Keveney released a heavy sigh, shifting slightly beneath Howie’s still body. She had hoped not to disturb him, but she could only manage to be so comfortable within their seated positions. Howie was simply leaning against her for support, practically curled within her embrace like a slumbering child. Yet, that was the furthest thought from her mind. The somnolent hours had already crawled into the deepest depths of the next evening, yet they still remained within the cramped quarters of the Emergency Department. Although, now they were able to at least sit with Jillian in her small section of room. She had rapidly been diagnosed with otitis media, an ear infection in layman terms as Howie had come to understood. But since she was only two months and had a high fever; the doctors wanted to hold her till the fever reduced. The better safe than sorry approach that Keveney always lived by.
“Is she going to be okay?”
Keveney jumped at the loud eruption into her thoughts, practically pushing Howie away from her embrace. She immediately glanced to see Howie acutely studying Jillian instead of dozing like she had originally thought. Her heart immediately pricked and she felt compassion for the drained father. It wasn’t easy to see one’s child vulnerable, especially when one could do absolutely nothing to change the situation. And Jillian truly looked helpless. She seemed to be absolutely exhausted from the raging sickness attacking her small form, so she remained sound asleep. She was quite pale, almost the color of the fairest porcelain doll, accept for the fiery tone of her flushed cheeks. She made not a single movement beneath the thin blankets. The only sign of life was the faint sounds of an occasional wheezing sigh. And for final creepy measures that startled Howie, an IV was inserted into her left hand, but splinted and covered to prevent it from slipping from the vein and into the tissues.
“Yeah, she’ll be okay now that you brought her in,” Keveney encouraged, rubbing his aching back as they sat by the hospital crib.
Howie shifted carefully, leaning forward to give Keveney more access to his back. Yet, he kept his gaze settled upon Jillian’s form nestled within the cold crib. He wanted to reach in and hold her, but feared hurting her. So he just stared, allowing his thoughts to flow free. “So, I didn’t jump the gun like a crazy first-time parent?”
“Nah, with babies this young, high fevers can really hurt them. It’s really good that you brought her—”
“Hurt them how?”
“Well…”
“I want the truth.”
“The can have a seizure—”
“Dear God—”
“Howie, she’s fine. Don’t even worry about what I said. I didn’t want to frighten you. But, you don’t even have to worry about it. The fever’s falling with the antipyretics flowing through her IV. She’s not in danger. I promise,” Keveney whispered with strength, wrapping her arms tightly around him from behind. She pressed several light kisses to the top of his head, willing him to hear her words and actually believe. Though, she could feel him tremble beneath her grip, proving his doubt.
“Did I cause her infection?” Howie pondered aloud, finally reaching through the crib’s railing with a sense of hope. He pressed his index finger into the palm of Jillian’s tiny hand, sighing when her fingers curled to grip. His heart ached as his eyes kept watch of the small infant.
His infant.
His daughter.
“No,” Keveney quickly replied, her tone warm and soothing. “Pre-term infants are known to be more susceptible to infection. And a baby’s Eustachian tubes are naturally shorter and straighter than ours, so fluid accumulates while she feeds. And—”
“I think I got everything before Preterm,” Howie murmured, wrinkling his nose as he turned to bring his gaze to hers. For a moment, his mind was turned away from the plaguing situation before him.
“You got a ‘no?’”
“Yeah, pretty much.”
“But it’s simple Anatomy and Physiology—”
“Simple?” Howie snorted, shaking his head in disagreement.
“And you call me the smartass?” Keveney inquired, actually moving a smile to his face. And his sweet smile naturally caused Keveney to laugh. “You’re welcome, Dorough.”
“I know—”
But their bliss was shortly interrupted when the curtain blocking off their privacy was ripped open. Keveney leapt back in shock, uncoiling her arms from around Howie’s neck. Her heart thudded wildly from within her chest, causing her pulse to increase and a cool sweat to bubble against her hairline. She straightened uncomfortably as a woman dressed in white hurried in. She immediately bent over the small child, glancing between Howie and Keveney with a coy smile. She was the nurse attending to Jillian. “Oh! Daddy and Mommy must have heard the good news!”
“Good news?” Howie repeated with a raised brow.
“Yes, we’re being discharged!”
