Uncle Vinny asks, “So, he’ll be out of here in a month or so?”
Dr. Ferguson nods. “Yes, as his burns heal, the brace will align the fracture. However, like I said, he’ll need physical therapy afterward. We have a great facility here, but you’re more than welcome to seek your own facility if you wish.”
He looks at me, giving me instructions. “For the time being, I’d like you to stay in bed. No moving, no walking, nothing for at least two weeks. I’ll schedule another CT scan at that time and we can determine the timeline of recovery and start talking about therapy. Sound good?”
I nod. “Yes sir.”
“Good. Okay, I’ll leave you folks alone for a bit. If you need anything, the nurses are here around the clock.”
We all thank him as he exits the room with Nurse Jackie. Aunt Maggie slides a chair right next to the left side of my bed and sits, reaching over to brush my hair with her fingers. “You had me so worried. I thought we were going to lose you.” She entwines her fingers with mine, kissing my hand.
“You heard the doc: I’ll be good as new and out of here in no time. Wait, if you’re both here, who’s at the bakery right now?”
Uncle Vinny speaks up, “It’s closed. You’re more important than the bakery.”
I shake my head. “No, don’t think that. That’s your livelihood. You guys don’t have to stay here all day. I’ll be fine. Promise.”
Uncle Vinny smiles. “We’ll stay until visiting hours are over, is that good with you? You need your rest anyway.”
I chuckle. “Yes, sounds good.”
Aunt Maggie lets out a loud gasp. “Roman, you are never going to believe who works here.”
My brow arches as I look at her, puzzled. “Uh, who?”
A huge smile shines across her face. “The éclair girl.”
My wide eyes stare at her, soaking in her response as a lightning shock travels up my spine. “What? You saw her? Here, in this hospital?”
A huge smile shines across her face. “Yes! She was in here yesterday.”
“In my room? Is she my nurse?”
She nods. “Well, sort of. She works in this department and her shift hasn’t started yet. But yes, she’s one of your nurses. Oh, it’ll be great. You’ll finally get to talk to her!”
I look away from Aunt Maggie and glance out the window just as the sun begins to rise. If the situation were different, I would have been happy to see Melanie, but now, I dread seeing her.
This is not how I wanted to spend time with her, not really. Here I am, broken, and she’ll see me as just another patient. It’s not what I wanted. It’s not how I hoped it would be. I don’t want her to see me like this. I’m not ready.
Melanie
RUSHING TO THE FRONT door of my apartment, I unlock the bolts and let Gia step inside. Shutting the door as she passes, I hook the chain and fasten all the locks.
She welcomes me with a hug and a kiss. “So, what’s the emergency? Why did I have to step out in twenty degree weather and race to get here?”
She removes her coat and follows me into the living room. We get comfy on the sofa and I pass her a warm cup of coffee.
As she allows the coffee to heat her up, I let out a sigh. “I found him.”
She pauses in between sips. “Who?”
“The stranger. The guy from the bakery.”
“Who?”
I huff. “You know. I went with Layla to get éclairs that weekend and I ended up running into somebody. I had a strange sense of deja vu but I couldn’t place him.”
“Ah, that guy? That was like…what, five months ago? I didn’t know you were still hung up on that.”
“I wasn’t. Honestly, I forgot about the whole thing, mainly because of Easton, but that’s not the point. I saw him yesterday.”
“Did you talk to him?”
“Well, no not exactly. He’s a patient of mine.”
She gasps. “Wow, a patient?”
“Yes! And get this: he’s one of the firefighters from the building collapse.”
“Holy shit! That’s insane. Is he all right?”
“Yeah, he’ll be fine. But that’s not all.”
Her brow arches. “There’s more?”
“I’ve know him since I was seventeen.”
“How is that possible?”
“His aunt and uncle own the freaking bakery that I love. He used to work there in high school. Sometimes when I went to get pastries, he was there.”
“You mean, you’ve known him for ten years? How did you not recognize him before then?”
