Filed to story: My Gorgeous Wife is an Ex-Convict Novel by Anastasia Marie
Terrence kept to the side in case he should retreat without being seen. But when the door was opened, Jason immediately stepped aside and gestured him into the small room.
“Come in,” he said, ushering the doctor into the house.
Terrence took a quick survey of the room.
He’d known these studio apartments were small. But this was a fraction of the size of Mr. Reed’s office. The kitchenette was perhaps ten feet long with enough room for the sink, stove, refrigerator. A small dinette table for two was at the center. One armoire. A single bed. A pile of pillows and blankets on the floor. One door, presumably to a bathroom. No windows save the one over the sink.
Terrence tried hard to mask his shock.
“Take a look at her,” Jason said. “What’s wrong with her? I kept calling her just now but I couldn’t wake her up.” Jason stood beside the bed.
Terrence sensed his employer had lost his usual calmness.
Jason’s expression was anxious and his posture was tense.
The doctor glanced at Terrence briefly as if for confirmation. Terrence nodded.
Dr. Raunfield immediately went to work, checking Grace’s vitals, all while Jason stood by, looking on the verge of something dangerous.
“Sir,” Terrence said gently. “Dr. Raunfield is one of the best general practitioners in the city. And we can have
Miss Cummins airlifted at any time, if the doctor deems it necessary.”
Jason nodded, but his eyes still had the wild look of a man about to come unglued.
“I was told she suffered a fall earlier today,” the doctor said as he took her pulse and then listened to her heart.
“That’s correct. Down an escalator.”
“Hmm.” He probed around Grace’s abdomen and lifted her shirt to check her ribs..
Terrence made certain to avert his attention, spinning to face the opposite side of the room.
“Her breathing is steady. And I don’t see any signs of swelling in her spleen or anything to suggest internal hemorrhaging.”
After a long while, he concluded, “There’s no major issue. It’s possible that due to the injury today, the inflammation caused a fever. It’s not unusual for a patient to run a fever or to lose body temperature if they’re going into shock.”
“What do you prescribe?” Jason asked.
“Aspirin to lower the fever. If the fever still persists tomorrow, take her to a hospital for further examination.” The doctor looked at Jason then Terrence sharply. “I was told she was already treated in a hospital today. Did they run blood work?”
“Full panels,” Jason said.
“Hmm. And you don’t want to bring her back to the hospital now?”
Jason frowned. “She doesn’t want to go.”
“Then give it a little more time. If her blood work came back okay, then this is likely a reaction to the severity of the trauma.”
Jason nodded.
Dr. Raunfield wrote some notes down. “This is my cell phone,
and Terrence knows how to reach me. If her condition doesn’t improve in the next few hours, call.”
Once the doctor was done, Terrence walked him outside. Jason remained in the apartment and poured a glass of water for Grace to drink with the medicine. She was unconscious, but he propped her up, whispering words of encouragement to try and get her to take a sip.
Watching this, Terrence was speechless.
Jason had never been so caring with any other person. And his expression, his features etched in concern and affection.
Mr. Reed might not realize it, but he was clearly attached to this woman. And Terrence would go so far as to say his boss. was deeply in love.
Jason studied Grace who was still in a deep slumber. He felt marginally better having had the doctor examine her. But seeing her so still and lifeless, it was like the vice around his chest wouldn’t loosen.
“Grace, wake up.”
She didn’t move.
“Sister, you have a fever and you need to take this medicine.”
Still nothing.
He set the glass of water on the table and grabbed the pill. Problem was, he didn’t have enough hands to hold her up, hold the glass and insert the pill into her (m outh).
He tried to coax her once more. “Sister, open your (m outh).” He placed the medicine in his hand by her rather dry lips. “Be good and take the medicine.”
However, she subconsciously pursed her lips tighter. He could not even get the pill in, let alone have her swallow it.
Jason muttered a curse. Her body was hot to the touch and she’d continue to dehydrate if he couldn’t bring her fever down. Maybe he should just call an EMT and get her back.
into a hospital ward, at least they’d be able to run an IV and administer more drugs intravenously.
But even as he thought it, he knew she hated being in the hospital and that such places brought bad memories for her.
It wasn’t so different for him.
“Come now, Sister, help me.” He made sure his voice was soft. Without any of the command or desperation he was feeling.
When she seemed to relax, he adjusted his hold and put the pill into his own (m outh) with a sip of water. Then he lifted her up and tilted her head. Holding her gently, he coaxed her (m outh) open with his own lips. He used the tip of his tongue to press the pill inside then he allowed the water into her (m outh). He angled her head back.
“That’s it, swallow for me.”
When her throat moved, he took another sip of water and repeated his efforts.
The press of her soft lips against his, the feel of her tongue, it brought to life everything inside him.
She curled into his embrace and he held her close.
He wanted more. Of course he wanted more. But given the circumstances, that was just a reminder of how mindless this woman made him.
She was scarcely conscious, burning up with fever, and still he craved her like a drug.
His lips pressed into a straight line.
“Grace…” he mumbled softly, calling her name.
Suddenly, she seemed to sense him and gradually opened her eyes. Her misty gaze landed on him.
He was slightly stunned and felt an unexpected wave of anxiety at that moment. Would she resent that he had kissed her? His heart sank. Had he taken advantage of her in some way?
He then saw her open her (m outh) and give him a s illy smile. “M om, I’ll be good. I want M om to sleep with me.”
He was speechless and could not help laughing. “Grace, it’s Jay. I’m not your mother.”
She smiled bigger and her big eyes were glassy.
She was delirious. The fever confused her enough to have her think she was seeing her mother.
While at first he was … not offended, just feeling, awkward at her mistake, it dawned on him, that in fact, it was an honor.
Grace’s mother had passed away early.
It wasn’t ‘him’ that was like her mother, but the same sense of security and care.
The corners of Jason’s lips subconsciously rose. “One of us lost a father whilst another lost a mother when we were young.
We’re truly quite similar.”
“M om, won’t you stay with me? I’ll be good. Very, very good…” Her eyelids were half-open, her cheeks were flushed red from the fever.
His heart broke a bit for the child she had been, alone, and so eager for affection. He knew full well how her father and step-family had treated her. They’d made their position very public that they denounced her.