Crossover Crossroads (The Kell and Maille Story)

My Responsibility

047: My responsibility

Megan and Maille decided to get a bite to eat and then go pick out paint and Maille could show Megan her new home.

It was all girl talk for the next several hours. They went to a Wal-Mart and Maille bought a video camera, and she started videoing Megan picking out paint. Then they went to Maille's new house and walked though it for the first time as it s new owner. Megan did all the appropriate exclaiming, and Maille tried hard to envision Myndee's room. Megan began to sketch.

They didn't say that it would have to be done soon, or else it would be pointless. But the thought was there under the surface. There was nothing else to talk about.

At eleven Megan got a call from Steve, and she left to go back to Park City. At twelve Maille got a call from the nurse's station that Myndee was calling for her and wouldn't be stilled.

She drove immediately to the care facility and was ushered once again into intensive care, the curtained, fluorescent, sterile place they kept those who were dying.

Myndee was laying in the bed, looking small and frail, her eyes had huge dark circles under them, freckles stood out against paper thin skin , her smile was wan. But she was awake.

"We got the paint, sugar. I got the video, you want to see it?" Maille rushed to her side and held her cool little hand.

Myndee nodded and tried to speak, but nothing came out and a tear squeezed out the side of her eye. That one lone tear made Maille's heart clench. She pulled the TV closer and hooked the cable to it and they watched Megan and Maille alternately dancing around the store, holding up paint cans and little paper samples. Goofing around. Maille was surprised to find that she and Megan goofed around so well together. She didn't remember goofing around much as a kid, maybe a couple of times at dances.

Maille thought it would be good to get out the paint samples and show Myndee what colors they 'd chosen to ease her mind some, and get her thoughts on something else. She sat on the edge of the bed, next to Myndee and showed her the colors.

"This is for the background ..."she showed her a light yellow, and then lavender and light blue for clouds, and then the green of the meadows, and.... Myndee drifted off to sleep, her breathing returning to normal. The nurse came in and checked her vitals and smiled at Maille.

"What you are doing is extraordinary." the nurse said.

"I'm not doing anything much." Maille whispered tracing the line of Myndee's brow with her finger and smoothing back her wispy brown hair.

"You've given her so much hope."

"Hope is an incredible thing." she said.

''I'll be right around the curtain if you need me."