No One But You

“I love you too daddy.” She sighed, as Jenna’s less than calm voice cut through our chat. “I have to go.”

“Have a good day at school, sweetheart.”

“Thanks.” I heard all the ruffling as she handed the phone back to her mother.

There were moments that I really had no choice but to let go of my anger and resentment, and in those moments, I wished that we weren’t another split family statistic. I wished I could find it in myself to let all the bad shit go and look past the hurt and the distrust.

I wanted nothing more than to be there every day for my daughter. It was such a pity that life had another plan for us altogether.

“Jamie, we’re running late. I’ve got to go, good luck with the surgery.”

“Jenna?”

“Yeah?” She sighed like she was readying herself for another dig.

“Save me a seat.”

“Okay.”

“I’ll be there, I promise. I’ve booked this afternoon off.”

“Thanks.”

“Yeah. Bye.” I hung up and stuck the phone in my coat pocket as I walked through St. Ermin’s sliding glass doors.

The hospital was pleasantly quiet. The hallways weren’t packed with overflowing patients on gurneys. It felt like it was going to be an easy day.

It was like a deserted scene in one of those Wild West movies where the tumble weeds roll around aimlessly and pointlessly.

Even the staff seemed to be gone. I swiped my card on the staff changing room security reader—nothing.

“Come on you piece of…”

“You know, talking to it isn’t going to make it work. Much less insulting it.” She laughed.

“No, but it makes me feel better.” I moved out of the way as she swiped her staff ID and pushed the door open with her hip.

In one hand she held a coffee cup that looked like it’d had most of its contents spilled along the way. Her handbag hung from her arm and two overflowing note files were tucked into her elbow crease.

Typical Quincy.

I held the door open for her to go through, she barely managed to hold on to everything as she typed on her phone, her card now between her teeth.

I followed in after her, avoiding the trail of black coffee on the floor.

“Jesus, Quincy, could you possibly carry anymore?”

“No. Probably not.” She replied as she looked at her arms. “I got stuck in traffic and I thought it would be a great idea to get my notes out from the surgery yesterday, but it turns out that the moment I got them out the taxi driver decided to take a different route. A quicker one. Why he hadn’t thought of taking it in the first place, I have no idea. I mean is it so difficult to just be decent enough and take your client where they asked the quickest and most efficient route?”

“Not hard, but I’m guessing a lot less profitable for them. You’re rambling by the way and it’s far too early for that. My exceptional brain can’t take it.” I laughed as she peered around her locker door.

Her big blue eyes wide with mirth. They were so clear and sharp like glass.

“I’m exhausted.” She downed what was left of her coffee before putting her lab coat on. “I was here till three in the morning. I contemplated sleeping in one of the on-call rooms, but I needed to get a real change of clothes for later.”

“I heard about your Mitral Valve repair on the newborn.”

“It was touch and go for a moment.” She sighed. “Are you going?”