Chapter 21
"Where are you?" he typed quickly, barely glancing up from the screen as he meandered down the corridor, buffeted gently this way and that by the throng of students heading down to lunch.
"Are you ok?" he added before snapping the phone shut with a sigh and glancing up.
His heart leapt in his chest as he caught sight of the familiar messenger bag just a few paces down the hall in front of him. Her back was turned but the sheen of that copper hair was unmistakeable and he hurried forward. He had barely had the chance to speak to her at the party; Danny had commandeered most of her attention and then at midnight, she had simply disappeared. He had called her cell phone and even passed by her suite but despite his insistent knocking, the door remained shut and in the end, he'd given up.
"Michaela?" he called, as he drew level with her, "finally! Where have you been? I was worried."
Michaela jumped visibly and she turned somewhat reluctantly to meet his gaze.
Sully's brows furrowed as he took in her pinched face, reddened eyes and flushed cheeks.
"Michaela?" he breathed softly, "you don't look so good."
"I'm fine," replied Michaela quietly, shifting the stack of heavy textbooks in her arms, "I'm just tired."
"You know you're not supposed to have read everything in the library until after Christmas," teased Sully gently, hoping to lift her spirits. When she merely smiled wanly, he reached out to touch her shoulder. Even through the thin sweater, he could feel the heat radiating off her and he instantly reached up to feel her forehead.
"You're burning up," he realised suddenly, "why didn't you tell me you were sick?"
"I'm fine," repeated Michaela, the stubborn glint flashing in her eyes as she turned her gaze back to the wall, "and I'm going in a minute. I just wanted to see him."
"Him?" queried Sully following her gaze. His breath caught in his chest as he studied the image before him. It was a photograph, a candid shot of a ball player dated some twenty odd years back. The hair was a little wilder, the face leaner and youthful but the cheeky grin was the same one he remembered.
"Is that…"
"Yeh," confirmed Michaela sadly, "that's him. Dad was a great pitcher even back then. I don't how he managed it all and still graduated top of his class."
"Is that what's been worrying you?" probed Sully gently. "Michaela, your dad would be so proud of you, just knowing you got this far, you know that."
"I miss him so much," breathed Michaela, tears welling in her eyes as she reluctantly glanced at Sully, "I just…"
The words caught in her throat as she glimpsed something over Sully's shoulder.
"I've got to go," she murmured quickly, swiping at her eyes, "see you later."
Before he could utter another word, she was gone, her petite figured instantly swallowed up by the crowd.
"Hey, Sully!" called a familiar voice and he turned to see Danny headed towards him, a broad grin on his face
"Was that Michaela?" he asked, squinting into the sea of students, "I haven't had a chance to talk to her since last night."
"Yeh, she had something she had do," replied Sully vaguely, his brow furrowed as Michaela's words turned over in his mind.
"I wanna ask you something," began Danny, as they headed slowly back towards their suite.
"Shoot," replied Sully, turning his phone absently over in his hands as he walked, "what's on your mind?"
"It's about Michaela."
"What about Michaela?" queried Sully, pausing dead in his tracks and turning to face his friend. His eyes narrowed as he took in Danny's bright eyes and slightly sheepish grin.
"Well, I really like her," continued Danny, unaware that Sully was silently analysing his every movement, "and I wanna ask her out, on a real date. I guess I just wanted to make sure you'd be ok with it."
"Why wouldn't I be ok with it? Michaela and I are just friends, you know that."
Sully heard himself respond yet his mind was in tumult. Of course, he had expected Michaela to start dating once they got to college, but he hadn't anticipated that that time would come around so soon. And he had certainly not expected her to choose his new best friend. He had no idea what his face looked like as he added in a would be light hearted tone, "I say go for it, if she'll have you."
To his relief, Danny didn't seem to notice the slight edge to his words and simply laughed good naturedly as he wrestled open the suite door and let them both in.
Sully shoved his hands into his jeans as he bounded down the stairs, his mind fiercely debating whether he ought to finally broach the subject. They'd always been able to talk about anything; why should this time be any different? As he remembered the debacle that had been his first kiss and Michaela's raucous laughter at his expense, he grinned to himself: perhaps it was time for a little pay back.
The door was ajar and Sully caught the muttering of worried voices. He quickened his pace and pushed the door open fully.
"Oh thank god, Sully," began Grace, as she caught sight of him over Charlie's shoulder, "we were just talking about you. We don't know what to do."
"It's Michaela," added Charlie in response to Sully's silent query, "she's not looking good. We thought it was just a cold but now we can't seem to wake her. We were just deciding if we should take her to the campus doctor."
Sully barely heard the remainder of the conversation between the two friends as he hurried into Michaela's room. She hadn't closed the curtains and the sunlight fell full on her face. She appeared to be fast asleep. Yet her pale, thin face was entirely drained of colour; only her striking hair identified where she ended and the white, cotton linens began. Sweat gleamed on her forehead and as Sully moved forward to sit beside her, he registered her rapid, laboured breathing.
"Michaela?" he called softly, one hand reaching out to feel her forehead, "Michaela, can you hear me?"
Sully swallowed hard as Michaela simply moaned softly in response, her eyes fluttering ceaselessly beneath the lids.
"It's ok," he assured her, squeezing one hand tightly in his, "I'm here now."
"Grace, Charlie," he called to the girls standing in the doorway, "can you grab her stuff? Just some clean clothes and a toothbrush. I've got my car outside, I'll take her straight to the ER."
"We're coming too," replied Grace as she darted into Michaela's closet and pulled out a leather holdall.
Slinging one, thin arm around his shoulder, Sully bent down and scooped Michaela up from the bed, cradling her close against his chest.
"Hold on Michaela," he murmured against her cheek, "let's go."
The sun had set over the Charles and from the top floor window, Sully watched the snake of evening traffic winding its way home. The luminescent glow of the monitors cast an eerie shadow over Michaela's face and for the hundredth time, he glanced back to check that her observations were still unchanged, the rapid blips of her heart beat chasing each other across the little screen. It had been a difficult few hours; his stomach had turned as the doctors had shoved lines and tubes into her arms, drawing countless bottles of blood and pumping her full of fluids and little bags of antibiotics. One such bag was still hanging above her bed, the slow drip a comfort in the growing dark.
Sully yawned widely and moved back to his position by the bed. He reached for the remote and hit the button for the lamps; they flickered lazily to life and lit up the dinner tray Rebecca had brought up for him from the canteen; it remained untouched on the pull out table beside him.
He remembered the last time he and Michaela had been in a hospital together; it had taken 3 nurses and a very persuasive Joseph to pry Michaela away from his bed long enough for the doctors to stitch up his head and before they'd even finished the dressing, she'd dashed back in and resumed her position at the foot of the bed.
Sully smiled at the memory and glanced up only to be met with a weary smile.
"Michaela," he breathed in relief as he took her hand, "you're awake. How are you feeling?"
"You were right Sully, I should have listened. I'm sorry," whispered Michaela, her voice cracking over her arid throat.
"Well, there's a first time for everything," teased Sully gently. "Don't worry you're going to be fine. The doctors are just keeping you in for a few days as a precaution."
Michaela nodded weakly, fatigue pulling at her lids.
"Can you stay?" she mumbled, the words slurring slightly, "please?"
"Of course," replied Sully, but she was already gone. Placing her hand back on the coverlet, he rose slightly to place a gentle kiss to her forehead. She stirred in her sleep and he backed away before she woke. Sighing softly, he moved to resume his vigil from the deep armchair by the window.