hey, it's been a while. i saw this tumblr post and cried because it was so cute. i originally wrote this for cresswell from the lunar chronicles, but it fit so well for tratie, too.
words: 1050
. . .
"How are you feeling, Ms. Gardner?"
The voice of Travis Stoll came into my hospital room. I didn't see him, though - I laid under a mountain of pillows and kept my blanket over my head when he entered.
"I told you to call me Katie," I mumbled. I didn't feel up to talking to the nurse that may or may not have made my heart skip a beat when I saw him for the first time. One did not simply go to the hospital and expect to see that cute of a pre-med student at your service.
He rustled around my room, and I heard him come closer. "Well then, Katie, I have a new IV for you, but you're gonna have to come out from your fortress here."
I grumbled incoherently and stuck my head out long enough to rasp out, "Fight me." Then I ducked back into my mound of pillows and blankets.
Travis let out a chuckle before removing some pillows. "Maybe later. Let's get you hooked up to this IV right now."
I pouted, but let him stick me with a needle.
"Whooping cough sucks."
He pinched his lips. "Yeah, it does. You're actually a pretty severe case, usually it doesn't affect adults this badly. But we'll get you all fixed up and you'll be good to fight whoever you want."
"Hmph. You're still first on my list."
The day crept by at the most insufferable speed, and I learned that I'd have to spend another night in the hospital to recover before I could safely be on my own. I wasn't that disappointed, though - another night and morning of seeing the hot nurse couldn't be that bad, even if he was super annoying.
"You know, I wish whooping cough was a stomach infection. I'd much rather have to puke my guts out that suffocate myself to death." I talked Travis absentmindedly as he brought up a tray of cafeteria food for lunch.
He grinned. "Then it wouldn't be called whooping cough."
"Yeah, but still." I threw a hand over my forehead dramatically. "I hate this life of constant coughing and lungs failing."
At that, I hauled back and coughed into my elbow. I thought I'd be able to get away with a single cough, but alas, it continued. I tried to frown at Travis when he looked at me with concern, but I couldn't make any expression through the coughing fit that rolled out of me. When it finally eased, I sat back and groaned. My nose was running now, and I felt flushed.
I expected Travis to offer some sort of relief, but he just laughed. "Yeah, I think I'll pass up on the fighting. You'd definitely beat me."
"You're right, not a safe bet," I spoke weakly, giving him a quiet giggle.
As he smirked and walked out, I pulled my blanket over my head again and bit my lip. How was this man so gorgeous?
My day unfolded much like the day before, slow and uneventful. Travis and other nurses flitted in and out, but never stayed long enough to entertain me. Eventually, Travis asked if he could get me anything, and I took my opportunity.
"Something to do," I whined tragically. "It's so boring. Can't you just stay and talk for a second?"
He glanced at the door leading out to the hallway where people bustled and tended to their business. He then checked the clock on the wall and shrugged. "Sure. What do you want to talk about?"
"Anything." I situated my back to be elevated on my pillow so I could see him. "What got you into the medical field?"
He lifted an eyebrow. "Dunno. I've just always been into helping people out. Although," he snorted, "my brother always says we'd make good thieves because our surname is Stoll."
I stared at him with a straight face. "I think that would make you bad thieves, since you'd literally be pointing yourself out with a freakin' pun."
Travis pulled up a chair and sat. "Yeah, I guess. What about you, what do you do?"
"Botany." I cringed as another few coughs interrupted my sentence. "I'm in agriculture at NYU."
Nodding, he tapped his chin. "You don't threaten to fight your plants, do you?"
"No, just obnoxious pre-med students." I grinned, and he returned the gesture.
Maybe having whooping cough wasn't all that bad.
I woke up to a tray of breakfast on the table next to me, but no sign of Travis. Funny, I thought. He hasn't missed a meal yet. The sun filtered through my window, and I basked in it instead of burrowing into a pillow fort. Today, I was going home. And Travis hadn't even said hello yet.
He didn't show up all morning. I kept waiting on him. A part of me had hoped he'd come say goodbye at least, but the doctor showed up at my door and told me I could try standing up to get ready and leave.
I sighed, slipped out of my bed sheets, and took a tentative step on the ground. But before I got any further, I heard footfalls coming to my door.
"Katie! You're up," Travis greeted, poking his head in after a light knock. "I was hoping to catch you before you left. I got you something."
He held out his hand, which gripped a coffee cup from the cafe downstairs. I smiled, touched at his thoughtfulness. Taking the paper cup in my hand, I breathed in the warm scent.
"Thanks." I sipped at it as he stood before me.
He scratched the back of his neck. "Well, I guess I'd better check on my other patients. I hope you feel better soon, Katie. Make sure you pick up the prescription we gave you so you can start taking it today."
A little let down that he didn't want to stay and chat, I lifted a corner of my mouth. "Oh, okay. Yeah, I'll do that. Thanks... for the coffee and everything."
He winked at me before slinking out of the room. Could you believe it? He winked!
Giddily humming to myself, I turned the coffee cup in my hands and - there was something written on it.
Apparently, I'd seduced him with my drooling and terrible lungs because he wrote his number on it.
His. Freaking. Number.
There were two words above the digits, and I squeaked when I read them.
Fight me?