“Well, we never really talked much in high school. I was always in and out of the shop. I never stayed too long or anything. So, when I saw him again five months ago, I had the feeling that I’d seen his face, but after not seeing for him so long, I couldn’t quite remember.”
“So, how did you figure it out? That it was him all along?”
“It was his aunt. She was in his room when I walked in and I immediately recognized her from my last visit. She recognized me too. She called me ‘the éclairs girl’. And when I glanced at his name on his chart, I remembered him telling me his name in high school.”
“This whole thing is nuts. I can’t believe they’re the same person.”
“Ha, you’re telling me!”
Gia stands up and walks over the kitchen to grab two beers out of the fridge. She walks back and hands me a beer. “Here, this calls for some alcohol. Wait, you don’t work later do you?”
“Nope, I’m off today.”
We clink beers as Gia smiles. “Good.”
Gia and I spend the rest of the day at my place watching movies and sharing our love for Brad Pitt. She tells me that she’s realized she has feelings for bartender Brad, but is too afraid to do anything about it. I try to reassure her but she holds back. It takes courage to put your feelings out there and not everyone is courageous. I hope that Brad reconsiders his decision to quit, but I wouldn’t blame him if he stayed away. Gia had her chance but she blew it and she knows it.
Before we know it, it’s already late and I gotta get up early tomorrow so Gia gathers her coat. As she puts it on, she asks, “So, how are you going to handle things with Roman?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, are you going to pretend like you don’t recognize him?”
“No, I couldn’t do that. I’ll be honest and tell him I remember him, but that’s it really. He’s just a patient, that’s all.”
She gives me a suspicious look and pulls me into a hug as she exits the apartment. I watch her from my window as she stands in the snow, hailing a cab. Seconds later, a cab picks her up and drives off into the busy streets. Cleaning up the leftover pizza and beer, I can’t help but think about Roman and what this coincidental reunion means.
******
Making my way to Roman’s room, I see Amanda at the nurses station, closing out her paperwork before she leaves for the day. “Hey Amanda. How is the patient in room three doing?”
“Irritable and in a lot of pain, but other than that, he’s doing well. Last time I checked he was sleeping.”
“Okay, thanks. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Yeah, same to you.”
She leaves her desk and heads to the locker room. I glance at his chart, looking to find anything worth noting while I check up on him, and everything looks good for now. Stepping up to the door, I knock softly and make my way inside.
Entering the room, I glance at him as he sleeps. Besides him, the room is empty. I expected to see his family in there; perhaps they stepped out.
Cleaning up the empty food trays and cups, I wipe down the trays and toss them into the garbage. I step out into the hall to gather some new drinking cups and get a pitcher of ice water. Making my way back into his room, I place the stack of cups and the pitcher on his bedside table. Closed curtains block the bright warm sun so I step to the window and open them. The warm rays immediately heat my skin as I glance down toward the street. Snow covers t
he ground as pedestrians walk the busy sidewalks. Cars, buses, yellow cabs, and trucks stand bumper to bumper in never-ending traffic. Horns honk back-to-back; that’s New York for you.
I check his vitals on the monitor, confirming that everything is normal. His reddened face rests against the pillow in an awkward fashion. That can’t be comfortable. I inch my hands closer to his head and lift it as I fix the pillow under his head. Fluffing it into a more comfortable position, he groans as I inch his head a little higher and to the left. Careful not to touch his gauze, my hand presses his head back down softly. A low groan escapes his lips just as I pull my hand away and his eyes open.
Stepping away from the bed, I clear my throat. “Uh, sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you. My name is—”
The door swings open and his aunt and uncle step inside carrying fresh flowers. His aunt notices me and gasps. “Oh hi! We were just at the gift shop. Roman you’re awake! Are you hungry?”
His face is stern and hard. “No, just tired.”
He flashes a harsh look as I step away and allow his aunt and uncle to give him a hug. His aunt smiles at me. “Thank you for watching over him.”
