Sweet Sweat

Part 4

She got up instantly as she felt Stephen's hand move. It moved, indeed. Maria grinned and watched his skin colour slowly return to normal. He slightly moved his head and snored softly once or twice, like he did when he was asleep. Then, several minutes later, he opened his eyes, glaring right at her.

It was relief that brought tears to her eyes this time. 'I'm s-so s-sorry,' Maria whispered, sobbing, still holding his hand.

Stephen lay motionless, and she could read the confusion in his eyes. For a moment or two, she thought he did not recognize her. Maria burst into tears.

A stranger knelt beside them and placed his palm on Stephen's forehead, probably checking for his temperature. 'Are you feeling any better?'

Stephen turned his head to the man's direction and peered into his eyes. Then, he looked back at her.

'I'm sorry,' Maria repeated quietly.

'What for?' Stephen's voice was weak.

'I didn't do anything – I – I tried – I couldn't.'

Stephen held her hand tightly, and the man insisted, 'Are you feeling better?'

'What do you mean?' Stephen seemed utterly bewildered.

Maria faced the man. 'He – he can't remember things when his sugar is too low – his blood – his blood sugar.' She paused for a moment or two to choke back her sobs and quickly added, 'I think.'

Then she turned to Stephen. 'You - you had hypoglei-glai-see-mic shock.' She puckered her face.

'Really?' Stephen asked and looked around him, chaos shimmering in his eyes.

'What's your name, boy?' the man asked.

Stephen squinted, but did not say anything. He thought about it for what seemed forever, and then finally answered, 'Stephen.'

The man sighed and got up on both his feet with a loud, 'He's fine,' for everyone to hear, and walked away. That very moment Stephen sat up, his heavy head in his palm. Maria placed her forehead close to his head and breathed for the next minute. Just breathed.

When she caught her breath, she murmured near his ear, 'I love you so much, baby.'

'Is there anything we can do now?' someone asked.

'I need some juice,' Stephen replied.

Maria helped Stephen on his feet as a woman came rushing from a store with a plastic chair in her hands. Stephen sat on the chair and, in what seemed like a blink of an eye, the previous man appeared with a box of juice in his hand. Only then did Maria notice the ambulance that arrived a couple of minutes earlier. Two men in paramedic uniform approached them.

Maria took them aside and explained how Stephen passed out due to low blood sugar before they could reach the store to get him something to drink. Apparently, the reason he woke up by himself was the doughnut he had eaten. It took some time, but his glucose levels finally rose. The only response Maria got was, 'Are you his sister?'

'No.' She sighed in disappointment, wondering what had taken them so long.

Stephen's feet were weak and he could hardly stand up. The driver of the ambulance was kind enough to bring them both home as Stephen insisted he did not want to go to the hospital. Maria helped her boyfriend up the front porch steps and into the elevator.

When entering her apartment, Stephen walked directly into the living room and sat on the couch to rest.

'Can you please turn on the heater?' his voice was low, his hands held his head. 'I'm so cold.'

Maria rushed to do as asked, wondering if cold was another symptom, and also brought a plaid blanket to wrap him with. 'Lie down and rest,' she suggested. 'Did you hit your head when you fell?'

'Oh, no. Shocks always come with severe headaches.' Stephen looked at the bruises at his left hand. 'Oh,' he exclaimed, 'and bruises, apparently. Every time I faint I get bruises on my hands.'

Without second thoughts, Maria hurried to the bathroom to get cotton and Betadine, as well as painkiller pills. Then, she brought a glass of water. The last time she entered the living room, Maria closed the door behind her, letting the room get warmer faster.

Stephen took his pill and Maria sat beside him. She gently took his hand and cleaned his wounds. That very moment, Stephen looked at his knuckles and said, 'Oh, not again. Every time I faint, I get bruises on my hands.'

Maria froze, not knowing if he had repeated himself on purpose. She tried, 'Do you remember what happened?'

'Hypoglycaemia,' Stephen was not sure. 'I don't know why.'

'You had insulin before we left the house and did not eat on time.'

'Were we going somewhere?'

'Shopping.'

'What the-?' His memory was blurred, Maria supposed, and faked a smile.

'We were going to buy Christmas presents.' She pointed at the tiny Christmas tree they had decorated together.

'Christmas.'

'Do you remember the tree?' she asked pointing at the Christmas tree opposite the couch.

'You did not have it last time I came here.' Stephen was certain.

Maria swallowed and looked at her feet. She was not sure how to feel about that. 'Do you want anything to eat?'

'No, I might have high blood sugar right now. Must be the glucagon.'

'We did not inject you, honey.'

'What?' Stephen jumped. 'How did I wake up?'

'By yourself. The ambulance had not arrived yet.'

'Whoa!' Stephen seemed excited to hear that. 'Then it must have been the juice I drunk before I passed out.'

'You did not drink juice before you passed out.' Maria held Stephen's hand.

'Then why do I have the taste of juice in my mouth?'

Maria was already positive something wrong occurred with his memory and did not know if it was wise to answer his questions that very moment.

Stephen looked at his left hand and repeated helplessly, 'Oh, no. Every time I faint I hurt the back of my hands.'

'Let me check your blood sugar,' Maria suggested.

'I'm fine, baby,' Stephen tried to make her feel better. 'After a glucagon shot, blood sugar rises a lot.'

'We did not inject you. You woke up before the ambulance arrived.'

Stephen smirked. 'Whoa!' He leaned his back on the couch and Maria covered him up to the shoulders with the blanket. 'I still don't understand why I had low blood sugar.'

'Get some rest.' Maria avoided answering. 'I'll explain everything later.' She did not know what hurt the most; watching him lay unconscious or seeing him suffer temporary memory loss.

Undoubtedly, both.

Stephen smiled and closed his eyes. In no time, he was asleep.