Overestimated babies

Chapter eighty-nine

Vanessa was seated in the hospital bed and Greg sat beside her, soothing her feet with soft caresses.

"I told you this wasn't necessary, Greg." Vanessa's voice resonated in the room.

"Just let me do my thing, Vanessa. You're so stubborn. I want to do this. Just let me." 

Her foot was dressed with a white bandage. The doctor had examined her and had assured both Greg and her that there were no fractures in her leg. She only had a sprain on her ankle and a few scratches on her skin. Her ribs were also intact. He'd provided a soothing balm for her skin which he'd applied on her. He'd mentioned that it was just a minor injury and that she had no cause for alarm. 

"I'd have gone home instead. Using a first aid box would have been just fine," Vanessa mumbled. She looked at Greg intently and grabbed his fingers softly.

"Thank you so much, Greg. Really, thank you." Her eyes searched his and she squeezed his fingers gently. "I mean, irrespective of how mean I was to you, you didn't bother. You didn't just retrieve my camera, you also brought me to the hospital, despite not knowing me at all. I'm really grateful, Greg and I mean it." Greg patted Vanessa's hand and smiled widely at her.

"It's a pleasure, Vanessa. So, is that a 'yes' to being friends with me?" Greg grinned and Vanessa smiled at him, rolling her eyes.

"What do you think, mister?" She chuckled and Greg immediately jumped up, screaming "yes" by his punching the air with his fist. 

"I think you're forgetting something, mister," Vanessa whispered. "We are in the hospital. We don't want the hospital chasing off a sick patient now, do we?" she said in a hushed tone covering a side of her mouth as though she were revealing a secret. 

"Right," Greg said running a hand through his hair and chuckling softly. Vanessa joined in with a burst of muffled laughter instead. A wamble followed and Greg heard Vanessa say an "oh oh!". He chuckled again and Vanessa glared playfully at him.

"Are you mocking my babies, right now?" She questioned with gaped lips, feigning annoyance. 

"Your babies sure know how to draw attention to themselves. As for mocking them, you know I wouldn't dare. Cross my heart." He gesticulated by crossing his arms around his chest. He wore a dead serious look as he did so. If Vanessa was just meeting him now, she'd have thought he wasn't feigning seriousness. But from the little she gathered about him since they met a couple of hours ago, she knew he was only joking, so she smiled.

"I think it's about time I fed my babies. By the way, I have to get out of here." Vanessa tried lifting her leg to rise and she almost fell backwards in the process but for Greg who immediately walked up to her and caught her in his arms. Her back leaned on his hard chest and she held his arm to steady herself. Almost immediately, she loosened her grip on him as she realised their closeness. She also removed her back from his chest.

"You want to punish yourself, don't you? Just stay put here. I'll get something outside for you." Vanessa shook her head in disagreement.

"I'll just go home to eat," she said stubbornly. 

"You can't walk in this state, and that's why I'll get something for you to eat. Well, except you want me to carry you all the way. Not like I mind." Greg added quickly.

"Please, no!" Her reply was sharp and firm. "I don't want that."

"I could also grab a wheelchair and push you around. That works too. Except that you wouldn't be able to leave the confines of the hospital with it." He looked apologetically at Vanessa who let out a soft puff.

"I'll wait," came her weak reply and she rested her back on the bed.

"That wasn't too difficult now, was it?" Greg said, grinning. "So, what would you like to eat?" 

"I'd love to have corn dogs." 

"What? Corn dogs? Are you serious right now?" Greg's mouth widened in disbelief. 

"I am," Vanessa replied confidently.

"Whoa! I'd say that I sort of overestimated your babies." He couldn't believe that just corn dogs would fill her. 

"Alright, I'll be back soon. Ensure you don't leave this room. One cannot be so sure about a Vanessa." Greg shook his head and rolled his eyes while Vanessa nodded and chuckled at his words. After a few moments, Greg was out of the hospital room.