One Life

10.

"What do you mean for a few days?"

I could hear Sal's halting voice grow quiet as the doctor spoke once again.

"I'm sorry, but she doesn't seem like she'll be able to go back to her normal levels for a few days. She'll have to stay with us."

I opened my eyes a little bit and could see Sal and Jenna talking to Doctor Callen. I didn't want them to know I could hear them, so I played asleep for a little bit, at least until they were done talking.

"But we're supposed to go to Florida together," Sal whined. "And I was going to surprise her by buying plane tickets for tomorrow night to leave."

Doctor Callen still didn't approve. "No can do," he said. "She'll simply have to stay here."

As Doctor Callen left the room, I could still hear Sal and Jenna talking. They were quiet, but I could just hear barely hear them talk.

"Jen, what am I going to do?" Sal sighed as he plopped down onto the couch, shaking his head in disbelief. "I-I know this is important and all, and I do want her to get better, but.. a few days? I was expecting only a day or maybe a day and a half, but not more than that."

"Well, just let her get better," Jenna told him after a moment. "Maybe we'll have a miracle happen. She is a miracle by herself. I mean, she's so brave, showing off no fear towards the kidney thing."

Wrong. I was so nervous, but I didn't show it to anyone.

"Yeah, I know," Sal spoke after a moment. "She's sleeping right now, so can you just get me a juice from the cafeteria?"

I could hear Jenna's heels slap the floor as she left the room. I didn't know what Sal was doing, but I knew he was still in the room because I would've heard his squeaky new sneakers glide across the floor if he had left. I waited a minute before deciding to open my eyes. It sure was quiet in the room; a pin could fall, and anyone could hear it. When I turned to look over at Sal, he had his face covered by his hands. I wasn't sure if he was crying or not, but I wanted so badly to go over to him and hold him.

"Sal..?"

He finally turned to me after a moment and smiled. "Hey, gorgeous." Getting up from the pull out couch, Sal came over to my bedside and took my IV-free hand in his. "How are you feeling today?"

I shrugged, not really feeling like speaking, especially after all that I wasn't meant to hear, but heard anyway. "Okay, I guess."

"Doctor Callen stopped by," Sal said, trying to sound somewhat alive. "He said you can't go home for another few days. He doesn't think your levels will go back to normal for a while, but I know you'll prove him wrong. You always prove the doctors wrong. You can do anything, Mickey. Jenna says a miracle will happen and you'll be out sooner than they expect. She went into the cafeteria to get some breakfast for us. I think your breakfast will be coming here soon. Do you need anything, babe?"

I shook my head and took a deep breath in, then released it slowly. "Sal?"

"Yes, Mickey?"

"You don't have to stay here if you don't want to," I told him, turning to him slightly. "I know the hospital isn't your dream place to be staying, and I know germs make you jump, so if you want to go home, you can."

Sal just smiled and shook his head. "I'll go anywhere you are."

He made me want to cry, and not in a bad way.

"Sal, I'm serious. I don't want to hold you back from your work. I want you to do whatever you want to do."

"And I wanna stay here with you as long as I can," Sal said. He smiled as he got into bed with me and cuddled up into my side. "I'll stay here until I have to leave."

I nodded my head and smiled as a tall, tan man knocked and came into my room. "Breakfast for miss Michelle Peralta," the tall tan man said, placing a small tray onto my side table.

I thanked the man and had Sal take the top off the tray. Under the tray was two French toast sticks. The tray also had butter packs and a little bowl filled with syrup. The French toast sticks were perfectly fluffy, not too soft, not too hard. They were only a few inches long, but thick as could be.

"Yum, these look delicious!" Sal grabbed himself one of the sticks and dipped it into the bowl of syrup. "I might eat these before you do, babe, so you better hurry if you want any."

I rolled my eyes with a giggle as I bit the French toast stick right out of his hand. "Yeah, Sal, they are delicious. So tell me again about how you'd eat them before I do?"

Sal simply rolled his eyes and shook his head. "You're mean," he whined before taking a bite out of the stick himself. "Oh damn, these are really good." Sal dunked the stick into the syrup again and took another large bite as Jenna came back into the room.

"Are you eating her food?" Jenna teased, putting her purse down. "Anyway. I got you an iced tea like you asked me to, you're welcome." Jenna turned to me with a gentle smile as she walked over to my bed side. "And how are you doing?"

"I've been better," I told her honestly. "I just wish I didn't have this damn IV in my arm, honestly. It's annoying me and it's getting a little bit itchy."

Sal and Jenna both nodded with a small frown. Sal opened his mouth to speak, but Jenna stopped him.

"You can't go home yet," Jenna told me. "The doctor-"

"I told her," Sal interrupted, putting his hand up to stop her. "I don't think she accepts it, but she understands."

I nodded my head as I motioned my head to the plate of food. "I know," I told her, sitting up in my bed. "I accept it, well, sort of. I mean, I can't help it, right?"

Sal sighed as he brushed my hair back and kissed my forehead gently. "Let's eat breakfast," Sal suggested quickly, trying to change the subject. "French toast, anyone?"