Open Arms

Chapter Thirty

"The poor thing..." Hannah accepted the tissue and blew her nose. What had been a beautiful, brown, and fluffy bunny had been reduced to nothing but a carcass in a box. Angus hated to do it, but he knew how much Hannah loved that rabbit, and she deserved to know. 

"If I had seen anything wrong, or noticed any changes I would have brought her in," Angus said. "One day she was eating from my hand an' the next I found her lopsided in her cage." With a gloved hand, borrowed from the supply room, Hannah gently caressed her rabbit while tears dripped over her lips and onto her chin. 

"I wish I had been there." Her heart monitor had been taken out of the room, the girl having proven stable enough to continue treatment without it. "She needed my help and-and I didn't give it t--to her." Her breathing began to quicken.  

"It ain't your fault," Malcolm said hugging her from the side. She rested her head on his shoulder, hugging an extra pillow from the closet. "Animals do that, ya' know. They hide it till it's too late. My fish done the same thing years ago."

"You never fed it either."

"Shuttup, Ang. Anyway, darlin'," Malcolm continued. "she knew you loved her. She knew you were the best pet owner in the world an' spoiled her rotten."

"An' hey," Angus said. "the flats 'round here don't allow too many animals in one space. With all that extra room we can get a dog now!"

The thought of a dog did seem tantalizing. And with Hermione gone, it wouldn't put any stress on her, nor would it eat her. But that didn't mend the rabbitless hole in her heart. A few tears raced down her neck and coated her locket. "Extra room?" asked Malcolm. "How much room does a rabbit take up?"

Angus shrugged. "Well, she was pretty fat," said Hannah.

"I thought she was just pregnant," Malcolm said.

"At first," said Angus. He and Hannah exchanged smiles. "Spoiled rotten to the core."

Hannah placed the lid on the box and removed the glove. "I hate to think--to think maybe she got sick or something," she started. "while I was sick. And with everyone so focused on me that we forgot about her."

"Ah don't say that," Angus said sitting on the side of the bed. "Every morning an' every night I fed her, and believe me she ate every last bite." Hannah giggled. 

"She was wonderful," Hannah said. "My beautiful round rabbit." The rest of her tears had dried on her face and her breathing had stabilized. "She was a good mother too."

Angus and Malcolm exchanged a worried look. "We'll find a good place to bury her," said Angus. "Somewhere safe." Hannah held the box close to her lap. She turned to look at her favorite man and fluttered her lashes. Over the years of friendship, roommates, and spouses, Angus learned that Hannah fluttering her lashes never meant the same thing twice. Sometimes it meant she loved him, sometimes it meant there was something caught in her eye, other times it meant she was hungry. This time it meant, "Please sit next to me. There's plenty of room."

Angus turned his body so that his legs took up the length of the bed and wrapped his arms around the frail woman. She leaned into him, pressing her face gently into his neck.  Being so cold, the sudden warmth brought a little animation back into her and she got a little cheeky. Two small lips found his skin before landing on a pair just like them. It took a cough from across the room to bring them both back to reality. "I can get somethin' to eat if you wanna neck alone."

Hannah, rose pink from the moment, stretched her hand out ignoring the rolling eyes of her beloved Angus McKinnon. "Malcolm." Malcolm returned to the bed and sat on the side of it taking her hand. "You're my friend too. I want you to stay."