anticipation as
she watched the hands on the clock slowly creeping towards six a.m.
She was tired, dead on her feet, and could barely lift her arms; it
had been a busy night. But Jewell knew that Collin’s presence would
melt away any physical and mental fatigue she felt. As six
approached, she hoped that there wouldn’t be one last case that she
would need to attend before leaving. She had finished her last case
half an hour ago, and if nothing new came in, she could leave right
at six. As the hands moved ever closer, she heard the screams of a
siren approaching. Her heart sank. She hoped that the case wouldn’t
be assigned to her. Please, please, please, she thought as an
elderly woman was wheeled into the ER.
The woman was in her eighties. She had
suffered a heart attack. Her husband was by her side holding her
hand as she was wheeled back to a room, whispering that he would
never leave her. It made her think of Collin. Would they grow old
together? Would she someday be holding Collin’s hand as one of them
passed from this life to the next? Surprisingly, the thought didn’t
make her sad, but instead, gave her hope that perhaps this is what
her future held, a long and happy life with someone she loved. And
she did love Collin; as crazy as it seemed, she knew that it was
love and she would sacrifice everything to be with him.
Fortunately, Jewell was not assigned to this
case, so she quickly ran to the locker rooms. She took a cold
shower not waiting for the water to warm, partly to wake her up
after her long shift, but also because she knew that Collin didn’t
like the smell of the antiseptic soap. It prolonged the wait to see
him, but it was for him, she wanted to make him happy. Besides, he
needed his rest. She hated to wake him so early in the morning.
After she had showered, she changed into fresh clothes that she had
brought specifically for this. She had also put one of her
honeysuckle sachets in her bag to help keep her clothes smelling
fresh as they sat for twelve hours in her locker.
She pulled on a pair of faded jeans that made
her legs look good. Then she pulled her royal blue polo over her
head. She had chosen this shirt because Ashley told her it made her
eyes look amazing and it was one of the few shirts that actually
fit her right; it wasn’t so oversized that it hung off her body.
She quickly brushed her face with mineral powder and dusted her
cheeks with a little blush. Then she very carefully applied the eye
shadow Ashley had given her just as she had been instructed. She
pulled a brush through her hair and stepped back from the mirror to
assess how she looked. She knew Ashley would be proud of her. As an
afterthought, she rubbed the sachet of honeysuckle over her hair,
and threw everything in her locker.
She waited impatiently for the elevator and
when the doors finally opened she rushed in, pounding the button
for the sixth floor repeatedly as if it would make the elevator
move faster. After what seemed an eternity, the doors opened
releasing her from her temporary prison and she ran to Collin’s
room.
Fearing that he would still be asleep, she
very slowly opened the door and peeked in. As was usual, he was
lying on his side, facing away from the door. “Honeysuckle” she
heard him say, and she could hear the smile in his voice. She
laughed as she pushed through the door and quickly crossed the room
to sit in the ugly vinyl recliner next to the bed.
Collin smiled and reached for her hand. She
took it quickly, reveling in his warm touch. She looked into his
stormy gray eyes and lost herself.
“Has your uncle come by to visit yet?” Jewell
asked, breaking the silence.
“No, but like I said, that’s Uncle Percy. He
probably figures that if the hospital hasn’t called to tell him I’m
dead, everything must be fine. Plus, I keep leaving messages on his
phone. I’m assuming I sound better than I did a few days ago, so
that gives him even less excuse to stop by.” He shrugged like
she watched the hands on the clock slowly creeping towards six a.m.
She was tired, dead on her feet, and could barely lift her arms; it
had been a busy night. But Jewell knew that Collin’s presence would
melt away any physical and mental fatigue she felt. As six
approached, she hoped that there wouldn’t be one last case that she
would need to attend before leaving. She had finished her last case
half an hour ago, and if nothing new came in, she could leave right
at six. As the hands moved ever closer, she heard the screams of a
siren approaching. Her heart sank. She hoped that the case wouldn’t
be assigned to her. Please, please, please, she thought as an
elderly woman was wheeled into the ER.
The woman was in her eighties. She had
suffered a heart attack. Her husband was by her side holding her
hand as she was wheeled back to a room, whispering that he would
never leave her. It made her think of Collin. Would they grow old
together? Would she someday be holding Collin’s hand as one of them
passed from this life to the next? Surprisingly, the thought didn’t
make her sad, but instead, gave her hope that perhaps this is what
her future held, a long and happy life with someone she loved. And
she did love Collin; as crazy as it seemed, she knew that it was
love and she would sacrifice everything to be with him.
Fortunately, Jewell was not assigned to this
case, so she quickly ran to the locker rooms. She took a cold
shower not waiting for the water to warm, partly to wake her up
after her long shift, but also because she knew that Collin didn’t
like the smell of the antiseptic soap. It prolonged the wait to see
him, but it was for him, she wanted to make him happy. Besides, he
needed his rest. She hated to wake him so early in the morning.
After she had showered, she changed into fresh clothes that she had
brought specifically for this. She had also put one of her
honeysuckle sachets in her bag to help keep her clothes smelling
fresh as they sat for twelve hours in her locker.
She pulled on a pair of faded jeans that made
her legs look good. Then she pulled her royal blue polo over her
head. She had chosen this shirt because Ashley told her it made her
eyes look amazing and it was one of the few shirts that actually
fit her right; it wasn’t so oversized that it hung off her body.
She quickly brushed her face with mineral powder and dusted her
cheeks with a little blush. Then she very carefully applied the eye
shadow Ashley had given her just as she had been instructed. She
pulled a brush through her hair and stepped back from the mirror to
assess how she looked. She knew Ashley would be proud of her. As an
afterthought, she rubbed the sachet of honeysuckle over her hair,
and threw everything in her locker.
She waited impatiently for the elevator and
when the doors finally opened she rushed in, pounding the button
for the sixth floor repeatedly as if it would make the elevator
move faster. After what seemed an eternity, the doors opened
releasing her from her temporary prison and she ran to Collin’s
room.
Fearing that he would still be asleep, she
very slowly opened the door and peeked in. As was usual, he was
lying on his side, facing away from the door. “Honeysuckle” she
heard him say, and she could hear the smile in his voice. She
laughed as she pushed through the door and quickly crossed the room
to sit in the ugly vinyl recliner next to the bed.
Collin smiled and reached for her hand. She
took it quickly, reveling in his warm touch. She looked into his
stormy gray eyes and lost herself.
“Has your uncle come by to visit yet?” Jewell
asked, breaking the silence.
“No, but like I said, that’s Uncle Percy. He
probably figures that if the hospital hasn’t called to tell him I’m
dead, everything must be fine. Plus, I keep leaving messages on his
phone. I’m assuming I sound better than I did a few days ago, so
that gives him even less excuse to stop by.” He shrugged like
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