Standing By

Worried About Avi

(Jessica)

"Please," I begged, clutching on to my phone with both hands, as though squeezing the life out of it could make the impossible happen. "I don't care when or anything. Whatever is available, I will take it." Hell, if I had to, I'd get in my car and just drive down there. An airplane would be much easier and quicker, given I only knew the general direction I'd be going, and, ugh, driving in LA would be a nightmare, but if that's what it took... And I didn't even know where, exactly, in LA I'd be going once I got there... I just had the incredible pull, the need, to get down there, to get to him, to be there, to see with my own eyes that he was safe and OK. Everything else in the world was unimportant. I had to get to Avi. I'd never stopped thinking about him since the moment he'd left my side. When he was with me, I knew he would be OK, that his physical health was stable, that his mental health could be improved upon but I could boost it. I'd seriously never felt a connection with anyone as strong as I'd felt with him, and it hurt me so bad to know he'd been driven to hurt himself again. Mama bear activated.

"I'm very sorry, miss, but I've checked all the airlines and there's simply nothing available," the customer service representative told me.

"Nothing?" I whispered, distraught.

"No, I'm sorry. I'm just not... wait," she said, making me look up hopefully from the table I'd been draped over. "There's just, and I mean within the last few minutes, been a cancellation on Delta flight 66 for the 2:00 to LA. Would you—"

"I'll take it!" I said quickly, thanking sweet God in heaven that he'd found a way.

"OK, let me pull your information from your first ticket... may I put you on hold for a moment?" she asked me.

"Yes." I jumped to my feet, grabbing my things from the nurses' lounge—my jacket and purse. I could make it if I left right now. Thank God for my friends on the floor. One had covered for me when I went MIA in the male nurses' bathroom; another had gone directly to the DON and explained my 'family emergency.' OK, so technically he's not family, but he's as good as. I loved him as much as any of my sisters, if not more. The DON, who'd just gotten back to work after her own bereavement leave, had been very kind and understanding. I hated that her father had passed, but it sure was convenient and working out for me! I started out of the hospital still on my cell, and by the time I'd gotten to my car in staff parking, the customer service representative had come back on.

"Ms. Levine?" she asked.

"Yes, I'm here," I said, switching the car into gear.

"I have the arrangements made. Ticket and boarding pass will be available at the Delta check-in."

"Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome, miss," she told. "Have a good day and safe travels."

I sighed in relief as I pulled onto the road. OK, next issue. I gave Becca a quick call and left a voice mail when she didn't answer. That'd cover me on the family front. Now for bumping up hotel reservations. Stopped at a red light, I pulled the hotel information and found their number, letting Bluetooth take over and I drove forward.

"Radisson Hotel, this is Helen. How can I help you?"

"I have a reservation starting tomorrow through the first, but an emergency has arisen and I need to get to LA today. Can I please see about bumping up reservations?"

"Let me see here..." Uh-oh, she sounded doubtful. "What is your confirmation number, please?"

I bit my lip. "I am uncertain. I'm driving and unable to get to it right now. I can give you my name and last four digits of my credit card. Visa ending in -0117, expiration date May 31, 2017, name is Jessica M. Levine."