The Truth Behind a Smile

“Uhh, well, I mean, since you have them, you might as well leave them here. It won’t hurt nobody.” Hugo grabbed his side, which Stephen knew had been bothering him though he’d been working to hide the pain.

“Mm-hmm. I had a feeling you might say that,” Ana replied with a little smile and glanced over at Stephen, who couldn’t keep his eyes off her. “The good news is that we’ll be able to release you in a few hours since your injuries aren’t too serious, but you have to take it easy for the next few weeks. That means no heavy lifting, no drinking, no smoking, and no exercising.”

“Jeez, I wish that horse kicked me in the head and just ended it,” Hugo said with a laugh. He turned to Stephen but stopped, wincing, and grabbing his side “Okay, I’ll do as you say.”

Ana raised her eyebrows and handed the pills over to Hugo along with a cup of water. “You’re going to get a prescription for these pills. Take two a day. If you experience extreme discomfort, no more than four. We also recommend that you get cough syrup. You have to limit any coughing to help your lungs heal.”

Ana went on to describe all the remaining procedures and steps that Hugo had to follow after being discharged from the hospital. She told them that they’d have to wait for the doctor to come back and sign off on the papers, but that once he did, she’d escort Hugo and Stephen out.

She asked whether Stephen had a way of getting Hugo home and made sure that he also understood the procedures that Hugo had to follow to properly heal.

Stephen nodded.

After opening the door to leave but Ana stopped and looked back at Stephen and smiled once more.

He smiled back. He’d been silent the entire time she’d been in the room though he’d been adrift on a sea of thoughts and emotions.

He called Frank, waking him up and let him know that Hugo was being discharged and asked if he’d still be able to pick the two of them up.

“Sure,” Frank said in a groggy tone. “Are you okay, though?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Nothing. You just sound a little different.”

“Whatever.” Stephen confirmed the time of the pickup and hung up the phone.

“So, are you going to ask her out,” Hugo asked, “or are you just going to stare at her with that dumb look on your face the whole time?”

“What are you talking about?”

“What do you mean what am I talking about? You know exactly what I mean. The whole time that girl was in here you didn’t say a word. And man, you were right. She’s a looker, but you really are dense sometimes. She’s into you. She was looking over at you more than at me and I’m the one with the broken ribs—not to mention better looking. But not everyone can have good taste.”

“No way.” Stephen shook his head. “She was just making sure we understood the doctor’s orders.”

“The way she was talking to you was a lot nicer, too. The girl did not stop smiling from the second she saw you. I mean, sometimes I smile at you too, but that’s because I’m laughing at you.”

Stephen shook his head again and looked away.

“Look, even if she doesn’t like you, who cares? You’re probably never going to see her again. Even if you end up in this hospital one day, there are a lot of other nurses in here. It’d be like a lottery. So, man up and ask her out before it’s too late and you end up regretting it.”

“Maybe you’ve got a point,” Stephen answered.

The next few times Ana came into the room to check on the two of them, they made small talk effortlessly, but each time Stephen prepared himself to ask the question, his throat clogged, and the words wouldn’t come out. He ended up just smiling at her; she smiled back and then left.

Finally, the doctor came in and discharged Hugo. Ana was standing by with a wheelchair.

“What’s that for?” Hugo pointed at the wheelchair.

“It’s for you.”

“Uhhh, no it’s not,” Hugo said. “I’m going to walk out of here like a man, on my own two feet.”

“I’m sorry, but it’s hospital policy for all patients to be discharged in a wheelchair. It’s only up until the front door. Once you’re outside, you can do as you wish.”

“I don’t care about the hospital policy.”

“Come on, man, just sit in the wheelchair. It’ll only be for a few minutes.” Stephen looked his friend in the eyes, pleading with him. He wanted to talk to Ana while she wheeled him out.