Saving the Doctor Pt. 11

Jon took a breath and found himself squeezing her arm back automatically as he locked in to her piercing green eyes. He made himself hesitate. He made himself question her trust, so rather than a simple yes he said, "I'll think about it. Hopefully we'll figure something else out. ...but you make some good points."

"Okay," she said with an understanding smile. "Get some rest Jon. Goodnight," she said, and leaned up to give him a quick peck on the cheek.

"Goodnight Elaina," he said back, trying not to admit to himself how good it felt.

Hours later Jonathon finally relented and took the nurse up on her offer of a sedative pill to help him sleep that night, and his torn, fogged-up and confused thoughts finally faded away.

**********

"I don't want diarrhea though!" the man complained.

Carly put more effort into not breaking her polite smile. "Well, yeah there is a chance it'll cause some amount of diarrhea but as long as it's just mild and you have no other symptoms it's still worth it to take the full antibiotic course as prescribed and not be skipping days. If it's really bad then call your doctor and they might switch to a different one," she explained.

He sighed and made a sour face, "It doesn't matter what kind of antibiotics they all make my guts roll. There's nothing that stops it?"

"Well we can get you some loperamide and some gravol, but honestly sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and power through. It's just one of those things where it's annoying and uncomfortable, but you gotta go through with it if you want it to be better," Carly said, trying not to look at her watch and hoping the man would just leave.

He sighed, "I guess you're right. My wife says I need to eat a bunch of yoghurt, but I hate the stuff, is that like, mandatory?"

Carly kept her face straight, "No... not mandatory. Some people say it helps to replenish good gut bacteria but the evidence for it is actually pretty weak at best. If you find it helps with the symptoms, it's probably not going to hurt," Carly shrugged.

"So... so no?" he asked.

Carly looked at him for a moment. "No," she decided to simply agree. "That all then?"

He looked at the bottle with a frown, "I guess so. Thanks." he turned and walked away.

"Have a great day!" Carly said.

She turned around and rolled her eyes, looking at her watch and taking out her phone to text Beth, hoping she hadn't left.

"I'm off then Louise, unless there's anything you need?" Carly called out as she looked down at her phone and texted.

"No I got it from here Carly, thanks. Have a good night!"

...

Beth was leaning against Carly's car staring at her phone, she looked up with a smile.

"Sorry, Beth, I hope you weren't waiting long," Carly said.

"Naw don't worry about it. It's nice out here, finally starting to feel like full-out spring."

"Yeah, finally," Carly agreed. "So what's up? Were you able to find anything out?"

Beth sighed, "No. I tried. You were right, they got his info under some kinda crazy security flag. I called like five times each time trying to explain that I need to give him back his phone but it was no use."

"Dammit," Carly said. "Did you try calling his parents again?"

"Well, that's kinda mostly why I'm here. You should do it, and take the phone," Beth said, reaching into her purse and pulling out the phone.

"Oh, well I mean, I don't have to," Carly said, feeling a little uncomfortable.

"No, it's... not healthy for me. I can't stop snooping! I try, but it's like every time I'm anywhere near my purse it's like, calling out to me, I've already gone way back through his texts, and it's just... you need to take it from me, please."

Carly bit her lip and still hesitated, feeling like she might have the same issue.

"Take it! And then call his parents. I think it's the only way we're gonna find him. As long as Elaina hasn't brainwashed them or some shit. I was going to yesterday, but... you should be the one to do it."

"I..." Carly suddenly felt nervous about talking to them. "I mean, they've already spoken to you once, so, I mean, maybe you should."

Beth crossed her arms and gave her an annoyed look. "Carly. I've been working really hard to get over him and move on, but if you've changed your mind and you're not gonna go for it, then I absolutely can backpedal like a madwoman and take the reigns and meet his parents and be with him as he recovers, and fall for him all over aga-"

Carly snatched the phone from her hands.

Beth raised an eyebrow and gave a knowing smile, "That's what I thought."

Carly gave an embarrassed look, "Thanks Beth."

"They seemed super nice before. I think they'll help. His dad's named Clark, and his mom's Susan."

"K," Carly said, taking a big breath. "I'll maybe try tonight. ...er tomorrow."

"Do it soon, we've waited too long already," Beth said, "It sounded like they had a hard time getting off work so they might leave once he's on the mend."

