Lance: A Hathaway House Heartwarming Romance

Bedtime?”
He nodded. “The nurse will come around at the eight-o’clock shift and bring you the second dose.”
“Okay,” he said. “Are you thinking I’ll feel better after this?”
“Yes,” the doctor said. “I think this is very likely the reason for your fatigue.”
“I sure hope so,” he said. “As much as I keep trying, I’m not getting very far on doing some of these exercises.”
“The antibiotics will take three to four days to really kick in,” he said, “and the iron supplements may be the same,” he said. “It really depends on where this malaise is coming from.”
Lance leaned back against the bed and said, “Three to four days then. Thanks for getting the results back so fast.”
“They literally just came in,” she said with a smile, then she turned and walked out with the doctor at her side.
Lance had been surprised when the doctor had wanted to do more blood tests. Lance remembered being in the hospital before, and it was just test upon test. But here at Hathaway House, he’d been feeling just low enough and rough enough that he’d agreed. And obviously there was a reason for it. It perked him up mentally too, since he’d been wondering if he was really all here or if he was just so spaced-out in life that he didn’t have any effort to put into anything.
And that shouldn’t be. He didn’t want to talk to the doc about being depressed because that would immediately mean more pills. But, if the antibiotics and the iron pills were enough to make a difference, then that could really give Lance a whole new lease on life.
He sat up and shifted his legs over the edge of the bed because he really needed to get a real meal in tonight. His plan had been to go early and to come back early. He made it to his wheelchair and collapsed, feeling his body already breaking out in a sweat. That wasn’t normal at all. He went to the bathroom, where he pulled the towel off the railing and quickly wiped down his forehead and the back of his neck. Then he headed out the door and down the hallway in search of food. He was one of the first to arrive.
Dennis looked at him, smiled, and said, “I gather you must be hungry?”
“I am,” he said, “but I’m also really beat.”
“I think some dark green vegetables for you,” he said, “and some heavy protein.”
He ended up with a steak for the iron and dark green vegetables to help boost that as well. Between the spinach and whatever cream sauce that was, plus broccoli with fried mushrooms and onions, and he figured he was doing just fine. By the time he made it over to a table, a lineup was at the buffet area, so he had literally just made it in time. He sat alone and ate quietly, as a group of other vets came around and filled up the table around him. He was pleasantly surprised. He was halfway included in the conversation and halfway not, and that was just fine because he wasn’t feeling all that social himself.
When he finished his plate and put his fork down, he made his excuses, then slowly turned and headed back to his room again. He hated feeling quite so weak, but he was really feeling tired. The sweat broke out on the back of his neck again too. By the time he made it to his room, he struggled with the doorknob, wondering if he would even make it to his bed before he collapsed. When a hand reached out and helped with the doorknob, he looked up to see one of the orderlies.
The man looked at him in concern. “Do you need a hand?”
“I shouldn’t,” he said. “I’ve been fine all day. I’m just feeling pretty shaky right now.”
The orderly stepped inside with him and quickly turned back the bedding. “Let’s get you up here.”
Lance nodded and, with the big man’s help, slid his frail wasted body onto the bed and laid back. “They’ve given me new antibiotics,” he said. “I don’t know if that’s got something to do with it or not.”
“Or maybe it’s the new antibiotics actually starting to work,” he said.
“I’ve only had one dose,” he said.
The orderly nodded. “Do you need anything else?”
“No,” he said, “I think I’m fine. Thanks for the help.”
“Remember. You’ve got a buzzer there,” he said. “If you need help, call for it. I’ll leave the door open,” he said, “just because you’re feeling rough.”
“Good enough,” he said. With the blanket pulled around his shoulders, he curled up ever-so-slightly and closed his eyes. It was only five o’clock, and he had no business trying to sleep right now, but his body was saying it was too tired to do anything else.
He opened his eyes to see Shane coming in and checking on him, and then about an hour later Jessica came by. Later on it was Shane again, and Lance muttered in a grumpy voice, “If all you guys keep checking up on me,” he said, “I’ll never be able to sleep.”

Chapter 7
“Well, I’m back with your second dose of antibiotics,” Jessica said with a smile.
Lance opened his eyes and frowned at her. “You should have been done working a long time ago.”
“And I was,” she said, “but everybody’s a little concerned about your condition right now.”
“I know.” He hated feeling like he was causing everybody extra trouble. “But honestly, I’m fine.”
“If you get a good night’s sleep, you mean,” she said, teasing.
He gave her a crooked smile. “Exactly.”
She gave him his antibiotics, which he took with a glass of milk. Stretching, he used the remote to lay the bed back out again and said, “Now you can close the door and let me sleep.”
“Well, I’ll close the door partway,” she compromised. “And, yes, you can go to sleep.” She turned the lights down low, and he immediately closed his eyes and drifted off.
Outside,