Healing Gabriel (6 page)

“I think you have a fever.  Are you feeling okay?”  She
dropped her hand and he had to resist the urge to follow her hand with his face,
like a dog looking to be petted.

“I have a bit of a stomach ache.”  He admitted.  “I’ll ask
Lacey for some Advil.”

“Are you sure?  Maybe we should stop at the emergency after
the barbeque and get you looked at.”  She was staring at him worriedly.

“No hospital.  I’m fine Morgan.”  He snapped at her.

“Okay.”  She didn’t seem upset by his grumpiness but he
immediately felt bad.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to snap.  I’m just nervous.”

“I know.  But it’ll be fine – you’ll see.”

There was an excited shout and then Natalia was hurtling
towards them.  “Uncle Gabe!”  She threw herself at him and he caught her,
wincing at little at the pain in his side, before settling her in his arms.

“I didn’t know you were coming tonight!”

“I wanted to surprise you Nat.”  He kissed her smooth cheek
and she threw her arm around his neck. 

“Hi Ms. Wilson.”

“Hello honey.  Are you enjoying your first week of summer
vacation?”

“Yep.  I don’t miss school at all.”

Morgan laughed as she started to walk towards Lacey and
Peter.  “I’ll tell you a secret – I haven’t started to miss it yet either.”

“Where’s Lemon?”  The little girl suddenly asked.

“She’s in the pasture with the other sheep Nat.”

“Oh.”  The little girl sighed in disappointment.  “I thought
you would bring her.”

Gabe squeezed her gently.  “She needs to spend time with the
flock.”

“I bet she would like me if she spent more time with me.” 
Natalia said earnestly.

“Nat, you know that the lambs are skittish of humans.”  Gabe
reminded her.

“But she loves Ms. Wilson.”  Natalia protested.

Gabe glanced at Morgan.  It was true; Lemon did love
Morgan.  She followed her around the house and the yard like a dog and if
Morgan went into the pasture, Lemon immediately left the other sheep to stand
next to her.

“That’s because she bottle-fed her honey.  If we ever have
another lamb that needs to be bottle-fed, you can help us with it okay?  Then
the lamb won’t be afraid of you.”

“Okay.”  The little girl agreed happily.

“So now you’re turning my daughter into a sheep farmer?” 
Lacey raised one eyebrow at him before giving him a brief hug.

“I’m so glad you came.”  She whispered into his ear. 

He watched as Morgan hugged Peter.  A thin thread of
jealousy went through him and he took a deep breath.  He was being ridiculous. 
Morgan didn’t hug him because he had made it perfectly clear that he didn’t
want to be hugged.

She was a touchy-feely kind of person – that was obvious
right away - and he knew she suppressed that urge when she was around him.  She
couldn’t fully suppress it; she had a tendency to sit too close to him when
they were sitting on the couch, and she would brush her hand across his back or
pat him gently on the arm when she walked by him. 

He pretended not to notice; pretended that her soft touches
didn’t drive him crazy.  They did
drive him crazy and it was only
getting worse.  Sometimes just
thinking
about her hand brushing his back
would give him an erection.  He knew he should ask her to stop but at some
point in the last month, the thought of her not touching him was worse than having
to conceal his excitement when she did touch him.  He had learned to live with
his dick being half-hard every time he was around her. 

He masturbated nearly every night now, picturing Morgan’s
sweet face, her pink lips and soft hands, until he came explosively.  He would
lay in bed afterwards with guilt coursing through him for using Morgan’s
attempts at friendship to fuel his school boy fantasies.  He knew that it was
pointless to picture her ever joining him in his bed but he was helpless to
stop.

“Come on.”  Lacey tugged on his arm, startling him out of
his thoughts.  “Why don’t you say hi to everyone?”

He took a deep breath and followed her towards the group of
people standing near the patio.

“Morgan, I can’t thank you enough.”  Lacey hugged her
impulsively as Morgan tossed a pile of paper plates into the garbage in the
kitchen.

“For what?”  Morgan hugged her back in bewilderment.

“What do you mean for what?  For Gabe.  I know you convinced
him to come to the barbeque.”  Lacey replied.

“I didn’t actually.  When I said I was leaving he told me he
was going too.”

“Yeah, well – I know it’s been your friendship these last
few months that have made a difference.  He seems much happier.”

“Does he?”  Morgan stared out the small window above the
sink that faced the back yard.  She searched for Gabe.  He was standing next to
the fence and Sally Winger, a small and incredibly busty blonde, was standing
next to him chatting happily at him.  Gabe said something and Sally gave an
exaggerated and breathy laugh, throwing her head back and her chest out as she
rested her hand on Gabe’s arm.

He pulled his arm away and Morgan could feel a smug smile
starting on her lips.  He didn’t pull away when
she
touched him.

Lacey peered out the window.  “Oh my God, Sally’s hitting on
Gabe.  Look at how uncomfortable he looks – poor guy.”

