What a Rich Man Wants by Billie Summer (self help books to read .txt) 📗

Voices woke her, she lay there trying to understand what was going on, the beat of machines and the smell of a hospital room….that’s right she was in a hospital. Why? Cat tried to remember, then it came back to her. Claudia! The woman had acted completely crazy. As Cat’s memory started to come back to her, Cat’s internal panic started to increase, had she lost the babies? Please god no! Please, loss filled Cat at even the thought of her babies gone, she felt empty, She needed to open her eyes and ask someone before grief overwhelmed her. Cat just wasn’t sure if she was ready to hear it yet. She didn’t know if she could voice the question. Bracing herself Cat opened her eyes and looked around without moving her head, the pain she felt was unbelievable, knowing if she moved her head it would only make it worse, so Cat just looked around with her eyes, trying to make them focus, the room was dim, but light still peaked around the blinds, allowing some light into the room, no overhead lights, that was good at least, less pain. Cat could see flowers everywhere, flowers filled every flat surface of the room, other than the bed she slept in of course. The sliding glass door to the room was partly opened, sheer curtains pulled open. Cat could see a nurses desk that was a hive of activity. Beside the bed in a chair, pulled as close as possible was Eric, his hands held her right hand. His head resting face down in the cradle of his arms, Eric’s hair was a mess. Lifting her left hand she moved to touch him, Cat found her arm heavy, frowning she looked at her hand. She had on a cast! Was it broken? looking closer,  it wasn’t actually a cast, more like a brace but just as restricting and hard like a cast. Frustrated Cat gave a harsh sigh, making Eric jump lifting his head and looking at her, seeing her eyes opened he said “Cat, thank god!” His hand tightened on her own, leaning forward with the other, to carefully run it down her face. “Hey beautiful, it’s so good to see you open your eyes.” Cat had to know “Babies?” Tears filling her eyes as she asked. “Oh Cat, they are ok, you are ok.” His  voice was filled with emotion. “Blood! Everywhere, your not lying are you, you promise they are fine.” Still not ready to believe. “The blood was from the back of your head and your left hand, you sliced open your hand on the stall latch, before breaking it, so there was blood but not from a miscarriage. I wouldn’t lie to you about this Baby, I promise.” Tears poured down Cat’s face at his words. Eric gently wiped each and every tear away, giving her time to realise it was going to be ok. “I see our patient Is awake, I’ll get the doctor.” A nurse said from the open door. Cat looked up as the nurse left to do just that.  “How long have I been here.” Asked Cat, looking back at Eric, he needed a shave.  “This is day three…” trapping her hand tighter, leaning forward to kiss her eyebrow “ I was worried when you didn’t wake up, the doctors keep assuring me you would be ok. Because of the pregnancy, they had to be careful on medications given to you, so you felt more pain than was normal. In some ways I’m glad you were unconscious when they reset your wrist. The doctors told me sleep was the best way for the body to heal.” 
“Claudia?” Cat needed to ask now she knew how dangerous the woman was. Eric shuttered “In police custody.”  Cat’s eyes started to drift close, she was so tired.   

This time Cat came awake faster, looking towards the window light wasn’t spilling in around the blinds now, so it must be night. Sitting on a couch under the window was Jack and Dawn talking quietly to themselves. “Hey” Cat’s voice was raspy like she hadn’t talked forever, she licked her lips. She was thirsty. Dawn jumped up at her voice and rushed to the bed, Jack followed putting his arm around Dawn’s shoulders for support. “Hey you.”Jack said  “It’s good to see you guys, when did you get here.”Cat asked “We arrived the day of the attack, the day they brought you here.” Dawn held her uninjured hand. “Eric arranged everything, from transport so we don’t have to drive, and a hotel near the hospital.” Cat looked around, no Eric “Can I get a drink please.” She really was thirsty  Dawn lifted a cup from the side table and help Cat use a straw, luckily the top half of her body was elevated or she would’ve worn it. After a few sips she said “Thanks.” “I’ll go get the nurse now, they want to help you go to the bathroom. We are not allowed to help you yet.” Dawn squeezed her hand then left the room to find a nurse.  “Where is Eric?” Cat asked “He hasn’t left your side since the attack Cat, but the police needed him at the station today to sign a statement, you are gong to have to do the same I would say at some point. Plus he needed a shower really bad. So we convinced him you would be ok with us.” Jack patted her arm. Pointing outside the room Jack added “He even appointed around the clock protection for you.” Cat followed the hand to see and a dark shadow of a man standing at the glass petition separating her room from the hall. Cat rolled her eyes “Was that really necessary now,  with Claudia in custody of the police.” Jack nodded “It’s to keep the dirty press out of your room as well. The last thing anyone wanted to see was a photo of you in the newspaper. The stories they are running are bad enough. They don’t even have half the facts right.” Cat really didn’t want to know. The press could say what they liked, the people that mattered would know the truth. Laughing silently Cat needed to find out why it all happened herself, she really didn’t understand Claudia losing it like that. Had she and Eric really pushed Claudia over the edge of sanity. She needed to ask Eric. Maybe some of the things he had hinted at, that morning of Claudia losing touch with reality had all been connected. He said in the car on the way to work that day they needed to talk. Yes they did, Cat needed to know if this was her fault. Did Claudia go batshit crazy because of her. Dawn walked back in the room with a nurse , the nurse smiled at Cat “nice to see you stayed awake longer this time, let’s get you out of bed and into the bathroom.” Before she put an arm around Cat and helped her from the bed. Cat wasn’t going to lie… it hurt, lying in bed for so long her muscles hurt, plus the injuries all added up, by the time she was helped back to bed she was shaky, tired and in even more pain. Once she was settled under the covers the nurse moved the bed into sitting position, slowly giving Cat time to adjust. “Now let see about getting you a light meal. We need to feed you and the babies you are carrying honey, the doctor said a light meal would be good. How about some weak tea?” Cat thought for a minute, she wasn’t really hungry but she knew that feeding herself was important “Please.” Cat said to the nurse’s satisfaction before she left the room. Pulling a face at the thought of eating. Dawn laughed “I know honey, anytime you didn’t feel well you didn’t eat but you need to.”  A few minutes later the nurse came back with her food, Cat eat the veggie soup slowly, until she couldn’t eat anymore because it had grown cold. She drank all the tea. Dawn took the tray back to the nurses station once she had finished. Cats eyes started to drift closed even before Dawn returned, how could she be so tired if she had slept most of the last three days. Cat woke up with Eric’s arms around her, she was laying flat now in the hospital bed, Eric lay on the top covers holding her, surprised he was allowed. Cat looked towards the nurses station, but the curtains had been pulled and the door was closed. Knowing Eric he had donated a lot of money to the hospital to get exactly what he wanted.  Lifting her hand she pushed the hair from his face, Eric’s eyes snapped open “Hi baby, how are you feeling.”  Cat made a so so movement with her hand  “I heard you woke up while I wasn’t here and eat something?” “Yeah, well I heard they kicked you out of the room because you smelt.” Cat joked  Eric gave a little laugh “You could be right, I just didn’t want to leave you.” Serious now Cat asked “Eric, what happened, why did Claudia attack me, did we push her to that point.” “Oh Cat baby, No! No, this had nothing to do with you, or really me. But now isn’t the time to talk about it. I promise we will talk tomorrow, I’ll explain everything then. I just want to hold you. I’m so glad your safe now.”