Just as I open my mouth to respond, Roman interrupts. “It’s her job Aunt Maggie.”
Bewildered by his rudeness, I walk over and pour the ice water into a cup, inserting a bendy straw. I motion it to him and ask, “Are you thirsty?”
He turns his head away from me. “Nope, I’m fine. You can leave now.”
I place the cup back down on the tray. “Uh, ok…well if you need anything just buzz us. By the way, my name is Melanie.” I offer him a warm smile but he doesn’t even look at me. His eyes focus toward the window and I glance at his aunt, trying to figure out if I did something wrong. She smiles at me softly and sits on the bed next to him as I step out, puzzled at his reaction.
Melanie
I CHECK ON MY other patients and all goes well. The patient in room number two, Mr. Erickson, had a severe heart attack yesterday so he’s been on watch for the past twelve hours. He’s an elderly man, in his late 70s, and he’s always polite when I visit.
While I’m fixing his sheets as he watches TV, he asks me about my hobbies and interests. We make small talk as I clean up his room and open up his curtain windows. He loves the sun too.
As I throw the remainder of his cold dinner into the trash he asks, “Do you have any children?”
“No, I don’t. I’m not even married.”
“Nonsense, you’re a young vibrant woman who must drive the men wild.”
I chuckle at his humor. “Ha ha, sadly no. But it’s all right, I’m used to this, being alone.”
He frowns. “Sounds terrible.”
“Don’t look at it that way. I enjoy my time here, taking care of my patients, especially you, Mr. Erickson.”
“Eh, you don’t fool me. I know there are plenty of other things you could do instead of talking to this old fart.”
“Nonsense!”
I grab one of the empty chairs in his room and pull it next to his bed. “Now, tell me a story.”
“What do you want to hear?”
“I don’t know. Anything. How about the first time you feel in love?”
“Ah, now that’s a good one. It was the moment I laid eyes on Vera.”
I rest my head on my hands as Mr. Erickson reminisces about the first time he met his wife, Vera. A look of awe flashes in his eyes as I imagine he’s seeing everything all over, through memory. Listening to his descriptive tones, I watch as he smiles and says her name. A sense of love vibrates off his voice as his eyes dazzle from the thought of her. He tells the story of how his family had just moved to a new neighborhood. He was in high school, sixteen years old, when he met Vera. He knew right away it was love at first sight. They spent the last two years of high school together, attending dances and prom together, and had even planned on attending college together. But, the war separated them. As he describes the distance he had to endure, his face saddens but remains optimistic. Eventually, they found each other again, married, and had three children.
“So, is your wife coming to visit soon?”
“Unfortunately, she passed two years ago.”
Sadness flows through me as I lay my hand on his. “I’m sorry sir. I…I didn’t know.”
He smiles gently and squeezes his hand in mine. “Don’t worry dear. I’ll be seeing her soon.”
I sit with him for a few more minutes and quietly step outside after he decides to watch a little TV. It’s been two hours since I’ve seen Roman and visiting hours are almost over.
Heading back to the nurses station, someone calls out, “Uh, excuse me miss?”
Spinning around, I spot Roman’s uncle walking toward me. “Uh, can I talk to you for a moment?”
“Oh, of course. Sure, let’s step over here.”
We take a few steps into the waiting area by the vending machines and I look at him, waiting for him to speak. “Is…there something that I can help you with?”
“No, I just wanted to apologize about my nephew.”
I sigh. “Oh.”
“You see, he’s having a really tough time and I know he was kind of a jerk to you earlier. Just know that it’s not personal. He’s battling a few inner demons and well, after what happened, he’s still adjusting to it all.”
“Well, I don’t want to do anything that will make him uncomfortable or anything.”
“No, I know that, and I appreciate everything that this hospital has done for him. I guess what I’m trying to say is that he’s…he’s not himself.”
I smile. “I understand sir.”
