Chapter 24

I woke suddenly when there was a knock at the door. Alarmed, I looked to Piero, who was dozing in the nearby armchair, and he opened his eyes and sleepily reached back to peer behind the window shade. Seeing my wide eyes, he pushed up out of the chair and came to kneel beside me.

"Don't be afraid. It's only the doctor," he murmured to me, stroking my cheek. "You're completely safe." He went over to the door and opened it.

I felt groggy, and closed my eyes again as Piero talked softly with the doctor. Piero's voice faded as he left the room, and the doctor came over and knelt beside me. He pulled the blanket off of me and began to examine me, pressing his hands against different places of my body and asking me simple questions about myself. I felt insulted at first, but then realized he was checking for amnesia and patiently answered each question. He asked me about my pain and my head, and I answered weakly, longing to go back to my comfortable sleep with Piero close by.

I sleepily watched his hands, and learned that my foot was wrapped up. I touched my head and confirmed that I didn't have any bandages around it. The doctor finished checking me over and got up, going to talk to Piero. He forgot to cover me with the blanket, and I closed my eyes and tried to adjust to the fading warmth, unable to get up and get it myself. Why did Piero have to keep his house so cool?

I listened as the doctor spoke softly to Piero.

"It seems like you've been doing a fine job taking care of her thus far. She looks very comfortable. As far as special directions go, she'll be sensitive from the concussion, so keep the noise down and the lights low for a while. It'll be pretty painful for her to move, so she'll probably want to keep still, and right she is! Try to keep her from moving about too much and hurting anything further. Be especially careful with her head. She'll definitely be in pain for a while, so keep giving her the painkillers if she needs them. Has she eaten anything?"

"I got her to eat a bit of soup."

"Good. She's very weak. Make sure she eats. Right now she really needs rest to heal. Just keep her comfortable, let her sleep, and get her to eat every so often. She's been through a traumatic experience, so make sure to give her lots of love and mental support as well."

"I will," Piero said sincerely, and the doctor started rambling about long medicine names and medical terms, so I tuned him out. I felt confused and foggy, and my head was pounding. I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples for a while before resting my hands over my aching ribs.

Eventually I heard the door close, and the doctor was gone. Piero came over to the sofa and I felt him watching me. Then he moved away, and a moment later I felt the softness of the blanket against my skin as it was draped over me. I smiled in content, and pulled it up to my chin with my unbandaged wrist. Piero leaned down to kiss my lips softly.

He sat on the coffee table and slipped his hand under the blanket to rest it on top of mine. He began to sing softly, "La luna hizo esto…fue culpa de la luna…"

"Julia? Julia? I'm sorry, mi amor, wake up."

"Huh? What happened? Are we still safe?"

I opened my eyes weakly and saw his anguished expression.

"Of course we're still safe!"

"I'm sorry," I said softly as I became aware of the incessant pain throughout my body. He shook his head and smoothed my hair back.

"You're safe, Julia. Nothing's happened, except that it's dinnertime."

"Oh."

I groggily closed my eyes and then registered the information.

"Oh no, Piero, not now," I groaned.

He didn't say anything, and I opened my eyes to see a pained expression his face.

"I'm sorry, Piero, I'm just so tired… I want to go back to sleep, where I don't hurt so much. I don't want to eat."

"You must. Just a little."

"Can't I just take my medicine and go back to sleep?"

I watched his pained expression.

He took my hand.

"I love you Julia. I want you to get better. You're hungry, even if you don't feel like eating, and I can't stand the thought of you getting weaker than you already are."

He bent over me and softly kissed my lips.

I looked up into the tender brown eyes and felt the weariness throughout my skin and the emptiness in my belly.

"I'll eat," I said with a sigh, and approval brightened his face. He leaned down to kiss my forehead, and moved away to get the food.

He came back with a steaming bowl of soup that he rested on the coffee table. He reached his arm around me and lifted me gently to slip a pillow under my back, like he had done before.

He balanced the bowl on his lap and carefully spooned some soup into my mouth.

I felt tired, and I found it harder and harder to keep my eyes open. When I finally allowed them to close, Piero laughed softly.

"Tired, mi amor?"

I opened my eyes and nodded, accepting the spoonful he offered to me.

"I don't understand, Piero. How can I sleep so much and still be tired?"

"The concussion might be making you groggy, or the medicine. You're taking a lot of medicine. But it's good you're sleeping so much. You need the rest to heal."

He spooned some soup into my mouth and then reached behind him to hold up a small bottle.

He shook it and said, "Sleeping pills. To ensure that you sleep for the whole night. I'm giving you one tonight."

He set the bottle down and continued feeding me the soup. I let him continue to give me the spoonfuls, though I was tired and wanted to sleep. Soon I started to doze and Piero leaned over me and kissed me to wake me up. I let him give me a few more spoonfuls before I returned to my doze. Piero woke me again.

"Come on, Julia," he said patiently, "Stay with me here."

"I'm too tired," I whispered, "Please let me sleep."

"Julia, you only ate about half again. You need more than that."

"I want to sleep, Piero, please."

He was quiet.

"Alright…" he said uncertainly, "I'll let you sleep for now, but wake me up the second you decide you're hungry, no matter what time it is, and I'll feed you. And you must eat more tomorrow, promise?"

"Mmm-hmm…" I agreed weakly.

I listened as he got up and went to the sink to wash the bowl, as I started to fall asleep despite the pain throughout my body.

A few minutes later Piero bent over me and touched my cheek.

"Julia?"

"Hmm?"

I kept my eyes closed, and he smoothed back my hair and caressed my cheek as he asked softly, "Do you want me to take you to the bed? I'll carry you. I'll be very gentle."

"What bed?" I asked, feeling confused.

"My bed. You might like it more than the sofa. You can sleep there, and I'll stay on the couch."

"No, I don't want to move. Too much pain. And the sofa's nice."

"Are you sure? I only want you to be comfortable."

"I'll stay here, Piero. The sofa's comfortable. But can you do something for me?"

"Anything."

"Can you get me my medicine?"

"Of course."

He got the medicine and returned to the sofa. He slipped his arm around my shoulders to support me as he lifted me up to take the pills. When he laid me back down, he kissed my cheek and asked thoughtfully, "Julia, tell me, what hurts the most right now?"

I thought wearily about this.

"Well, I have a strong headache, but I think my back hurts the most at the moment."

"Roll over."

"Huh?"

"Roll over."

"Okay…Help me."

Piero helped me carefully move onto my side, and when I was comfortably curled against the cushions on the back of the sofa, he pulled down the blanket and rested his hand gently on my side, his thumb beginning to work on my back at the pain beneath my skin.

I closed my eyes and sighed contentedly. I felt the strength of his hands as he worked at my back, and gradually the pain medicine began to take effect. Still he massaged me, and in blissful comfort I slipped into sleep.