Hospital
In the early hours of the next morning, Lee was woken up abruptly when his phone rang. It was Lucy. He panicked.
"Luce? Are you worse?"
"I think I need a doctor. I can't keep any water down and I've got a thundering headache. I feel awful".
Lee ran to Lucy's room and sat on the bed next to her. She was shivering and holding her stomach, clearly in pain. He placed the palm of his hand on her forehead, and it was burning hot and damp with perspiration.
"Oh Luce, have you managed to keep any water down at all?".
"No, I just keep being sick...and you know, the other end. I'm aching everywhere now and I think I've got a high temperature. My stomach pains are worse".
"Right. I'm going to call the out of hours doctor, see what they say"
Lee phoned the number and the they suggested that he brought Lucy to the walk in centre at the hospital. If she wasn't keeping any fluids down she was in danger of becoming dehydrated.
"I think my girlfriend might have food poisoning, and I'm worried because she can't keep water down...yep, severe vomiting and diarrhoea...the vomiting is happening more than the other apparently...it started about seven hours now...seafood...no...in a restaurant. No she's not allergic, she eats seafood all the time...Luce, I know it's a personal question but now they're asking when you last passed urine".
"I don't know, last night some time, quite a long time ago now".
Lee passed this on to the person on the phone.
"Yes, she's got a headache and I'd say she has a fever, yes she said the pain is quite severe...okay...yes...thanks, I'll do that".
Lee ended the call.
"Right, they think you are probably becoming dehydrated and might need to be given fluids at the hospital. I'll be dressed quickly and drive you there".
"Oh, I hate hospitals".
"We all do, but the man strongly advised I take you. They'll make you better, I wish I could do that but I'm neither qualified nor equipped".
"Okay, I suppose I don't have any choice. Let me just grab some clothes and some stuff in a bag in case they end up keeping me in".
"Are you sure you're okay to do that? I can help".
"Yep I can manage, you go and get dressed, and I'll meet you back in the living room".
A few minutes later Lucy was waiting on the sofa, she was holding her head with one hand, her stomach with the other.
"Right, are you set? Car keys...I've brought a couple of makeshift sick bowls and bags for the car in case you need them. Come on, let's go".
"Can you help me to the car? When I got up a minute ago the room was spinning a bit".
"Of course, and we'll walk as slowly as you want".
...
Several hours later...
Lee was sitting in a hospital waiting room, Lucy had been admitted to a ward and was undergoing tests. A nurse approached him.
"You can go and see your girlfriend now, the doctors have finished with her for the time being".
"Great, thanks. Is she okay?"
Lee should have been excited to hear someone refer to Lucy as his girlfriend for the first time, but he was too preoccupied to enjoy he moment.
"Go and see for yourself".
...
Lucy smiled when she saw Lee approach her hospital bed. She was sitting up and looked surprisingly bright, though she had a drip going in to her arm.
"How are you feeling? You look a bit better".
"I feel a bit better. They've given me paracetamol to bring my temperature down and something to stop the stomach cramps and the vomiting and diarrhoea, and as you can see they're giving me intravenous fluids. They've done various tests, I won't go in to details".
Lee nodded, not intending to pry if Lucy wasn't comfortable with telling him everything. He was guessing samples were involved, and he'd rather not think about that anyway.
"So, what happens now?"
"I'm just waiting for the results to come back for the doctors to confirm whether it's food poisoning I've got or something else".
"How long do you reckon they'll keep you in for?"
"I don't know, I suppose it depends what the results show. Not long, I hope. I'm sorry I was sick in your car by the way".
"Oh, don't worry about it, on the way home I'll take it to those Valet guys at garage around the corner".
"You can go home if you want by the way, I don't expect you to stay here the whole time".
"I want to stay with you, unless you'd rather I went home".
"Of course not, I want you to stay. I don't know you coped for so long in here after your accident, I hate it already".
"I was in a coma most of the time remember. I was busy dreaming about you".
"Oh yeah. It must be weird for you being the visitor for a change. Usually it's you in the hospital bed and me visiting".
"I know, and it is a bit".
"The nurses all know you here by the way, they keep asking after you. It seems you charmed them all during your stay. Considering you were unconscious most of the time I'd say that was a pretty impressive achievement".
"Yeah well, what can I say?"
Lee couldn't think of anything to say that wouldn't make him sound too smug, so he changed the subject.
"I hope you don't mind but I phoned your parents and Tim, they're on their way here".
"No, I don't mind. I was about to phone them myself, they wouldn't have been happy if they'd found out I'd been in hospital and I hadn't told them".
"Oh, I also took the liberty of phoning Sarah from your office, told her you wouldn't be in today. I though you might not get the chance. She says she hopes you get better soon".
"Thanks for that, I'd completely not even thought about phoning work, they'd have been wondering where I was".
A doctor came into the ward then, and approached Lucy's bed.
"Miss Adams isn't it?"
"Yes".
