Romantic love story

Chapter ninteen: This Couldn't Be Love

"I know, I know." Brian kept grinning, and went back to his manual. "If it's meant to be, God will make it happen."

Groaning, Terry let his friend read the directions, while Terry went to make sure Maddie had finished her breakfast.

"Maddie?" Terry came through the front door, stopped when he saw her curled on the couch looking drowsy. "How can you sleep? Haven't you had enough?"

She pushed herself upright, blinked and said nothing.

"Okay." Terry took a deep breath. "I can do this. Just calm down."

"I am calm."

"I wasn't talking about you." Terry closed the door. "Why don't you go upstairs and take a shower? I'll get some clothes from your apartment."

Her eyes tracked to the stairs.

"Come on, Maddie, Brian's here. If he, or anyone we know, sees you looking like this, someone's going to worry."

It was enough to get her up. She started for the stairs, dragging one leg in a much more noticeable limp than usual.

"You've been doing that all morning. Why aren't you moving your leg?"

"My hip hurts."

"It's probably because you haven't been getting any exercise. Come on, start picking up your feet."

She edged closer to the bottom of the stairs, her leg still dragging behind her.

"Maddie--"

"I can't." Reaching for the banister, she moved the hip in question, gasped in pain and quickly stopped.

"Your painkiller." Terry snapped his fingers, went into the kitchen to find the bottle of acetaminophen. He'd bought her a new one and put it in her apartment, but the old one should still be here in the cupboard.

The doorbell sounded as he found the bottle. It was probably Brian.

Terry went back to Maddie just as the front door opened.

"Hey, Terry?" Brian looked inside, saw Maddie huddled by the banister while Terry tapped out pills onto her hand. "Sorry, I didn't mean to intrude."

"That's all right." Terry watched as Maddie tried to swallow the pills. "Hold on, you should be taking those with a glass of water."

"Is she okay?" Brian asked.

Terry didn't have time to explain. He jogged to the kitchen, came back with a full glass only to find she no longer needed it.

"Drink the glass anyway," he said, and gave her the water.

"Is she sick?" Brian stepped inside. "She's so pale."

"She's in pain." Terry hovered nearby, and accepted the empty glass when she had finished.

"Why is she in pain?"

"She has osteoarthritis of the hip." Terry looked up the flight of stairs. "You're not going to make it up there, are you?"

Maddie shook her head.

"Okay, let's get you back to your apartment. You can shower there."

Her eyes closed and he could see she was tiring.

"I never should have left you alone for so long." Terry set aside the glass. "I don't want to scare you, but I'm going to carry you next door. Maddie?" He bent to look into her downturned face.

"I feel better, Terry. Ever since you came, I've felt better-- honest, I have."

"I'm glad to hear that, but you certainly don't look it. Brace yourself, I'm going to pick you up."