“Don’t look at it that way. I enjoy my time here, taking care of my patients, especially you, Mr. Erickson.”
“Eh, you don’t fool me. I know there are plenty of other things you could do instead of talking to this old fart.”
“Nonsense!”
I grab one of the empty chairs in his room and pull it next to his bed. “Now, tell me a story.”
“What do you want to hear?”
“I don’t know. Anything. How about the first time you feel in love?”
“Ah, now that’s a good one. It was the moment I laid eyes on Vera.”
I rest my head on my hands as Mr. Erickson reminisces about the first time he met his wife, Vera. A look of awe flashes in his eyes as I imagine he’s seeing everything all over, through memory. Listening to his descriptive tones, I watch as he smiles and says her name. A sense of love vibrates off his voice as his eyes dazzle from the thought of her. He tells the story of how his family had just moved to a new neighborhood. He was in high school, sixteen years old, when he met Vera. He knew right away it was love at first sight. They spent the last two years of high school together, attending dances and prom together, and had even planned on attending college together. But, the war separated them. As he describes the distance he had to endure, his face saddens but remains optimistic. Eventually, they found each other again, married, and had three children.
“So, is your wife coming to visit soon?”
“Unfortunately, she passed two years ago.”
Sadness flows through me as I lay my hand on his. “I’m sorry sir. I…I didn’t know.”
He smiles gently and squeezes his hand in mine. “Don’t worry dear. I’ll be seeing her soon.”
I sit with him for a few more minutes and quietly step outside after he decides to watch a little TV. It’s been two hours since I’ve seen Roman and visiting hours are almost over.
Heading back to the nurses station, someone calls out, “Uh, excuse me miss?”
Spinning around, I spot Roman’s uncle walking toward me. “Uh, can I talk to you for a moment?”
“Oh, of course. Sure, let’s step over here.”
We take a few steps into the waiting area by the vending machines and I look at him, waiting for him to speak. “Is…there something that I can help you with?”
“No, I just wanted to apologize about my nephew.”
I sigh. “Oh.”
“You see, he’s having a really tough time and I know he was kind of a jerk to you earlier. Just know that it’s not personal. He’s battling a few inner demons and well, after what happened, he’s still adjusting to it all.”
“Well, I don’t want to do anything that will make him uncomfortable or anything.”
“No, I know that, and I appreciate everything that this hospital has done for him. I guess what I’m trying to say is that he’s…he’s not himself.”
I smile. “I understand sir.”
He nods. “Okay, great.” He takes a quick peek at his watch. “Well, I better get Maggie since visiting hours are almost over. Thank you for talking to me miss.”
I call out to him as he walks back to Roman’s room. “You’re welcome. Have a good night.”
******
An hour later, it’s my rotation to check on Roman. It’s past nine so I keep quiet as he may be asleep. I open his door slowly, careful to keep the noise to a minimum, and peep over at him. Right away, I see agony spread across his face and I rush to him.
“What’s wrong? Is it your wounds? Tell me where the pain is.”
He clenches his jaw. “My face and my lower right side. It feels like they’re on fire.”
My eyes immediately check the areas and notice a bit of ooze seeping out of the gauze. Shit. I race across the room to gather the medicinal ointment and fresh bandages.