I looked back at her then and felt my knees go weak. “Some
of the staff is out with the flu. I had to fill in.”
Hailey nodded as she stuffed her wallet back into her purse.
She reached over and touched my arm. “I have to get back to the
office, but it was really nice to see you.” She smiled, and for a
second, I saw something in her eye that filled me with sadness.
I imagined that she saw the same thing when I looked at her—
longing, regret.
I watched her put on her coat and slip out the door, taking my
heart along with her.
14
Pitifully Ugly
Chapter 24
No good deed…you know the rest.
I spent an entire week at the salon and developed a twitch
every time the phone rang at home, a tiny dose of post-war
syndrome. By Monday the following week, I was in bed with
a fever and coughing up things that looked like Yoda. Marvin
took pity on me and went grocery shopping. He showed up at my
apartment wearing a face mask with two sacks in his arms.
“I brought you chicken noodle soup from the deli down the
street,” he said, keeping a distance. “I’ve never had it, but Alicia
swears by it. Some oranges and orange juice. A pint of bourbon,
lemon, and honey for toddies, and a gun in case you want to shoot
yourself.”
“You eat the soup, give me the bourbon and the gun.” I lay on
the couch feeling weak and puny.
Marvin put his hand to my head and looked at me with a
worried expression. “Caliente,” he said, shaking his hand. “You’re
very pale. Have you gone to the doctor?”
“Nope, I’m gonna ride it out.” I shivered and pulled my robe
tighter around my body. “My throat feels like it’s on fire. Be
a friend and hit me over the head with something. I wanna be
unconscious.”
“Shannon,” Marvin said. No honey or baby. He was all
business. “I can’t leave you like this.”
“Can I have some juice? It hurts to talk, and I think you’re
gonna make me argue,” I said miserably.
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Robin Alexander
Marvin poured me a glass of juice and pushed it into my
hands. “I’ll be back in a flash.”
He took off before I could ask where he was going. I drank the
juice and winced when it hit the back of my throat. I was lying on
the sofa trying to remember the last time I took Tylenol and if the
Valium I still had left would send me into orbit. Hailey appeared
like a dream, except she was wearing a mask like Marvin’s.
“We’re going for a ride,” Marvin said cheerfully. “What are
you wearing under that robe?”
“Nothing and no.” I shook my head and wanted to cry from
the pain it caused.
Hailey pressed the back of her hand to my forehead. “Oh, yes,
you are. Come with me.” I was too weak to put up a fight and let
her pull me up with a whimper. “We’ll be back in a minute,” she
said to Marvin as she steered me to the bedroom.
Hailey sat me on the bed as she fished out clothes from my
file cabinet-slash-dresser. She laid a pair of underwear and sweats
on the bed next to me. “As much as I’d like to see you naked,” she
began with a smile, “I will do my best to preserve your dignity.
You turn your back to me and dress and I’ll steady you.”
The trip to the bedroom wore me out. I stood wearily and
pulled on my underwear and pants. Hailey slipped my robe off
my shoulders. The feel of her hands grazing my back added to my
fever, and if I hadn’t felt like someone dropped a blow torch down
my throat, I might’ve swooned. She helped me into my shirt and
called for Marvin.
“I’m going to need your help. She’s swaying all over the
place.” I felt them hanging a coat over my shoulders and leading
me to the door. They stood on either side of me in the elevator
holding me up. I think I may’ve fallen asleep because the next
thing I noticed was Marvin sitting in the backseat of Hailey’s
SUV as she pulled out of the garage.
“Hospital or doc in a box?” Hailey looked at Marvin in the
rearview.
“There’s an after-hours clinic two blocks down on the right.”
Marvin looked at me. “She’s looking kind of green. Let’s try there
first.”
1
Pitifully Ugly
Marvin knew half of the people in the waiting room. He
sauntered around in his mask like he was at a social while I
leaned heavily against Hailey. She stroked my hair and back as
we watched Marvin flirt with some guy who looked as bad as I
did. When my name was called, Hailey went back with me. I was
too sick to protest.
The first thing I did after they weighed me was throw up. My
eyes teared partly from embarrassment but more from the pain.
That was actually a good thing because someone came in minutes
later and jabbed me in the throat with a swab. I had nothing left
in my stomach, but I did gag like a cat with a hairball long after
the nurse left the room. All the while Hailey petted and stroked,
whispering words of comfort. Despite all the embarrassment, I
was glad she was there.
After my blood pressure and temperature had been taken, a
doctor whisked into the room. He bent sideways and smiled at me
cheerily. “I have good news and bad news,” he said as he stuck
something in one of my ears, then the other. “You don’t have the
flu, but you do have a nasty case of strep.”
“Yippee,” I said with as much enthusiasm as I could.
“Will you be taking care of her?” he asked Hailey.
“Yes,” she said without hesitation.
I listened as he explained the antibiotics that I assured him I
wasn’t allergic to. My entire body stiffened as he explained next
that they were going to give me a shot for the nausea. My eyes
had to be the size of saucers as he patted my shoulder, wished me
well, and walked out.
“What is it, honey?” Hailey looked down at me with
concern.
“Did he say shot?”
Hailey smiled behind her mask. “It’s either that or a
suppository.”
“Okay, shot.”
1
Robin Alexander
The ride home went by in a blur. I was barely awake as
they half dragged me back into my apartment. I had a vague
recollection of Fuzzy circling my bed with a mask on her head
before I slipped off into merciful oblivion.
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Pitifully Ugly
Chapter 25
Breakfast and Hailey in bed.
My phone rang once before I heard Hailey answer it. She was
close by and talking softly.
“I heard her cell phone ringing, but I didn’t feel right
answering it.” Pause. “She’s okay, but she has a bad case of strep.”
Pause. “Yes, Marvin and I took her to the doctor last night. She’s
on antibiotics and is still sleeping off the nausea medicine.” Long
pause. “I took off from work. I’ll be with her as long as she needs
me.” Another long pause. “I know she would do it for me. It’s no
problem, really.” Pause. “I will, I promise.”
“Kalen?” I opened one eye and looked at Hailey as she put