She slipped the dress on and then unplugged the iron. “Well, make sure you call me if you start to feel unwell. Or better still, call the doctor.”
She walked over to the couch, almost running, and kissed him on the lips. “Right, I’m off. See you later. Don’t forget what I said.”
“Okay. Don’t worry. Just have a good day,” he replied, getting up to follow her out.
Standing at the front door, she kissed him again. “Don’t stress yourself out today. No heavy lifting. No work stuff. And no coffee. Just take it easy. Promise?”
“I promise. I’ll be fine. I’ll phone you if there are any problems. Don’t worry about me. I’m just gonna chill out on the couch. Nothing stressful.”
She left the house and headed across the street toward her car. “Love you.”
“Love you too. See you later.”
She gave one last wave goodbye and drove off.
Watching her as she vanished down the street, he had a sudden feeling of loneliness. This was the first time he had been alone in the house since moving in five months ago. His work schedule had become almost unbearable, even for him. He sat back on the couch and began watching the news again. Nothing registered. His mind only had room for one thing: work.
He glanced at the phone on the coffee table next to him. Should I call Leah, just to ask how she’s coping? he thought. No, I shouldn’t. The time at the corner of the television screen read 7:45 a.m. The office isn’t even open yet, he realized. What the hell is wrong with me? Get a grip, Gardener. Enjoy two weeks of lazing around the house, with no one to bug you. Come on, forget about work. They can manage.
No they can’t. Not without me.
Trying to ignore the temptation, he could feel the lure of the phone pulling on him like a drug, or like the desperation for chocolate. He focused on something else: what to have for lunch. But it was futile; the enticement proved too much as Richard picked up the phone and dialed the office.
Ashamed of his lack of willpower, he waited for the call to go through. After a few seconds the sound of Leah’s voice filled his ear.
“Hello. TSH. Leah speaking. How can I help you?”
“Oh, hi, Leah, it’s Richard.”
“Hi, Richard. How are you feeling?”
“Yeah, great. Thanks. Just a little hazy. Other than that, pretty good. Feel a bit stupid after yesterday. All that fuss about nothing.”
“Richard, it wasn’t ‘nothing’. You collapsed.”
“I just fainted. People faint all the time. There’s nothing to worry about.”
“The doctor seems to disagree. He said that your blood pressure was through the roof, that it was most likely stress-related. That doesn’t sound like something you should be brushing off so lightly.”
“I might have been a little stressed, but who isn’t these days?”
“Look, Richard, I understand the pressure that you’ve been putting yourself under—I really do—but what I don’t understand is why you kept it from us? I mean, over some bloody missing files? I told you it didn’t matter. It was nothing to get so worked up about. We all make mistakes. You could’ve told me you were stressed, taken some time off, instead of bottling it all up. I’ve said time and time again to take it easy. Skipping meals. All that coffee. Sooner or later something like this was bound to happen.”
“I didn’t keep anything from you. Don’t be so dramatic. It’s no big deal.”
“It is a big deal, Richard, you need to get some rest. And you shouldn’t be calling the office. We can cope fine without you.”
“Yeah, but I don’t need to be stuck here for two weeks. It’s ridiculous. I’m not sick. We’ve got too much to do. I feel like I’m being punished for something.”
“Look, Richard, don’t be so paranoid. I’m not suspending you.”