by Mark Goodwin
He texted Courtney and had her call the office number that all employees were to give out as their work-emergency contact number. She was to claim to be his apartment manager and leave a message to inform Everett that there was a broken pipe leaking in his apartment.
The message was soon passed to Tom Doe, who called Everett over the speakerphone. “Everett, your apartment manager just called and said you’ve got water all over your apartment. I’ll split up your task list if you want to take a personal day. You have plenty of time saved up. This is a government job; when it comes to paid time off, it’s use it or lose it.”
Everett picked up the receiver. “No way! Are you sure you’ll be okay without me?”
“Get out of here. We’ve got you covered.”
“Thanks so much, I really appreciate it.” Everett followed the protocol for closing out his task box early, and then headed for the door. He knew that Jones had gone to MedStar Hospital in DC when he’d first had trouble breathing, so Everett assumed that would be where Jones had been admitted this time.
Everett thought, I shouldn’t show up empty-handed, but I know he won’t want flowers. They probably took his chewing tobacco. Maybe I’ll bring him some nicotine gum. If he’s conscious, he’ll probably be wanting a fix.
Everett stopped at the drugstore on his way into DC and picked up two boxes of nicotine gum. He also took a copy of The Weekly Standard for Jones to flip through. He looked at the crossword puzzle books, but decided against it; Jones wasn’t likely to have a lot of energy for doing puzzles.
Rush hour traffic had died down, so Everett arrived at the hospital in less than an hour. He wondered what name Jones was admitted under. He asked for John Jones at reception.
The receptionist said, “Room 305. Can I please have a photo ID? And please sign in on this form.”
Everett presented his driver’s license and signed the form. He handed the pen back to the receptionist and offered a warm smile.
She smiled back. “Follow the hallway to your left, and you’ll find an elevator bank at the end. Take that to the ninth floor. The nurses’ station will be on your right when you arrive. They’ll direct you to the room. Have a nice day.”
“Thanks.” Everett proceeded down the hall. He wasn’t sure what to expect. He didn’t like hospitals or dying or sickness. He steeled himself for whatever the encounter might be like. This wasn’t about having an enjoyable experience; it was about being a friend to someone who’d given so much.
He soon reached Jones’s room. Jones was lying in the bed with an IV attached to his arm, and the ever-present oxygen tubes were inserted in his nose. His eyes were closed, and he was breathing softly. Wires attached to a heart monitor ran beneath the sheets. His skin was pale, and it looked paper thin, as if the least amount of pressure might break it.
How had he deteriorated so quickly? Everett thought. He took a deep breath and looked for a nurse in the hallway.
“Can I help you?” A slightly overweight woman with a sweet, motherly voice approached Everett.
He looked at her nametag. “Yes, Mrs. Collins? I’m here to see John Jones. He looks like he’s sleeping. I don’t know if I should disturb him.”
She put her hand on Everett’s back. “You can talk to him. He’s on a high-dosage opioid drip, so he may not be very responsive. He was in a lot of pain when he was admitted.”
Everett nodded. “Once the pain is under control, do you think he’ll be released?”
Mrs. Collins looked at Everett with compassion and continued to keep her hand on his back. “It’s not likely that Mr. Jones will be leaving. The doctor thinks he has less than a week. The cancer has spread all over his chest and is in his liver.”
Everett looked at the brightly polished floor, then back up at the nurse. “Does he know?”
She simply nodded.
“Thank you.” Everett walked back into Jones’s room. He stood near the bed and gently took Jones’s hand.
Jones turned his head toward Everett and half opened his eyes. A slight smile came across his face. “Hey there.”
“I brought you some nicotine gum and a magazine.”
“God bless you. They stole my tobacco.” Jones seemed to be coming around. “Push that button on the side of the bed so I can sit up.”
Everett complied with the request. “Is that far enough or should I raise it a little more?”