"Alright," Carly said, only feeling more nervous as she put the phone in her purse.

"I'm hitting the road for a couple interviews in the next few days, but keep me in the loop, and let me know if I can still help out, K?"

"Okay, Thanks Beth," Carly said gratefully.

"Though, honestly I'm not sure how else to stay connected to him if calling his folks doesn't work," Beth admitted.

Carly sighed and bit her lip, "Well... there might be another thing. It might not work, and I didn't do it entirely to get in contact with him but... I did something a little crazy yesterday."

Beth squinted her eyes in a mischievous smile trying to read her face, "What did you do?..."

*********

"I'm sorry we can't stick around any longer Jon, we just can't make it happen with our work. We're out of vacation days as it is, and they're pretty harsh with anyone that breaches it, even for things like this," his mom said apologetically.

"Damn administration changed a few years ago and it's suddenly like the fact that we've been there for 20 years means jack shit," his dad added bitterly.

"Clark please, don't swear there's other patients around," his mom said.

"Yeah that sucks," Jon agreed. "It's fine, don't worry yourselves. I've got them to start arranging homecare, but it might not be available in time. It just... feels awkward with Elaina doing so much for me. I know it's just temporary, but still."

His parents shared a look. His mother spoke up, "Well she's definitely happy to. She's taking such good care of you here, and as soon as you're better you can be on your own again, if that's what you want... but maybe all of this doesn't have to be a bad thing."

Jon sighed and looked away, feeling much less certain, and wondering once again how and if to tell them; how much drama he would be willing to burden them with.

His mom glanced at his dad and said, "I'll go refill your water, and maybe find you a granola bar or something," and left quietly.

His dad sat down next to him for a moment, seeming to wait for Jon to talk, but finally relenting.

"Look we're not stupid Jon, we can tell what Elaina's doing here. It's obvious that she's lookin' to work her way back into your life, but I think what your mother's trying to say is, when two people were together as long as you were, and almost married, maybe you owe it to yourselves to give it one last shot."

Jon struggled to find a reply and finally said. "It's... not that simple. She got really crazy, more than you know, and she seems better now, but it's just too complicated, and..." he stopped, seeing his dad's smirk, and realized how cliche it all sounded. He set his jaw, almost about to go into specifics when his dad spoke.

"Okay. Nevermind then Jon. Sorry we're prodding into your life. We don't need to get into it. If you've made up your mind, so be it, and honestly I don't blame you," His dad continued. "It's just too bad there's no one else to help you out. I get it though, it hasn't been that long since you moved, and it takes time to make new friends."

Jon sighed, "I thought I HAD. It's more than a little disappointing honestly. It's the end of the weekend now, and I thought maybe someone would check in. I thought Grace and Jeff would have been around at least, and I had really hoped Carly would be here..." he stopped himself.

His dad squinted his eyes and smiled, "So, who is this Carly girl anyway?"

Jon fought off a blush, not sure if he succeeded. "A good friend," he said.

His dad chuckled. "Not that I don't believe you, but contrary to what your mother might tell you I'm not clueless when it comes to these types of things, and there's something about the way your face changes when you mention her name..."

Jon sighed and met his eyes reluctantly, "Yeah, you're not imagining things. We're not, like, 'together', but... honestly she might be the best woman I've ever met."

"Well what's stopping you then?" His dad said with a challenging smile.

Jon hesitated a long moment trying again to find a response that didn't amount to vague 'complicated drama', daring even less to go into specifics about her.

"Partly nerves, and stubbornness," Jon admitted. "But, she also might still be in a relationship."

"Huh... Well it sounds like you better ask her," he grinned teasingly.

Jon shook his head and smiled, "I'll be asking her next time I see her, I promise."

His dad gave him a long stare. "Look Jon, if you really need to be away from Elaina, we can help you out. What do you need?"

Jon gave a relieved smile. "Help me find a private nurse, for a week at the most. If standard homecare can't be arranged in time, then I'll just pay out of pocket for that."

His dad set his jaw. "Naw, you still gotta figure your bank cards out. We'll pay for it."

"No, Dad, you two are already down on salary coming here, I can aff-"

"Jon, cut it out. We're your parents, let us do this. This'll be a relief to Susan actually. She's actually been torn up about leaving more than she's let on. She's been warmed up to Elaina out of denial more than anything else I think, needing to believe you'd be looked after, but this'll be perfect. She'll know we're doing something to leave you taken care of even though we can't stick around."

