Fix My Feet When They're Stumblin'

Chapter 34

    "Mr. Vannucci, Mr. Flowers would like to see you."

    Rising to his feet, Ronnie blinked in surprise, both at the news - he actually WANTS to talk to me? - and at Mandy's frosty tone. Apparently, this nurse could hold a grudge.

    Mandy led Ronnie through the long hallway to the door, then turned suddenly and blocked the entrance from him, her gaze cool and flinty.

    "Look, Mr. Vannucci, if it was up to me I wouldn't even let you in, honestly...but his wife is okay with it, and he wants to see you, so...is it okay if I give you some tips?"

    Ronnie raised his eyebrows, surprised. "Oh, um...I guess. Sure."

    "He insisted on seeing you before he would do anything else today, so - we're giving him to you fresh, he's happy - please don't ruin it for him again. Think about what you're saying before you speak, and how he might take it. Give him time to react and to think about it. Break things up into chunks - don't jump from one subject to the next suddenly. His brain has to work overtime just to listen to you, never mind responding. He has to filter out everything - the noise of the hospital, the things in the room, how he's feeling - and he has to work to focus on you, and it's new to him, it's upsetting, and it's hard. The longer your visit goes on, the harder it gets - yes or no questions are best, if you can.

    "It's pretty easy to tell when he's getting tired - he'll stutter more, have more pauses when he's trying to speak, he'll get headaches or be extra emotional. Be patient with him, work with him, give him more time, speak in smaller sentences - ask him if he wants you to come back later, if you think maybe he's just...done. I'll cut you off early if he seems too overwhelmed, and I will remove you from the room if he's too upset, but you're all going to need to learn to live with this and accommodate him, so pay attention to what he's trying to tell you. Understand?"

    "Yup, got it. Thanks, Mandy."

    She smiled thinly at him and opened the door, leading him inside.

    "Hi, Ronnie!" Brandon's grin was dazzlingly bright in the dim room, the biggest smile in Ronnie's memory since before the accident, and the expression on his face could only be described as adoration. Whoa. That's...unexpected.

    "Hi, Bran," he returned, forcing enthusiasm into his voice and pasting a smile onto his face through the nervous, sinking feeling in his stomach that threatened to reacquaint him with his breakfast - he hoped it was convincing.

    No such luck.

    Brandon's grin wilted as he stared at Ronnie and inspected him closely with narrowed eyes, his face an open book of concern and confusion. "Ronnie, are you - are you...okay? W-what's wrong?"

    "Oh my god, Brandon, just - please don't ask me that. Don't look at me like that. I don't deserve it."

    "W-what d-do you...what do you mean?"

    "You're looking at me like I hung the fucking moon, Bran, and I'm...I'm horrible. I've been awful to you."

    "What - I don't...I - I don't know what...I kind of remember...s-something..." Brandon's voice trailed off into nothingness, staring vaguely into space, his eyebrows knitted together in bewilderment, and Ronnie's heart flipped anxiously in his chest as he watched the confusion gradually melt into hurt and sadness. Brandon paused for several more seconds, unsure, before his expression suddenly cleared and he looked back up at Ronnie again, earnest and certain once more. "No - you w-wouldn't - you would never - oh, well. It m-m-must have b-been a d-d-dream. Doesn't - it d-doesn't matter. It's okay, Ron, w-whatever it is."