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I didn't sleep long. I woke up feeling more nauseated than I had before. The next thing I knew I was hugging the toilet. My throat was sore, my head was throbbing and all I could do was crawl back into the bed. I needed to talk to Peyton but she was visiting her man and I wasn't going to interrupt their marathon sex-capades with my drama. This one I would have to solve on my own.
I felt a little better after the short nap. Feeling slightly feverish, I decided to make a quick run to the health food store for tea and to drop by the pharmacy for some cold medicine. If I was going to be stuck in bed for the next few days with a sinus cold, I needed to have a few groceries, including some sanitary pads. I just hated being on the rag while sick with a cold. But it seemed the weather, the season, and being totally underdressed had spelled U.R.I. (upper respiratory infection).
I had left my cell back at the loft, and was totally bummed out for missing a much needed talk with Peyton, so I doped up on meds after having a bowl of soup and went back to bed.
---
The next day I didn't feel much better than the day before, but I hadn't heard from Brian and was worried still about his dad so I wasn't going to let another day go by without seeing him. It was if he heard me thinking out loud, because the phone rang and it was him.
"hey babe!"
"hi sweetie!" I said in desperation.
"what's up...are you ok?"
"I have a little cold...nothing serious. How are you?"
"Dad has been upgraded to stable. Mom is good. She went home last night so the guys have been helping me pull shifts around the clock with her and dad."
"Brian, are you sure you don't need anything? I know how this could be on you." I offered.
"No, sweetie, but thanks for offering....you need to take care of you right now. I don't need another thing to be worried about."
It was painfully obvious that I wasn't needed and likely the sight of me would cause Mrs. Santi to throw an embolism. As long as I knew Brian was ok, that was fine. Talking to him gave me a little assurance.
The perfect distraction had arrived a few days later, in the mail. If I was going to be flying out for an interview with Charlotte-Mecklenburg County School District, I was in desperate need to get a really cheap flight and hotel nearby. After a few hours of negotiating transit, I hung up the phone excited for the first time in a few weeks.
I was feeling better and decided to make a surprise visit to see Mr. Santi. I checked at the information desk for a visitors pass and they were all out so I decided to head down to the gift shop for a balloon and card. I wasn't sure what he liked but I wanted him to know I was thinking of him. After a while I headed back to the information desk and the passes hadn't been returned yet.
"Just a moment, Ms., I can ring his room or the nurse's desk to see if someone can come down, so you can go up" the security officer suggested.
I thought quickly but not quick enough. He rang up to the floor before I could stop him. I took a seat and waited. And then off the elevators, poured a sight I knew wasn't a good sign. It was Liz! I nearly threw up a little in my mouth. I wasn't in the mood for this. I kept rehearsing it over and over again what I would say to her if the opportunity should present itself.
"Hi, Nicole."
"Liz..."
"The guest list is family only. And unfortunately you aren't on the list. But I will be sure to see that Mr. Santi gets this." She said while reaching for the balloon.
"Why is there a restriction on visitation?" I asked, and resisted handing her the gifts.
"I don't know."
"I will just call Brian." I said pointedly.
"That's not something you want to do Nicole. Why don't you let me to take that for you? These things can take such a while to get changed."
"No thanks." I said and pulled out my phone. She stood there with this smug look on her face as I dialed Brian's number. I heard a phone ring, and Liz pulled the phone out of her bra.
I stood there in a mix between frozen and boiling mad. "Why do you have Brian's phone?" I asked.
"I told you that you didn't want to call him."
"Why do you have Brian's phone?" I asked again.
"You will have to ask Brian."
"I am asking you."
"Are you sure you want to know this...alright, he left it with me this morning." she said convincingly.
This entire scene was shaking my resolve. I wasn't going to fight over Brian or his phone or risk being thrown out of the hospital for yanking that red head bitch. So I pulled myself back from the throes of hell and left the hospital. I didn't know what to do. I first thought to call Brian at the dealership. Then I thought to drive over there. I didn't run any lights or leave a pile up in the wake of getting there. I drove up into the lot and saw his car. I had no idea what I was going to say. I tore into the show room.
"Mr. Santi please." I asked the receptionist.
"He's out on the road with a customer. Would you like to leave him a message?"
"No. I will wait."
"Can I get you another rep?" she asked.
"I said I would wait." I repeated. I was feeling my ears on fire and all I could see was the color red.
My pulse was racing. I could feel the nerves in my neck tighten. I was fighting back emotions. I jumped up and starting pacing the floor. I went outside and back in. Only minutes had passed but it seemed like hours when Brian came strolling through the doors as pleasant as he could be. And I unleashed!
"I need to talk to you!" I said with tears welling up in my eyes.
"Hey. Ok. Just a second, is every thing ok?"
I just couldn't hear reason in that instant. All I saw was flames and red lights. That bitch Liz had pulled it all out, and on the wrong day with me and I needed to know what the hell was going on. I was tired of feeling useless. I wasn't going to be pushed aside any more. I had spent the entire weeks past playing phone tag and treated like a fifth wheel. I wasn't listening to any reason!
"Mr. Santi...is everything alright." The receptionist asked.
"Everything is fine. Excuse me Claudia" he said to the customer he was attending to. "David will process your lease I have an emergency. You are in very capable hands." He concluded.
---
"Calm down babe, what is it?"
"What is it? You mean Liz hasn't called ahead to alert you that I might be on my way?"
"I haven't heard from Liz."
"Why the hell does she have your phone Brian?" I blurted out.
"She doesn't have my phone Nicole. My phone is right here," he said pointing at his belt clip.
"No, your phone is in Liz's bra." I screamed.
"What are you talking about?" And he reached for it. At that moment he noticed that he had Liz's phone. "Oh, damn...I guess we must have got them mixed up."
"...mixed up, huh...how the hell did that happen?"
"Relax, ok. I stopped by my moms this morning and Liz was there. I guess our phones got mixed up."
"I am not going to do this with you anymore Brian...I am sick and tired of Liz and having her constantly disrespecting me, and..."
"Wait...wait...a minute babe. This was a simple mistake, I will fix this. Liz has been nothing more than a friend to both me and my mom, I tell you. And I am not about to do this. You storm in here upset about a phone Nicole, a phone?"
"This isn't about a damn phone. I tried to visit your father today. And Liz told me I am not allowed to visit because of some visitors restrictions."
"My dad is in ICU. It's that hospital policy that only family is allowed to visit him."
"I see. Fine. I am out of here."
"Nicole, wait!" he yelled.
"No, Brian, you wait! I have been patient about this and I can't do this anymore. And I have been trying to give you the benefit of the doubt because I know what this means to you having your father so gravely ill...but I can't do this anymore."
"Nicole, sweetie, try to calm down. If you wanted to see my dad, that's not a problem. I never thought about the visitor restriction. It was an oversight, I promise you that. I can talk to the doctor. After work I am going over to Oakwood. You can come with me. And we can straighten all of this out babe. Just calm down."
Shaking my head in exasperation, I blacked out and nothing he said penetrated my ears. I said "I am not going to continue to play second to Liz anymore, Brian! I have had enough of this and her games" and then I bolted. I left as suddenly as I arrived. I could faintly hear Brian call out to me but his voice soon faded in the distance.