Thin Air (Complete EDITING)

19- Shannon

19 Shannon June 16, 2020

Things are not going well today. Nicole called in sick this morning, probably the bottle flu again. My dad is in a nursing home, likely for the rest of his life. One of the inspectors is out on baby bonding, planning to take all six weeks. Brandon is working out of town this week, so Gus is staying with us. The kids are thrilled, but that extra bit of responsibility is about to break me. To say that life is chaotic right now would be an understatement.

The tears finally stop, and I spend a few minutes sitting in my car, cleaning up my makeup. Once I'm confident that my red eyes and nose are camouflaged, I arrange my face into a pleasant expression. Grabbing a box of my dad's things from my trunk, I take a deep breath and head into the nursing home.

I walked into dad's room, hoping to see Jamie, but it must be later than I thought. The girl that pokes her head out from behind the curtain is definitely not Jamie. This kid doesn't look old enough to have a job, let alone be responsible for another human's well being.

"Hi, I'm Lexie. You must be Calvin's daughter." Her bubble gum pink scrubs look like they belong on a 'Lexie.' "I'd shake your hand, but-" she gestures to her gloves, then ducks back behind the curtain. "I'm just about done in here."

"Yeah. Hi, I'm Shannon. Dad goes by Cal, don't call him Calvin. He hates that."

"I'll make a note of that. Thanks for letting me know." I hear the hum of the bed being lowered and a little shuffling. Seconds later, the curtain is thrown open. Lexie is standing there with a big smile on her face and a bag in her hand. "Well, I'm all finished, so I'll get out of your hair. The nurse will be making her rounds for evening meds in the next half an hour. Bye, Cal."

Dad looks better than I have seen him in weeks. He is wearing the green plaid pajamas that Sydney picked out for him last Christmas. Lexie has combed his hair over to hide the thick pink scar that runs from his temple back around his ear. His broken arm is propped up on a pillow beside him. He seems comfortable. I might have been too harsh in my initial assumption that Lexie was too young for this job.

"Hi, Dad." His eyes follow me as I set the box I had carried in on top of the others stacked in his open closet.

"Things are going well in the office. Brandon is up in Twin Bridges this week. They are going to break ground at that convenience store. Miguel's baby was born on Tuesday. She's a pretty little thing. Seth has all the local stuff covered."

I'm rambling, but I don't know what to do. It's impossible to hold a conversation on my own. I'm not even sure if my dad is following what I'm saying. His face is slack, the expression on it blank. If it weren't for his eyes locked on me as I pace around his room, I would have no indication that he hears me at all. I know that I am straightening things that don't need straightening, but I can't help myself.

"So I told you that Sydney brought her boyfriend home to meet us. I think they are pretty serious. He seems like a good kid. A little soft, kind of a nerd, but he makes her happy." I finally run out of things to do, so I sit in the chair by the bed, picking nonexistent lint from the bedspread before taking his uninjured hand in mine. I can't think of anything useful to say, so I give him a play by play of both Eli and Caleb's baseball games from the night before.

The nurse interrupts with a soft knock. "Good evening, it's time for your dad's medications."

I stand awkwardly, grateful for the chance to make an exit. I am close to losing a battle with tears, and I don't want to do that in front of my dad. "Oh, okay. I was heading out anyway."

"No, no. It's fine. You can stay. I am going to give him this." She holds out a small paper cup and a plastic spoon. "Check his vitals, then be on my way."

"No worries. I should be getting home. Have to feed the kids and all." I lean down to place a kiss on my dad's forehead. "I love you, Dad. I'll be by after work tomorrow."

My heart breaks further as I walk away. Watching my father turn into a shell of who he was is devastating.

A/N

This is my first ever Author's note. I didn't plan to include any because, like Shannon, I feel weird talking to no one, but I really wanted to thank @ElizeGriesel for taking the time to read and 'star' my story! I appreciate it a lot!

Feel free to comment, ask questions or call me out when something isn't clear! I know what happened to Erin and how it impacted everyone but sometimes it's hard to get the right details on paper (or screen).