“You finally settled?” Keveney questioned, watching Howie retreat down the stairs with heavy fallings of each foot. It looked to be just a great deal of energy for him to merely bend his leg to lift it higher. Instead, he scurried almost like a zombie with taunt muscles craving for breaths of oxygen. Meanwhile, he had laid Jillian to bed after Keveney dropped them off at the Dorough household. She had naturally worried about Howie driving after Jillian was discharged, so she insisted that she would drop them off. Then tomorrow Keveney would drive with him to pick his car up, which seemed natural enough. Besides, he looked overly exhausted and Keveney cared too much for his welfare. She would do anything in the world for Howie.
“I think… She’s sleeping and probably will be out for awhile,” Howie answered, stifling his own large yawn. Frankly, he was utterly thankful for Jillian’s sleepiness, because he was drained of any extra energy. He could barely lift his legs to move let alone concentrate on caring for a still sick infant. And to assure that she would stay sleeping and his own sleep would run without complications, he had made all the necessary phone calls in the car.
“Good,” Keveney sighed, reaching for her keys.
“You’re leaving?” Howie murmured, slightly horrified.
“Yes—”
“But… No!”
“No?”
“No! You need to stay for coffee—”
“You don’t need anymore stimulants, Babe.”
“Look, I just don’t want you driving,” Howie continued to protest, folding his arms across his chest. He looked quite defiant at that very moment, but he was more concerned about his friend. Keveney looked as if she might collapse. She too had been drained by waiting at the Emergency Room. She cared for Jillian as if she were her mother, which made her overly anxious about the entire situation. It was obvious that her adrenaline was finally crashing, leaving her mangled in its path. “You look beat. C’mon, just crash here. It’s not like I’m asking you to donate your blood to keep the vampire in my basement alive. I’m just asking you to spend the night. I’ve got plenty of space. I owe you that much, Kevie.”
“Yeah, you do,” she teased, obviously complying without much force. She carefully slipped past Howie, hurrying up the stairs in search of refuge. “But I want the master bedroom!”
“But… Hey! That’s my bed!” Howie blurted, the statement finally connecting into the cognitive portion of his brain. He immediately hurried to catch up to the woman, but he was too late. Reaching his room; he found his mouth instantly drying like a blistering desert. Keveney was already curled in his bed, stripped to her tank top and boxers with the other garments lying upon his floor. She was nestled against his favorite pillow, covered by the sweet softness of his comforter and silky sheets. Her golden tresses curled amongst the pillow like a golden halo within the soft lighting of the bedroom, enhancing the beauty of her light violet eyes. Howie couldn’t imagine a sweeter sight.
“And I never said I was kicking you out.”
“But—”
Keveney propped herself up within the bed, catching Howie’s apprehensions. She smiled sweetly, patting the opposite portion of the bed. “Howie, we’re best friends and we’re adults. Don’t make this weird, because it isn’t. We know that we’re friends and aren’t expecting anything. Besides, the baby monitor is in here. So, if she wakes up, whoever hears her, grabs her. Deal?”
“Sounds good…” Howie trailed, unable to voice the truth of the situation. He licked his drying lips, carefully inching himself underneath the covers. He made sure not to touch a single portion of her body, merely laying flat on his back to stare at the ceiling. He had actually dreamed of her slipping into his bed during the loneliest of nights when the covers had turned cold against his skin. Yet, it wasn’t under this context. His dream consisted of the rawest of passion swirling around them in a lust arousing state of enchantment. The candles flickering against her creamy caramel skin, accenting the beats of sweat outlining her womanly contours. And, finally, the thick heat of the room would drive the deepest passion and heat between them to consummate the greatest relationship that Howie couldn’t even begin to dream of.
Yet, there they lay - merely bound by friendship.
“Howie?” Keveney murmured, drawing him away from his thoughts as she shifted. The soft mattress shifted beneath him and suddenly he felt a warm mass curving against him. His heart fluttered as he turned his head to find her actually beside him. His eyes hadn’t deceived him. She was curled to his side, cuddled beneath the blankets with their bodies melting together in some sort of beloved harmony that neither could even begin to understand.
“Yeah?”
“You got quiet.”
“Oh, I was just thinking.”
“About?”
“How perfect this moment is. Jillie is safe and sound. And I’m cuddling my best friend.”
“You’re so sweet.”
“Funny, you took the words right out of my mouth.”
