In the Morning
At Nine O'Clock Sharp
Drip, drip.
The IV needle was inserted into Johny Lee's wrist, making him grimace in pain. Seeing that there was nothing else for her to do for the time being, Maggi gave Johny a few strict instructions to rest and then took his apartment keys.
She needed to go to his place to get some daily necessities for him: towels, a washbasin, clean underwear, and socks. Moreover, the brand-new trousers and shirt she had bought for him at the mall were ruined in the fire, so she also had to bring him a fresh set of clothes, including shoes.
As soon as Maggi left the room, the young nurse who had adjusted his IV smiled and sighed. "Your girlfriend is really beautiful."
An old man with a fractured leg in the adjacent bed chimed in. "That girl is quite sweet and virtuous, too. You're a lucky young man."
Johny's face lit up with pride, beaming as if he were the one being praised.
He didn't bother correcting them about her status.
Before eleven o'clock, Maggi returned, panting slightly and pulling a small suitcase. She neatly arranged his clothes, toothbrush, dish soap, and lunch boxes in the bedside cabinet.
Then, she wiped the fine beads of sweat from her forehead. Without even taking a break to sit down, she unceremoniously lifted Johny's quilt, pulled the dirty, smoke-stained socks from his feet, and gently slipped on a new pair.
Taking a plastic basin and a bar of soap, she went into the en-suite bathroom, squatted on the tiled floor, and began scrubbing his dirty socks with a huff.
Johny was incredibly moved. "Maggi, take a break."
Maggi, her hands covered in soap suds, looked back over her shoulder and smiled. "I'm not tired. Don't move around; your IV is still running."
"Oh, right. I know."
Watching Maggi squatting on the floor, the fabric of her skirt pulling taut against her tight, perfectly shaped buttocks, Johny's eyes were instantly glued to the view.
He swallowed hard, his mind wandering into inappropriate, delightfully perverted territory. The sight of her working so domestically, yet looking so incredibly sexy, made his blood run a little hot.
Perhaps because his thoughts were getting a bit too heated, he suddenly felt an urgent need to use the restroom.
Johny looked up at the IV bag. One had just finished, but the second bag still had more than half left.
It definitely wouldn't be done for another half hour. He wanted to hold it in, but the urge was too pressing.
Enduring the pain in his burned shoulder and twisted ankle, he struggled out from under the quilt and slipped his good foot into a shoe.
Maggi, who had just finished rinsing the socks, heard the rustling and stood up, startled. "What are you doing?!"
Johny smiled awkwardly. "Uh, going to the bathroom." He reached out with his good hand to grab the metal IV pole.
"Don't move! Stop right there!" Maggi hurriedly rinsed her hands and rushed over. "The hand you can move has a needle in it; you can't carry that heavy pole!"
Going to the bathroom yesterday had been difficult enough, but today, tethered to an IV, it was a massive struggle. Johny knew this, but he was far too embarrassed to ask the woman of his dreams for help with his bodily functions.
"It's fine, I'll be out in a minute." Johny didn't listen to her. He pinched the plastic catheter clip to temporarily stop the drip, then grabbed the IV bottle itself off the hook and limped toward the bathroom.
Maggi walked over in annoyance to intercept him. "Why are you so disobedient! Do you want me to smack you?" She quickly snatched the IV bottle from his hand and supported his waist with her arm. "Always trying to be a macho hero. Come on, I'll go in with you!"
Johny flushed bright red. "No need! Really, no need!"
Maggi pulled a long face and raised her free hand threateningly. "Do you want a beating? Let's go!"
"Sigh..." Seeing that he couldn't win the argument, Johny had no choice but to reluctantly let her lead him into the small bathroom.
Usually, hospital bathrooms have racks or hooks for IV bottles, but after entering, Johny and Maggi looked around and couldn't find a single place to hang it. The atmosphere grew thick and tense for a moment.
Maggi simply closed the bathroom door, matter-of-factly lifted the toilet lid with her foot, held the IV bottle high above her head with one hand, and turned her head completely to the side, staring intently at the white-tiled wall.
"Hurry up. I won't look at you."
Johny was dying of embarrassment, though a small, wicked part of his brain found the intimacy thrilling. "Oh, I... you...."
