Forever Charmed

In Sickness and In Health

            

"I still don't know how my daughter and I could ever repay you," Mrs. Simpson says warmly.

Laura shrugs.  "Letting me win a game of gin rummy would be nice, for starters," she teases.

Mrs. Simpson laughs heartily and shakes her head.  "Sorry, that's just one thing I won't do.  I have a reputation to uphold."

"Darn.  Worth a try," Laura giggles.

Her phone screen lights up.

"Do you mind if I take a call, Mrs. Simpson?" Laura asks.

"Of course not, dear," the sweet elderly lady replies from her wheelchair.

Laura answers a call on her phone, pushing an earbud into her ear.  "Hey, Danny, what's up?"

She pushes the floor button on the elevator and waits as they ascend.

"Yeah, I'm just taking Mrs. Simpson up to get checked out at the hospital next door to make sure nothing from the coma is lingering."

"Bless you, sweetheart," Mrs. Simpson chimes in, making Laura giggle again.

The elevator doors open and Laura pushes the wheelchair out, turning towards the doctor's office.  It seems much busier up here than usual.

"Would you mind just sitting out here to take her back?" the doctor asks when Laura enters the room.  "This shouldn't take long and I figured it'd save this lovely lady on waiting time."

Laura nods.  "Of course, doctor."  She exits the room and sits on a chair right by the doorway.

"That sounds great for dinner," Laura says to Danny on the other end of the call.

A small girl runs by and trips over Laura's foot, but Laura manages to catch her before she falls to the ground.

"Whoa, be careful there!"  Laura notices that the girl is in a hospital gown.

The girl looks embarrassed.  "Sorry!"  She gasps and looks around.  "My toy!"

Laura frowns and looks around her.  She spots a small ninja toy on the other side of the chair and picks it up.  "Is this it?"

The girl nods eagerly.  "He fights away my sickness," she says seriously.

Laura chuckles.  "Oh, well does he know krav maga?"

The girl's eyes widen and she shakes her head.

Laura twists the toy's limbs into a basic krav maga pose.  "Just have him stand like this and he can take on anything.  Even your sickness," Laura says.

The girl's mouth has dropped open slightly and she takes the toy back, staring at it.  "Thank you," she says in sincere awe.

"It's my pleasure," Laura giggles, extending a hand.   "I'm Laura."

"I'm Spencer," the girl says, shaking Laura's hand.   She holds up her toy's sword-wielding hand.  "And this is Oak."

Laura grins and reaches out to give it a shake, but there's a weird blur and Laura feels a small prick in her finger.  She winces and pulls her hand back.

A woman walks up behind Spencer.  "Darling, you weren't supposed to leave your room," she says, gesturing for them to leave.  "I'm sorry, I hope she didn't cause you any trouble."

Laura shakes her head with a smile.  "It was my pleasure.  Get well soon, Spencer," she says, waving as the woman offers a polite smile and walks away with the small girl.