I sneezed,
then coughed, then winced as my lungs burned and my head pounded. I barely
propped my head upright on the couch as I watched TV. I didn’t know what was
on. I didn’t care. All I knew was the misery of a super cold in the middle of
July. I had spent three days—four?—on this couch, slipping in and out of sleep.
I heard the
door bell, and barely croaked out “Come in.” My neighbor’s kids, Brian and
Tommy had brought me my mail and the occasional meal their mother was good
enough to make for me.
But it
wasn’t them.
It was
Nikki. I had invited a vampire into my home; I didn’t care.
“Please
kill me,” I managed to her.
“Not today,
Matthew.” She wore jeans and a tee shirt, looking quite normal and every day,
and went directly into the kitchen. I tried to angle my head around, but gave
up after moving an inch. I had to settle for the sounds of her rummaging around
clanking dishes and firing up my stovetop.
I blew my
nose, feeling a cargo ship of mucus leave my sinuses, and sighed closing my
eyes. I didn’t know how much time had passed when I felt her hand on my
shoulder. She helped me sit up and pushed a bowl of soup into my hands. I had
no sense of smell left, but I could taste spiciness in the steam that came off
it.
I looked my
question at her.
“An old
folk remedy. Likely the recipe no longer exists except in my memory.”
I took a
bite, tasting a bit of potato, carrot, and a spicy sausage, which I could see
chopped into fine pieces throughout the soup.
“We need to
get you well. Now that we’ve seen to your body, it’s time for your spirit.”
She slipped
a disc into my Blu-Ray player, which loaded up a pack of Ava Gardner movies.
For the
first time in days I smiled, which pulled painfully at my sinuses, making me wince.
“Thanks,
Nikki.”
“Eat. And
rest.”
I nursed
the soup down, the first real food in days, too, and watched The Killers.
“She has
some of the best outfits in this movie, Matthew. I had some gowns made based on
hers.”
I smiled
again. “Ow.”