The Return Of His Ex Wife
Chapter 43: At The Hospital

Chapter 43: At The Hospital

Tara’s POV

At the hospital, I could only stare like a fool as Sofia started to mention everything poor Arlo had been going through.

I was at home getting all angry, and here he was lying on the hospital bed. It was so painful just thinking about it that a tear escaped my eyes.

As I stared carefully at Sofia, I noticed her eyes were puffy and red from crying too. The time was nearly 10 pm but it didn’t feel like it. Nothing felt like it should be anyways.

"I really thought he was all better now until he was rushed to the hospital on Monday night. It was due to high blood pressure. It was a miracle he is all good. Now they’re trying to stabilize his blood pressure and bring it back to normal. At least back to 130/90!"

My heart ached at the mention of that last part. "Is it that high?" I asked like a fool. Sofia nodded. "And all of this was due to his chronic stress?"

She heaved in a deep sigh and fell on the bench seat in front. I joined her. "He’s been so...should I say sensitive? Ever since we were younger. He got so attached to mother than even after she and my old man divorced, he was the only one who decided to stay with her in London."

"And then, after her death...she wasn’t supposed to die. The operation had been successful. We were planning a party for her. And yet, when we got the news of her death...Arlo was the one who was most affected by it. He didn’t want to come back to New York. When I ask him what truly was wrong, he said that when mom died, a part of him died too. He kept himself busy with work so he wouldn’t feel the pain of her death. It’s her anniversary month and it’s always so tough for him."

And then, when I was supposed to be by his side, I was busy getting angry! I blinked back a bitter tear again. I was better than this. I really should have been nicer to him...

"I guess he just overworked himself, mentally, emotionally, physically...I was so scared, Tara. I really hope you both settle quickly so he can get better soon. I’m sure he really missed you." Sofia said and I nodded instantly. She didn’t need to tell me twice.

My phone rang after Sofia had to excuse herself to attend to the doctor’s need. "Oh, hey Mike."

Mike and I along with Ali were starting to become real good friends so far.

"I dealt with Tom. He won’t bother you in a while."

Even though I didn’t really have the zeal to talk much, I was still forced to ask. Mike had said he would try to speak to Tom and only punish him if he was proving stubborn. "So Tom hates me to this extent? He wasn’t cooperating with you, was he? And his wife as well?"

Mike made a grunt sound. "He’s crazy, that fool! Now he’ll really suffer and pay the crime for trying to harm one of the Aniston. I’ve cut all ties with him and he can fucking go to hell running his business without my investments."

I actually laughed out, though it was more like a soft chuckle. "Thanks for having my back, Mike. Damn, I wouldn’t want to be on your hate list."

He laughed at my statement and we remained in silence for a while. Finally, I thanked him again before we cut the call. My phone rang again and then so many notifications kept coming through. Mathew’s call came through and he reminded me to remain calm while he attended to all of those messages from clients and many investors.

Thanks to Arlo, I was already an even bigger deal in the law industry. I couldn’t help but smile at that. "Please, get well soon Arlo. Get well soon, Sunshine."

Arlo’s POV

I didn’t know how to feel as my eyes opened. The cold air from the wide opened curtain was what first brought my senses to life. Then some far distant murmuring that just wouldn’t stop. Every once in a while, they would all burst out in laughter, while still whispering.

As my eyes widened, I got a close picture of my whole surrounding. On the bed beside me was seated little Richard, then opposite the bed on a one sitter couch was Tara and hanging on the handle was Sofia.

Just their presence seemed like a blessing to me because it immediately started to make me regret ever falling ill and having to stress nice people like them who cared for me. I smiled seeing that Tara had managed to still show her face to me after I had hurt her the other day.

"You just won’t keep it down, will you?" I muttered, hoping my voice was even loud enough for Richard to hear, much less the others.

"He’s awake!" Richard jumped up alerting the ladies. Everyone’s smile was so heartwarming that I thought I would burst out into tears. Now that would have been a really cool image for Sofia to picture instead of me laying on the bed looking dead already as I passed out. It must have been torture for her.

The doctor was alerted soon and before I knew it, he was checking me up spewing some medical terms. Finally, he concluded and turned to face Sofia and Tara. "He’s all better now and can leave."

"At last," I mumbled, Richard was just smiling...so filled with joy.

"But..." Tara leaned forward to hear more.

"Hey, what do you mean by that?" I frowned at her in an attempt to tease her. "You never tell a doctor ’but’."

Everyone laughed before the doctor’s face hardened again as he went out. "You are chronically stressed, that’s no longer a secret again. So I will only be letting you go if you promise to cut out all activities that can cause extra load of stress to your body. Can you promise me that?"

I nodded. Whatever it takes to get out of this sick bed. "I’m all better though," it was an effort to sit up straight but finally, I was half seated leaning on the bed side. "But I can promise you that."

"He’s lying. He’s lying, I promise you he will still go out there stressing himself!" Sofia quickly said, worry written all over her face.

"Hey, stop calling your brother a liar in public." I winced, then my eyes met with Tara’s. She studied me for a while before quickly saying to the doctor.

"He’s not lying. Arlo wants to get better too, so I’m sure he will drop all activities that causes stress." After she added, I silently uttered a big thank you to her in my mind.

"Thank you, Tara." I said to her with a smile. How could I actually do what Sofia had suggested? After the party, I was to travel for a month with Sofia on a little trip far away from Tara. She knew how hurt I had been that Saturday. Maybe it was part of the reason I felt so emotionally sick. But now that I was seeing her again, how was I supposed to stay away from her for a whole month? And away from Richard too!

"Promise me now that you’ll move in with me." Sofia said all of a sudden.

The doctor looked tired already of our conversation. "I’m sorry but I should leave now. As long as you promise to look out for him, I assure you that he will be fine. You also have to come for daily check ups, Mr. Hernandez."

"Thank you doctor." I said, nudging him a go ahead to leave if he wanted to and he turned to walk out.

Sofia was still mumbling some things but the doctor had already gone. "Sofia, it’s okay. Just take it from me that I will never put you through what you’ve gone through the past few days. I really am all better now." I hoped my voice had sounded convincing enough.

"I guess he can stay with you—"

"No way." I quickly cut Tara off. "You wouldn’t understand. It’s not her I’m worried about, it’s her girlfriend. Jesse is back in town, isn’t she?"

Sofia’s face flustered red. "So, maybe Sofia is a little bit clingy. That doesn’t change anything!" She tried to protest.

"She is very clingy, I wouldn’t wish for my enemies to be anywhere near those two. I can’t stay with her. I’ll be fine by myself, seriously." I said in defense. "You can check up on me anytime you want to. Any time at all."

"No way. He said you had insomnia, chronic stress, high blood pressure—"

At this rate, the expression on Tara’s face has started to grow ugly from fear. Even Richard blinked again and again. "We get it, Sofia. No need to scare everyone."

"We can’t allow him to stay alone, Tara. He can’t be alone. I love you Arlo, but no way!"

It broke into something like an argument where Sofia kept trying to convince me to stay over at her place, and Tara kept staring looking more and more terrified like I was expected to die in a few hours time, until Richard cut us off with one simple statement that scared the hell out of us all. "No need to argue about this, I can help. Because this has happened to me before."