Faulty---> mgc

vingt deux

Hey, I don't know if this is going to be good but let's do this *cracks knuckles*

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"So what are you going to do?"

"What do you mean?"

Calix sighs lightly as he loads more vinyls onto the shelf. "Well, she's not exactly in..." he pauses, "the best of health."

I nod my head as I write down the number of vinyls for this specific album. I throw the clipboard down onto the desk with a loud bang, wincing as it happens. I purse my lips before I begin speaking. 

"I know," I say curtly, "I'm just going to hope that somehow God spares her unlike so many other people." I pause for a moment and scrunch my face up. "Do you think I should start praying now or later?"

"Shut up, Mike, we all know you're not the religious type," Calix teases, throwing a look over his shoulder before pushing the cart full of vinyls down the aisle.

"I was joking," I smile. I spin around in the chair, bringing my knees up to my chest. I keep turning and turning until my head is mixed up. I stop suddenly and look up at Calix. "Was I really joking though? Should I really pray?"

Calix sighs again for what seems like the millionth time since I came in the shop this morning. He thinks for a moment as he sets more records on the shelves. His eyebrows are scrunched to the middle of his face in a frown, seeming like he is actually considering hat I asked.

"I think..." he says, "--and this is just personal opinion--that you should spend this time, which could be limited and not, with Jade." He rolls the cart over to where I am sitting and parks it in front of the counter hovering over the desk. Calix jumps up onto the counter and spins around to look at me. "You have this time now to be with the one you love. This time may or may not be as short as you think it is. Why waste this time sitting in a locked room with your own hands interlocked with one another when you could have those same hands interlocking with the one you love?"

We stare at one another for a moment. I then nod, bringing my hand up to my cheek and rubbing back and forth over it.

"I guess you're right," I remark. I think about how I visited her yesterday in the hospital. Her skin was pale and she seemed uncomfortable (I don't know if it was because the hospital bed is stiff or if the tubes running from the oxygen tank into her nose was annoying her). However she still had the same bright smile and shining eyes. No matter what happens, I just hope she doesn't lose the spark that seems to keep her going. Only Jade will ever just need a spark and not a bonfire.

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"Hey beautiful," I greet her, sliding into the same plastic seat next to Jade's bed. I take her dainty hand in mine and kiss the back of it. "How're you feeling?"

I seem to ask it everyday, but she always replies.

"For some reason, I feel pretty good today," Jade says, smiling wide. "I'm a little tired, but it's mostly my eyes. They just want to make me fall asleep, but my body is pretty awake." She takes her right hand (the one not occupied by mine) and rubs at her eyes. "I think my brain's confused."

I laugh, "Well, it's good that you feel good today." I lean in and press a quick kiss to her lips. "Any news on what's going to be happening in terms of your treatment?"

Jade has a small smile on her face and she brushes a piece of hair from my eyes. "The doctor said that he's going to try to surgically remove as much of the tumor first. I'm scared to death about it. I've never had surgery."

I place a kiss to her cheek and pat the same spot, "I'm sure you'll do fine. I've had surgery before. It's really not that bad." I lean back and lean my elbow against the arm of the chair.

"You've had surgery before?"

"Yep. I broke a bone in my foot and it got all messed up."

"Ew."

We both laugh loudly at Jade's statement. I let go of her hand to clap my hands together as I laugh.

"I hope to hear that same humor for a while."

Jade smiles a wide, over exaggerated smile and says, "Don't worry, you will."

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I tried. I soz