I'll Be Seeing You

Painkillers

             "Are you nervous about Thursday?" Jamie's shoulder had been bugging him for a few months and he had finally gotten around to scheduling a surgery.

The text bubble popped up immediately. "Nah. not really. They said it's a fast recovery. Don't even need to stay in the hospital."

"Oh, that's good!" Damn, the exclamation point made it sound like she cared too much. Hell, she did care too much. "Let me know if you need anything."

A longer pause between responses this time.

"I'll be fine, but thank you."

Wow, the curt response stabbed her right in the heart. She was just trying to be helpful. Okay, she was trying to care for him in his time of need even if he didn't need it. But really, 'I'll be fine'? No one was ever fine after surgery. Lydia loved to be coddled when she was sick. It was the best part. Someone looking after you. Feeling your head for a fever, getting everything, you need at the drop of a hat. She wanted to do that for Jamie. He had been showing up for her, she should try to show up for him.

She checked in on Saturday.

"Did you live?"

"Yes, I lived."

"Came back with both arms?"

"They're connected to the hands I'm using to text you right now." She laughed. At least he hadn't lost his sense of sarcasm.

"Do you want some company?" She watched the text bubble pop up and disappear a few times. She held her breath. Why was she even nervous? Things had been going so well, it was high time she started trusting him.

"I'm just going to watch a movie but sure, come on over."

---

She heard the door opened more slowly than usual

"Oh my god."

"It's not that bad."

"Jesus."

"Okay Lyd. How about you come in before you freak out."

He had a point. She was having a major panic in his hallway. She couldn't help it. He had a bright red scar running down the top of his shoulder and around under his arm. It was made worse by the sling his arm had been put into post-surgery.

"I'm sorry. Hi how are you?"

He smiled weakly and moved slowly to kiss her on the forehead. She couldn't hug him given the sling and his pain.

"I'm okay." She was mildly pleased to find him looking like a hot mess. Pajama bottoms with no top, three-day-old scruff and his glasses, he looked like he had been through a cycle in the washer. Jamie was always so put together. It was kind of nice to see him in a weakened state.

"How are you doing?" She knew she was fussing but that's what she did when she was nervous.

"I'm okay."

"Have you eaten?"

"No, but I'm okay."

"How long has it been?"

"It's been two days but I'm fine, Lyd. Really, I'm not hungry."

"You have to eat something, Jamie."

"My dad fed me, but it's the pain killers. I'm not hungry."

"Oh, your dad has been to see you?" She was confused. She could have come to take care of him. But he hadn't asked. Isn't that what girlfriends did?