She laughed as she rinsed the utensils and put them in the
dishwasher.  “Actually, I think it’s good for him.”

Morgan didn’t reply.  Her stomach was twisting with what she
recognized reluctantly as jealousy.  It was ridiculous.  She and Gabe were
friends and she wanted the best for him.  If that was some stacked blonde with
the IQ of a gnat, then so be it.

Unkind
. 

She decided that the thought probably was unkind but it
didn’t make it any less true.  She watched as Sally pressed her hand on to his
arm once more and felt a stronger, deeper surge of jealousy when this time,
Gabe didn’t pull away.

“Morgan?”

“Hmm?”

Lacey touched her arm and she forced herself to look away
from Gabe and Sally.

“I asked if you’re sure you don’t mind popping by the house
a couple of times to check the mail and water the plants while we’re gone.”

“I don’t mind at all.  You’re leaving tomorrow?”

“Yes.  We were going to leave on Monday but Peter thinks
we’ll miss the worst of the traffic if we leave tomorrow.”  She glanced around
her messy kitchen.  “Of course, he doesn’t need to clean the kitchen and do
laundry and pack for everyone.”

Morgan laughed.  “How long are you gone for again?”

“Just ten days.  It’ll be nice to get away though.  We
haven’t gone camping in forever and Natalia loves it.”

Morgan’s gaze drifted to Gabe and Sally again.  Her hand was
still on his arm and although he wasn’t pulling free, he looked decidedly
uncomfortable and his normally tanned skin was still pale.  She made a sudden
decision.

“Unless you need me to stay and help clean up, I think I’m
going to go rescue your brother from Sally and see if he’s ready to go home. 
I’m tired and have a bit of a headache.”  She fibbed.

“I don’t need your help.  Peter will grumble but he’ll clean
up the kitchen while I’m packing.  Thank you again Morgan.  I really appreciate
everything you’ve done for Gabe.  Your friendship has really helped him to come
out of his shell.”  Lacey hugged her.

“I’m glad.  Have a safe trip and we’ll talk to you when you
get back okay?”  Morgan returned her hug before heading outside.

* * *

Gabe, his hand pressing against the throbbing pain in his
side, closed the door of the sheep shed with a sigh.  It was Sunday afternoon
and he, with the help of Vincent and Delilah, had just herded the sheep into
their pens for the night.  It was early but his side was hurting with a fierce
kind of pain that radiated through his entire upper body.  He wanted to have a
hot shower and go to bed early.  He hadn’t been able to eat at all today; the
toast he had eaten this morning had come right back up.  He felt too warm and
he had a pounding headache. 

Wincing a little, he started walking towards the house.  The
pain in his side increased to an almost intolerable level and he stopped,
bending over and breathing deeply.  A bout of nausea overcame him and he dry
heaved wretchedly.  His stomach was empty and nothing but a thin trickle of
bile came out.  He dry heaved again, his side burning and throbbing, and for
one bleak moment he thought he was going to pass out from the pain.

Through the haze of pain, he felt the comforting touch of
Morgan’s hand on his back.  “Gabe?  Honey, what’s wrong?”

She had come up behind him, she must have been in the barn
with Daisy, and he gripped her hand so hard that she winced a little.

“Side – hurts.”  He whispered.

She felt his forehead, inhaling sharply at the heat.  “Gabe,
you’re burning up.  C’mon honey, we need to get you to the hospital.”

“No!”  He winced again as he straightened.  “I just need to
rest.  I don’t need the hospital Morgan, I’m – “

Morgan shouted with alarm as Gabe suddenly sagged against
her.  His weight drove her to her knees, and she gave another cry of alarm when
he crumpled to the ground.

“Gabe!  Gabe!  Can you hear me?”

Gabe groaned and tried to focus on her.  Although she was
leaning over him, her face directly above his, her voice was muffled and
distant. 

“Hurts.”  He whispered again.  Vincent and Delilah paced nervously
around them, both of them whimpering low in their throats.

“Gabe!  Stay awake!  Don’t faint on me honey.  Gabe!” 
Morgan’s pulse was beating so loudly she could hear it in her ears, and she
moaned with panic when Gabe’s eyes rolled up in his head and he passed out.

Gasping, trying not to cry, she pulled her cell phone out
and dialed 9-1-1.

* * *

Gabe blinked and stared up at the unfamiliar ceiling.  There
was a loud beeping noise and he glanced to his left, staring in confusion at
the machine.  There was an IV in his hand and he made a soft groan.  He was in
the hospital.

There was a rustling noise and then Morgan was leaning over
him, her hand resting on his forehead and her light blue eyes filled with
worry.

“How do you feel honey?”

“Thirsty.”  He rasped.

“Here.  It’s just ice chips but it’ll help.”  She tipped the
Styrofoam cup up and he took a few of the ice chips into his mouth.  They began
to melt and water trickled down his dry throat.

“What happened?”  He whispered.

“It was your appendix.  It came dangerously close to
bursting.  Another few hours and it would have.  You should have told me how
badly you were feeling.”  She scolded him gently.

