which is it

Well, things hadn't gone as planned. Ravi had hoped he'd be with Liz, and it would be spectacular.

It was just a kiss. Just one kiss, in fact. Not another. It was suddenly as if Liz woke up and pushed him away. It was as if he'd done something horrible, and he was left in the cold to walk it off. And he did.

He was doing his laundry now, trying not to think of her and how it could have been. Why was she like this? Someone takes an interest in her, and she couldn't have it. She said she couldn't do this to her sister. Something like that. He was a little high at the time and as usual he felt beaten down, once again. Obviously, he was suppose to be a priest or something. Evidently.

He turned on the dryer just to look up and see Olivia in her blue plaid pajamas. She had her arms crossed. She said something, but he didn't hear. So he opened the dryer and it stopped.

"What?"

"Um, well. Can you take me to the doctor?" She looked as if she didn't want to ask, but had too.

"The doctor?" He looked at her funny while she stood there hugging herself in her fake uggs. She then went into this long ordeal how she was sick and the doctor wouldn't give her anything over the phone. She'd have to go to the emergency room.

Ravi looked at her wide eyed. Just how serious was this, he thought. She wasn't bleeding or anything.

She started to cry then. He didn't want to make things worse, but gave her a nod and wondered if he knew what to do. They got in his little car that he never went many places in because he didn't want to use gas for starters, and it didn't like winter nor the icy roads.

It started up right away, but Ravi kept thinking of how unsteady he felt behind the wheel this winter.

"You're sure Ellie can't take you?" He thought she'd feel much better being with her best friend who lived down the street.

Olivia shook her head, still a little teary-eyed. He felt bad for her. So he knew he had to, even if he felt like the worst driver, ever. And he had such high hopes how much fun he'd have, having his own car. But it hadn't happened yet. They got on the freeway which was reasonably calm and clear. He made the right exit and they were there in about 10 minutes. He drove up to the emergency entrance as she could call him and he'd be her taxi to pick her up.

"You are coming with me, aren't you?" Olivia looked at him.

"Of course." Ravi gave her a shy smile. How could he say, no. Maybe she was injured by the way she walked. He went to park the car, and they went in. Naturally, to a waiting area.

"Is this the hospital where Amanda's having her baby?" Ravi asked her.

Olivia shook her head, no. Amanda was in Omaha.

Ravi just nodded.

"Thanks." She said a bit sadly. She wasn't herself at all, he didn't think. Generally, she was her happy self with so much to do, but now she sat there as if her world might be coming to an end.

Ravi sat there patiently as she filled out paperwork and handed it in at the desk. Finally a nurse came over to lead Olivia to a room. Ravi sat there. Then a bit later the nurse motioned for him.

"Well, you can come too. I'm sure the doctor would like to talk you." The nurse told him.

Ravi looked at her, thinking what did I do. So he followed as if he would be her caregiver. The nurse took her temp and blood pressure. She got all her stats. Ravi sat there wondering why this was so important for him to be there. Finally a woman doctor came in and looked at Olivia's chart on the computer. Questioned her about her problem. Thankfully, no undressing and that sort of thing. It seemed they'd been through this so many times, already. A recurring problem. Evidently.

"I'm starting to think you have a yeast infection, everytime you have sex." She sort of joked. Of course, Olivia gave her an odd look. "You know, if your partner here has more than one sex partner, that could be a big part of the problem." She looked at Ravi then who glared at the doctor as he hadn't a clue what she was going on about.

"He's just my roommate." Olivia looked at Ravi.

"Well, I don't care what you call him. You two are going to have to take this serious." She told her.

"He's not my boyfriend." Olivia winced.

"Well, drink plenty of water. Go to the bathroom before and after sex." She handed her over the antibiotic prescription then. "But right now, get some rest, and see how long you can go without having sex. Give it a rest, you know. You need to let this infection heal. And take all the antibiotic."

After they got the prescription filled and Ravi picked up a pint of frozen strawberry sorbet for Olivia, they went home.

"You heard what she said, you have to rest. Maybe you should, you know, make Roger sleep on the couch or something." Ravi kind of smiled, thinking it would be nice to see someone whipped for a change in these sort of situations. He hated to admit how much he envied Roger, but he did.

Olivia shook her head, no as if this was all her fault.

"You think he's- you know, seeing other people?" Ravi wanted to know. If he was, he had Olivia's back all the way. He was about to promise her he was there for her, no matter what.

Olivia shook her head, no.

"You're not seeing other people." Ravi hoped she didn't think it was a question. He had faith that she was the best girlfriend in the world.

He opened the sorbet for her and they sat on the couch. "I just never knew, so much to consider when, when, well, you have a relationship with someone." He didn't want to ask how often she had sex with Roger. Was he that demanding? Ravi was beginning to think.

It didn't always have to be about sex, did it? Really, he had just wanted someone to keep company with. He guessed. Ravi bit his bottom lip. Or was it just the sex he wanted? He didn't think so. No, there had to be more to love than just that.