Chapter 43: Chapter 43
Someone is banging on the door, and I can hear it. You know, you really ought to get outside and get some fresh air. It was the nurse who had been there earlier once more.
"What?" I enquire about it while simultaneously picking myself up off the ground and drying my eyes with a tissue.
You need to get out of the hospital and eat something different from the meals that are provided for you there. According to her, she is growing more prepared.
I ask Mark this question as soon as I turn back to face him: "Where would I go?"
"There is a restaurant a little further down the street, in addition to a coffee shop that is just across the street from it. To get your thoughts organized, you need only to go for a walk outside." She instructed me to come over here so that you can provide me some consolation in my time of need.
"Have you ever been there before?" "Are you familiar with the name of the restaurant?" I ask standing up. Whenever Mark and I go to our favorite cafe, I seem to recall being able to make out the outline of a hospital off in the distance.
"Luke's. I am of the opinion that... It is true that the owner is a devoted fan of the television show Gilmore Girls." How she puts it. Following our expedition to the ring store, Mark and I made our way to that restaurant for dinner. There, we put in a lot of hours every week. At least we were able to finish up while he was still conscious of what was going on.
"Thanks." I would advise grinning at her. Before proceeding to give the nurse a hug, I go into my pocket to retrieve my phone and some cash. I then hand both of them to her. At first, she pulls away from the hug, but eventually, she gives it another go and leans in for it. "Thanks." Once we had parted ways, I repeated it while looking down at her with a grin on my face.
I'm happy to hear that this was of assistance. She says, smiling back.
I make my way downstairs to the lobby, and then I exit the building through the main entrance. I cannot express how happy I am to be out from the stuffy hospital room and out here in the fresh air instead. On the trip there, I take it leisurely so that I may appreciate the picturesque scenery and the fresh air as much as possible.
I walk in and choose to perch myself on one of the stools that are affixed to the very highest part of the bar. "Hello, I've seen you around. Where have you been?" It was said by one of the waiters. "Where exactly is the man you refer to as your husband?" He asks.
I just smile. It was not possible for him to attend. As I say this, my voice takes on a little wistful quality. "What exactly is the problem?" He asks. I simply shrug my shoulders and divert my attention elsewhere. I can hear the waiter heaving a sigh somewhere in the background. The question that needs to be answered is, "What can I buy you?" He inquires while conveying empathy with his tone of voice and attitude all over his face.
The patron requested a hamburger and french fries and said "please."
"Ranch?" After giving him a very little nod, I just sit there for a few moments and look at him.
I pull out my cell device. It's possible it will pull my focus elsewhere. Wrong. My screen saver shows a picture of Mark and me together. And each time I go to open it, it's only Mark and I in there by ourselves. I'm starting to feel down in the dumps all over again.
"All right, what issue are we dealing with here exactly?" The waiter inquires once more while projecting an air of annoyance in his delivery of the question.
My spouse was a passenger in a car that was involved in an accident. In response, I silence my phone and dab away the tears that are falling down my face.
"Oh. I am so sorry that I pushed you in such a strenuous manner." He says this while looking at me with a compassionate smile on his face.
"It's ok." I say sighing.
She then added, "Let me to go grab the burger." Once he broke the awkward silence that had been between us, it is only me by myself. This is a significant improvement.
Every time he comes back, I do my best to give him a grateful grin as a sign of my thanks for all he has done. After consuming so much tasteless food at the hospital, I can confidently say that this lunch is without a doubt the tastiest thing I have ever eaten in my entire life. At the very least, I have the impression that this is the situation at the moment.
"Is that the reason you're here rather than celebrating with your family at home?" "Is that the reason you came here?" The waitress's question has taken me by surprise. I am taken aback.
I nod. He is currently receiving medical attention at the hospital that is located directly across the street from where we are.
"I'm at a complete loss for words because I have no idea how to respond to it, and that bothers me beyond belief." When he says something to my amusement, I find myself chuckling to myself. "Oh I made you chuckle."
"Certainly you did. Thank you again." After paying for my meal and saying goodbye to the clerk, I smile warmly at her and walk away.
I take a long breath in and notice that the air is brisk, and I can also smell Mark's sweater, which I am now wearing. When we went our own ways for his vacation, I found a way to keep myself occupied so that I wouldn't feel nearly as cut off from everyone else. When it occurred to me, I considered myself to be a loser; however, now that I have it, I am overjoyed that I have it. For one, I'm shivering. Mark, there are two more points. That is, without a shadow of a doubt, the most persuasive argument that has ever been presented.
I am currently looking at the time on my phone, and it appears to be approximately seven thirty in the evening. As I approach the room, I make sure to welcome the nurse who has been so helpful to me over the past several days before I do anything else.
"Why do you all choose to congregate in this particular location?" I inquire with my family.
"We were wondering how you were doing and wanted to make sure everything was okay. And Mark, there's no doubt about it." It appears as though my mother is making her way towards me in order to give me a hug.
