14. Lia

I'm vaguelyaware that Ethan Bedd is next to my bed, holding my hand, and my brother is standing in the room, arms crossed, frowning like usual. I take my time opening my eyes—my lids feel so heavy. I'm not sure how much time has passed, but based on the stubble sprouting from Ethan's face, it's been hours.

"Hey." My voice is gravely, coarse. I must have been vomiting.

Asher tips his chin. Ethan's head snaps up and he squeezes my hand. "You're up. Ash, go grab the nurse and tell her Lia's up."

I'm surprised to see my brother obey this unexpected command without question, and soon he comes back to the room with a nurse and a doctor in tow.

"Ms. Thorne, I'm so glad you're awake. I'm the GI specialist here, Dr. Sanchez." The young woman smiles and extends her hand. I try to lift my arm and return the shake, but my limbs feel heavy and weak, encumbered by IV tubes. Dr. Sanchez reaches lower and gives me a quick pat. "I understand you're having a flare up."

I clear my throat and sip the water Ethan hands me. "Seems that way. Were you able to call my doctor? Richard Hammond?"

Dr. Sanchez frowns and looks at her tablet. "I don't have a note about that. Sanjay, can you set up a video call with Dr. Hammond if he's in our system?"

The nurse nods and steps into the hall.

Dr. Sanchez continues. "I gather you've been in severe abdominal pain. I also see that you're fatigued. Your brother mentioned you've had some stress with a new job assignment?"

I nod and Dr. Sanchez clicks around her tablet. "We can schedule you for some imaging to see if you've formed new ulcers we should be concerned about, and I'd like you to switch to a liquid diet for a week to give your bowels a rest."

Ethan looks horrified by this recommendation. "Liquid diet? How's she going to get enough calories?" I don't doubt he'd wither away from a similar recommendation given the way he spends his days doing physical labor.

I pat his arm, or I try to. "I'm used to this, Ethan. It's okay." I should have sensed this coming on a few days ago. I should have called Richard. I was so put off by our interaction at my infusion that I just … ignored my body.

Dr. Sanchez looks between Ethan and Asher. "She will need a lot of support this week with daily activities. I'm guessing Ms. Thorne will continue to feel rather weak for some time."

Asher spears both hands into his hair. "I've got a product launch in twelve hours. I'm going to be on call for at least four days. Around the clock." I hate feeling like a burden to him. I hate feeling weak and a burden, period.

I open my mouth to insist the doctor call Richard, but I realize that he can't take the time to care for me, either. He'd recommend admission, because he wouldn't be able to take the time away from his patients or his research. Not if he's trying to land an NIH grant.

"She can stay with me." Ethan's words carry a finality. I stare at him, about to protest, unsure what I'd say.

"Pardon me." Sanjay, the nurse, comes back into the room. "Dr. Hammond's admin says he's unavailable to talk today but recommends increasing the JAK inhibitors."

Dr. Sanchez frowns deeply. She looks around the room and then back down at my chart. "Ms. Thorne, may I be frank?"

Asher pushes off the wall and walks closer to the bed. Ethan sits up straight and folds his hands in his lap. I nod.

"I have some serious questions about your medication regimen. Your recent labs indicate toxicity?—"

I hold up a hand and cut her off. "I'm comfortable with my care in the city, thank you. Can you let me know what needs to happen for discharge?"

Asher's mouth drops open. "Lia, I want to hear her opinion."

I shake my head. "I've had years of second and third and fifth opinions. Richard is an expert in this field, and I trust his advice."

"I don't like that guy." Asher's nostrils flare and Ethan's brows shoot up. "I don't think it's right that he's dating a patient."

The room falls silent apart from the beeping on my IV pole. After a bit, Dr. Sanchez licks her lips and says, "Right. Well, I'm going to prescribe a course of steroids to manage the inflammation and I'll ask that you have a serious conversation about your long-term medication plan sooner than later."

She hands some notes to Sanjay and they both back out of the room, leaving me with two fuming men. I hear how my relationship must sound to Ethan, and for once I don't immediately snap to Richard's defense. Ethan glares at Asher. "What's this about a man you don't like? Is he messing around with Lia's meds?"

Asher shrugs. "I don't know what he's doing. I never liked him." He points at me. "I don't care if he saved you. The man's an asshole."

Ethan rubs a palm on his cheek. "And you're dating him? Your doctor?"

I wish I could tell him the truth … that I don't even know where I stand with Richard after my infusion and his cryptic, uncaring speech. I say, "It's complicated, " and absentmindedly reach for my wrist, but I remember that I was planting strawberries before I came here and left the diamond bracelet at home.

A thought occurs to me. "I understand if you'd rather I not stay with you, Ethan, considering?—"

He holds up a hand. "I said I'd take care of you, and I meant it. I have plenty of space and my place is all one floor." I don't bother mentioning to him that he doesn't have a spare bedroom in his tiny cabin. I glance at Asher, who has to work, and think of Richard, who wouldn't make the time to talk to me even when another hospital employee called him.

When someone shows you who they are, believe them. My therapist's words echo in my head. I recall the days when I lost friends, lost contact with Ethan, had to take a leave of absence from my studies. My condition changed every interpersonal relationship I had and those words were a mantra for me to protect my emotional reserves.

At the time I thought Richard showed me he was an observant man, a caring person who saw what was really wrong and led me down the path to health. When he first asked me out, first kissed me, it felt thrilling. I felt special and seen.

Now, I watch as Ethan takes notes from Sanjay on how to puree soups and which brand of nutritional shake contains the most protein and calories. "And that one doesn't have dairy? She can't have dairy."

Here in this hospital, Ethan shows me that he knows how to listen and does what needs to be done to keep the people he cares about safe.

Ethan claps a big hand on my brother's shoulder. "Ash, I know you have to get back to it. Can you grab this stuff at the pharmacy and drop it at my place? I can wait here with Lia until her discharge comes through."

My brother nods and takes a photo of Ethan's shopping list. He plants a kiss on the top of my head. "We'll talk soon." I wave at him and stare some more at Ethan, who has no obligation to stay here … in fact, he has a lot of reasons to be back on his own property saving his own family from disaster.

He clicks around his ancient phone, clearly out of practice in sending text messages, but then he looks up at me and smiles broadly. "Colleen and Gran got Alex to come help them finish the last of the planting. He'll do those things for Colleen even if he'll tell me to piss up a rope."

"You and your siblings have some animosity …"

Ethan nods. "We'll work it out. I promised Gran I'd mend fences."

Once again, Ethan's word feels solid. I have no doubt that he will do as he says.