Chapter 60

"Pearl...hey honey. Wake up." Pearl felt someone shake her shoulder. She opened her eyes and saw it was still dark outside and she was still on the couch in Rhys' apartment. She looked to her right and saw Rhys standing there, looking at her with a pained in his eyes. "Hey there, sorry to wake you up. I wanted to tell you I got in a little sooner than planned and I'm home. Come here." He said and opened his arms. She fell into him and he wrapped his arms around her tightly, "I can't imagine what it was like going through that. I can't imagine what you're feeling inside. I'm here. Let's get you to bed." He said, taking her hand and leading her up to the loft. He held her and rubbed her hair, while she sobbed until she fell back asleep.

"Good morning." Rhys greeted Pearl with a smile and breakfast in bed. "I just made toast and coffee. I figured you should eat but I didn't know how your appetite was."

She looked at him gratefully and hugged him. In all the stress about Dylan's condition, she hadn't had time to think about herself and what trauma she had experienced with almost dying. She was thankful for Rhys caring enough to say what he did the night before. She felt better just having someone understand.

"Shit! I need to call work." Pearl said as she noticed the time. She had a half hour before she was supposed to be in the office.

"Already done." Rhys said, sipping his coffee. "I called Dean or whatever his name is. Your boss. I still had his card. I figured I'd better let them know you weren't coming in for a few days."

"You what?? You called David? His name is David."

Pearl asked, beginning to freak out a little.

"Yep! That's him. David. I told him you had a bit of setback here in New York and that I was calling on your behalf. That you'd be back as soon as possible and would call him with updates. I didn't tell him any details. I figured you'd want to decide on that." Rhys seemed proud of himself for helping. And she was happy for his help but this just complicated things more.

"I need to make a couple of phone calls. In private, if that's ok." Pearl said.

"No problem. I'm going out for a jog and to grab a few things for us to make for dinner tonight. Do whatever you need to do, sweetheart." He said, kissing her forehead and heading out.

Pearl reached for her phone and called the hospital. "He's doing very well. He's able to eat soft foods and his voice is coming back." The nurse said. Pearl was very happy to hear it and planned on seeing him as soon as she got cleaned up. She knew she had to make a call, though and it was going to be a a difficult one at that.

"Hey David, it's Pearl." She said when he answered.

"Hello Pearl. Sounds like you're having a great time in New York. So great that you need more time off work, in fact, to experience it. I didn't know Rhys was going with. I don't know why I didn't expect that, though." David said, dryly and with definite smug. "You have 7 personal days left and after that, I'll have to write you up for not showing."

Pearl saw red. This man was supposed to love her? He was acting like an insolent child. It reminded her of her ex husband. She took a breath and said "Actually, you're going to feel like an asshole when I tell you this and I sincerely hope you do. I was held at gunpoint Saturday night at an attempted robbery of a convenience store. Two men pulled guns on myself and two of my friends. One friend tried to subdue the gunman and a shot was fired at me. The other friend stood in front me and took the bullet for me, saving my life. He's in critical condition now and I'm not leaving New York until he can come with me. Rhys found out about all this from a mutual acquaintance and offered his apartment to me so I'd have somewhere to stay because I can't afford a hotel close to the hospital. But that doesn't matter, does it? It's about you. So you can take that write up and shove it directly up your ass." Pearl said, her heart racing and the anger seething from every part of her.

"Pearl, I, I'm sorry. I didn't know....I..."

"Of course you didn't, but you assumed and that's a big problem. Have you ever known me to be irresponsible about work? Thanks for the confidence." She interrupted.

"I'm coming to be with you." David said.

"No. I don't want you here. And if you come to see me, I won't see you. Stay there. I mean it. Stay away from me." Pearl said and hung up the phone. She was tired of selfish jerks and she was a good worker. She deserved more than to be threatened with discipline when she never took time off. This was about him. And she was pissed about how stupid she was believing he wasn't like every other man.

She made herself halfway presentable and left a note for Rhys, telling him she was going to the hospital to see Dylan and that she'd be back soon. She left the sweater and the hat she got him beside the note on the counter.

"Pearl" Dylan tried to say as she walked in his room. "Shhh rest your voice. I have some gifts for you." Pearl handed him the dry erase board and the book she got. He smiled and looked at her with gratitude.

"Thank you. I'm glad you're here. Are you going to be in trouble at work?" Dylan wrote.

"No. And I'm not leaving until you're ready to leave so don't even start with me." Pearl crossed her arms like she meant business. Dylan smiled. "Doc says I'm doing well and it won't be long before I can walk out of here." Dylan wrote. He grabbed her hand and said "thank you" with a scratchy, quiet voice. "You're welcome. I'll be back every day until you can get out of here." He smiled again at her. She kissed him and told him she'd be back the next day.

She checked with the nurse before she left. "He's doing great. He's up walking around with therapy. His pain has been tough but we are managing it. I don't see him needing to be here longer than a week maybe. He's young. He's progressing very quickly."

It was great news.