"Where did you go?" My dad asks, embracing me after.
"I went to a diner with Mark that the two of us go to rather frequently. It's not more than a few blocks away at most." I said hugging Sophie and Hannah now too.
"We brought you some dessert." Hannah says handing me a container.
"I am grateful." I grin at her and give her a hug on the side.
"Make your way home." It came out of the blue, my mum remarked.
I can only nod my head. She said, "I want to be here just in case he decides to wake up." "I want to be here in case he decides to wake up." Do you not believe that returning to the comfort of your own bed will help you to feel more at ease? She inquires.
"I couldn't care less where he is since I'm doing just great where I am." I say pointing to Mark. "Mom, I love him. You wouldn't want to be anywhere else except right here with Will if it were you, would you? If it were Will, you wouldn't want it any other way." She heaves a sigh of exasperation at her misfortune. "And if Maddy were your girlfriend, I have no doubt that you'd feel the same way about her." I say to my dad.
"Ok. We love you." My dad says give me a hug.
"I adore each and every one of you too." I recommend giving a hug to each and every one of them.
After they have departed, I am aware of how tired I am and instantly change into some clothes that are more comfortable before going to bed.
The following morning, I dragged my feet and got out of bed at a later time than normal. To be more precise, somewhere about ten. I simply made the choice to continue dozing off in bed while listening to some music for a little while longer. The nurse brings me food, and while I'm eating it, we have a conversation about her kids and the rest of her family. I discuss private matters with her, including matters pertaining to Mark and I. Such examples are the story of how we first met, the description of our wedding, and the description of our honeymoon. I also told her how helpful he is in taking care of me whenever I am feeling poorly as a result of the chemotherapy treatment. I have been feeling ill as a result of the chemotherapy treatment.
When she does finally go, it is just a tad bit after twelve o'clock noon. Maya contacted me via phone and left a message on my answering machine. "Hello?" I answer.
"Please accept my sincere apologies for not calling you earlier. Up until this very moment, I had no idea anything about that. I really apologize for not replying to your texts earlier." She screams out in what sounds like a helpless manner.
"It's ok Maya, I'm doing ok." I am trying my best to reassure myself at this moment.
"I truly feel like a bad friend right now," the speaker said. She repeats this in spite of the fact that I have tried to reassure her.
"You're not. The distance between us is merely 2,000 kilometers." By expressing that to her once more, I am attempting to reassure her.
"I know. I feel like it." The way that she puts it I find that her voice exudes a sense of wistfulness. "Stop. at least you picked up the phone and called me."
"I guess so..." I can hear her sighing even though I'm on the other end of the phone line. "What the heck is wrong with him?" She inquires.
"Still in a coma," the attending physician reported. I would suggest standing up, making your go to the area where Mark is resting, and taking his hand while you are there.
"I really need to show up," the speaker said. This material emerges all of a sudden.
The instructor told the student, "No, you still have class." This is a statement that I make without any room for negotiation.
"To hell with proper etiquette!" Unexpectedly, she makes the announcement. I don't want to disappoint my best friend by withdrawing my support from her while her partner is in the hospital since... I don't think she can think of a term to convey it without worrying that she will wind up bringing tears to my eyes. I don't think she can come up with a word to explain it.
"Simply remain where you are and check to see that your phone is active while you wait. I'll keep you updated." I say not backing down.
"Fine." She admits that she was wrong. "I really need to put some effort into my studies and get some work done." That comes out of her mouth in an irritated manner.
"Alright, see you later,"
"Bye. Love you best friend." The way that she puts it I am in a position where I can see her smiling face from where I am. "And you," as well, I say before hanging up.
Whenever my phone brings me back to the home screen, I can't help but feel relieved and content in that moment. My memory still brings me back to the time when we did that. Exactly at that moment, just before I went to get the dress altered with my mother and my sisters, I had that thought. It never fails to put a smile on my face whenever I look at the photo of me giving Mark a kiss on the cheek. That is the version that appeals to me the best.
I put down my phone and give Mark the full attention that he deserves. I take his hand in mine and tinker with the ring that is on his finger. I'm in awe of the ring that he has. The fact that he doesn't take it off very frequently is another aspect of his style that I absolutely admire. Even I don't bother to take mine off. Even you shouldn't. I'm willing to bet that some ladies look at him and think he's cute, and it wouldn't surprise me in the least if some of those ladies wanted to talk to him and flirt with him. Following that, every time they look at the ring, they have the sinking feeling that they are total and utter moron. If I ever witnessed something like genuinely taking place, I would find it impossible not to laugh at it.
Before taking a few slow, deep breaths, I have a quick chuckle to myself. I was taken aback by the loud knocking sound that came from the door. The first thing that comes to my mind is that it's a nurse, but when I turn around, I'm surprised to see John standing there by himself.
Instantaneously, my look shifts from one of surprise to one of wrath. "What in the name of all that is holy are you hoping to achieve by being here?" I enquire in a tone that is authoritative.