How Do I Love Thee

Four

"I should be at the hospital with Mom and Dad." Bobby caught Dana in the hall between classes Monday morning.

"Why aren't you?"

"Dad made me come to school. Said I'd just be in the way. Like I can concentrate on classes when my brother's going through all that.

                Hank Harrod's insensitivity toward Bobby irked Dana, but she didn't want to worsen Bobby's already glum mood, so she kept her thoughts about him to herself. "How lone will Steve be in the hospital? You can visit him after school you know."

"I know, but I'd wanted to spend the day with him. What' so hard about my Dad understanding that?" Just as the tardy bell sounded, he said, "Come with me today?"

"To the hospital?" Dana froze.

He gave her a puzzled look. "Well, yeah, to the hospital."

"I don't think—"

"I'll pick you up at the south entrance at three. I'm out of here!"

                With a sinking feeling, Dana watched him spring down the hall. He hadn't even heard her begging off. She realized she'd have to go with him, and she both wanted it and dreaded it. She reminded herself that in a few days, Steve would be back at FSU, and she wouldn't have to think about seeing him again until the holidays. Maybe by then she could get him out of her system once and for all.

"Hey, bro." Bobby sauntered into Steve's room that afternoon, Dana by his side.

                Steve's face lit up. "Hey yourself." He was sitting up on the side of his bed, flipping through TV channels with the remote. He wore jeans, the usual hospital gown that tied behind his neck, and a blue plastic bracelet that identified him as a patient. He looked tanned, fit, and healthy. "Pull up some chairs."

"Where're the folks?"

"Cruising the cafeteria."

"You remember Dana, don't you?"

Steve swept her with his clear blue eyes. "How could I forget her?"

                Bobby slid two chairs along the bed and sat in one. Dana nervously took the other. "Do you know anything yet?" Bobby asked.

"The neurosurgeon Mom wants on my case had an emergency today, but he's supposed to stop by in the morning with some sort of information about my tests. After that, I'm coming home."

"Sorry I couldn't hang here today. Dad made me go to school."

"It would have been totally boring," Steve said. "Nothing but blood work and an MRI and a whole lot of waiting in between. I'll bet they took a hundred shots of my brain."

"You have one?" Bobby deadpanned.

"Not the size of yours." Steve grinned, then turned his attention to Dana. "What did Bobby promise to make you come see me? Dinner at McDonald's?"  

Dana cleared her throat.

"I wanted to come. I wanted to see how you were doing...wish you luck."

"Very nice of you."

She heard a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"You ever get those SAT scores back?"

Steve retuned his attention to his brother. "I know you have a lot of riding on them."

"Not yet. Probably in a few months."

"You'll do very well on the test. Better than I did, for sure."