Chapter 15: Caring for You

Her hotel room...I mean hospital room :D

Unfortunately, I can not comply to our deal because even if I did not eat for 15 hours I cannot finish even the soup that he serve. It feels like my stomach has some excess air in it that makes me feel full. I really want to eat some steak or fried chicken this lunch, but I lost the deal, so it is a big chance that my lunch is still a soup and a sponge cake.

I feel sleepy after eating so I ask Gideon if he can assist me on lying down properly on my bed.

He complied, and he lower the head of my bed to 45 degrees. I usually sleep with two pillows under my head because I feel dizzy If I only use one pillow. In this case, I only have one pillow and it is not enough for me hence, my bed is inclined to 45 degrees. Gideon promise to buy me some memory pillow foam whatever that is which I just nod because I have no idea what he is talking about.

I don't know what time I fell asleep, but I am woken up by the pain that I feel on the Right lower part of my stomach. I am guessing that the pain reliever already wears off, so I am already in pain. Where is Gideon? I roam my eyes around the room, but I cannot see him. I pretend to be superman and tried to hear if he is nearby. I even hold my breath just for the sake of it, but it is no use. Am I alone in this room?

The pain is slightly intensifying now. I am sure a nurse will come eventually so I'll just wait for him or her to come. I take a deep breath to somehow relax my body and it might help lessen the pain. I'm in my 2nd cycle of deep breathing when the door to my room open and I saw Gideon peeking into my room maybe to check if I am awake already.

"Hey you're awake. The doctor came in while you are sleeping, and he told me you can eat all the food that you can tolerate." He stops talking when he saw my face. He walks to my bed and touch my cheeks. "Do you have a fever? Why are you so pale? Are you in pain?"

I just nod to his last question and he curses silently. He presses something on top of my head and less than a minute I hear a knock and a nurse came.

"Good Morning Ms. Hernandez what can I do for you?"

"She is in pain" Gideon answered for me.

"I see. May I inform you that there is a Patient Controlled Analgesia that is attach on your line that if you feel any discomfort or pain you can press the red button right here" she points to a button that is located on my left side that she presses immediately " if you press it like I did a while ago the pain reliever will be automatically infused to her IV line."

I don't like this kind of pain analgesic. As much as possible I am shying away from taking any kind of medications if possible unless it is necessary.

"Thank you" I smiled at her and she smiled right back at me.

"You're welcome. If there is anything that you need, please press the call button."

I waited for her to go out of the room before I face Gideon who is currently looking at me with impassive expression.

"Ella I am sorry. Fuck it feels like I am always apologizing to you." He run his hand through his glorious hair a universal sign of frustration. "You are in pain for God knows how long and I am not here to help you."

I look at him puzzled by his reaction. If I am a girl who always assume everything, in this situation I conclude that he is worried about me, but unfortunately, I am not so I am thinking that he is just plain weird.

Do the tabloids know this side of Mr. Rosen-Hower? Does he have a multiple personality disorder, because he is showing different attitude. He is not like this in the office. I have never even see him smile there but here he chuckles, smirk and for godsake he laughs, of course at my expense. He really is different or is he pretending just to put up the fake Fiancé alibi?

Back to the present Gideon is still looking in distress so to ease his mind I reassure him that I am not in pain for more than a minute and that he came just in time.

"Sir. I mean Gideon. I am fine okay? Don't worry. This pain is nothing compared from what I experience before."

Looking at me he asked, "What do you mean?" Oops. Slip of the tongue. "Nothing. The bottom line is I am fine. Pain is expected so don't freak out."

"I know what to expect Ella. The doctor discussed it already but as much as possible I want you to be comfortable while you are recovering."

There might be a conflict about the topic I want to bring up.

"I want to request something but please listen to me first before you react. "

Looking at me skeptically he just nodded allowing me to tell him my motion.

"If you don't mind. I want to remove the Patient Controlled Analgesia."

Incredulousness, worry and Anger are the few emotions that I can see from his face.

He starts to rebut but I raise my hand to cut him off.

"Listen to my reason first before you shoot down my request. This is a very personal issue for me." He sighs and said, "Okay I'm all ears."

You might as well take a seat because this quite a long story it might bore you out.

Following my request, he drag one of the chair to the side of my bed and position it facing me.

I take a deep breath and starts narrating a part of my life that I really wish that didn't happen.

I look at the window so that I can not see his reaction from my story.

"I grow up in an orphanage, but not like the other children there I am not an orphan. My parents are both alive. I was taken away from them when I was 4 because they are both substance abuser. All the substance you can think off they already used it. One of our neighbors reported them because she accidentally saw my parents snorting cocaine in front of me in our living room. The police arrested them and search our whole house. They discovered that my parents are dealing and using drugs. I am one of the worst case of child neglect that they have seen for the past 10 years. I was malnourished, with ongoing lung infection and they suspected that I have fetal alcohol syndrome and they also think my mother is using drugs while she was pregnant because they saw that I have tremors which is one of the side effect. I don't look like a four-year-old. I look like a two-year-old child."

I felt him grabbing and squeezing my hand to convey comfort. That gesture encourages me to continue my story.

"Apparently My parents are involved in all kind of shits like robbery, theft and possession of illegal firearms and what lands them a lifetime imprisonment is they hit and run an innocent child while under the influence. They hit that child two times and my mother went out of the car to confirm if the victim is dead then went back inside the car as if nothing happens and drove off to God knows where. Unfortunately to my parents there is a witness who saw what happened and testify to the court to incarcerate them."

