Page 61 of Reunion at Mistletoe Lodge
Barb blinked against the light, her vision slowly adjusting. A woman in a white coat was leaning over her, smiling kindly. "Welcome back," the doctor said, lowering the light and checking her pulse.
Barb's heart leaped in her chest as she looked around the room, her eyes landing on an empty chair by her bed. "Where… where’s Zac?" she asked, panic creeping into her voice.
The doctor placed a reassuring hand on her arm. "He'll be right back, I promise. I had to practically force him to go get coffee and something to eat. He hasn't left your side since you got here."
Barb let out a shaky breath, her body relaxing slightly. "How long have I been here?" she asked, her voice still weak.
"Since yesterday afternoon," the doctor replied, checking the monitors by Barb's bed.
Barb’s mindraced. "What time is it now?"
The doctor glanced at her watch. "It’s almost six in the evening."
Barb's eyes widened. "I’ve been out for that long? My kids…"
"Calm down," the doctor said gently, placing her hand on Barb’s arm. "Your husband took care of everything. Your only job now is to rest and get better."
Barb felt a warmth spread through her as the doctor injected something into her IV. The tension in her body melted away, and she felt herself drifting off again, the edges of her vision blurring once more.
Barb woke again to the sound of soft breathing beside her. She tried to swallow, her throat still feeling raw but less painful than before. She attempted to sit up, but a firm hand gently pressed her back down.
"Easy there," Zac’s deep, familiar voice said. "You need to lie still."
She turned her head, and there he was, sitting beside her bed, looking tired but relieved. He held a cup with a straw, bringing it to her lips again. "Here, take another sip."
She obeyed, the water soothing her throat. When she finished, she looked at him, a small smile forming on her lips. "I thought I dreamed you were here."
He returned her smile, his eyes softening. "It wasn’t a dream, Barb. I’m right here."
She reached out and grabbed his hand, needing to feel the warmth of his skin. "What happened?" she asked, her voice stronger than before.
Zac’s expression grew serious. "You collapsed from a high fever. You’re dehydrated, and the virus hit you hard. But you’re going to be okay now." Barb’s mind raced, but before she could ask about the kids, Zac spoke again, his voice calm and reassuring. "The kids are safe. They’re with Paige." He smiled. “Oscar and Rose each drew a get-well card for you.” He pointed to the cards on the table beside her bed. “Nearly everyone from the lodge has sent you flowers.”
Relief flooded through Barb, and she let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. She squeezed Zac’s hand, her eyes filling with tears. "Thank you… for being here." Barb’s eyes roved the room where bunches of flowers lined the cabinet on the far wall.
Zac leaned down, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. "There’s nowhere else I’d be," he whispered, his lips lingering against her skin.
As Barb drifted off again, she held onto his hand, feeling safe as she hated hospitals and especially being left alone in them.
The following day, Barb woke up feeling a lot better and managed to eat breakfast, which was oatmeal with honey. Zac left her for a few hours to go home, shower, and change. He’d been with her since Barb had been admitted and joked about starting to smell and becoming a health hazard in the hospital.
While it was only a couple of hours, Barb began to feel anxious without him there and couldn’t wait for him to get back. When Zac did come back, he brought another card from Oscar, who had included Charlie’s get-well wishes, too. Barb’s eyes welled with tears as she read the car.
“I’m sorry, Barb,” Zac said, hanging his coat on the back of the door and holding up an overnight bag for her. “The hospital won’t let Oscar in to visit you. He and Charlotte love and miss you. But they’ve been spoiled and loved by their Aunt Paige, who has become very possessive over them and nearly had a fight with Jackie.”
“What?” Barb asked, alarmed.
“It wasn’t a big fight,” Zac explained, storing her bag in the closet on the other side of the room. “Charlotte needed to go for her check-up with your Doctor Reece, and Paige insisted she take her. But they compromised and took Charlotte together.” He pulled up a chair and sat beside the bed. “I’m afraid to say that I think my sister has a crush on your Doctor Reece.”
Barb gave a nervous laugh. “He’s not my Doctor Reece. He’s just a friend and Charlotte's pediatrician.” She frowned. “I do knowthat he’d had his heart broken.”
“Then he and Paige are a perfect match,” Zac told her. “Before Paige took a fellowship in Hawaii, she was going to work for NASA with the Hubble Telescope, but she was jilted.”
“Oh, no, that’s awful.” Barb’s heart went out to Paige.
“So Paige took off to Hawaii for a fresh start,” Zac explained. “But now it looks like Boulder University is trying to steal her.”
“I think my uncle works at Boulder,” Barb said.