“That’s perfect.” Jones took the cup from the bedside table and sipped some water through the straw. “Can you open a piece of that nicotine gum for me?”
“Sure.” Everett opened the gum and handed a piece to Jones. “So how is the food here? Would you like me to sneak something in for you?”
Jones popped the gum in his mouth. “It isn’t too bad. I don’t have much of an appetite. Thanks for the offer, but I’m afraid it would be wasted on me. If you have time, though, I’d love a pair of headphones. There’s a drugstore down the street. Nothing fancy, just something to plug into my phone.”
“No problem. I took the day off work, so I have all day. Is it so you can listen to music on your phone?”
“They’re for my phone, but not music. I found a website from some church out in California. The pastor who founded it has passed on, but they still have his sermons available for download. His name was Chuck Smith. Something about the way he speaks. . . it’s very soothing. Listening to him read the Bible really puts me at peace. I’m kind of looking forward to meeting him.”
Everett was glad that Jones had found a source of hope, but he didn’t want to talk about death, nor the afterlife. “California, huh? Do they still allow churches out there?”
Jones smiled. “For now. So how are things with the little NSA girl?”
“Good. She enjoyed meeting you last week.”
Jones looked at Everett. “She seems like a real nice girl. Kind of sassy, but you probably need that. Be sure you tell her I’m sorry that I can’t make it to Thanksgiving. That was very nice of both of you to invite me.”
Everett felt the lump swelling in his throat, but he was determined not to cry. He shook his head. “You don’t know that. You might be around for a while.”
Jones sighed. “Don’t feel sorry for me. I’ve made my peace with God. I’m going to a better place. You, on the other hand, you’re fixin’ to go through the ringer. I couldn’t have timed my exit any better. The masses out there, they’re the ones I feel sorry for. You kids will be okay. You’re smart, so is Courtney, but you’ll need to depend on each other. Tough times create a lot of stress. Be nice to one another even when you feel like you’re about to snap. People are what matters. Take it from someone standing on the precipice of eternity. I wish I would have invested a lot more in people and relationships and less on all the things that seem so useless from where I sit now.”
Everett took in everything Jones was saying. He listened more than he talked. It was difficult for him to come up with conversation at such a time.
Jones picked up the television remote and turned on the news. Everett sat in the chair by the bed and watched silently.
Several minutes later, Jones said, “I can feel the pain medication in my IV. I might nod out for a while. You’re welcome to stay or go. Whatever you decide, I really appreciate you stopping by.”
Everett nodded. “I’ll hang around for a bit.”
Soon, Jones was fast asleep.
Everett pulled the sheet up over Jones’s chest. He decided to walk down the street to buy the headphones. He quickly found a nice set of earbuds at the drugstore.
It was well into the afternoon, and Everett was getting hungry. The hospital was part of the Georgetown University campus, which was less than two miles away from George Washington University where Everett had attended college. He quickly found the familiar campus sandwich shop that catered to students on tight budgets. The shop made fantastic sandwiches for a very fair price. Everett went in and ordered the mozzarella caprese sandwich that he’d often treated himself to in college. The lo
ok of the place hadn’t changed much; of course, it hadn’t been that long since he’d been there. The familiar surroundings were comforting. Everett ate his sandwich, but it was hard to enjoy because of his heavy heart. He walked around the campus for a while and took in the cool autumn air. The trees in the green spaces were beautiful hues of gold, orange, and red. Everett thought about how autumn marked the end of the life cycle in nature and how it coincided with the end of his friend’s life.
He finished his tour of the campus and made his way back up to Jones’s room. Jones was still asleep, but the nurse came in to serve dinner. She nudged Jones gently. He eventually came around. “You still here?”
“You said I could stay. I did step out for a while to buy your earbuds. Now you can listen to your lectures.” Even the word sermon made Everett uncomfortable; he wasn’t sure why.
“Thanks. These will be just fine.” Jones opened the earbuds and handed the packaging to Everett to throw away. He set the earbuds down and picked at the food on his tray but didn’t seem interested in it.
