Kevin in a discussion with a family at a nurse's station on the second floor. Her lab coat was spotless and her beautiful dark hair pulled back. She held up a finger. "One moment, Lois," she said." Her eyes looked tired, and her voice sounded raw.
Sitting in a chair in a nearby waiting room, I watched a steady stream of patients, medical personnel, and visitors come by. Instead of a gloomy atmosphere, there was a brisk efficiency about everyone, almost matter-of-fact.
"Lois, is that you?" A woman's weak voice greeted me, and I turned to see Anna Grace being wheeled down the hall on a gurney by a young woman and man with "Hospital Volunteer" vests on.
"Anna Grace!" I ran to the bed and leaned in to hug her.
"Careful, ma'am," the man said.
"Nonsense," my food correspondent said. "I need a hug more than I need medicine."
"How are you?" I embraced her.
"Much better," she said. "They're moving me to another room so they can take care of those who aren't doing as well.Your wedding saved my life."
"Saved your life? You had a heart attack," I said.
"My house was demolished," she said. "I would have been on the couch reading a cookbook and blown away right along with it. It's a miracle."
A miracle.
"I never did get a piece of that wedding cake, though," she said. "Was it too dry?"
I thought about it for a moment. "I don't know. I never got a piece either."
"I'll make you another one," she said, "when I get out of this place."
"Get well," I called as they wheeled her down the room, narrowly avoiding a metal trash can and a line of cots that had been set up in the hall.
Each time Kevin tried to walk over to me, someone demanded her attention with a form to sign, a tearful exchange of words, an apparent discussion of one medication over another. I finally gently tugged on her arm.
"Come with me, friend. Just for a few minutes."
"I can't, Lois. Everyone needs something. I can't desert them."
"I see your partner down the hall," I said, "and there are two nurses behind you. You're not going to be a bit of use if you keel over from exhaustion."
I pulled harder on her arm. "Let me buy you a cup of coffee."
"We won't be able to talk in the cafeteria," she said. "People even follow me into the bathroom."
"Let's try this then." I opened the door to a small supply closet. "Charmingly intimate, don't you think?" I wanted so much to bring a smile to her face.
She sank onto the hard tile as though it were a pillow-top mattress and propped her head against a shelf full of white sheets. I sat next to her.
"Have you seen Asa?" she asked.
"He was sound asleep, and your mother said he didn't realize anything was wrong. He looked adorable, as usual."
"That's a blessing. He'll learn soon enough how hard life is."
Her tone sounded bitter, reminding me of the days when bureaucracy nearly kept her from adopting Asa.
"Asa has a good life." I scooted closer. She leaned her head on my shoulder.
"His mother and sisters died in a house fire that nearly took his life and critically injured his grandfather. Now that dear man has been killed brutally in a tornado. Doesn't sound that good to me."
"He has a loving mother who will always take care of him, a mother who is saving lives today."
"I should have taken him to the wedding with me," she said, a tear rolling down her face. "He would have been safe.Instead I'm out on a date while my baby nearly gets killed."
"Kevin, you had no way of knowing."
"Did you hear what happened when Terrence found Levi, right before he died?"
I shook my head.
"Levi raised his arm, pointed toward the bathroom, and said 'Asa?' " Terrence assured him Asa was fine, and Papa Levi said, 'Going home.' And he died."
Kevin's lip trembled, and I hugged her with the tight grip of friendship. "He was at peace because Asa is in the best hands," I said.
"I've got to get back to work." She rose with a groan. "I saw the extra edition of the Item. Very impressive. The how-to-gethelp piece provided a big service, and
Sitting in a chair in a nearby waiting room, I watched a steady stream of patients, medical personnel, and visitors come by. Instead of a gloomy atmosphere, there was a brisk efficiency about everyone, almost matter-of-fact.
"Lois, is that you?" A woman's weak voice greeted me, and I turned to see Anna Grace being wheeled down the hall on a gurney by a young woman and man with "Hospital Volunteer" vests on.
"Anna Grace!" I ran to the bed and leaned in to hug her.
"Careful, ma'am," the man said.
"Nonsense," my food correspondent said. "I need a hug more than I need medicine."
"How are you?" I embraced her.
"Much better," she said. "They're moving me to another room so they can take care of those who aren't doing as well.Your wedding saved my life."
"Saved your life? You had a heart attack," I said.
"My house was demolished," she said. "I would have been on the couch reading a cookbook and blown away right along with it. It's a miracle."
A miracle.
"I never did get a piece of that wedding cake, though," she said. "Was it too dry?"
I thought about it for a moment. "I don't know. I never got a piece either."
"I'll make you another one," she said, "when I get out of this place."
"Get well," I called as they wheeled her down the room, narrowly avoiding a metal trash can and a line of cots that had been set up in the hall.
Each time Kevin tried to walk over to me, someone demanded her attention with a form to sign, a tearful exchange of words, an apparent discussion of one medication over another. I finally gently tugged on her arm.
"Come with me, friend. Just for a few minutes."
"I can't, Lois. Everyone needs something. I can't desert them."
"I see your partner down the hall," I said, "and there are two nurses behind you. You're not going to be a bit of use if you keel over from exhaustion."
I pulled harder on her arm. "Let me buy you a cup of coffee."
"We won't be able to talk in the cafeteria," she said. "People even follow me into the bathroom."
"Let's try this then." I opened the door to a small supply closet. "Charmingly intimate, don't you think?" I wanted so much to bring a smile to her face.
She sank onto the hard tile as though it were a pillow-top mattress and propped her head against a shelf full of white sheets. I sat next to her.
"Have you seen Asa?" she asked.
"He was sound asleep, and your mother said he didn't realize anything was wrong. He looked adorable, as usual."
"That's a blessing. He'll learn soon enough how hard life is."
Her tone sounded bitter, reminding me of the days when bureaucracy nearly kept her from adopting Asa.
"Asa has a good life." I scooted closer. She leaned her head on my shoulder.
"His mother and sisters died in a house fire that nearly took his life and critically injured his grandfather. Now that dear man has been killed brutally in a tornado. Doesn't sound that good to me."
"He has a loving mother who will always take care of him, a mother who is saving lives today."
"I should have taken him to the wedding with me," she said, a tear rolling down her face. "He would have been safe.Instead I'm out on a date while my baby nearly gets killed."
"Kevin, you had no way of knowing."
"Did you hear what happened when Terrence found Levi, right before he died?"
I shook my head.
"Levi raised his arm, pointed toward the bathroom, and said 'Asa?' " Terrence assured him Asa was fine, and Papa Levi said, 'Going home.' And he died."
Kevin's lip trembled, and I hugged her with the tight grip of friendship. "He was at peace because Asa is in the best hands," I said.
"I've got to get back to work." She rose with a groan. "I saw the extra edition of the Item. Very impressive. The how-to-gethelp piece provided a big service, and
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