can’t feel whole again unless I have her near me.”
That short conversation had been the thing to make Ethan realize what he wanted. He wanted to love a woman like that. He wanted to ache when she wasn’t near him. He wanted to feel like he was only whole when he was with her. He didn’t feel that way about Cindy and that wasn’t fair to her or to himself.
The elevator doors opened with a ping, and Ethan’s mind returned to the present. He began the long walk down the sterile hall until he reached Mr. Bennett’s room. Knowing that he wouldn’t want sympathy or a sad face, Ethan mustered up the best smile he could and walked though his door.
“Hey, there, kid.” Mr. Bennett opened one eye and peered at Ethan.
“Hi, Mr. Bennett. I would ask how you’re doing today, but I’m sure you would say what you always do.”
“Yep, I’m still dying.” He let out a muffled chuckle. Since Mr. Bennett had made up his mind to not fight any more, he’d had an almost morbid sense of humor. The nurses were always so disturbed by it, but Ethan knew him well enough to understand his way of thinking. “I’ll be seeing Dorothy by tomorrow night. I can feel it.” He smiled.
“Umm hmm,” Ethan said while looking over his chart.
He never knew what to say when he talked that way. He wasn’t sure what he believed about life and death. But he did know that if there was something out there, a life after this one, then he would want it to be with the ones he loved. So why not believe it?
“Are you feeling comfortable?” Ethan asked, trying to change the subject.
“I better be. They’ve got enough drugs pumping through me.” He lifted his hand, pointing out the tubes and bags that were attached to him.
“They’re just doing their job. They want you to be comfortable,” Ethan assured him.
“I know, I know. It makes it harder for me to think this way; my head’s all foggy.”
“Well, that’s because you need some sleep. I’ll come back and check on you tomorrow morning.” Ethan flipped his chart closed and turned for the door.
“Dr. Montgomery?”
“Mr. Bennett, I’ve told you before. Please call me Ethan.”
“And I’ve told you to call me John,” he retorted.
“Okay then, John. What do you need?” Ethan waited for a minute so he could gather his thoughts.
When John finally spoke, his words came out softly and Ethan had to step closer to hear him correctly.
“I just wanted to thank you for being a friend. Not everyone understands my decision and you’ve always seemed to get it. I know you say you’ll see me tomorrow, but I think someone else may have other plans.” He looked to the ceiling before reaching over and placing his hand on Ethan’s.
It was clear what he was saying, but Ethan didn’t know how to respond. He was silent while he searched for the right words to say.
“Tell Dorothy I said hello.” Ethan squeezed his hand a final time and walked towards the door, pausing before he left. “I’ll be seeing you,” he said as he took one last look at the face of his friend.
Chapter 6
Code Blue
K ate woke the next morning blinded by the sun streaming through her window. Her mind was so preoccupied last night that she’d forgotten to pull the blinds before going to bed. Now she lay there staring out the window, thankful that she’d forgotten.
A smile took her lips as she watched the clouds dance across the blue-gray sky. The very same blue-gray that was sure to become her favorite color. She closed her eyes and tried to picture Ethan’s face and the eyes that matched the sky outside her window. The same eyes that penetrated straight through her. The very ones that made her imagine he knew what she was thinking without saying a word.
His strong jaw line and perfect straight nose were etched in her memory. And the way his mouth turned up at the corners still made her weak in the knees.
Kate enjoyed the next half hour or so just thinking about Ethan. She finally decided
That short conversation had been the thing to make Ethan realize what he wanted. He wanted to love a woman like that. He wanted to ache when she wasn’t near him. He wanted to feel like he was only whole when he was with her. He didn’t feel that way about Cindy and that wasn’t fair to her or to himself.
The elevator doors opened with a ping, and Ethan’s mind returned to the present. He began the long walk down the sterile hall until he reached Mr. Bennett’s room. Knowing that he wouldn’t want sympathy or a sad face, Ethan mustered up the best smile he could and walked though his door.
“Hey, there, kid.” Mr. Bennett opened one eye and peered at Ethan.
“Hi, Mr. Bennett. I would ask how you’re doing today, but I’m sure you would say what you always do.”
“Yep, I’m still dying.” He let out a muffled chuckle. Since Mr. Bennett had made up his mind to not fight any more, he’d had an almost morbid sense of humor. The nurses were always so disturbed by it, but Ethan knew him well enough to understand his way of thinking. “I’ll be seeing Dorothy by tomorrow night. I can feel it.” He smiled.
“Umm hmm,” Ethan said while looking over his chart.
He never knew what to say when he talked that way. He wasn’t sure what he believed about life and death. But he did know that if there was something out there, a life after this one, then he would want it to be with the ones he loved. So why not believe it?
“Are you feeling comfortable?” Ethan asked, trying to change the subject.
“I better be. They’ve got enough drugs pumping through me.” He lifted his hand, pointing out the tubes and bags that were attached to him.
“They’re just doing their job. They want you to be comfortable,” Ethan assured him.
“I know, I know. It makes it harder for me to think this way; my head’s all foggy.”
“Well, that’s because you need some sleep. I’ll come back and check on you tomorrow morning.” Ethan flipped his chart closed and turned for the door.
“Dr. Montgomery?”
“Mr. Bennett, I’ve told you before. Please call me Ethan.”
“And I’ve told you to call me John,” he retorted.
“Okay then, John. What do you need?” Ethan waited for a minute so he could gather his thoughts.
When John finally spoke, his words came out softly and Ethan had to step closer to hear him correctly.
“I just wanted to thank you for being a friend. Not everyone understands my decision and you’ve always seemed to get it. I know you say you’ll see me tomorrow, but I think someone else may have other plans.” He looked to the ceiling before reaching over and placing his hand on Ethan’s.
It was clear what he was saying, but Ethan didn’t know how to respond. He was silent while he searched for the right words to say.
“Tell Dorothy I said hello.” Ethan squeezed his hand a final time and walked towards the door, pausing before he left. “I’ll be seeing you,” he said as he took one last look at the face of his friend.
Chapter 6
Code Blue
K ate woke the next morning blinded by the sun streaming through her window. Her mind was so preoccupied last night that she’d forgotten to pull the blinds before going to bed. Now she lay there staring out the window, thankful that she’d forgotten.
A smile took her lips as she watched the clouds dance across the blue-gray sky. The very same blue-gray that was sure to become her favorite color. She closed her eyes and tried to picture Ethan’s face and the eyes that matched the sky outside her window. The same eyes that penetrated straight through her. The very ones that made her imagine he knew what she was thinking without saying a word.
His strong jaw line and perfect straight nose were etched in her memory. And the way his mouth turned up at the corners still made her weak in the knees.
Kate enjoyed the next half hour or so just thinking about Ethan. She finally decided
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