go check on Ella."
Robert watched her leave and shook his head slightly; an action that made his head hurt even more. He cast an eye over himself and saw he was soaking wet. Slowly he began to undress and lowered himself into the bath. The hot water began to warm him up and after a time he felt slightly human again.
Elizabeth knocked on the door. "You alive in there?"
"Just about," he offered back.
"Right, well come downstairs when you're ready, and bring your wet things down with you when you do."
He could hear her departing feet and sank back down in the water and closed his eyes. He felt rotten, but a thought flashed into his aching head and made him smile and he tried to relax.
I'm in Lizzie's house having a bath. Damn!
When the water began to cool, he eased himself out off the tub and dried himself off. He reached for the sweatpants and T-shirt and pulled them on. Wiping his hand across the condensation on the mirror he looked at his tired reflection and groaned. He looked like hell, he thought. Picking up his wet gear he yanked the chain on the tub and trudged off to find Elizabeth.
She looked up at the sound of him coming down the stairs. He didn't look much better she thought.
"Here let me take those," she said taking the wet bundle from him. "Go through to the lounge and try and get comfortable. Would you like some coffee?"
"Actually I'd love a hot chocolate if you have some?"
Elizabeth raised an eyebrow at him before nodding and turning towards the kitchen. She put the wet clothes in the washer and started making the hot chocolate.
By the time she re-appeared with the drinks, Robert was slumped down on her couch, eyes closed, arms folded, shivering slightly. She placed the drinks down on the coffee table before padding off again.
This time she appeared with a thermometer, some ibuprofen, a cloth and antiseptic. She sat down beside him, put a hand to his face. Robert opened his eyes suddenly.
"Hold still," she ordered, and placed the thermometer in his ear, frowning at the reading.
"What is it?" he croaked.
"102," she replied before picking up the antiseptic and dabbing some on the cloth. She took his left hand in hers and looked at it.
"Tyre jack slipped," he explained and she nodded then started dabbing the wound. When she'd finished she handed him two ibuprofen and the hot chocolate.
Then she got up, picked up her own drink and sat back down in the chair opposite him, watching him closely. He looked in a word 'awful.'
"Robert I cant believe I'm about to say this, but...I think you should stay here tonight."
TBC