The two men looked at the television screen as Jones scrolled through the channels. They chatted here and there, not talking about much and not really paying attention to what was on TV. Everett could tell that Jones was happy to have him there, even if he wasn’t much of a conversationalist at times like this.
Jones eventually fell back asleep. Everett jotted down a short note to tell Jones he would be by the next day after work and headed for the door.
***
The following day Everett pushed himself through his work routine.
At lunch, Everett sat with Ken, as usual, but he let Ken do all the talking. Ken was a wordy fellow, so that required no coaxing on Everett’s part.
Tom Doe passed by his desk after lunch. “Did you get that mess cleaned up?”
“Yes, sir. Thanks for being so accommodating.”
“Well, these things happen.” Doe patted him on the shoulder as he walked away.
Everett tried to stay focused, but the sadness was eating at him. After work, he shot past all of his co-workers to avoid the menial chitchat. Everett thought of hitting a drive-through on the way to the hospital, but couldn’t bring himself to do it. Instead, he stopped by a deli on Leesburg Pike on the way into DC. He quickly selected cold cuts for a nice sandwich and was soon back on the road. It was rush hour, but Everett was traveling against traffic. Most commuters lived outside of DC and were on their way home.
Everett arrived in just over an hour, even with the congested roads. He signed in and made his way back toward Jones’s room.
He exited the elevator and saw Mrs. Collins at the nurses’ station. “Hi, how’s he doing today?”
Her eyes were filled with compassion. “Not so good, but I’m sure he’ll be glad to see you.”
Everett nodded. “Thanks. Is he awake?”
“Probably not. He’s been out almost all day. The doctor increased his pain medication. He was really hurting last night. But you go on in there. Hold his hand; see if he comes around.”
“Okay.” Everett walked into the room. Jones was sleeping and making a deep gurgling sound. Everett quickly went back to the nurses’ station.
“Mrs. Collins, it sounds like Mr. Jones is choking,” he said frantically.
She stood up. “Calm down. I know it doesn’t sound normal, but it is. We gave him a dose of glycopyrronium. I’ll give him another dose and see if that helps. What you’re hearing is terminal respiratory secretions.”
Everett didn’t understand, but he was comforted that the nurse seemed to know what she was talking about. “Alright. Thank you.”
He went back in and stood by the bed. He took Jones’s hand. “John, it’s Everett. I’m here.”
Jones was unresponsive.
“Want to watch the news?” Everett turned on the television and watched it as he sat next to his sleeping friend.
The nurse came in and injected the drug into Jones’s IV. “That should help. It might not take effect right away. Give it a little bit.”
“Thanks for taking such good care of him, Mrs. Collins. Has anyone else been by to visit?”
“Just you. A messenger brought the flowers and a card from his work.”
Everett remembered what Jones had once said about the Company. She won’t love you back.
“Let me know if you need anything. Anything at all.” Mrs. Collins offered a sympathetic smile as she left the room.
Everett pulled the other chair around so he could put his feet up. He sat back and rested comfortably as he watched the news. Shortly thereafter, he drifted into a light sleep.
When he awoke, he checked his phone for the time. “Wow, I was out for almost an hour.”
Everett gave Jones’s hand a gentle squeeze. “John. Wake up for a little while.”
Jones didn’t come around. Everett decided to take a short walk around the hospital and the campus to stretch his legs.
He gave Courtney a call as he walked.
“Hey!”
“How’re you holding up, soldier?” she asked.
“I’m good.”
“Is Uncle John doing any better?”
“No, he’s worse. He is completely out. They’ve got him pretty doped up. He’d be in a lot of pain if he wasn’t, though.”
“Would you like me to come by for moral support?”
“That’s so nice of you to offer, but I’m okay. Uncle John wouldn’t even know you were here.”
“If you change your mind or you just need to talk, give me a call. I’m here, okay?”
