I wouldn't worry too much. They're not uncommon and can, if you're not careful, lead to episodes such as this." He flashed a stern look at me.
I pretended to ignore it and asked, "What do I do now?"
"I'm going to release you, but you've got to rest. I recommend a few days off at least. And after that, be smart."
"All right."
The doctor smiled. "Do you have any other questions for me?"
"No."
"Okay. Sit tight and let me finish this paperwork and we'll get you out of here. Oh, you mentioned your brother. I believe he's downstairs creating quite a scene. Would you like me to have him removed?"
I seriously considered it for a moment. "No, I'd like to see him."
"You got it." He nodded once and then left the room.
I shifted up on the bed to look at myself in the mirror over the sink. My face was pale and my eyes wild. With a snort of disgust I turned away. What a pile of shit. How had I become some kind of pathetic Victorian character? Fainting because of my fucking feelings? Weak and pathetic.
Still cursing myself, I barely noticed when the door opened. I looked up, expecting to see Steven, and wondering how he'd even found out where I was.
But instead, Matthew's gentle eyes met my gaze as he walked in and came over to sit on the edge of the bed.
I curled my legs up and made sure the thin fabric gown was covering me. "Hi."
He smiled tightly. "Hey. How are you?"
"Okay, apparently."
He reached out and put his hand on my knee. "I'm so sorry I couldn't see you before this. I was downstairs trying everything, but they wouldn't let me up because I'm not family."
"Oh." I thought for a moment. "Wait, my doctor said someone was downstairs making trouble. That was you?"
He shrugged. "I wasn't trying to cause trouble. I just didn't want you to be alone." His eyes went distant for a moment. "I know what it's like to be stuck in a hospital bed waiting to hear your fate."
I smiled, which made my head throb again. "That's really sweet of you."
"Would've been sweeter if it had worked. If I'd been Rick I could've terrorized them better. Or Joe, they'd probably just let him go where he wanted."
I put my hand over his and squeezed. "It doesn't matter. You're here now. And I'm grateful."
Our eyes met and we sat there in silence for a long moment.
Eventually Matthew looked away. "Look, there's something else I need to say."
"What is it?"
"I'm sorry."
I shook my head. "You don't need to be."
"I do. I… I heard what Steven said. I… I should have trusted you."
"Why would you? We barely know each other."
"That's not true. Sure, we just met, but… I know you wouldn't lie to me. About sending that footage or about Steven being your brother. I was stupid and angry and I let Rick get me riled up."
"It's all right."
"It isn't. And I knew right away. I knew when I saw your face. How hurt you were. I was coming after you, wanted to talk it out. But part of me still wondered. Which is why I was eavesdropping."
I smiled grimly. "I don't mind that. But really, I'm the one who should say sorry. Steven did it on purpose. And I never even considered the possibility. He violated your trust. It was mean and unprofessional. We deserve to be fired. Him for sending that footage and me for allowing it to happen."
"It wasn't your fault."
"No, but it was my responsibility."
Matthew shook his head and then grinned. "You're incredible."
I scoffed. "Oh, sure. Terrible at my job, passing out in public, and looking like a homeless ghost right now. I'm amazing ."
"You are. And you don't look like a homeless ghost." He scooted up closer to me. "You look beautiful."
"And you clearly need to get your eyes checked."
We both laughed and it felt like a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders. Everything was still a total mess, but for some reason, just being close to him, sharing this moment with him gave me hope that I could get through it.
*
By the time I got back to the hotel my head felt better but exhaustion had overtaken me. Matthew helped
I pretended to ignore it and asked, "What do I do now?"
"I'm going to release you, but you've got to rest. I recommend a few days off at least. And after that, be smart."
"All right."
The doctor smiled. "Do you have any other questions for me?"
"No."
"Okay. Sit tight and let me finish this paperwork and we'll get you out of here. Oh, you mentioned your brother. I believe he's downstairs creating quite a scene. Would you like me to have him removed?"
I seriously considered it for a moment. "No, I'd like to see him."
"You got it." He nodded once and then left the room.
I shifted up on the bed to look at myself in the mirror over the sink. My face was pale and my eyes wild. With a snort of disgust I turned away. What a pile of shit. How had I become some kind of pathetic Victorian character? Fainting because of my fucking feelings? Weak and pathetic.
Still cursing myself, I barely noticed when the door opened. I looked up, expecting to see Steven, and wondering how he'd even found out where I was.
But instead, Matthew's gentle eyes met my gaze as he walked in and came over to sit on the edge of the bed.
I curled my legs up and made sure the thin fabric gown was covering me. "Hi."
He smiled tightly. "Hey. How are you?"
"Okay, apparently."
He reached out and put his hand on my knee. "I'm so sorry I couldn't see you before this. I was downstairs trying everything, but they wouldn't let me up because I'm not family."
"Oh." I thought for a moment. "Wait, my doctor said someone was downstairs making trouble. That was you?"
He shrugged. "I wasn't trying to cause trouble. I just didn't want you to be alone." His eyes went distant for a moment. "I know what it's like to be stuck in a hospital bed waiting to hear your fate."
I smiled, which made my head throb again. "That's really sweet of you."
"Would've been sweeter if it had worked. If I'd been Rick I could've terrorized them better. Or Joe, they'd probably just let him go where he wanted."
I put my hand over his and squeezed. "It doesn't matter. You're here now. And I'm grateful."
Our eyes met and we sat there in silence for a long moment.
Eventually Matthew looked away. "Look, there's something else I need to say."
"What is it?"
"I'm sorry."
I shook my head. "You don't need to be."
"I do. I… I heard what Steven said. I… I should have trusted you."
"Why would you? We barely know each other."
"That's not true. Sure, we just met, but… I know you wouldn't lie to me. About sending that footage or about Steven being your brother. I was stupid and angry and I let Rick get me riled up."
"It's all right."
"It isn't. And I knew right away. I knew when I saw your face. How hurt you were. I was coming after you, wanted to talk it out. But part of me still wondered. Which is why I was eavesdropping."
I smiled grimly. "I don't mind that. But really, I'm the one who should say sorry. Steven did it on purpose. And I never even considered the possibility. He violated your trust. It was mean and unprofessional. We deserve to be fired. Him for sending that footage and me for allowing it to happen."
"It wasn't your fault."
"No, but it was my responsibility."
Matthew shook his head and then grinned. "You're incredible."
I scoffed. "Oh, sure. Terrible at my job, passing out in public, and looking like a homeless ghost right now. I'm amazing ."
"You are. And you don't look like a homeless ghost." He scooted up closer to me. "You look beautiful."
"And you clearly need to get your eyes checked."
We both laughed and it felt like a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders. Everything was still a total mess, but for some reason, just being close to him, sharing this moment with him gave me hope that I could get through it.
*
By the time I got back to the hotel my head felt better but exhaustion had overtaken me. Matthew helped
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