I did not notice that I was crying. Gideon sits on my bed facing me and he is wiping my tears from my face.

"I am sorry for crying." I sniff furiously so my snot will not come out. I am an ugly crier with snot and all.

"No need to say sorry love." He hands me some tissue. Apparently, he notices my sniffing. I unlady-like blow my nose and throw the tissue on my bedside bin.

"Do you want to continue?" he asked "Yes. You know it is weird that I am opening up to my boss/ fake fiancé isn't?"

"No, it is not. If this is a way to lighten your burden I will gladly listen to you every day."

"Thank you, sir." He gave me a stern stare that makes me laugh. "I mean Gideon."

I clear my throat and continue my story.

"After their hearing I was transferred to Holy Angels Orphanage. I thought that they will take care of me but apparently my condition there is similar to my life on my parents' custody."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Food is some sort of reward there. If you complete your task they will give you your meal if not, then you will starve. They also withheld our food if we misbehave or if we did not reach their standard. Our grades should always be satisfactory if your grade is lower than B kiss your dinner goodbye. They beat, isolate and as I mention before starves us. That is my life for 12 years of living there. When I was 16 I was kicked out. Good thing is one old store owner took a pity on me and accept me as a part time worker on his store. My school starts at 8am and my shift at the store is 4am to 7:30am and I also accept the 5pm to 8pm shift. Thank god our mistress did not catch me sneaking out at the early morning and they don't care if I go home late. I save all the money that I earn from working there. He pays me $2 an hour. So everyday I have $14. He opens a bank account in his name, but he gave me the card. I can't open my own account because I am a minor at that time and I don't have birth certificate or any legal ID. All the money I earn is deposited there. Working there for 2 years I saved $40,000."

"It seems unbelievable, but it is really the truth. I use that money to rent my one-bedroom apartment in the shady part of our town. That money helps me survive for the past 8 years. Of course, I did not take that money for granted. I work odd jobs for the past 8 years while finishing high school and increase my savings in those years. I named that "I-am-gonna-buy-my-own-house-dammit" account. I saw an ad on the internet about your job offer. I did not know what the Job is. I ask one of the kids to help me make and send my resume in your E-mail using his account and after many twist and turns here I am. The End."

I stare at Gideon and I saw understanding in his eyes and not pity which is I am grateful for.

He squeezed my hands again. "I am in awe of you Ella. You are a strong person. Considering that you experience all of that and you are still smiling and cheerful."

I just shook my head, embarrassed by his compliment.

"Now you see why I don't want the Pain controlled Analgesia? Deep inside I am afraid that I will be like my parents. As much as possible I don't want to take any medicine unless it is necessary. I will take pain reliever if the pain is unbearable."

Gideon sighs and nod. "Let's compromise. I will not let them remove the PCA instead Tell me if the pain is unbearable or if I see any indication that you are uncomfortable I will activate the PCA. Is that a deal?"

That is a reasonable deal. If I am not the one who control this device, it is fine.

"Okay you have a deal."

"Shake on it Ella.' I look at our joined hands that he unconsciously still caressing in comfort.

"We are sort of shaking hand Gideon." I let him see me look at our joined hands. He follows were my eyes is looking and he said "Right sorry. Then he shakes our hand like we agree on a business deal. He releases my hand and I suddenly feel the emptiness. A ridiculous thought Ella is forming on your mind. Stop it.

"Thank You."

Now I need to address the fiancé issue.

"Gideon what are we going to do about the cover up that you say to the doctor about you being my fiancé?"

"Nothing. Don't worry about it. It benefits the both of us believe me."

How is he benefitting in this situation? I only disrupt his schedule nothing more.

"Aren't your board members question your absence in the company?"

"I don't answer to anyone and that is my company. I can do whatever I want. If they need me they will call me."

"I really can't phantom how can you benefit in this set up but if you say so I'll believe you but if my friends visit me will you stay here in my room?" I asked him.

"Do you want me too?" he answered back.

"Frankly No. it will only complicate our situation."

"Yes. You are right. Are you hungry?"

"When I am not hungry?"

He laughs at my answer.

JAMES POV

I stand up and retrieve my phone on the dining table. As I dial the number of my chef at home. I ask Ella what food she wants. We have a deal this morning that if she finishes her food I will give all the food that she craves but unfortunately, she did not finish her food which is understandable because she did not eat for 15 hours. I am still ordering the food that she request what kind of a fiancé am I if I deprive her of her wants and needs.

"Am I allowed to eat the same steak that you ate this morning? Or if not, a fried chicken will do. If there is a rice much better. I like rice more than bread."

What a simple request. Her wish is my command. I relay her request to my chef and add some side dishes like salad, mashed potatoes and a chocolate cake because I know she likes some sweets.

I look at her to ask her drink of choice, but I saw her dozing off with her mouth open. That pain reliever must be in high dosage to make her doze off less than 30 minutes of infusion. I arrange her blanket and kiss her forehead. I went and sit on the couch on the veranda of the room pondering on the story that she told me.

For her to experience all those things that she tells me make my cold heart ache for the first time in my life. I want to strangle her parents and her so called mistress in the orphanage. I want to know the name of the old man that help her in time of her need. I want to meet him. I know that she left some information but maybe in time if she will trust me more and she'll tell me all the things that she left out.

On this day I vow that I will take care of Ella and I will make sure she will not experience any pain or suffering.