Talk to Me
| Just Breathe
Nick walked into the hospital room with a smile on his face. The past 24 hours had brought about changes, and with this change brought hope. That in itself was something to smile about. Hope was a good thing. Hope meant you could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. Hope meant that he could finally take a deep, comfortable breath. Hope meant that maybe, just maybe everything really was going to be okay. AJ turned his attention from the TV and smiled at Nick. See, it was contagious. Hope makes you smile, and smiling makes others smile giving them some hope of their own. “Sup Bone?” He asked as he plopped down in the chair on the far side of Evie’s bed. “Just watching the tube here with Eve. Don’t know how much she’s watching, but it is better than plain old quiet. Why are you so happy?” “Just in a good mood is all. Can’t a fella be in a good mood?” He leaned over and straightened out the already straight covers on Evie’s bed. It was habit that Kristyne had gotten them all into. He stopped briefly to wonder how Evie felt about all this fussing. On the one hand he thought that it probably annoyed her to have people constantly picking at her covers, her IVs, her pillows, and everything else. It certainly would annoy the hell out of him. But she never complained, never said a word. Maybe it was just because she was refusing to talk about anything at all, even if it was to speak up to leave her alone. But then he thought, maybe she just liked the attention. Maybe she liked everyone babying her and all. He didn’t really know Evie all that well, so he couldn’t answer that question. Sitting back in his seat he turned his attention and conversation towards AJ once again. “So how long have you been here today?” “A few of hours, I guess. I got here a little before 11am and she was asleep. I tried to get her to talk once she woke up, but she just glared at me and turned away. I know the doctors said to expect this, but GOD it’s so frustrating. I mean I want to help her but she won’t let me or anyone else for that matter. How can you help someone who won’t help themselves?” AJ looked over to see Nick giving him a look and he put his hand up. “Don’t even say it. I know, I know. I must have been a royal pain in the ass. I guess what they say is true. You know, what goes around comes around.” “It’s all good Bone. Why don’t you go get something to eat and relax for a little bit. I’ll sit here with her.” “Yeah, I might do that.” He stood and stretched feeling like the energy was sapped from him. Then he stopped suddenly realizing something. “Hey? Have you seen Kristyne? I haven’t seen her all day and she has usually been here by now.” Nick’s smile grew just a little. “She’s asleep; at my house.” AJ’s eyes almost popped out of his head. “Are you serious? How’d you manage that?” “I don’t know man. One minute she was yelling at me, practically spitting nails. The next she’s at my house curled up on the couch falling asleep on my lap. I don’t know. I just opened my mouth and prayed that I didn’t stick my foot in it like I did last time.” “Well thank God someone finally got through to her. I was beginning to think we were gonna be visiting her in a hospital bed soon. Figured she’d collapse from sheer exhaustion.” “I know. I think she is just so used to doing everything on her own she didn’t know how to let someone help. Maybe it just got to be too much for her and she finally realized she had lean on someone.” “And I bet you are just tickled pink that she let that someone be you.” “Well, we’ll see how long it lasts. This might only be a temporary thing. Just like last time. But if she is resting then I am happy about that. It’s a small victory anyway.” AJ and Nick seemed to realize at the same time they had been carrying on a conversation about Kristyne right in front of Evie. Since she had been refusing to talk it had been easy to temporarily forget that she was there. Guilty expressions passed over their faces at the same time. “Well listen, man, since you are here I’m gonna step out for a bit. Grab a smoke and a bite to eat. I guess I can’t say much for her though. She still won’t even take a bite for me. Apparently the doctor’s aren’t having much success with her either. The nurse was talking to her mother and I this morning and mentioned something about a feeding tube. Man, I just hope it don’t come to that.” AJ shuttered at the thought. “She’ll snap out of it soon, I’m sure. She just has to.” The friends said their goodbyes and Nick settled back into the chair and began switching channels to find something interesting.
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