"I have the results back from your sample, and can confirm that you have a type of food poisoning called Staphylococcus Aureus. It is usually caused by unhygienic food preparation and or storage. Based on what you've told us, in your case the source was most probably the Tiramisu desert you ate. It may have been stored at room temperature for too long, allowing the bacteria to thrive in the cream. Creamy deserts are one of the worst culprits. We've ruled out anything you've eaten at home as there has been another food poisoning case reported since you've been admitted. That person also ate at Banchettos restaurant yesterday".
"That Tiramasu was really nice as well. I knew I shouldn't have eaten it, that'll teach me to have eyes bigger than my belly. So it wasn't the seafood? I just assumed".
"That's is unlikely given the type of poisoning have".
"What will happen, with the restaurant? What if more people get ill from eating there today?"
"I'm required by law to report cases of food poisoning to the authorities, so I've contacted the health protection agency who have already begun investigating the restaurant. It will be closed today until the source is found, and then who knows. The good news is that the symptoms of this type of food poisoning usually only last around 48 hours, and since you're otherwise fit and healthy, once we're happy you're getting enough fluids you can go home".
"When do you think that will be?".
"Hopefully this evening, though I can't make promises. We'll keep you on the drip for a few more hours and when you do go home I'll prescribe you some rehydration medication. It's just powder that you dissolve in water and take as a drink. I'll check on you this afternoon, make sure there is still no sign of any complications, and I'll make a decision then".
"Okay, thanks doctor".
The doctor left Lucy's bedside and walked on to the next patient.
"That's good news then, you might be home by tonight".
"Yes, though I wasn't happy when he said he couldn't make any promises".
"They just want to make sure you're well enough to go home, and so do I".
"I know, I'm just bored".
"Oh thanks, am I not interesting enough for you?"
"I didn't mean that, I just don't like having to sit in bed for hours on end. I'm used to being busy. Not that I'd be capable of being busy at the moment. This food poisoning's taken it out of me, I feel pathetically weak".
"Understandbly weak. Do you want me to get you a magazine or something?"
"No, your company will do. I'm just hoping the nurses won't kick you out. It's not actually visiting time until 2pm".
"I'm okay, I spoke to the ward sister when I came in, she gave me special permission. It turns out she's just transferred from the ward I was recently so she remembers me. She was so pleased to see how well I was doing".
"Of course, she recognised me too. You won't remember her, seeing as she changed wards before you woke up from your coma. She's nice".
Lucy yawned as she spoke, her lack of sleep and the draining effects of the illness catching up with her.
"You sound tired Luce, why don't you try and get some sleep".
"I might just do that, if you don't mind".
"Of course I don't mind, why don't you lie down and close your eyes".
...
Half an hour later, Lucy was fast asleep, as was Lee, his head slumped in her lap as he still held her hand. Lee hadn't slept much last night either, he'd been too worried about Lucy.
Geoffrey, Wendy, Tim and Daisy found Lucy's ward, and went to the reception desk.
"Hello, we've come to see Lucy Adams, she was admitted this morning".
"Ah yes, go to the right and around the corner and you'll see her ahead of you. You might have to go in a few at a time, matron doesn't like that many people crowding round a bed. Her boyfriend's already with her".
"Boyfriend?! She doesn't have one as far as we know", Wendy exclaimed, confused.
"Oh right, maybe I've put two and two together there, they just seemed...anyway nevermind", the nurse hoped she hadn't put her foot in it.
"She's talking about Lee, obviously", Daisy explained, though the others had already worked that out.
The three continued into the ward to find the two asleep. Geoffrey tapped Lee on the shoulder, not impressed with the sight in front of him. Lee woke up with a jolt, and sat up quickly, taking a few seconds to realise where he was.
"What exactly are you playing at, with your head in my daughter's lap, holding her hand?!", Geoffrey questioned Lee.
"Nothing I was just, being...a friend, like she was when I was in hospital".
"Hmm, well, you looked far too cosy for my liking".
"Geoffrey, shut up, you'll wake Lucy", Wendy scolded.
"It's too late, I'm awake", Lucy piped up, making everyone turn to look at her as she opened her eyes and sat up.
"Darling, how are you, you poor thing".
"Not too bad now, I feel drained and my tummy's sore, but I feel a lot better than this morning".
"Oh good, are they going to keep you in over night?"
"Hopefully not, I'd rather be home. The doctor said I should be able to go home later today".
"I think you should come home with me and your dad, so we can look after you. You shouldn't be on your own".
"Thanks, but that won't be necessary, I won't be on my own will I".
"No she won't, I'm perfectly capable of looking after her", Lee added, feeling a bit offended.
"You can barely look after yourself!", Geoffrey said, unable to stop himself throwing an insult at Lee.
"Dad, that's completely uncalled for! Lee has been the perfect nurse, he looked after me last night and brought me to the hospital this morning. You should be thanking him not insulting him", Lucy couldn't hide her annoyance.
