Lusting For Ralph
Chapter 15

He didn't leave her side yesterday, he knows that she needed him. They didn't talk much, he just catered to her needs, holding her as she was trying to adjust to her sickness.

The diagnosis was making her condition worse, she was overthinking about her illness and was losing her appetite quickly. Even Suzy the ghost felt sorry for her.

"I'm really sad for Maddie." The teenage ghost blurted out her words as she walked through Ralph's kitchen wall. He looked at Suzy in desperation, sitting back on his couch as he was taking a break from Madison. She was finally asleep after taking her medications, and he was taking the little time he has to compose himself and be strong for her when she wakes up.

"Thank you, I need the darkness gone from around her. I need to lift her spirit, she needs to get rid of the dark spirit that's lurking and surrounding her." "You can try to sing to her?"

He finally laughs at her suggestion, making the pale young girl pouted.

"Thank you Suz, I really needed that."

"It wasn't supposed to be a joke, I'm serious!" she said storming off as she dashed through the same wall she came from in her most dramatic way.

He shook his head and smile a little, knowing that for a couple of seconds she had made him forget about Maddie's medical situation.

Ralph decided to take a quick shower and bring his assignments to her apartment, and just stay with her that whole morning.

"Ralph..." her voice was throaty when she greeted him as he joined her on the bed. Her temperature was a bit warm, but her headache was getting better with the medicine that she has been taking. "I'm okay Ralph, better. You should go to campus."

"I will, just to turn in my paper and arrange for your work to be submitted online. Then I'll explain to the faculty administration about your condition..." he said after softly kissed her forehead.

"You could always charm those ladies at the administration office," Madison said sitting up, though it seemed she took extra effort just to do the simple movement and it breaks his heart watching her struggle. "Ralph..." she was not letting him get too close to her.

"What? your doctor said it's not contagious, and I'm just keeping you close and I already kissed you here..." he moved closer and kissed her forehead one more time, making her smile a little.

"...besides, I'm going to leave you for a couple of hours, I need to know that you'll be okay." He gently wrapped her body in his arms, and lay her head on his chest.

"I will be," she let him stroke her hair while she put her hand to his torso, taking in his warmth and being pulled into his sweet embrace.

"I know baby...I need to do this for me, I love you too much. But you know that already." He weaved his fingers with hers and caresses her knuckles gently.

"...it's very random, I told him about my morning runs and he suspected that I got it this thing from a tick, most likely when I pass my usual routes." Madison was telling him about her doctor's appointment when he asked how did she get infected. "So, bug repellent. I'll put them on stock for your next run."

"Thank you..."

The best friend lover combo cuddled for another half an hour before he left her to go to campus. He put her phone to her side, making sure several times that it was within her reach.

"Ralph! seriously, stop worrying too much."

"I can't Madison, not when it's you."

His words just melted her heart and she hugged him and told him that she loves him too.

Again, she kept on thinking that she was so selfish. But she needed him. She honestly didn't know if she could make it through the illness. It took her very strong will to show him that she was fine while on the inside she was having the greatest headache and she couldn't wait to be left alone.

Madison didn't want to tell him that she was hurting, stupidly thinking that she rather suffer at home than at the hospital alone waiting for her death. Cause she honestly thinks she might not make it, not with the severe headache that would come and go. Yes, the negativity was eating her spirit making her surroundings that much darker.

Ralph gave her afternoon medication just before he left and she took it with a smile. But she groaned minutes after he left her apartment, she covers herself with a blanket and lay sideways holding her knees in a fetal position trying to hold off her headache. She stayed quiet taking her deep breaths and finally relaxed as the medication made her sleepy.

Madison wakes up feeling groggy and was surprised as she walked and saw a pale young girl pale with a rope around her neck. She was quick to realize that she was looking at Suzy, Ralph's teenage ghost.

He talked about her in the first couple of months after they moved into the apartment. And Madison knows she still lingers around him up until that day.

But what she didn't know was why she could see the young girl. Not until she let out her words.

"Oh no, no...no...no...get back to your body! Please, Ralph would be devastated..."

Madison didn't understand what she meant by it, and at the same time Ralph walked into her room and was startled when he looked at Maddie, and his reaction surprised her even more.

"Madison?!" his face was teary in seconds, then she was stunned when he looked behind her and saw her body still lying on the bed.

"Madison! get back to your body NOW!" he yelled at her then looked at Suzy in horror as if he was trying to ask for her help. But then Ralph snapped out of it and went straight to her physical body, then put his hand on her neck quickly checking on her pulse. "Madison, baby...please get back to your body. I'm taking you to the hospital. Baby...please..." he looked at her ghostly self while holding onto her sleeping self.

She did what he asked her to do, she tried to lay back to her sleeping form but she kept on slipping then she was starting to panic. Suzy kept on pacing herself back and forth panicking while she fiddles with her rope which was still hanging onto her neck. "Dark...dark, she's surrounded by too much darkness...Suzy does not like it!" she kept on repeating her words.

And that was when Ralph decided to carry Madison and rushed her to the hospital. His childhood best friend kept on staying by her sleeping form. She could almost feel his desperation, making her felt sorry for him.

But time passed through rapidly and within moments later, she saw doctors and nurses tending to her as Ralph admitted Madison to the emergency unit. Then without notice, she was sucked in harshly into her body when they jolted her back to life.

She felt lethargic, weak, and very tired, her eyes felt heavy and Maddie tried to open them with great effort until she finally sees Ralph sighed and kissed the top of her head lovingly.

"Hey, sexy,"

His words made her smile, though it hurt when she tried to laugh. She slowly lifts her hand and caresses his face.

"I love you..."