“If we stay at your place, it’s a shorterride to the doctors and the better hospitals if we need them.”
He sighs. “How many rooms in yourtownhouse?”
“Six.”
“How many bathrooms?”
“One and a half.”
“I have a one-bed, one-bath apartment with aliving room-kitchen combo. No back patio. No upstairs terrace. Noparks down the street, no garage, and no closet space. We are notliving there for the once every three months I have to see adoctor, and I’m sure as fuck not going to need to be in a hospitalafter they let me out of here tomorrow. They fixed what was brokenand I’m moving on.”
“I see you took my advice.”
I know that velvet silky voice. I turn myhead and Omar Washington is standing in the doorway to Ethan’sroom.
“I did,” I grin.
“Hey, man.” Omar walks to the bed and slapsEthan on the leg. “She bitching at you?’
Ethan shakes his head. “You tell her to dothat shit?”
“You worried she’s going to bust out cryingevery time she looks at that sling?”
“Point taken.”
I lean in and touch my lips to Ethan’s. “Idon’t need to be here for the caveman conversation. I’m going tomake some calls.” I climb off Ethan, grab my bag, and then walkaround the bed and touch my cheek to Omar’s. “Thank you,” Iwhisper.
“Any time, every time, Ter.”
I walk out of the room, wave to the nurses asI pass their hub, and go to the family room at the end of the halland close the door. The difference between forty-two hours ago andnow is night and day. After he was brought up from recovery, Ethanwoke up in his hospital room long enough to say thank you toCarlos, hello to Baz and Laura, and to order me into bed besidehim. Then he passed out and didn’t wake up again until nine thenext morning, even though the nurses came in every couple of hoursto take his blood pressure, check his drain, take his temperature,and look for blood in his Foley bag.
After his doctors had come by and did theirchecks, the head surgical resident came in and did her check, andeveryone said the catheter could be removed, the nurses came in anddid just that, to which Ethan let up an unhappy groan, and then asigh of relief.
Carlos came back. Omar came back. Laura andBaz hung out for a couple of hours – they love Ethan – and thenthey had to head home.
Skip came by mid-afternoon and stayed for afew hours. After our initial hello, how do you do conversation, Ileft them alone behind a closed door for over two hours. Skip leftbefore dinner, and by yesterday evening, Ethan was himself again,except on pain meds.
This morning the nurses disconnected his IV,his doctors came by and said they planned to release him tomorrow,a physical therapist did a consult and showed Ethan in whatposition the sling was optimum, then the PT went with Ethan as hetook his first long walk.
Now Omar is here – I knew he and Ethan wouldbecome fast friends – and for the first time since showing off myring to Laura in SoHo, my heart isn’t in my throat, my stomachisn’t in knots, and my lungs don’t feel constricted.
Ethan’s moving in with me and giving up hisapartment, which is month to month, and he’s already given histhirty-day notice. He’s on leave from work until his doctors clearhim for light duty, sometime after two months from now when theorthopedist is sure the bone has knitted.
I promised myself I wouldn’t make him crazy.I’m going back to work on Thursday, but I’m seeing only sixpatients a day until I’m sureI’mokay with being away fromhim. I tuck myself into the corner of the sofa and go through myemail, then I check in with my receptionist, who’s been a magicianat rearranging my calendar, then I call Laura.
“How is he?” This is how she answers thephone.
“Omar’s visiting so I left them to each other’cause the testosterone in the room was choking me.”
“They cutting him loose tomorrow?”
“We should be on our way home by eleven. Ifigure I should be to you between one-thirty and two o’clock.”
“Perfect. I’ll give the girls lunch regulartime, have Mom pick them up at one. This way it’ll be quiet whenyou guys get here and we can eat in peace before Mom comes back atthree and bedlam ensues.”
My sister. Always looking out for me, and nowEthan.
“Thanks, Laurie.”
