Chapter 5: On the Couch

With my help Jill made herself comfortable on the couch. I propped her casted leg on a stool, stole a glance at her toes and handed her the remote control. She looked at it as if she wasn't sure what to do with it.

"What am I supposed to do now, watching TV?" she said indignantly.

"You are supposed to rest. You decide how to do that."

She kicked her pump off and rested her right leg on the couch, then glared angrily at the cast.

"I have to go to the drugstore to buy the prescribed medicines. What do you want to eat?" I said.

"I am not hungry."

"Jill, you have to eat!"

"You started treating me like a baby!" she said with subdued anger.

"I just want to make you feel better."

"I cannot stand myself today," she said and knitted her fingers together.

I bent over and kissed her cheek, then walked out, leaving her alone.

Making the necessary purchases took no more than half an hour. After buying some Chinese food, I hurried to get back. Jill had been crying. Turning aside, she tried to hide her tears from me, but I saw them.

"Jill! Is the pain bad?"

"No," she answered and quickly wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

"What's the problem? Can I do something for you?"

"This is absolutely unbearable," she said irritably and burst into tears again.

"What?"

"Can't you see?" she mumbled, glaring at me.

Then I noticed that she had tried to put on a pair of panties over the cast. They were stuck at the top of her casted thigh.

"Impossible," she complained, "the cast is too big."

"I think you should stop worrying about it," I replied.

"Do you know how uncomfortable it is to be bare "down there"?"

"Nice rhyme," I said with a smile.

She threw her pump at me. I manage to catch it.

"Are you angry at me?" I asked cautiously.

"No, I developed the habit of throwing my shoes when I'm calm."

I helped her get the useless panties off and sat beside her on the couch. She put her hand around my shoulder, then pulled me towards her.

"George!"

I looked at her, drowning in her blue eyes.

"What are you really thinking?" she asked.

"About what?"

"About my predicament."

"I like this predicament of yours," I said and knocked on the cast.

"Really! Why?"

"You can't run away from me."

She tensed visibly.

"I know you can't forgive me," she said and withdrew her hand.

"Well, let's not talk about the past," I said.

"You avoided my question," her eyes pinned me again.

"I think you need someone to take care of you. I want that someone to be me."

"So, you will stay with me?"

"Yes!"

"Great! Give a kiss to your broken girl now!"

I complied, trying not to be too eager.

"My toes are itchy," she said wiggling them.

"That's just what I expected. I think I can help you."

"Do something, please! I can't reach them."

I ran my hand over the hard surface of the cast and kneeled on the floor to rub her toes.

"They are all yours," she said.

"Yes, I know what to do."