Page 81 of Dark Princess Ascending

47

ROB

The smell of coffee pulled Rob from sleep, a scent so tantalizing it made his mouth water.

When he opened his eyes, he found Margo sitting in the chair beside his bed and sipping from a paper cup that bore the village café's logo.

"Can I have a sip?" His voice came out raspy but stronger than he expected.

"Good morning." Margo stood and pressed her hand to his forehead. "Your fever's down." She studied his face. "How are you feeling?"

"Great." He tracked the coffee cup with his eyes. "But I really want a sip of that coffee."

"Bridget's going to kill me," Margo muttered, but she reached for the bed controls, raising the head until he was comfortably reclined, and handed over her cup.

The first sip was heaven, and Rob's eyes nearlyrolled back in his head at the rich taste. "This is so good."

Margo laughed. "That's the best sign that you're officially past the initial stage of transition. You were always like this when you were sick—couldn't stand coffee, not even the smell, but as soon as you started getting better, you couldn't wait to have some. That's how Mom always knew you were on the mend."

"True." He took another appreciative sip. "Where's Gertrude?"

Margo pointed toward the bathroom door. "She slept on a cot next to your bed, and she waited for me to get here before grabbing a shower."

Rob had vague memories of the night—flashes of fevered dreams, Bridget instructing Gertrude about medication, but he couldn't remember if it had been pills or an injection or something added to his IV. Everything was wrapped in a haze of heat and discomfort.

The bathroom door opened, and when Gertrude stepped out wearing fresh scrubs, her hair still damp from the shower, she was the most beautiful sight he'd ever seen.

"Hello, gorgeous," he said with a grin. "Seeing you is the best medicine."

She smiled. "Good morning to you too, my love. How are you feeling?"

"Great." He held up the coffee cuptriumphantly. "This is the sign. If I can drink coffee, I'm definitely over whatever was going on with me."

One dark eyebrow arched skeptically. "Really?"

"Really." He tapped his forehead. "No fever. Come check."

As she approached to feel his forehead, Rob seized his chance, catching her hand to pull her down for a kiss and delighting in her surprised laugh.

"You are definitely feeling better," she said, pulling back with a grin. "But let me get a proper thermometer to check your temperature."

The thermometer confirmed what Rob already knew—his temperature was normal. After a quick look at the monitors, Gertrude pulled out her phone and called Bridget.

While they waited for the doctor to arrive, Rob finished Margo's coffee and tried to piece together his scattered memories. "Was I as delirious as I think I was during the night?"

Gertrude patted his hand. "You talked about coffee and coding, but I had no idea what you were saying until you switched to ninja squirrels. Was it a computer game you worked on?"

The twitching of her lip betrayed her.

"No, and I'm choosing to believe you're making that up." Rob narrowed his eyes at her. "And since you're avoiding meeting my eyes, I know that you and Margo cooked this up to make fun of me."

Margo laughed, but before Gertrude could respond, Bridget arrived without her white doctor's coat but with her trusty tablet in hand.

"Good morning, Rob. I hear that your fever has broken, and you even had coffee this morning." She cast Margo an accusing look.

"I didn't leave her a choice," Rob defended his sister. "For me, the ability to drink coffee is the best sign that I'm out of the woods."

"I won't argue with you about that, but I will just say that plain water would have been a much better choice."