“How long have I been out?”

“Over 24 hours.  It’s Monday night.  They did emergency
surgery yesterday afternoon and took your appendix out.  Do you remember waking
up in the recovery room?  The nurses said you were quite agitated when you woke
up.”

He shook his head.  “I don’t remember.”

“Apparently you were yelling and kicking up a fuss about
being in the hospital.  They had to give you a sedative to calm you down.”

He sighed tiredly.  “I don’t remember any of that.”

She breathed a sigh of relief.  They had allowed her to stay
in his room with him last night.  At some point she had woken from where she had
dozed off in the chair, to discover he was awake and staring at her.  She had
sat on the side of the bed and stroked his blanket-covered chest as he moved
restlessly. 

They had given him not just a sedative but some powerful
pain relief as well, and he had been as high as a kite.  He had held her hand,
his fingers stroking her wrist, and told her very earnestly that she was the
most beautiful woman he had ever seen.  He had told her that he thought about
kissing her every day, and that he liked the way she touched him and looked at
him like he wasn’t hideous.

She’d blinked back tears as he had sighed and muttered, “I
wish I wasn’t ugly,” before drifting back to sleep.

She was thankful he didn’t remember.  She had even been
flattered by what he said until she remembered he was speaking under the
influence of the drugs.  Still, she knew he would be mortified if he remembered
what he had said to her, and she suspected he might even stop being her friend
if he knew.  Over the last couple of months he had become very important to her,
and the thought of not being his friend filled her with dismay.

“When can I get out of here?”  He asked.

She squeezed his arm.  “Not for at least another day. 
They’re giving you antibiotics through IV, and they want to monitor you for a
bit longer.”

He groaned.  “I can’t stay here that long.  I have the sheep
and Daisy and – “

She hushed him.  “I went this morning and let Daisy and the
sheep out to the pasture and I just got back from putting them into the shed.”

He blinked at her.  “You did that?”

She flushed a little.  “Well, saying I did it might be a
stretch.  Vincent and Delilah did most of the work.”

She giggled.  “You should have seen them Gabe. They just
kept looking at me while I was trying to herd the sheep in.  Finally they gave
each other this look that practically screamed, ‘Rookie’ and took over.  They
had all the sheep in the shed in less than five minutes.  Those dogs are
amazing.”

“You’re amazing.”  He blurted out and then blushed. 

“I am pretty awesome.”  She winked at him and sat back down
in the chair beside the bed. 

He studied her carefully.  She looked tired and there were
dark circles under her eyes.  He frowned as a hazy memory of her hand rubbing
his chest and her soft voice murmuring gently to him surfaced in his brain.

“Did you stay here last night?”

She nodded and yawned.  “I did.  I was worried about you. 
Oh, I also texted Lacey on her cell phone to let her know what happened.  She
was going to come home immediately but I told her not to.  I can help you
around the farm until you’re feeling better.”

“You don’t have to do that.  I’ll be able to do it.”

She rolled her eyes.  “No, you won’t Gabe.  You’ve still got
some good pain relief coursing through your veins.  Trust me – when that wears
off and all they give you is Tylenol, you’re going to be feeling a lot worse.”

“Besides,” she continued cheerfully, “I don’t mind at all. 
I’m on summer holidays remember?  My days are free.”

“Morgan, thank you.  I – “

She suddenly sat up and cocked her head to the side.  He
could hear voices coming down the hall and she leaned forward.  “Listen, I told
the nurses I was your girlfriend.  They wouldn’t have let me stay with you if I
didn’t.  Play along okay?”

She said the last part in a fierce little mutter, and he
nodded as a nurse entered the room.  “You’re awake.  How are you feeling Mr.
Dern?”  She rested her hand on his forehead.

“Fine.  Can I leave tonight?”

She laughed as Morgan rolled her eyes.  “Your girlfriend
told us you’d be asking to leave the moment you woke up.  I’m afraid you won’t
be going anywhere tonight.  The surgeon has left for the day, and he’ll want to
examine you before he signs the release forms.  You’re stuck with us for
another night.”

She winked at Morgan as she started to pull the bed covers back. 
Her hands reached for the hospital gown and Gabe pushed them away.  “I just
want to take a look at your incision Mr. Dern.  We don’t want it getting
infected.”

Gabe could feel sweat breaking out on his forehead.  He
didn’t want Morgan seeing his scarred upper body.  It was bad enough that she
could see his left arm under the short-sleeved hospital gown.

Morgan suddenly stood.  “I think I’ll grab a drink and
stretch my legs for a bit.  Honey, are you okay with me leaving for a while?”

“Uh, yeah that’s fine um, sweetheart.”  Gabe twitched in
surprise when Morgan leaned over him and pressed her lips briefly against his
before leaving the room.

As the nurse lifted his gown and began to peel back the
bandage he stared up at the ceiling, his lips tingling and his cheeks red as he
relived the firm pressure of Morgan’s soft lips on his.