Everett had never really seen this soft side to Courtney, although he’d suspected that it was there. “Thanks, so much. I really appreciate it.”
“Anytime. Talk to you soon.”
“Okay, bye.” Everett hung up and started heading back to the hospital room.
When he arrived, Jones seemed to be coming to. Everett took his hand. “John, hey.”
Jones turned his head toward Everett and half opened his eyes. He gave Everett’s hand a light squeeze to acknowledge his presence.
A minute later, Jones appeared to be fully awake. It was obvious that even with the high dosage of pain relievers, he was in pain. “Can you pass me my cup?”
Everett did so.
Jones took a small sip from the straw.
Everett asked, “Do you want some nicotine gum?”
“No. I’m fine without it.” His voice was weak. His skin looked much worse than it had just the day before.
“Do you want to watch the news, or should I have the nurse bring you something to eat?”
Jones shook his head ever so slightly.
Everett was at a loss for words. He just stood next to his friend’s bed.
The minutes passed, and Everett stood patiently.
“Thank you, Everett.”
“I’m the one who should be thanking you; what could you possibly be thanking me for?”
“For being my friend. I pray that you’ll really dedicate some time to thinking about what you believe. I hope you’ll discover that Jesus is real. I hope we’ll meet again in glory.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“Good.” Jones forced a smile through the pain.
Tears started to flow down Everett’s cheeks. He squeezed Jones’s hand as he watched the life slowly leave his friend’s body. A look of serenity replaced the expression of pain and anguish on John Jones’s face, and he breathed his last breath.
***
Everett was straightening his tie in the mirror Tuesday morning when he heard a knock. He walked to the door and opened it. “Wow! You look great.”
Courtney walked in and took her coat off. “Thanks. I was worried this dress might be too short for a funeral, but it’s the only black dress I have that covers my shoulders. You look nice, too. I’ve never seen you in a suit.”
“Do you want a cup of coffee? We still have a few minutes before we need to leave.”
“No thanks. So Lisa and Ken ar
e coming. Was Ken close with John?”
“Not at all. He’s coming because I asked him to. I don’t want to be the only one from our office at the funeral. I’m sorry I wasn’t completely honest about John. He had his reasons for not wanting to tell you his whole history.”
Courtney rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I was completely surprised to find out that he wasn’t your real uncle. What a shame to have your skill set wasted at an analyst’s desk. Clandestine Services is really missing out by not having you on the team.”
Everett loved Courtney’s playful sarcasm. His only fear was that he was losing control of his feelings for her. He’d never been in a relationship where the thought of losing someone produced so much anxiety. She seemed to be quite interested in Everett as well, but how could he be sure that she wouldn’t get bored? Only time would tell.
Everett finished drinking his coffee, brushed his teeth, and put on his jacket. “Okay, let’s go.”
“Do you have an umbrella? It wasn’t raining when I left.”
“Sure.” Everett retrieved the umbrella and held it for Courtney as they walked to the car.
Once they were on the road, Everett said, “It was very nice of you to come along today. Your boss didn’t hassle you too much about taking the day off?”
“No, as long as there’s no imminent crisis, we can take personal days. The flipside is that if there is a serious event, we have to drop everything until the threat is evaded. Speaking of events, did you know the US closed over 400 foreign bases and DOD-controlled facilities last night?”
“No, why?”
“They were all reclassified as non-essential.”
“If they were non-essential, why were they there in the first place?”
Courtney shook her head. “I suppose they were essential for pilfering the US taxpayer to prop up the military industrial complex. It’s big business and bigger politics. They were probably essential for threatening other nations into complying with US fiscal policy as well. But if what Uncle John said is true, that jig is up. Sorry, I meant John.”
Everett nodded. “We can still call him Uncle John. He didn’t have any family, so I’m sure he’d be honored. He’d mentioned to me that a large-scale repositioning of troops and military assets within the US would be a sign that they’re getting ready to pull the trigger.”