Road Doc
Chapter 15
Theresa rolled onto her side, buried her face in the pillow, pulled the blankets up around her chin and closed her eyes.
“You okay?” Beth asked, having come to Theresa’s hotel room after the show to check on her.
Theresa nodded.
“When they told me you had left the arena, sick as a dog, I kind of freaked out” Beth said. “You looked just fine when I saw you earlier”
“I guess it just kind of snack up on me” Theresa whispered.
“You need anything?” Beth asked, smoothing Theresa’s hair.
“Just need to sleep for a few days. I’ll be fine. Really” Theresa said, tears beginning to well up in her eyes.
“I don’t believe you, but you’re the doctor. I guess you’d know what’s best, huh?”
Theresa nodded and closed her eyes. Beth was leaving when she met Howie at the door.
“Is she okay?” Howie whispered.
“I don’t know. She says she’ll be fine, but she doesn’t look right” Beth said quietly.
“I’m going to go check and see if she needs anything. Do you think that’ll be okay?” Howie asked.
“You really like her, don’t you Howie?” Beth asked.
“What?” he replied, moving back into the hallway, taking Beth with him.
“The doctor. You really like her, am I right?” Beth asked, smiling.
“Is it that obvious?” Howie said, blushing.
“Naaah. I’m just pretty observant.” Beth said. “It’s okay. She’s a great lady. And I think she likes you too.”
“Get out of here” Howie said. “What makes you say that?”
“Just a hunch” Beth said nonchalantly.
“Come on, don’t tease me like that Beth”
“I’m not teasing” Beth said, laughing.
“You really, you really think she likes me too?” Howie said, a hint of excitement in his voice.
Beth nodded.
“Now get in there and take care of her like she took care of you”
Howie walked in and quietly closed the door behind him. Theresa lay on her side asleep, the blankets covering most of her face. Howie moved an overstuffed chair to her bedside and sat staring at her. If Beth was telling the truth, and she did really like him, he would be the happiest man on the planet. He had been drawn to her from the moment he laid eyes on her.
Theresa opened her eyes to find Howie staring at her.
“Hi” she said hoarsely.
“Hi yourself” Howie said softly, a warm smile spreading across his face.
“What are you doing here Howie?” she asked quietly.
“Just looking after you. Returning the favor I guess.”
Theresa smiled and rolled onto her back.
“You’re too sweet. Guess that’s why they call you...”
“Jesus Theresa, what happened?” Howie said, brushing the hair away from her face.
“What?” Theresa asked, startled.
“You’re face” he said, cradling her face in his hand and running his thumb across her cheek.
“What?” Theresa said, bolting from the bed and running into the bathroom.
“Shit” she said, staring at her reflection in the mirror. On her left cheek was a large bruise.
“Theresa, what happened?” Howie said, standing behind her.
“I...I guess I must have done that when....well I fell....at the arena. I guess...I guess I sort of passed out” she stammered, tears forming in her eyes.
“And this?” Howie asked, pointing to her arm and a dark bruise that showed from the bottom of her sleeve. He reached over and lifted the sleeve revealing four red marks that were turning black and blue, wrapped around her small arm.
“Howie...” Theresa began.
“Theresa....tell me what happened” Howie said, a hint of anger in his voice.
“I did. I said I fell” Theresa said, turning away from him and walking out of the bathroom.
Howie followed her and sat next to her on the large bed.
“Theresa, those don’t look like something that would happen just from falling down.”
“Howie, just leave it alone. I fell. That’s all there is to it” Theresa snapped, then immediately broke into tears.
Howie wrapped himself around her as she cried. He stroked her hair and her back and whispered soothing words into her ear. When her sobs subsided, he lifted her chin to look her in the eyes. Theresa sat searching his eyes, searching his soul really, until she found her answer in a lone tear that fell from the corner of his eye. With a deep sigh and a trembling voice, she began to tell him what had really happened.
16