He nods. “Okay, great.” He takes a quick peek at his watch. “Well, I better get Maggie since visiting hours are almost over. Thank you for talking to me miss.”
I call out to him as he walks back to Roman’s room. “You’re welcome. Have a good night.”
******
An hour later, it’s my rotation to check on Roman. It’s past nine so I keep quiet as he may be asleep. I open his door slowly, careful to keep the noise to a minimum, and peep over at him. Right away, I see agony spread across his face and I rush to him.
“What’s wrong? Is it your wounds? Tell me where the pain is.”
He clenches his jaw. “My face and my lower right side. It feels like they’re on fire.”
My eyes immediately check the areas and notice a bit of ooze seeping out of the gauze. Shit. I race across the room to gather the medicinal ointment and fresh bandages.
“Why didn’t you hit the button?”
With a harsh tone, he yells, “Because I don’t need your help.”
“Yes, you do. Now relax. I have to change the dressing and it will hurt.” I grab a pair of latex gloves and roll them on each hand. As I inch my hands toward his face, he pulls away.
I huff. “All you’re doing is making this more difficult for the both of us. Now, hold still.”
He groans but obliges as I carefully tear the old bandage off. He cries out as the welting pain courses through and I notice his reddened face has started to blister. Dammit.
Grabbing a cotton swab and starting above his right brow, I apply a fresh coat of the ointment all over the blisters, careful not to pop them. I gently rub the swab in a downward motion from his brow to his cheek. His heaving breathing speeds as I apply the new coats. Sweat drops trickle down his forehead as I concentrate on the application, ensuring that the wound is completely coated with ointment and cream. Reaching across him, I grab a tissue with my free hand to wipe the sweat away, preventing it from spooling onto his burns.
Once the ointment is applied to the burned region, I grab the gauze and slowly press it onto his face, taping it carefully so it won’t fall off. Out of the corner of my eye, I see his left hand grab the bed’s railing, squeezing it to the point where it looks like it’s about to crack. Sensing his excruciating pain, I hurry the process and finish lickety split.
“How you doing there?”
He gru
mbles, “I’ve been better.”
“Ok, well now I have to check your side, but since you’re in the brace, I’m going to have to turn you onto your left side. I need you to hold completely still. I will do all the turning, okay?”
He nods as I put down the ointment and the swab on the table. Placing my hands on his shoulder and middle back, I roll his body over, facing the window. He groans as his body is twisted but I keep my hand on his back, ensuring I don’t cause any damage. I position his body and reach down to twist his thighs and legs toward the left. Man he has thick legs.
Completing his transition, I roll up the bottom of his brace and peek underneath it. He gauze is still in place and thankfully nothing is oozing out of it.
“This one looks good and the dressing is still in tact, so I don’t want to change it just yet.”
His low voice answers back, “So, basically you moved my body for nothing.”
His attitude irritates me, but I keep my cool. “No, it wasn’t for nothing. You needed assistance and I wanted to ensure that your wounds were properly cared for.”
Replacing his body back in the previous position, I remove the latex gloves and toss them in the trash, along with the old bandages and the used swab.
“Do you want some more water?”
“No.”
Glancing at his food tray, I see it’s untouched. “Are you not hungry?”
“No, the hospital food is just nasty.”
Holding back a laugh, I remove the food tray, carry it outside into the hall, and dispose of it. I return to his room, fill up the pitcher with fresh water, and close his curtains.
As I pull them closed, he yells, “Leave them open!”
Startled, I quickly let go and take a step back. “Oh, okay. Sorry I-I just thought you’d like them closed while you sleep.” He ignores my comment and reaches for the TV remote, powering it to life.
Glancing around the room to see if anything else needs taking care of, I find him staring out with a saddened expression.
“Are you all right?”
He glossy eyes fill with tears so I grab the box of tissues, offering it to him. His left hand flies through the air, hitting the box, causing it to fly across the room. I flinch as he growls, still avoiding eye contact, continuing to stare at the TV. Not himself huh?
Little Moments Page 12