Jon relented and smiled again. "Thanks. The front desk should be able to get us a few numbers to start."

...

An hour later, Elaina came back. They enjoyed supper over light conversation. She mentioned Jon's chest x-ray had looked promising and hinted at discharge plans but they never went into detail. As the evening drew on, his parents eventually left to head back to the hotel.

Elaina and him made a bit more small talk but eventually she turned to grab her purse.

"So... I didn't want to get into it with your parents here. But, I have some exciting news. I'm not sure how you're going to feel about it, but I'm hoping you're as happy as I am, and if so, we'll have some business to take care of."

Jon furrowed his brow and gave a confused smile, "Regarding...?"

"The house," Elaina said, studying his face with a cautious smile. "We've finally had a decent offer."

"Oh," Jon said, pleasantly surprised. "How much?"

"Exactly what we're asking. No caveats, no strings attached. Just list price, even willing to add some on if we're willing close out and hand it over sooner rather than later."

Jon raised his eyebrows. "Great! Let's do it. Did you say yes?"

"Well I needed to make sure you were okay with it, of course," Elaina said with an amused smile. "I have the papers here though, if you're on board, then you just need to sign them and then I'll send them to Donna tomorrow."

"Yes! Dammit lets get it done before whoever it is changes their mind," he said with a wide grin. "I wasn't sure if Donna was still showing the place."

"Well, I actually had told her to hold off while you were in hospital, because I wanted you to be awake to agree to any offers, obviously. But, apparently this woman saw the ad and was willing to buy it sight unseen."

"Really??"

Elaina shrugged, "Donna says she had seen inside it a while back. Must have been from the previous owners. She just wanted to confirm that there hadn't been any recent damage or changes... So, I don't know who this woman is, but it feels like a small miracle," Elaina said.

Jon shrugged, "Whatever, let her take it. Let me see those papers."

Jon read over the documents as Elaina continued.

"So, they were hoping to do the transfer of ownership soon, which, I know might be tricky for you, depending on where you'll be staying after discharge. We could put your stuff in storage I suppose, but... have you made a decision yet?"

Jon was barely listening, his eyes had frozen on the buyer's name on the form:

Caroline Jorgensen.

"Jon?... Is something wrong?" Elaina asked, seeing his face. "I've read it over myself in detail and everything seems okay, so don't bother yourself with the legal jargon."

Jon snapped out of it and tried to put on a more normal face as his heart pounded and his hands tensed up.

"Um, yeah okay thanks, that's good to know. Some of the wording was just confusing me," he said, gulping.

"It's alright Jon, I know it can look intimidating," she reassured him with a patronizing smile. "I remember you seeming overwhelmed with similar paperwork when we first bought the house. Don't worry, it's still a little cute," she giggled.

He ignored her. His mind was racing.

"So, you um, don't know who this woman is, hey?" He asked.

"No, I already said I didn't. Why, do you?" Elaina asked with a frown.

"No. No idea," he lied. "Just um. Just kinda strange for a person to buy it sight unseen. I dunno."

"I told you Jon, I already looked over the offer and there's nothing hidden in there. If she thinks she can flip it like an investment or just did it on a whim, then that's not our problem. Just sign it on the 4th and 5th pages. Here," she said, turning the page for him and pointing it out.

He let out a long sigh, hesitating while pretending to still be reading the form. Finally he decided there was nothing to do but simply sign it. Knots of confusion tightened inside him as he did. He handed the papers back to her and tried to match her satisfied smile.

"Well, that's one less thing to worry about then," she said, putting the papers back in the folder and sliding it carefully back into her purse.

"Like I was trying to say though, we will need to worry about getting your stuff out of there. I was thinking I could hire some movers for you, to put it into storage until you decide where you're going to be... long term. What would you think about that?"

Jon shrugged, "I... guess." His mind felt like it was fogging up worse than usual.

"So... would it be my place or..."

"No, Elaina, I'm gonna get a private nurse, and, even if I gotta be out of the house right away, I'll just get a hotel room until I can find-"

"Jon listen to yourself you're making it too complicated, just let me help you, and stay with me for a little while, it the simpl-"

"I can do whatever the fuck I want!" he suddenly snapped at her.

