Chapter 29
“So
what’d the doc say, girl? You gonna live?”
“Yeah,
I’m gonna be ugly for a few, but I think I’ll live. Like my eye patch?” Ciara had just had her eye surgery the day before and was
being kept in the hospital for a few days to monitor her blood pressure and
blood sugar. It had gone well, but she felt like she’d been kicked in the face.
“Hmmm…very
pretty. Bill will love it.” Deanna tossed a few magazines on the bedside tray,
sitting next to her friend and leaning in to check her wrappings.
“Yeah,
I can be his pirate slave. Did they do me up, right?”
“From
what little I know, yeah. I thought they did both eyes though. Why is only one
bandaged?”
“Because
I can see out of one, but not the other. This is making it easier to see all
around. They had to do some funky stuff with my left one.”
“Oh…well
it looks good to me. I dunno if Bill will get into the pirate thing though…he
seems a bit uptight for that kind of thing dontcha
think?”
“True.
He needs to loosen up, that’s for sure.”
“Yep.
So when do you break out of here?”
“Day
after tomorrow. I’m ready. Can’t sleep here to save my life and I’m doped up.”
“I
bet. Hate to snoop and run, but I’m almost late for work. I’ll check in after
my shift. Where’s your folks?”
“They’ll
be in soon. I told them not to be here all the time. Might have to kill one of
‘em.”
“Okay,
I just hate to leave you alone.”
“I’m
fine. This is nothing. Bill will be in later, Mom and Dad, sisters. Maybe even
Lindsey will show her face. Go to work.”
“I’m
out.” Deanna leaned in and kissed her friend’s cheek, being careful not to put
too much pressure on her sore face. “I want to see your pretty face again…and
your eyes lookin’ right.”
“Me
too. Thanks.”
Just
as Deanna walked out, surprise of all surprises, Lindsey walked in.
“Hey…thought
I’d make it in this time.”
“Thanks.
How’s things?”
“Okay.
Talked to Kevin today. Their song went to number 3 over there.”
“You’ve
GOT to be kidding? Number THREE? That’s great!” Ciara
gingerly put her fingers up to the bandages around her eyes and cheeks,
grimacing at the quick movements she’d made when speaking. “Wait a minute…you
talked to Kevin? I thought you two were kaput.”
“Nah,
we’re um…casual. He’s overseas anyway….I’m not gonna sit around waiting on
him.”
“But
you think he’s sitting around waiting on you?”
“Well,
he’s too busy for a girl right now, so probably.”
“Okay…”
Ciara shifted in her bed, wanting to get off this
subject quickly. She was not in the mood to lecture.
“Nick
says ‘hi’, by the way.”
“Thanks.
Hi, Nick. Can you pour me a glass of water or bring the pitcher here for me?”
Lindsey
poured her friend some water and sat on the edge of the bed nervously. She
didn’t know what to say. It seemed as though something permanent happened a
year ago when she didn’t come to the hospital and she was hoping by showing up
now, it might mend it all somehow. It didn’t seem to be working.
“So,
um…you mentioned last time we talked that you were seeing someone?”
“Yeah,
Bill. He’s the uncle of a patient. Here until…well, yeah. He’ll be here for a
bit anyway.”
“Oh,
is the kid really sick?”
“Yeah.
Terminal, but he’s strong. Bill was looking for some work here, so he may just
stay.”
“What’s
he like? He good?” Lindsey was nervously looking around the room. Not leaving
her bedside, but unable to look her in the eye…er, the patch.
“Yeah,
he makes me feel special. Very gentlemanly. Very nice.”
“Good.
You deserve someone to treat you right finally.”
“Thanks.
So do you.” Ciara touched Lindsey’s arm, making her
finally look to her. She bore her gaze into Lindsey’s, blurry as it was, hoping
she’d get the hint. She didn’t. What else was new? She was interested in a
celebrity now and nothing could keep her away from that, no matter how lousy
the relationship was.
“Yeah,
so, uh…hey. Howie told us that you’d like it better if we just asked you about
stuff, so uh...”
“Yeah,
it’d be nicer than listening to you all contemplate my latest ailment.”
“I’m
sorry about Disney…I really am.”
“Whatever.
What do you want to know?”
“Your,
uh…well, Ci. Your face. Since your big surgery last
year, it’s all…it’s swollen up and stuff. You’ve always had a cute round face,
but now, it’s…”
“Moon
face.”
“Well,
I guess you could call it that.”
“It’s
what they DO call it. It’s from steroids. For pain and stuff.”
“They
wanted to put you on steroids before, didn’t they? But couldn’t because of your
diabetes.”
“Yep.
Makes my blood sugar go high. So, I monitor it more often. But taking steroids
was not as bad as the pain and weakness. So, lesser of two evils.”
“And
they make your face puff up?”
“Yep.
I get skittish and sleepless too, sometimes. We’re trying to keep the dosage
down, but the moon face is from long term use. Can’t do anything about it.”
“Oh.”
Lindsey looked down again, out of words, out of nerve. “Well, look, I guess I’d
better go. Maybe we can get together after you’re out.”
“Okay
Lindsey. Thanks for coming by.”
And
she was gone. Why did Ciara not even care she had
come? Seems she was only there to relieve herself of the guilt she’d had for
not showing up the last time. Ciara did NOT want to
be someone’s answer to repentance…or the recipient of someone’s pity. She could
tell she was getting both from Lindsey and she didn’t like it one little bit.
******~~~~~~******~~~~~~
“Think
fast, rabbit!” Brian tossed the basketball to Nick, landing it firmly in his
gut.
“Ooof…God, Rok. A little warning, huh?” Nick spun around,
dribbled once, jumped and shot. Sink.
