Chapter 13

Michelle was rushed off in an ambulance, and Jason took a taxi with Olivia to follow. By the time they had arrived at the hospital, she had already been taken into the operating room.

Olivia was taken to speak with the doctor. Since Jason wasn’t family, as much as he wished he was, he was forced to wait. Jason began pacing the waiting room until a nurse warned him to sit down, or they would have to ask him to leave.

Jason waited in silence. He could hear every tick of the clock and every thump of his own heart. Every second felt like an hour. He must’ve waited several hours while Michelle was still in surgery.

Finally deciding he couldn’t bear waiting any longer, he grabbed a passing nurse. He looked the man dead in the eyes.

“Is Michelle alright? Is she going to make it? Please don’t tell me something went wrong.”

“Michelle?” The nurse looked confused, and he stopped to think for a moment before his mouth dropped. “Wait, did nobody tell you? She’s been out of surgery for hours now. She is resting in a private ward.”

Jason stared blankly at him.

The nurse stared back at him.

“Would you like me to show you to her room?” he offered.

“Yes, please,” Jason replied deadpan, having no more spoons to spare.

Entering the room, he instantly saw that she was sitting upright in a bed. Her leg was heavily bandaged, elevated slightly as she laughed her guts out watching a cartoon.

“Oh, Jason, there you are. I thought you weren’t going to see me,” Michelle replied with a cheerful smile. “Mama just left.”

Her smile would normally melt his heart. But he was too emotionally exhausted to deal with it.

“I see you are doing well,” he commented, pulling up the single uncomfortable plastic chair in the room.

“Yeah, it wasn’t anything too serious.” She shifted her gaze away. “Though I can’t play for a few months.”

“Not being able to play sounds pretty serious to me.”

“Don’t worry, they just mean Tennis. I can still play video games.”

She gave Jason a thumbs-up as his migraine began to worsen.

“Tennis is your job, not being able to play is a big deal,” he tried to explain to her.

“Oh crap, you’re right!” Her eyes widened, and she gripped her head. “Jason, what am I going to do?”

“Unfortunately, there is no cure for you. You’re a lost cause.”

Michelle grabbed her phone and dialled her mother. After a short conversation, she placed the phone on her bed sheets and let out a large sigh of relief.

“It’s alright, Mama says I have more than enough through winnings and sponsorships.”

“Thank goodness for that. I’ll reply to the other players that I will have to turn down their private chef offers,” Jason joked.

“You would leave me to be another tennis player's private chef?” Michelle asked, seemingly saddened by his words.

“Of course not!” Jason replied. “I was just joking. Unfortunately, you are stuck with me.”

Michelle didn’t think it was unfortunate.

“Well, my injury could have been a lot worse,” she mused.

“How?”

“I could have injured both legs.”

Jason rubbed the bridge of his nose.

“Are you okay?” Michelle asked, looking worried. “I can press the red buzzer to call a nurse.”

“Please don’t do that,” Jason begged.

“You sure? They are lovely.”

Jason decided he had better redirect her attention before she caused more problems for the hospital staff. “Well, I’m just glad you are alright.”

Michelle’s face reddened.

“Thanks, and I’m sorry I couldn’t win that match for you,” she mumbled, unable to look him in the eyes.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, it was my first time inviting you, and you saw such an embarrassing side of me,” she murmured.

Jason stared blankly at her. He leaned over and flicked her head.

“What was that for!” she barked, rubbing the spot where he flicked.

“Michelle, I see your embarrassing side every day. If anything, during that match, I got to see a new side of you.”

“New?” she tilted her head.

“The way you moved, the determined look, the way you went after every ball, it was really cool,” Jason wished he could list off the hundred other reasons, but he decided to hold back since she was still recovering.

“C-cool?” she stuttered in response, before recognition and anger flashed across her face. “Hey, wait, what do you mean I’m embarrassing?!” she growled back. Throwing one of her pillows at him.

“That’s my pillow now,” Jason replied, placing it behind his back.

Michelle’s jaw dropped with a look of shock.

“Can I have that pillow back?” she begged, holding out her arms and lowering her head.

“Are you going to throw it at me again?” he asked.

She turned her head away and tried to whistle.

“Then no, you can’t have it back.”

“Fine! I won’t throw it at you,” she complained.

“I was only teasing you, dummy.” He got up and carefully placed it behind her. “I’m just glad you are alright. You have no idea how worried I was.”

Her face turned red, and she quickly scooped up an item off the dinner tray, shovelling the contents into her mouth.

“How is the food?” Jason asked, smirking as he watched her eat.

“Oh, it’s alright. Not as good as yours though.”

“That’s good to hear. Glad to hear I still have a job. Although I’m surprised to see you eating cauliflower.”

Michelle glanced down at her tray, noticing the white vegetable on her plate.

“Gah! You tricked me into eating it!” she shouted.

“What do you mean, I tricked you?!” Jason shot back, fully drawn into the banter. He quickly collected himself. “Well, putting aside the cauliflower, what’s your favourite of the hospital food?”

She paused to think.

“Maybe the jelly, or ice cream.”

“Hmm, is that so? You don’t normally have much sweet food.”

“That’s because you never let me!” She snapped back.

“Well, I might be willing to whip you up something sweet to aid in your recovery.”

Her eyes sparkled with excitement.

“Really?”

Whether it was the worry he had been carrying all this time or simply a lapse in judgment, he abandoned his usual poise and leaned in. So close he could smell her sweet scent.

He kissed her forehead.

“Of course.”

Michelle’s lips trembled, her eyes wide open. Her face was redder than the jelly. She pulled the covers up to her face and didn’t utter another word.

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End of Chapter 13