Page 72 of Air Affair

Everything around her seemed far away as Bill walked the few blocks to the hospital with her. It was dusk, and the world was surrounded by deep, insidious blue. It seeped into her, making her shiver despite the sultry summer evening.

When they arrived at the entrance, it felt like she was wading through mud. Her body didn’t want to move. She needed to see but didn’t want it to be real. Seeing it would mean accepting that it happened, that he was hurt, that she might lose him.

She clung to Bill’s arm as he walked her into the hospital and up to the front desk. Bill asked for the room, and the woman told him, “I’m afraid only family members are allowed in at this time.”

“She’s his fiancée,” he bluffed. Little did he know that it was very nearly true.

“Oh, sweetie! I’m so sorry,” the woman said. “You can go right in. It’s room twelve.”

“I’d better go with her,” Bill said. “She’s not very steady on her feet at the moment.”

The woman gave him a look. “You can go in and help her get seated, but then I want you back out here in the waiting area. Understand?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said and steered Rory down the hall.

The sounds of the hospital echoed around her, but she hardly heard them. All her attention was on putting one foot in front of the other so that she could get to Hank. He steered her into a small room with two beds. One was empty, the other had Hank.

She rushed to his side, and Bill backed quietly out of the room. Hank looked so peaceful, as if he was sleeping, except for the bandage around his head. Then she looked closer and saw his left leg was in a cast beneath the covers. “Hank, it’s me, Rory. I came as soon as I heard. Can you hear me? Squeeze my hand if you can hear me.”

Nothing.

Tears prickled the corners of her eyes. “I wanted to tell you I’ll marry you, Hank. I was hoping to tell you today. You finally convinced me.” She took his hand and kissed it, then pressed it to her cheek.

She pulled up a chair and sat beside him, holding onto his hand.

“The contract was perfect. You gave me exactly what I needed to feel free and independent. I love you for it.”

The words took her by surprise. Hank had said them often enough, but she had resisted. She hadn’t spoken of love before, except to family. But that was what Hank was now in her heart: family. He was the man she planned to spend the rest of her life with. Or the rest of his, she thought sadly, looking at his still form on the bed.

This was what Hank always feared. He didn’t want to cause the heartbreak and grief that came with accidents like this. Never getting close, he kept everyone at arm’s length.

Rory couldn’t help but think of the war widows she worked with through the PBA. They had all been through this, though they weren’t able to sit beside their husbands’ bedsides. It was a luxury to be here, holding his hand.

If she lost him…

No, she wasn’t going to think about that. Somehow, she was going to get him through this. He was going to recover. He had to.

“Hank,” she tried again. “Hank, it’s me. Please show me some sign you’re in there.”

Then she felt it—the slightest squeeze. “Oh, thank God.” She squeezed him back and kissed his hand again.

At that moment, a doctor came in. “Excuse me, young lady. Are you a member of his family?”

“I’m his fiancée,” she said, sitting up but refusing to relinquish his hand.

“I see. Well, you can stay while I examine him, but I’ll need you to step back.”

She got up and pulled her chair against the wall, then sat well out of the way.

The doctor listened to his heart, checked his pulse, opened his eyes and checked them with a light for response. He shook his head and began making notes on his clipboard.

“Can you tell me anything, doctor? Please, I need to know.”

The doctor gave her a sympathetic look. “He’s had a severe concussion. We stitched up and bandaged his injuries, but it’s the internal damage we have to worry about. It’s impossible to know what will happen after an accident like this. He could wake up just fine five minutes from now. He could wake up with brain damage. He could stay in a coma indefinitely, or he could pass on. I don’t want to alarm you, but I also don’t want to hide the truth. I wish I could tell you something more definite, but in cases like this, only time will tell.”

Tears streamed down her cheeks. Her eye makeup must look a fright, she thought idly as she attempted to absorb the doctor’s words. “Is there anything I can do, doctor?”

“Talk to him. Read to him. Anything to stimulate his brain. People respond to their loved ones differently than strangers. You may have luck where we’ve failed.”