“Why
would I do that?” Brian rebounded the ball, but held it to his hip underneath
an arm. “I’m pooped. Let’s sit.”
“Wimp.”
Nick jogged over to the cooler of bottled water the venue had left out for them
and grabbed one for each of them. “Think fast, rabbit.” Bonk. Right on his
chest and to the cement floor.
“Nice.
We’re even.” The two friends sat quietly for a moment, drinking their water,
catching their breath. As usual, after only a few moments of solitude and
quiet, they immediately began to miss home. Nick and Brian always seemed to
have homesickness the worst of the five. Brian because he just never expected
this life and Nick…well, he was 16. Even though his mom and brother would join
him, he missed home. How do you talk about home without missing it more? Beat
around the bush.
“So,
uh, is Ci having that eye surgery soon?”
“Yeah,
I think she had it already. Couple of days ago.”
“I
don’t know how she manages…so much stuff.”
“I
know it. She’s tough though. Just seems to take it as it comes.”
“Yeah,
she does. Is she, uh…is she seeing anyone?”
“Not
that I know of. We don’t normally talk about that stuff and I haven’t talked to
her since we left.”
Brian
silently nodded. He’d never approached her again, although he surely thought
about it. Somehow, he didn’t feel like he had permission. From who he wasn’t
sure, but she almost seemed out of range, out of bounds.
“Can
I ask you something, Rok?”
“What’s
up?”
“Ci. She…I…when Aaron was sick…I’m…” Nick sighed heavily and
started fidgeting nervously. “Something weird happened.”
“Well,
that was awhile ago…wait…with you and Ci?” That got
Brian’s curiosity in an uproar. No way!
“No,
not…I mean, nothing happened, but it was….there was like this…UGH! I don’t know
how to say it. I can’t explain.”
“You’re
making it real hard for me to answer a question if you can’t even come up with
one.”
“Yeah,
thanks, smart ass. I’m trying here.”
“Just
tell me what DID happen that was different.”
“Well,
it was…I mean, you know she slept with me and Aaron when he was so sick. That
was fine. Nothing weird there. At all. It was like having a big sister there
for both of us.”
“Okay….”
“But,
she was dressed in this lacy thing and she looked…” He sighed again, running a
hand through his hair. “…she looked beautiful. I’ve never seen her that way
before. I mean, I’ve seen her in jammies and stuff, but…” Now he was
embarrassed.
“You’re
sixteen, Nick. Women look different than they did when you were eleven.”
“You
think? Jeez, Rok. I hadn’t noticed.”
“Nick…you
know what I mean. So, you noticed her in a different light…that’s okay.”
“But,
I mean…I felt funny about it. But yet, I didn’t. I wanted to DO something about
it, but she’s…I mean, she’s…”
“She’s
Cici.”
“YES!
And yet, god. She was standing there in front of me, her nightie thing was wet
from bathing Aaron and her hair was mussed up from sleeping and…”
“Stop.
Now I’m getting all worked up.” Brian stood and started dribbling the ball while
letting Nick work this one out. Letting HIM work this one out. God.
“You’re
so damned much help.”
“Well,
Nick. I’m sorry. She’s great. So you had a beautiful woman in a wet nightie
standing in front of you and you reacted. What’s wrong with that!?”
“Was
that just it though?”
“I
have no idea, Nick. Was it?” He grabbed the ball in an upwards bounce and
tossed it aside, wanting to fully concentrate on his friend. His friend who was
miraculously silent. “Nick…what else happened?”
“Nothing.
I mean, but, I felt like…”
“Did
you kiss her!?”
“NO!
I told you nothing happened. But she was crying and I have no idea why and I
couldn’t help. And…”
“She
was crying?”
“Yeah,
I put Aaron to bed and turned around and she was standing there crying. Wet and
crying. Jesus.” Nick stood up and looked around for the basketball Brian had
tossed. This was getting insane.
“Nick,
what are you getting at?”
“Could
she be…I mean, did she feel something too?” He located the ball and jogged over
to it, tossing it to Brian. “Shoot the ball. I can’t sit still anymore.”
Brian
caught the ball and turned to the basket, lobbing it up and watching it sink in
the net. “I have no idea, Nick, but uh…no offense…”
“Yeah,
I know. That’s nuts. I’m a boy to her.” Nick rebounded the ball and stood
still. Hurt written all over his face.
“Probably.
I mean, NOW you are, but later…later your age difference won’t matter so much.”
“I’ll
always be a little boy to her. She’ll be married with kids of her own by the
time I’m close to that.”
“Gimme
the ball.” Nick bounced the ball over and Brian shot again. “You don’t know
that. Couple of years…and I’ll be…” Recognition finally hit Brian’s face as the
basketball bounced in front of him and slowly bounced away.
“What?”
“Nick.
Just hang on to those feelings. Trust me.”
“What?
Why?”
“I
never told you this, but I, uh…when we went fishing last year…well, I tried
with Ci.”
“You
did not. No way!”
“She
flat turned me down though. But something she said blew me away…I never got it.
Now I think I do.”
“What?
You made a move on Ci?”
“Yeah,
but she said, among other things, that she couldn’t do that to YOU. Being with
me would somehow effect YOU.”
“Me!?
But why?”
“That’s
what I asked. She had no answer. She probably didn’t know herself, but
Nick…just hang on, okay? Just hang on.”
“I’m
too young for her. I’d be wasting my time waiting for her.”
“I
didn’t say wait. I said hang on. Remember this.”
The
two friends stood and looked at each other, the younger trying to read the
older. The older trying say things to the younger without words. That’s what
made their friendship so cool. They could do that. And well.
“I
need to call her, Rok. I need to talk to her.”
“Go
on, then. Call her. And remember.”
***
