Return to me

Part 9: A soul left disturbed

Lindsey stared at his body, the charts reading anything but positive, seeing that this is what his mother had meant when it pertained to "not much time."

He'd listen to what the doctor would say, what he would write down after his daily visits, not a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

His children began to stop by more often, his girls spending hours curled up at his side, Kristen literally at wit's end. But what really got him was the fact Stevie stopped showing, watching her spend her days in bed with out any form of comfort, pushing everyone away.

"I love you,"  Lindsey confessed every day, watching Stevie toss and turn, covering her head with blankets. "You can't do this, Stevie, please... I can't watch this go on. We were going to fight together, remember? Please don't give up and I know it's hard, angel, but you have to do your part now..."  leaning in close to her ear. "You've got to kiss me, angel,"  hovering a hand above her head, hoping it would send some sort of message. "Your kiss will bring me back; it will bring our energy together and help me survive."

The phone began to ring, Stevie always terrified the second it rang, thinking that her love had died and it was his nurse making that dreaded  call.

"...hello?" answering with tears in her eyes.

"Stevie? Stevie, it's Morris. I know that you said never to call unless it was an emergency but I haven't seen you in a week and I'm worried... Are you okay?"

That broke her down, crying her eyes out, spilling all of the news on to him as he fell apart for her. Morris truly despised seeing her cry and though he's only known her for a month, his feelings for her were undeniable. 

"I'm so sorry, Stephanie, I don't even know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything, I know that you care and for that I am thankful, but I can't face that hospital... I cannot face  the fact that the man I love is dying and I can't do a thing about it! I can't look  at him and know that I will most likely never see those blue eyes, those beautiful eyes that have looked in to mine several times before...

"Have you thought that maybe he wants you here? That maybe he wants you close? You never stopped to think of that, did you?"

"Of course I've thought of it and I've almost made the decision to stop by but I would rather fight reality."

"You'd rather ignore the truth, to pretend that he may not die when you could regret these last moments? Being in denial with these types of situations, with these facts of life, is never the answer."

There were things about Morris that Stevie couldn't stand, the fact that he was right when it came to this situation. She hated when someone could force open her eyes, show her the truth, make her realize the mistakes she  was making.

Stevie met Morris at the hospital, she looked a mess, hair up in a bun with little to no makeup. Her large black sunglasses covered the red of her eyes, the long black blouse like a cot; almost too big for her figure. Things were always of the serious when Stevie refused to make herself up.

"Stevie," Morris said as she met him in the lobby, pulling her in for a hug as she hugged back. "I'm proud of you, proud that you got yourself up and out of your bedroom."

"Yeah, well," returning to her stance of arms wrapped around her chest. "...this is as good as it gets."

"Come on," taking her hand, "...let's visit Lindsey, huh?"

Feeling the need to flee, to run out of the hospital, Stevie still followed Morris. They made their way up to his room as her heart beat faster and faster, closer and closer to his room as the sound of his dull heartbeat met her ears.