I barely slept last night between Colby’s surprise and knowing I was soon to be admitted. Today has been a whirlwind of being admitted and last-minute testing. Yet, I know I won’t rest tonight either.

One more night of being strong.

One more morning of holding on.

Then, it’s all out of my hands.

I feel like I’ve been violated in every hole available in my body, and a few new ones they created for their torturous purposes. They didn’t like the temperature readings they were getting out of my ears or pits, so to ensure it was accurate, it was taken rectally. With my drawl out in full force, I advised the nurse she should have my boyfriend take care of that pesky task if we were bringing ass play into our relationship. That spawned a hearty laugh from Colby, as he was standing right there. “Roll over, princess. Let the nurse shove the probe up your butt so we can get this show on the road.” I imagine our antics are making their way through the nursing staff at Greenwich Hospital with lightning speed.

A burly guy with the most sensitive hands I’ve ever felt put in two IVs. I barely noticed. I told him of all the vamps I’ve had to see over the years, he deserves a prize. As a result, he hunted up purple daisy compression bandages to hold my IVs in place. I think he scored them from the kids’ ward.

Bryan came by to place the circular donut markers around my head to help guide him when he drills the head gear in place after I’m knocked out. Straddling the chair next to my bed, he began his lecture. “No food before surgery, no matter what the nurses say. Nothing but clear liquids up to eight hours before. Absolutely nothing other than IV fluids after that. For your own sanity, start tapering visitors down so you can pretend to get some rest.” Glancing at the man quietly running his fingers over the back of my hand, Bryan continues. “I assume Colby will still be with you in the morning?”

“You assume correctly,” Colby, who hasn’t said much since the markers were added, resolutely states.

Bryan nods at Colby before returning his attention solely on me. “Then at least try to get some rest, Corinna. It’s going to be a huge day for us all, you and I especially.” Squeezing my bicep, he turns toward the door. Muttering an oath, he turns back to the bed and wraps his arms around me. “Fuck it. You better know I’m not letting anything happen to you, okay?”

Stunned by his outburst, I answer shakily. “Okay.”

After Bryan storms out, it’s just me and Colby. I need to focus on something, anything, other than that in a little more than nineteen hours, both of our lives possibly becoming irrevocably changed. I ask, “Did you remember the bag?” I sit up suddenly, frantically looking around my room. I’m unable to find it.

“Which one? The backpack you asked me to unpack, or the purple duffle you told me to throw in the closet and leave zipped or you’d hit me with your IV pole?” He’s been leaning against the window ledge, but at the frantic sound of my voice he pushes off and walks toward me.

“The purple one.” Relaxing back against my bed, I let out a deep breath.

“It’s in the closet.” Lazily, he circles the foot of the bed. “Do you need it right now?” His hand grazes my leg, fingers trailing upward over the scrubs they gave me to wear.

“Stop that. We’re not supposed to…at this point.”

Flicking the IV bags, he asks, “Are these hooked up yet?”

I frown. “No, why?”

“Then scoot over.” Without waiting for my response, Colby wedges his way onto my hospital bed. “What’s going through that head of yours?”

“Nothing,” I say automatically.

“Corinna.” His voice is both soothing and reproachful.

“You don’t want to hear what I have to say.”

“Just because I don’t want to hear it doesn’t mean I won’t listen,” he says quietly. “Over the last two weeks, this has gradually become more real to me. Today, if the kind of fear I’m feeling is anything you’ve been living with, I don’t know how you haven’t gone insane.” His fingers twine with mine before he raises my hand to his lips.

“That can’t taste as good.”

“Kind of tastes like disinfectant. I’ll get used to the taste over the next few days.”

Suddenly, I blurt out, “What if we don’t have a few days? Do you regret anything?”

He maneuvers us so we’re both lying on our sides facing each other. “I don’t need anything in the world but you, Corinna. I don’t regret a thing leading me to right now.”