Page 42 of A Good Book

I appreciated her trying to make me feel less responsible, but Ben was my best friend. And if I hadn’t been so busy trying to avoid him, I would have known just how bad he’d gotten.

“Are you ready to tell me why you two have been avoiding each other?”

I sat in a chair and shook my head. How could I tell Olivia that I kissed the guy she liked?

It didn’t matter. All I cared about was Ben getting better.

“Why do you think he can’t hear?” she asked.

I had no clue. As a child, I had a lot of sore throats. Eventually, I had my tonsils removed. Ear and sinus infections. I’d had about everything, but never had I experienced hearing loss.

An hour later, a doctor came into the waiting room to talk to us.

“Are you family?” he asked.

I shook my head. “I’m his best friend, but I called his parents. They live in Missouri, and they’re going to get a flight here as soon as possible. But they’re a ways from an airport.”

He nodded. “We’re waiting to hear back from the lab. From his clinical exam, I believe it might be meningitis which can cause hearing loss and other symptoms that’s he’s experiencing. We’ve started him on antibiotics.”

“But he’ll get his hearing back. Right?” Olivia asked.

“We don’t know yet. In the meantime, he was distressed, so we gave him something to help him sleep. There’s really nothing to do. I suggest you get some rest and come back during visiting hours. You’re more than welcome to leave a number where you can be reached if anything changes.”

“I’m not leaving,” I said.

“Gabby—” Olivia squeezed my hand.

I kept my gaze focused on the doctor. “I’m not leaving.”

He returned a sad smile and nodded. “I understand. There are vending machines down the hallway and the cafeteria is on the main level.”

“Thank you,” Olivia said.

The doctor turned and disappeared behind the double doors.

“I’ll stay too.”

I shook my head. “You don’t have to. I just can’t leave, not until his parents get here.”

“I have an algebra exam at eight that I shouldn’t miss, so …”

“No. Don’t worry about me. You grab a cab and go back to campus.”

“What about you? Can you afford to miss your classes?”

“I can’t think about that.”

Olivia frowned as if my reply was a judgment on her needing to make it for her algebra exam.

“He’s my family. I’ve known him a long time.”

She studied me with indecision in her eyes before relinquishing a tiny nod. “Okay. But call me if anything changes.”

“I will.” I hugged her.

When she started to release me, I tightened my grip, trying to control my emotions before they broke free.

“He’s going to be okay,” she whispered.

---