“Come, Bhaiya,” Malini called in her most bored voice.
Roshan stepped in and found Malini sitting on edge of the exam table. Seeing her in the hospital gown was a punch to his gut. She was tested every three months, but the gown got him every time. It brought back memories of a younger Malini who had lived in those gowns for a time. A Malini he had read stories to and played games with. He’d even braided her hair and done her nails. He rubbed the moonrise shell in his pocket and walked in. A little extra courage helped.
She was four years out from her last relapse now. Her CBC was taken like clockwork, along with the occasional metabolic or endocrine panel. If her counts were normal today, that would put them so much closer to the all-important milestone of being five years in remission.
“You actually look less tense than usual,” Malini said.
“I don’t know what that means,” Roshan said as he looked over her chart as if he hadn’t already memorized it.
“It means that I think Nimita is good for you. You seem happier, more relaxed.”
“I am.” He flushed.
“You’re welcome.” Malini grinned at him.
“For what?”
“For bringing you two together, duh.” She rolled her eyes. “And for making you blush.”
“Is that true? You weren’t in Hawaii.”
“And whose fault is that?”
Roshan inhaled. “Never mind.”
“I brought you two together with my post. You wouldn’t have known where she was if you hadn’t seen the picture I took.”
He shook his head at his sister and laughed. “Okay. Fine. Thank you for that.”
He glanced at the time. “I have to go. I’ll see you later tonight?”
Malini looked away, suddenly interested in the posters on the wall. “Well, I have a work thing tonight. So I’ll be really late.”
“Okay.” Roshan shrugged, still eyeing her. His sister was acting weird.
Dr. Boseman walked in just then. “Reading my charts again, Roshan?” she teased as she breezed by him.
“Just checking on the troublemaker, Paula.” He grinned.
Paula squeezed his arm and smiled at him with affection. “Mali is trouble, but she is going to be just fine.”
Roshan nodded. “Thanks for everything.” He looked at his sister. “And since when have you been going by Mali?”
“I’ve been trying it out for a while. You and our parents are like the only people who don’t call me Mali.” She said it like he was very boring because of it.
“Fine,Mali, I have my own patients anyway.”
Malini widened her eyes. “Go take care of them, then.”
* * *
Roshan finished seeing patients and quickly changed before going to Nimita’s house to help her father start his garden, Finn in tow. Roshan thought it might be easiest if they simply did planters in the garden, which would be easier to handle if Uncle wasn’t up to serious weeding or didn’t want to bend all the way over to the ground. Nimita had purchased the planters, the mulch, the plants and other supplies. All that was left now was to actually plant a little planter garden.
He loved gardening, and it made him feel good to be able to help Nimita’s father in this small way. Maybe impress him. Possibly even impress Reena.
He went directly to the back of the house and found Uncle waiting for him. “Hi, Uncle, how are you doing?”
“Excited about this garden.” He chuckled.