She stepped back as if slapped.

He winced at the pain in his side from shouting, and let out a long breath, "Look, I'm sorry it's just been an annoyingly stressful day, and... I need some rest and some time to think. You're spending too much time here. It's late, go home and take some time for yourself, or with Matt, like you should be doing."

Elaina surprised him by taking another step back and suddenly breaking out into tears. "No it's not like... I don't... He's not..." her lip was quivering.

"I wasn't trying to sound resentful Elaina, I was saying it because it'll be GOOD for you t-"

"Stop it! Just... I don't like you bringing him up, it's... uncomfortable for me," she pleaded.

"O... Okay." Jon frowned.

"I'll go though. I'm sorry Jon. I'll give you some space, I know I've probably been coming on too strong but... please, let me help you. Let me do what's right. ... for a change," she said remorsefully. "To make it up to you."

"You don't have to," Jon said, steeling himself against her unexpected raw emotion. "You don't owe me anything Elaina,"

"Even so. I want to. It'll mean a lot to me and... I hope it might mean something to you."

Jon stared and fought against the feelings she was triggering, feeling dizzier by the minute. "Well, they're already hiring a nurse and... Can you just let me rest? I'm finding it hard to think about things right now," he said

"Of course," she said sympathetically. She let out a shuddering breath and gave a pained smile. "We get so focused on your body we need to remember your mind's still recovering too. Get some sleep and we can talk more in the morning. And, if it's really what you want, I can help your parents find someone."

"Thanks," Jon said, closing his eyes and resting his head back against the bed in exhaustion. "For everything. It has meant something already, Elaina, so don't worry."

The beautiful affectionate stare she gave him, her moist eyes sparkling at him as she squeezed his hand, made his chest swell despite himself.

"Sleep well Jon," she whispered, and slowly turned to leave as she held his gaze.

He sat in silence staring at the door after she left, until the nurse made him jump in surprise when she came to check on him.

He finally relaxed after she was done checking his vitals, made a brief comment on his blood pressure, and said goodnight.

He lay there staring at the ceiling now, knowing the main reason he was stressed out.

It was Carly. Carly had bought his house. The name was similar enough he would have suspected even if he hadn't known, but ever since seeing her chart when she had been in the hospital, he knew her full name was Caroline. Elaina had no idea.

But why? Why would she do that? Was that what she had been wanting to talk to him about in the park? It made sense that she might be looking to move, but HIS house? It was huge. Sure, she would be having a kid, but...

Sean. The realization suddenly hit him. What if... they were moving in together? That would make more sense.

The more he thought about it the more he decided that's what it must be. Nothing else seemed as likely. Each minute that went by as he failed to think of a better explanation seemed to break him further. As the evening turned to night his heartbreak turned to bitterness and eventually anger. It was almost like Carly was rubbing it in, moving into his house with another man. He tried to tell himself he didn't know for sure, but it felt like a losing battle.

A few hours later he asked the nurse for another sleeping pill. Even then it was still hard to fall asleep.

**********

"I'm just kicking myself cause if I had woman'd up and called them right away I would've caught them while they were still in the hospital, but they had already left yesterday morning. They're more than halfway home already," Carly lamented.

"Aww, well don't beat yourself up over that," Grace said supportively. At least you got a hold of them. What did they say?"

"Well they were SUPER nice. I was worried they'd be a little weirded out with why I had his phone and was only just now calling, but apparently Jon had mentioned me more than once, and they seemed like, eager to chat and to get to know me."

"OOOOoooo," Grace sung out excitedly.

"Oh shush. You're not gonna like the next part," Carly scolded her. "He's moved in with her."

"WHAT?!"

"Well temporarily anyway. First they told me they had a private nurse lined up to take care of him back home. So I was excited I'd just have to wait and he'd be back in a day or two. Then this morning his dad called me back saying something weird happened with the arrangements after they left to head home, and suddenly the nurse wouldn't be ready for a few days, but they were still discharging him, so it sounds like Jon didn't have much choice. Elaina was feeding all three of them lies that there was no one around at this hospital to look after him or speak for him. None of them knew that she had a lock on his info so no one could visit him over there. Apparently he was kinda torn up that none of us were around and he was convinced there was no one else to help him other than her," Carly explained.