She sat next to him caressing his hair as he slept. Her
fingers lightly touched his scalp as she could feel her fingertips emote her
heart. Another day, the countless pin pricks he received to check his blood,
the nonstop invasion of his privacy by the nurses had exhausted him and she
watched him anxiously. Her heart always seemed to be in her eyes these days.
Sometimes the overplay of emotions tugged his heart so hard. Today he was too
tired to even soothe her. His eyes would not stay open. Don't hurt so much for
me, he wanted to tell her; not that she could stop. It was always him in her
eyes and her heart and he had always known it. She never was mysterious or
secretive about it. He was her world and that was not something she ever hid.
Today this had become a weight on his heart. He hoped the doctor had some good
news for him. More for her than himself, he was anxious.
They were taking too long, she thought. Maybe the doc had to play golf today,
he suggested. She smirked. As always he had read her mind and was trying to
keep her smiling. She gave him a sweet reassuring smile and held his hand. This
was something new with her. She was holding his hand so much more these days as
if she would not let him go ever. They heard some giggles headed their way. He
was surprised she did not let go.
A rush of color and giggles entered the room. The doctor entered behind his
wife, his friends from medical school, in slight pursuit catching her scarf
lightly with a smile on his face. He looked at the couple in the graying
hospital room holding hands and gave a small nod.
"How's my favorite patient today..."? He pulled the chart from the base of the bed and read the nurses notes. "...I'll be back in a minute". His wife sat silently next to the couple hugging the lady while he left the room.
"What have you been up to today?", the patients wife asked her.
"Nothing much, we just walked through the park near the fountain".
There was a world of excitement in her voice as she brought the colorful world into the dismal room. Her hands moved rapidly as she painted the picture for them; the masses of people, the street performers, the music students practicing a violin concerto, the children running around. He noticed how she was listening with full attention although her eyes still had the anxiety in the back of them. He thought she had finally diverted her but the sneaky glances to the door escaped him. Her pulse accelerated as the doctor entered the room with the latest reports. "Good and not so good news again, counts were improving but we are not quite out of the woods yet".
She smiled at the doctor and his wife who were getting ready to leave. They had dinner plans at a nearby restaurant with friends. She was going on and on about the food options as she was vegetarian and he was not. With a tight hug and small kisses the excitement left the room taking some colors of autumn with them.
'Jaan', he said, 'hmmm', 'go home and rest, I am sleepy as it is'. He had to do this almost every day. Home? For her home was in his arms; still she saw how tired he looked. She picked up her things, draping the shawl tightly around her. His hands stopped her and tugged slightly. "My daily dose of sweets"? His fingers ran slowly over her cheeks and his fingers touched the edge of her lips. Her face lit up with yearning then she tamped her feelings down quickly and smiled at him resting her lips on his.
She was always an open book to him and his eyes darkened
in response. Slowly, ever so slowly she brought his hands down. "Goodnight
darling, rest up I will see you soon", she said walking slowly away. He
looked at her as she smiled at him "Anderson is waiting". His eyes
were fighting to stay open. She waited in the shadows till they drifted to a
close then walked slowly to give him a kiss on his forehead before leaving. The nurse looked up from the rerun of the
royal wedding. "To have and to
hold, in sickness and in health, till death do us part" was playing in the
background. Room 508's wife was
leaving. The nurse smiled at her.
The streets were dark as she headed to the car park. The cold weather permeated
to her bones as she drove to their house. Entering the empty house she
immediately turned on the TV to eclipse the silence that filled her life these
days and the voice of Anderson Cooper on CNN reporting the daily news filled
the space. She checked the answering machine wistfully, no messages. Coiling herself in a bundle she settled on
the sofa with her shawl wrapped tightly and watched the news disinterestedly.
The warm breeze felt so good after the harsh Toronto winter. Limbs tangled on
the extra large beach towel under the huge beach umbrella. Empty glasses of
mock tails and snacks littered the side table. This was her favorite pose while
sleeping. Enveloped in his arms in this idyllic setting, she had a smile on her
face as she watched the waves lapping the shores. Sort of like me, she thought,
constantly seeking more and more and more. He slept contently where as she was
just savoring this joyous surprise. He had walked in on Thursday and hurriedly
packed their bags. No idea where they were going and for how long. She pestered him all the way to the airport
to find out. He was good with surprises like that. Her reactions always filled
him with an abundance of joy. She smiled as she remembered how she had flung
herself in his arms at the airport when she had found out about the beach
vacation. He had lifted her high into his arms in the middle of the airport.
Jaan, she squeezed him really hard just as the shrieking sound of her alarm buzzed. She woke up sweating and closed her eyes tightly willing for the dream to continue. Heaving a deep sigh, she joined her hands in prayer then opened them again thanking the Lord for this day that he was still with her. With a new determination to make every day count she walked to the closet thinking of what he would like to see her in. She picked the colorful scarf he had picked out for her on that long ago beach vacation and tied that little bit of happiness around her as she headed out towards the hospital again.
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