Josh’s foot steps into the hospital lobby and he looks around searching for something. The room is full of worried parents, sick children, and slow walking elderly. His eyes find the wanted something: The young nurse.
She is talking to the receptionist, her hands move around some patient reports. Her mouth mutters a silent "Thank you" and then she walks away with the papers like she does everyday on her hospital routine. Josh accelerates towards her and grabs her arm, giving a compassion smile when she looks back and sees who it is.
‘Hi Mr. Grace, how are you this morning?’
‘Same as always. How's she doing?’
Within an affectionate smile the answer comes. ‘She's fine, calmer at least. Don't worry too much, in a couple of days she should be ready to go home.’
He releases a sigh of relief.
‘And he?’
‘Well, you should speak to someone upstairs, I'm sure they have more information.’
After an understanding smile the women pulls away leaving Josh with a hand rubbing his forehead. Moving forward towards the elevator he pushes the button waiting for the “ping” to announce it’s arrival. When it does he does not hesitate leaving also space for a slow walking woman to slide in with him.
Third Floor. Sixth Floor. Eighth Floor. Ninth floor. He exists the elevator and the hall following couldn’t be less chaotic a few days back he himself would have been as desperate as all these other families now waiting to hear their closest one’s fate.
The door to her room is closed and there is no little window for him to check his wife’s state before adventuring into an almost certain fight. He just wished she were in a good mood, which basically meant that she ought to have the curtains pulled up.
As soon as he pushes the door back he notices the darkness and the depressed climate but it was too late to run back no matter how much he wanted to. So Josh adventured himself in the dim light.
‘How are you?’
She doesn’t answer.
‘I brought some clothes, they’re in the car.’
Still… No response. Her face is turned to the shuttered window, her hair in a ponytail, and her face? Old. Dark ellipses flood the lower part of both her eyes. Her lips, sealed lips, see themselves surrounded by small lines we so like to call wrinkles. The whitish hospital bed covers cover the rest of her. There is nothing else in the room other than a nightstand and a dead flower on a jar on top of it.
‘The doctors say you’ll be able to come home in a few days.’
‘The doctors think I’m crazy.’ The roughness in her voice comes unexpectedly.
‘No. They think you should calm down sometimes.’
‘I WILL NOT CALM DOWN!’ The scream scares the darkness itself and Josh sees himself stepping back as if a power of some kind has just hit him.
‘I know it’s not easy-‘
‘You know nothing’ the tone now is much more threatening yet her voice sounds lower, almost like a whisper. ‘You go to work everyday like noting has happened, you get to be distracted and what do I get? This.’
Her eyes still staring focused on the little light that comes from the outside.
‘I’m going to find away.’
‘You promised that five months ago and now he is alone. No support. CAUSE WE CANNOT FIND A WAY, YOU COULD NOT FIND A WAY!’
No more words to exchange. He was done! He leaves the room angry, and he makes sure the door hits the wall. Hard.
Finding himself away from the sickness and already outside, Josh walks rapidly to his car with tears almost releasing themselves from his eyes. As he reaches the car he can’t hold them anymore so he cries. For about two hours he just sits there and cries. That's when a call comes.
‘Hello?’
‘Mr. Grace?’ a male voice.
‘Yes this is he.’
‘We just found help’
‘Help?’ the word echoed in his head. He rubs his tears away. Help… that was the keyword they told him about days before. This was it; he was going to be able to save his marriage, his family.
‘Can we meet?’ The voice asked on the other end.
‘Of course.’
‘All right. Novel Park tomorrow six p.m., I’ll be wearing a long brown coat. Don’t be late’
‘Wait I-‘ the click sounds. He hung up.
Staring ahead at the wide Hospital building, facing the silver letters announcing “Mary Pierce Hospital”, Josh lets out a small smile not too wide but enough to let everyone know it is the first smile he has outlined in months.