"What's there to be shy about?" Maggi turned her head just enough to glare at him from the corner of her eye. "Hurry up!"
Seeing her turn away again, Johny felt like crying. He fumbled with the elastic waistband of his hospital pants with his one free hand, struggling to pull them down.
"I'll count to three, or I'll really beat you," Maggi warned, her back still turned. "One... two... three!"
Johny had no choice. He bit the bullet, pulled down his pants, and began to relieve himself.
Splash, splash.....
For the first time in his life, Johny felt that this natural sound was completely humiliating, yet strangely erotic, given the beautiful woman standing just inches away, holding his IV line.
Hearing that the sound had finally stopped, Maggi reached out blindly and flushed the toilet for him. She then supported the beet-red Johny back to his bed.
"I bought some bananas and apples when I came. Which one do you want to eat?" she asked, acting as if nothing unusual had just happened.
Tucked safely back under the quilt, Johny muttered, "Uh, I won't eat for now."
"How can you not eat? Your body won't recover without proper nutrition." Maggi gently peeled a banana for him and leaned over. "Be good. Open your mouth. Ahhh..."
Johny thought to himself that it wasn't the first time he had embarrassed himself in front of her, so he ignored the amused, knowing looks from the old man in the next bed and took a bite.
After he swallowed, Maggi smiled and offered the fruit again. "Good boy. Have another bite. Ahhh..."
Maggi was kneeling on the edge of the mattress, half-sitting and half-standing. As she leaned forward to feed him, her body shifted closer.
Her knee, encased in sheer, flesh-colored silk stockings, slipped completely under the warm quilt. Johny felt a sudden, warmth against his hand. A silky, smooth sensation pressed right into his palm, it was Maggi's thigh!
Johny's heart raced, his slightly perverted mind short-circuiting at the intimate, silky contact. The adrenaline wiped away all his hesitation.
The words buried deep in his heart blurted out.
"Maggi. I like you. Be my girlfriend."
Maggi was stunned. Her hand, holding the half-eaten banana, froze in mid-air. Johny was much more practiced with his delivery this time.
"I've never met a woman as incredible as you. I've liked you from the first moment I saw you. Maggi, I know there's a huge gap between us in terms of money and status right now, but if possible... can you give me a chance?"
Maggi's face flushed a deep, beautiful crimson. She slowly put the banana down on the bedside table. "This is... too sudden. You saying this... I wasn't prepared for this at all."
Johny was overjoyed. She didn't say I wasn't her type this time! Haha! It seemed his grooming session and the new suit from the erased time had indeed been effective. He was one step closer to success.
"...I know it's a bit abrupt, but I really, truly like you. Be my girlfriend? Please?"
Maggi looked down at her lap, her fingers twisting together. She didn't say anything.
"Will you?"
After a long while, she sighed softly. "I'm sorry, Johny. I just don't have the heart to date anyone right now."
Although he knew she would likely refuse him, Johny couldn't help but feel a pang of depression. "Why? Is it my looks? My personality? Or something else?"
Maggi shook her head slightly and turned her gaze toward the hospital window. "Don't be so insecure. In my eyes, you're fine in every way. You're handsome, clean, and brave. It's my own problem."
She paused, gathering her thoughts. "Do you remember what I told you that day when we went grocery shopping? My dream is to have my own company. For this dream, I've been working my fingers to the bone for the past few years. I really don't have the time or the emotional energy to invest in a relationship."
Johny let out a thoughtful "Uh." "Starting a company? That would require at least millions in funding, wouldn't it? Can you really save enough just from your salary at the newspaper?"
Maggi didn't say a word, her silence confirming his doubts.
"So," Johny pressed, "you absolutely won't date anyone until your career takes off?"
Maggi nodded firmly. "That's my plan. I'm sorry."
"Then what if you do get your company?" Johny asked, his eyes burning with intense anticipation. "Can you date me then?"
Two bright flushes of crimson appeared on Maggi's cheeks. She avoided his gaze. After a moment of flustered hesitation, she abruptly stood up to leave.
"...I'll go ask the doctor about your test results."
Holy crap! Johny watched her practically run out of the room, his heart soaring.
This... there's hope!
Authors Note:-
Well..... Well...
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