Chapter Twenty-Four

The sound of urine hitting the bottom of the toilet came to an end after nearly half a minute. His bladder must have been really full, but so was Alice's. However, she would be very pleased if she was out of this room again.

She turned her head with the intention to help him with his pants quickly so she could but this awkward moment behind her. Unfortunately, what she saw was his hand, still holding unto that thing.

"Can you put it back so I can close your pants and get you back to bed?" she murmured shyly, casting her eyes to the wall to see his other hand still on the wall.

He only hummed but she did feel his shift, to which she hoped he'd tucked it safely away in his underwear so she wouldn't need to do it.

Another glance down and she sighed in relief to see he'd managed it on his own. She brought his pants up and closed the button. The belt was slightly more difficult and when he nearly fell over, she decided to let the belt be. It wasn't important. With his arm around her, though her small frame couldn't do much to help his much taller frame, she brought him out of the room and placed him back in bed. She tucked him tightly in the second coat and covers.

She kept seeing the thing between his legs behind her eyes, an image she couldn't erase now that it had been seen. She felt certain she would never be able to watch him properly again. It amazed her how other nurses saw other people's private body parts with such ease.

She sat on the bed and took his temperature. It was now back at 103 degrees. That was still high, but his shivers suggested that he was cold.

Alice was at a loss. He either needed to be cooled down to drop the fever or stay warm to get those shivers away. He was shivering very hard and despite what the thermometer said, she decided to listen to his body instead. She decided to keep him warm and take his temperature regularly. If it got too high, then she would start to cool him down instead, despite the shivers. It was very possible that he was going into septic shock.

Her eyes went to the front door each time she heard it move. She thought that at any given moment, the door could fly open and men would come in, kill Jasper, and hurt her. She was scared that this time, she was all alone. Nobody would save her, unless she managed to shoot or kill someone with the pocketknife or gun.

Upon each hour, she heard two beeps. One came from her watch, the second from his. Those two beeps were her only friend. They were time and time was passing on continually.

His temperature was at 100 degrees and Alice looked twice to make sure she saw it correctly. That meant the fever was gone.

She was dreaming, Alice was sure. Despite the dream, she thanked the Lord for this comforting dream.

"For giving me strength; Thank you God. For guiding me through the night; Thank you God. For granting him life; Thank you God."

The watches both bleeped. It was eight in the after noon when Jasper's eyes opened lazily and looked around. Then they turned wary as he got up to a sitting position and saw Alice watch him like a ghost. She looked like a ghost. A tired, hungry, thirsty ghost.

Alice felt herself smile at the pretty dream. She liked it very much.

"For even if this it only a dream inside my head; Thank you God. For giving me peace during war; Thank you God."

"Are you okay?" he asked with a scowl, upon glancing at his watch.

She felt her smile deepen. A dream with a healed Jasper was beautiful.

"What happened? I feel like I've been sleeping for a day."

But a dream in which he also spoke as if he really did heal, that was unimaginable.

"You have," she said.

Alice's voice was raw from not having spoken for so long and for not having drunk anything. She felt a very large discomfort in her lower belly.

"Sorry?" he asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"You got ill. You've been fighting a fever since last night. Possible sepsis. I'm not sure."

His eyes widened. Of course he was shocked that he'd been out for an entire day and not just a hour like he'd originally thought. But he was more appalled by the robotic way that Alice spoke. She seemed inhumane.

"The worst is over. You're back to 100 degrees and the wounds are more settled now. Less inflamed."

"I've been out for a day?" he asked, just to be clear.

She looked at the watch, then muttered, "About twenty-five hours and a few minutes."

His eyes were at the door and the unmoved side desk.

"Nobody came?"

"No."

"Did you go out for some air?"

"I wouldn't dare. I'm the same with or without the gun in my hand."

He looked back at her in sympathy.

"Have you slept, America?"

"I am now."

It was a lovely dream.