Tonight's dish

After Zick's phone call with his mother, he immediately saved Nickel's and dialed it to informed him about what had happened to Zoey.

"Hey, Dude!" He started. Nickel on the other side was dumbfounded about this unknown number calling him. "Uhm! Do I know you?" He asked.

"This is Zick, Zoey's older brother. I just want to inform you that Zoey is in here. It's up to you if you want to stop by although I'm going to shoo her away after she walks up." Nickel felt embarrassed on the way he addressed Zick a while ago but after hearing the reason of his call, tons of questions flooded his mind such as why is Zoey there all of a sudden.

Nickel assured Zick that he would go there as soon as possible and then hang up the phone. He wrapped up the meeting he is conducting that moment and when to their office to see if it is not a prank call from someone.

As he entered the room that they are sharing, Nickel saw that Zoey's desk is already clean from her paper works and even her handbag is gone. It must be true that the person who called him was Zick all along.

Zoey was still asleep when the nurses Zick instructed transferred her to a private room. Zick was reading her patient record when the door slowly opened and took out a Nicanor Fuentes who sweating too much from his impromptu marathon.

"What happened to her?" Nickel asked as he went to Zoey's bedside and touched her hand and stroked her forehead upward.

"Nothing, she just lost her consciousness due to her severe dysmenorrhea. Don't worry that little piglet down there will wake up soon." Zick relentlessly told him the news as if Zoey's condition is as simple as a headache, Nickel thought.

"Are you sure? Dysmenorrhea? Nothing else?" Nickel didn't know that this kind of phenomenon occurs to a woman's body. As far as he knows, he knew that women have their monthly periods but never in his wildest mind thought that a girl can pass out from her abdominal cramps.

"I don't know if I should entrust Zoey's monthly dilemma with you but if on her next month's red days can you please monitor her for me, she might pass out again from her cramps."

After Zick short pep talk he left Nickel alone with Zoey and let him take care of her. He still has a career to manage until six in the afternoon.

After a few minutes after Zick left the premises, Zoey's eyes slowly opened and saw that Nickel is right beside her looking as if he was afraid that she might disappear any moment then.

"Uh! What happened? Where are we?" Zoey tried to sit down with Nickel's help and scratch the small bandage on her forehead.

"That is also what I want to ask with you? What happened to you? I just went to a meeting then a moment later I'm going to receive one phone call that you are here in a hospital." Nickel at that time was too frustrated and unsure whether he has to be mad or concerned about his girlfriend's condition.

Zoey reached for his hand and kissed it to somehow make him a little ease from his frustration with her and said, "it was just a simple cramps and I don't want to interrupt your meeting with this cramps that is why I went out of my own but I think I underestimate my simple cramps this afternoon. I'm sorry honey for worrying you." Zoey imitates Happy's way of showing her fondness with her. He caressed his hand like a sweet little puppy and hoped that it will work with Nickel.

"Okay, now stop caressing my hand like that." Nickel cupped her face with his enormous hands and kissed her nose to close his frustration.

"Who brought you here anyway?" Nickel forgot to ask Zick who brought Zoey here during their pep talk. He wanted to thank that person because if not because if he or her Zoey will still be lying wherever she passed out.

"I actually don't know. The only thing I know was that I was waiting for a cab in front of ASC and …" Zoey paused for a while trying to recall what will happen next but failed because it seems like her mind's record button didn't work after she stood there and waited for an available taxi.

The two of them stayed there more, Nickel wanted her to take more rest before they go home. As for Zoey's parents as soon as they've heard that Nickel rushed to the hospital after Zick's phone call they decided not to go and let him take care of their daughter. They both know that Zoey's menorrhagia isn't as dangerous as what other's think.

This case was common to all women of their family. From her mother and her mother's mother and her aunties. Every female of Garcia, Zoey's mother's maiden surname, had menorrhagia. One simple body change cured all of them, childbirth.

Fatima called Nickel, telling him that they will be leaving Zoey under his care for today and let her eat pork's liver for tonight to replenish her blood loss. She also informed him about her condition and to assure him that nothing is wrong with their little angel.

Later than that afternoon, Zick helped the couple to process all the documents for them to go home. Zick even prescribed Zoey some Iron and vitamin supplements to gain more strength.

"Do you want to go in my house and have dinner?" Zoey rolled the car's window and asked her brother about her spontaneous offer.

"No thanks, I already know what are you going to eat for tonight. Right, Nickel?" Zick overheard him and his mother about letting Zoey eat pork liver until she finished her period this week.

"Spare me with that dish, please. Take care, you little gremlin."