"Sorry about your father Lucy, you know what he's like. Sorry, Lee, and thank you for helping Lucy and getting her to hospital. When I said you should come home with us Lucy I was just being a mum. When you're ill I can't help but see you as my little girl again, I didn't mean to offend anyone", Wendy said, attempting to calm the situation.
Just then the ward sister approached them,
"I'm sorry folks but there's too many people around this bed, I allow a maximum of four visitors at a time".
"Maybe I should wait outside", Daisy said.
"Luce, if you don't mind me going I could go and get my car cleaned and come back later, that way the others can stay".
"Okay, see you later, and apologise to the Valet guys for me".
"I'm sure they've seen worse, don't worry. I'll be back in a bit, see you all later".
Lee had to stop himself from leaning in to kiss Lucy goodbye, patting her hand instead, risking Geoffrey's disapproval even with this gesture.
Once Lee was out of earshot, Lucy's dad decided to question her about a couple of things.
"So, who were you at the restaurant with last night, did they eat the same thing?".
"Just...a friend, and no he didn't eat the same food as me".
"He? Which friend are you talking about? Was it Lee?"
"It was as it happens, not that it's any of your business".
"What were you doing in a restaurant with Lee?"
"Eating a meal".
"Is something going on between you? Were you on a date?"
"Dad! What's with the twenty questions? It's nothing to do with you who I have meals with".
"The two of you looked very cosy together when we walked in here. He had his head in your lap and was holding your hand".
"I know, so what?"
"I hope he wasn't taking advantage".
"You really are unbelievable sometimes, mum...tell him!".
"She's right Geoffrey, this really isn't fair. Lucy's not well for heaven's sake. If you're going to carry on like this you can go and wait in the corridor".
"Sorry, I'm just looking out for our daughter".
"Well, in that case stop being rude to Lee all the time, and stop giving me the third degree", Lucy interrupted, sounding really cross now.
Geoffrey reluctantly abandoned the subject, still suspicious about the nature of Lucy and Lee's relationship. He'd ask more questions once Lucy was out of hospital and feeling better.
Tim spoke then, feeling sorry for his sister and keen to move the conversation away from Lee,
"So Lucy, are you going to sue the restaurant?"
"I don't know, I'm not sure I'd want the hassle".
"I think you should, where there's blame there's a claim remember".
"I suppose, I'll think about it. I'm going to have to have a few days off work and probably get a temp in and since I'm self employed I don't get sick pay so maybe you're right".
"I've got a friend who's an injury lawyer, I'll make some enquiries for you"...
...
An hour and a half later, Lee returned, and was allowed back into the ward as Geoffrey and Tim had gone to get coffees and snacks.
"Hi, where are your dad and Tim?"
"Just gone to get refreshments. How's the car?"
"As good as new, they did a great job. Don't worry, I gave them a generous tip".
"Phew, I thought your upholstery would never been the same again".
"To be honest it's cleaner now than it was before you were sick on it, I, should have cleaned it ages ago, so in a way you've done me a favour".
"It's good to know some good has come out of all of this then", Lucy replied, smiling and rolling her eyes.
...
Back home that evening...
Lee brought Lucy a glass of her rehydration drink and a slice of dry toast, which the doctor had suggested she try and eat.
"How are you feeling? Do you reckon you can try and eat this?"
"I'll give it a go. I'm just so glad to be home to be honest and that I didn't have to stay in overnight. We've both spent far too much time in that hospital recently".
"Tell me about it. I've got holes all over my arms from all the needles that have been stuck in me over the last few weeks. I'm surprised I've got any blood left. Enough about me though, are you sure you're okay?"
"Yeah, I'm just tired".
"You know you had me really worried there for a while"
"It was only a bit of food poisoning".
"I know, but it was horrible to see you ill and..."
Lucy knew what he meant, she remembered how scared she had been when Lee was knocked down by the car, it was so distressing to see someone you love suffering. Love...I love Lee. She knew it then, at that moment. Perhaps she had known for a while but this was the first time she had really admitted it to herself.
"Yeah I know", she whispered.
Lee leaned across and kissed Lucy gently and she sighed softly against his mouth. Drawing away he brought her onto his lap, putting his arms around her protectively.
"Talking of hospitals, I know by the way", Lee said suddenly.
"Know what?"
"That when I was in a coma you were there by my bedside the whole time, that you wouldn't go home".
"Yeah, well I...I didn't want to leave in case you woke up and didn't know where you were. Did you hear me then, or sense I was there?"
"Some of the time, yes. And Tim confirmed it...thanks".
"What for?"
"For being there".
"That's okay. Same".
Lucy snuggled into Lee, and she heard him sigh contentedly.
"I could get used to this", she whispered.
"Me too", he said quietly.
She couldn't help but let out a yawn, and Lee stroked her hair, kissing her head as she fell asleep against him...
Next chapter: Zoo and picnic