The doorbell rings, which startles me because it's the first time I've heard it ring. It's really loud. It rings again, followed by knocking.
"Miles?" I hear the voice through the door and instantly know it's Raine. What is she doing here? "Miles, I need help!"
I race to put my shorts on, then grab a t-shirt and hurry downstairs to answer the door.
"What's wrong?" I ask, seeing the panicked look on her face.
Her eyes drop to my chest and I realize my t-shirt is still in my hand.
I put it on. "What happened? What's wrong?"
"Gladys. She's coughing really bad and having a hard time breathing. I need to get her help but the free clinic is like ten miles away and I don't have money for the bus."
"I'll take you. Just let me get my keys." I run to the kitchen counter, grab my keys and my phone, and meet her back at the door. "Let's go."
"I'm scared," Raine says as we take the elevator to the parking garage. "I don't want anything to happen to her."
"I know." I take Raine's hand. "I don't either."
We get in my car and I drive down the busy street, weaving through traffic until we reach the coffee shop. I pull into what's marked as a loading zone because it's the only open space close to the alley.
Getting out of the car, I see Raine run ahead to the alley. I meet her there and see Gladys doubled over in her chair, covering her mouth as she coughs. Raine is kneeled down beside her, offering her the bottled water I left them last night. I've continued to bring them food and water every night for weeks now. Raine has given up trying to stop me but I think it's more for Gladys' sake than her own.
"C'mon, Gladys," I say, helping her up. "We're going to get you to a doctor who'll take care of that cough."
"Bless you," she says with that sweet smile of hers. She's become like a grandmother to me, which is something I've never had. I never met my dad or his family, and my mom's parents disowned her when she got pregnant with me because she wasn't married. She hasn't talked to them since the day they kicked her out.
I load Gladys into the front seat of my car while Raine jumps in the back. She directs me where to go as Gladys wheezes and coughs and struggles to breathe. How did she get so sick overnight? I guess when I think about it, she didn't sound good last night either. She wasn't coughing as much but she was wheezing.
"That's it," Raine says, pointing to a small brick building that's been painted white and has weeds growing up along the side of it.
"Are you sure?" I ask, because it doesn't look like a place you'd get medical care.
"It runs off donations," she says. "They don't have money to fix it up. Parking's in back."
I go around back and see the lot is almost full. I find the last spot, which luckily is right by the door, and park the car. Raine jumps out and helps Gladys while I go to the building and open the door for them.
"It'll be about an hour wait," the lady at the front desk tells us.
"An hour?" Raine says. "That's too long! She needs help now!"
"Sorry but that's the best I can do," the lady says before walking off.
"Let's go sit down," I say, taking Gladys' arm and leading her to a seat by the door. It's the only seat left. Raine and I stand beside her. Raine's looking at Gladys like she's sure she's going to die.
"She'll be okay," I say quietly to Raine. I put my arm around her, expecting she'll pull away, but instead she turns and rests her head on my shoulder.
She looks up at me. "I'm still really scared."
"I know." I squeeze her into my side and lightly rub her arm.
Gladys stops coughing a moment to glance up at us. She catches my eye and smiles, nodding toward Raine who still has her head on my shoulder. Gladys thinks Raine's actions are proof she's warming up to me. I'd like to believe that, but I think her actions are more about needing to be comforted and less about her feelings for me.
The past week, Raine has continued to keep her distance from me but at least now, when I bring food over at night, she'll come out of the tent to eat with Gladys and me. But then she goes back in the tent while I talk to Gladys.
Thirty minutes pass and a seat opens up when someone gets called back to see the doctor. Raine pulls away from me, like she's going to go take the seat, but then changes her mind and remains by my side. My arm is no longer around her but I feel Raine's hand bump against mine. I glance over and see her looking straight ahead. I take her hand and hold it, wondering if she'll pull away. Instead, she holds on tighter.
It surprises the hell out of me that she's letting me do this. Letting me comfort her. Letting me take care of her when she's worried and scared. The fact she even told me she's scared shocked me. She's always so closed off. Never tells me how she's feeling. Never shows weakness. But now? It's like she doesn't know what to do. Gladys is everything to her. The only person she has in life. So the thought of losing her has Raine completely panicked and unable to hide how she feels. When she showed up at my apartment, she almost broke down. There were tears in her eyes but she quickly wiped them away. From the moment I saw her, I knew something was seriously wrong without her even having to tell me.
"Gladys," the nurse calls out.
Raine lets go of my hand and turns to Gladys. "They're ready. It's time to get up."
I help Gladys up from the chair, then walk her over to the nurse.
"I'll wait here," I tell Raine as she goes with Gladys to the exam room.
Turning back to the waiting area, I see sick kids coughing and sneezing and an old man with his head bent down, mumbling to himself. This is the last place I thought I'd be spending my Friday night but it's the only place I want to be if they can make Gladys better. And if Gladys is better, Raine will be too.
I hate seeing Raine this upset. This sad. Her life is hard enough. She doesn't need more pain. More loss.
Gladys has to be okay.
15
Raine
"You sure you're all right?" I ask Gladys.
"Yes, dear. You don't have to keep asking." She coughs and takes a sip of water.
"I just want to make sure you don't need anything."
"I'm fine. I'm just going to rest now."
Gladys has bronchitis and the start of pneumonia so the doctor gave her medicine and an inhaler. Well, he didn't give it to her. He prescribed it and Miles paid for it.
Damn Miles. Why does he have to be so nice? I keep trying not to like him but I can't. He's kind, generous, and has a super hot body and perfect face. How can one person have all that going for him? Usually hot guys are assholes and nice guys aren't that attractive. That's based solely on my own experience but it's been true up until now. Then Miles comes along and proves me wrong. He's definite proof that hot, nice guys exist.
I like him so much that I avoid him whenever he's around in an attempt to not like him even more. So far, it's not working. And last night, when he helped me with Gladys? My heart melted, making all my emotions spill out right in front of him. He put his arm around me. He held my hand. He said all the right things to make me feel better. He was perfect. So damn perfect. I wish he'd show me some flaws so I could go back to being annoyed with him instead of missing him, wishing he was here.