Back To Health

Lesson 8: Once a Life is Saved, You'll Realize Why You're in the Business.

His eyes blood shot and wider than wide, he gasped for air, he coughed and hacked hard. I held his back and just smiled looking up. "You're okay...you're okay.. Michael breathe with me.."

I put his hand to just below my collarbone and his other hand to his chest. "1..2...3." I counted inhaling making sure he followed. I counted back down exhaling. He looked at me and I smiled the widest I've ever smiled.

"I thought I lost you.." I say soft. Michael smiled back and keeps panting then his eyes widen, "Gonna vomit.." he mutters leaning over and I grab the bin. "Here it's okay..you're gonna be sick for a while.." I say and pat his back. Alberto rushes in and his eyes shoot wide open. "He's okay.." he says smiling. Michael groans vomiting and I kinda shrug.

"Yes.." I laugh and joy still patting Michael's back. He groans holding his stomach.

"Why am I on the floor?" He asks soft. "Oh my god... what's wrong with Murray?"

I looked around innocent. "Don't you worry about him let's get you up."

I put his arm over my shoulder. Helping him onto the bed. He sits up and looks around.

"Lynnie..tell me what happened. You look a fright.." he says weakly.

I shake my head getting him comfortable, Alberto looks over mouthing to me that he was gonna get on the phone. I nod.

I look at Michael and he holds my face, looking me in the eyes.

"Why are you crying...what's going on.. Lynnette..talk to me." He's never called me just 'Lynnette'. It made me open my eyes a little more. 

I held his hand to my face. Every note I've ever jotted down, every foot note and paragraph I've crammed to remember has told me not to show emotional attachment to a patient. At this point though, Michael's good health wasn't just a secure paycheck for me anymore. Michael was my friend, and his well being was my reason for waking up now. I broke down crying and hugged Michael's neck, I let out muffled cry saying,

"I thought I lost you...I thought you were dead..." I sobbed and I felt Michael slowly melt into the hug.

He hugged me tight, I finally knew what it was like. What is was like to feel his embrace and fight the urge to say, 'Don't let go okay?'. Michael had this presence and this aura that's not necessarily once in a lifetime, but just once. Only once. He held my head and began to ssh me. He rocked me back and forth. The best part was, he didn't pull away. He waited for me to. He made sure that I was okay before he let go, I pulled my sleeve over my hand to wipe my tears and I saw him shake his head. 

He held my face in his hands and wiped my eyes with his thumbs. He waited for me to speak and I told him everything. Murray having a bad reputation, the sneaking around, the cheating of medicine doses with the IV tube. All of it. I showed Michael the tube riddled with holes so he could see for himself, I showed him all the empty bottles under the bed. He took one in his hands and examined it.

"Michael he's been at this for atleast two weeks.." I say soft

Michael stays silent and only has a face of disgust. He looks over at Murray and grits his teeth. His grip on the bottle tightens and he says loudly growling, "Kill me?! I'll kill you!!"

He tosses the bottle angrily at Murray's head, the bottle just bouncing off.

"Michael!!" I yell and he gets up.

"He's outcold! I told you!" I shout surprised 

He goes over to Murray and throws another bottle, it making a thump off of Murray's head. I had never seen Michael so enraged, or have that slang in his tone. Michael grabs another bottle and I hold his arm back

"Nooo no no no no.."

"I'm giving his ass what he deser-"

Michael said trying to peel me off and there's a loud knock at the front door. Alberto let the police inside they came in and saw the scene. They trudged up the stairs and began to question Michael and I.

They stayed for a good hour or two, they threw water on Murray to wake him up, I thought I heard Michael snarl looking him in the eyes again. They brought Michael down to check him over with the paramedics. Checking his vitals and such. They brought me over checking me out too, apparently I had a huge purple bruise from being pushed into the wall. Me and Michael came out clear and okay, along with Alberto. We watched the police and paramedics leave, Conrad and the Brooklyn asshole being booked in the back of a police car, where they rightfully deserved to be. We sat in the windowsill of the foyer, watching. We hear the sirens fade out and Michael curls into a ball. He rests his chin on his knee and mutters breaking the silence,

"You saved my life, Lynn." He smiles, "Like an illegitimate bad ass..you saved me."

I smiled wide and spoke soft,

"I have a Hippocratic oath to persevere life and nurture it, Michael. Don't mention it. "

He smiles and takes my hand, I hold it back not wanting to be so kept anymore.

"I don't know what your career outlook is like right now Lynn. But, as far as I'm concerned, you've got a job here with me the rest of your life..."

I look at him , turning my head in shock. The rest of my life. The rest of my life here with him. I didn't even know how to respond. I only looked down and said,

"Only if you can afford me.."

Michael chuckles his head going back, closing his eyes. I laugh, blushing from happiness and he kisses my hand. I smile looking over and ask, "How's tea sound?"

"Heavenly.." he told me and I stood up going about the day as usual.