Cabin Fever(76)
Now we’re in his home in Brooklyn, the place where he and his wife lived for a year before she died. Jaws too. He even has a little puppy bed in the corner of my bedroom where I sleep alone. Jeremy is right next door, though, should I need anything. He even gave me a bell to ring.
Maybe it should feel weird being here in Laura’s home, but it doesn’t. I feel like she’s my friend. It’s probably the painkillers talking, but part of me believes she’s orchestrating my life right now, making sure Jeremy stays in it. I’m not complaining. He is pretty amazing.
“I smell baby powder and diapers,” I say, sniffing the air around the couch where I’m sitting. I have eye patches on both eyes to shield them from the harsh light. I can take them off and open my eyes now and see, but sometimes I just need the break the darkness gives me.
“Uh-huh.”
Jeremy’s evasive answer instantly makes me suspicious.
“Why do I smell these things?” I stroke Jaws’s wiry fur as I test the air some more.
“I don’t know. Cassie was here, maybe?”
“Maybe? Here, as in visiting you?”
He sighs loudly, pretending to be annoyed. “Can I just get you all set up in here before you give me the third degree?”
I sit back deeply into the sofa cushions and pout. “Fine. I can wait. But don’t think I’ll forget to ask.”
“Oh, trust me, I know better than to hope for that.” I can tell he’s smiling. It makes me grin. I guess my natural inclination to conduct interrogations until I’m satisfied with all the answers hasn’t scared him off yet. I found out so much about him while I was in the hospital and he was at my bedside. I feel like I’ve known him for years now. And he’s seen me at my worst. Catheter? Hospital gown with the opening in the back that never stayed closed? Puffy, gooey, demon eyes? Yep. He stuck with me through all of it. The works. And yet here his is and here I am, living together in his house.
I peek out from under one of my patches and see him straightening up the room. He pulls a stuffed duck out from under a chair and hides it in his armpit.
“What’s that?”
He spins around, all innocence. “What’s what?”
“That yellow thing under your arm.”
He pulls it out. “What? This?”
Jaws runs over and sits under him, begging him silently to let it drop to the floor.
I sigh and stare Jeremy down with my one, swollen, blood-red demon eye. “Don’t piss me off, Jeremy. I’m a sick person.”
“You sure look like one with that crazy eyeball, let me tell you.” He fakes a shudder.
I let the patch fall back into place. “You’re so mean!”
He laughs and soon sits down next to me on the couch. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t resist.”
I shove him. “Go away. You know I’m not supposed to be bounced around.”
“I’m not bouncing, I’m sitting.”
“Go sit somewhere else.” I shove him again.
He catches my hands. “Hey. No moving things around. You heard what the doctor said. You don’t lift, you don’t push, you don’t do anything but sit there and look pretty.”
I snort. “Please. You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“What? You are pretty.” He reaches up and pets the back of my greasy, stringy hair.
“I think your retinas just detached,” I say grumpily. “You’re obviously visually impaired.”
He barks out a really loud laugh. “Hey! That’s not funny. Don’t joke about that.” His voice goes softer. “You really scared me, you know.”
“Scared you? I scared myself.” I breathe a heavy sigh of relief as the doctor’s last words echo in my head. You’re going to be fine. You might need glasses for some near-sightedness, but my guess is you had that before the retinas detached, so it’s a great prognosis.
I will be able to paint again, if I ever feel inspired, that is. As Jeremy strokes my hand, I think that it’s quite possible I’ll be painting very soon, living with him here in this house as I recuperate. He said I could stay as long as I needed to.
“So, why do I smell babies everywhere?” I ask.
Jeremy sighs. “I really would rather not talk about this now.”
“Which means I want to talk about it more than anything in the world,” I say, grinning big. “Talk or I’m not sure I can stay here with you.”
“Why not?”