would you look at him?" Matilda pointed outside the door of her hospital room. "He's a looker. I'd like to get a taste of that."
"Matilda! A woman in your condition shouldn't be thinking about sex right now," Jacqueline chided. She watched the older woman continue to stare at the open doorway. "You need to be sleeping."
"Medicine isn't working so good," Matilda grumbled, but her eyes were hazy. "I'm aching worse than I did when the damn hip wasn't right."
"The doctor said it takes time to heal. You're going to be sore."
"Screw that doctor. He's only thirty years old. He has no idea what soreness is."
Jacqueline tried not to smile, knowing that such a thing would send the older woman into a tirade. Her hip surgery had been successful, though Jacqueline had worried the whole time. She hadn't told Toby what she'd seen.
Luckily, the mark of Death hadn't come back.
It probably had never been there.
She certainly couldn't see it now. All she could see was that Matilda needed to rest.
"Look, there he is. That man again. Come see. He can melt my butter anytime." Matilda struggled to sit up in her bed.
"Okay, calm down." Jacqueline hurried over. From Matilda's open doorway, they had a perfect view of the nurse's station. Several nurses bustled around, making notes on charts and talking softly. A young man stood at the counter of the station, earnestly talking with one of the nurses. Dressed in jeans and tight black T-shirt that showed off well-toned abs, the man appeared to be getting more than a few interested glances from passersby. He ran a hand through his dark black hair before flashing a smile and laughing at something the nurse said.
He looked over and met Jacqueline's eye.
A ripple of recognition ran through her.
"You know him?" Matilda's keen eyes took in everything. "He's looking at you."
"He seems familiar, like I've seen him before."
The man kept looking at her, a slight smirk on his face.
She walked to the door and shut it firmly.
"Aw, why'd you do that?" Matilda complained. "I just wanted to drool over him a little longer. He was eye candy."
"Sorry, but you need to rest. Besides, I brought you something."
"Beer?" Matilda's frown turned hopeful.
"Yep. Fresh from the six pack in my car." Jacqueline handed her the Styrofoam cup. "Just the way you like it."
"Oh, you are a sweet girl."
Greedily, Matilda sucked the beverage down. She let out a long burp when she was through.
"Much better. I can rest now." Matilda leaned back in her bed, closing her eyes. "How you holding up, Jackie?"
"What do you mean?"
"Lots of dead people in this place. Lots of souls. Thought maybe you might be having a hard time of it."
"I'm fine."
But it was a lie.
The moment she'd stepped into the hospital, she'd had the urge to sing. Souls called out to her from every corner, but there was nothing she could do. So she'd suppressed the urge as best she could--a first for her and one that gave her hope.
"Just don't be taking my soul," Matilda's voice grew softer. "I need it."
"Don't worry. You aren't marked," Jacqueline said. "Go to sleep now."
For once, Matilda followed directions. In a few minutes, her deep snores shook the room. Jackie pulled out her cell phone and texted Toby.
Mom sleeping
Did she like the beer? Toby texted back.
Put her over the edge
Lol. Thanks 4 staying w/her
Toby hadn't wanted to leave the bar with Gabe again and Jacqueline hadn't minded helping out. She genuinely cared about Matilda. Staying the night with her was no big deal.
Jacqueline curled up into the hospital chair and settled in.
****
It had to be a dream.
There was no way everything that was happening could be real. Her mind wanted to accept that explanation, but yet, it didn't seem quite right.
Jacqueline was floating down a hospital corridor.
Her hair streamed around her, which was impossible since she kept it short. Yet, she could see that long locks of golden blonde drifted about her. She wore a gray dress made of light,
"Matilda! A woman in your condition shouldn't be thinking about sex right now," Jacqueline chided. She watched the older woman continue to stare at the open doorway. "You need to be sleeping."
"Medicine isn't working so good," Matilda grumbled, but her eyes were hazy. "I'm aching worse than I did when the damn hip wasn't right."
"The doctor said it takes time to heal. You're going to be sore."
"Screw that doctor. He's only thirty years old. He has no idea what soreness is."
Jacqueline tried not to smile, knowing that such a thing would send the older woman into a tirade. Her hip surgery had been successful, though Jacqueline had worried the whole time. She hadn't told Toby what she'd seen.
Luckily, the mark of Death hadn't come back.
It probably had never been there.
She certainly couldn't see it now. All she could see was that Matilda needed to rest.
"Look, there he is. That man again. Come see. He can melt my butter anytime." Matilda struggled to sit up in her bed.
"Okay, calm down." Jacqueline hurried over. From Matilda's open doorway, they had a perfect view of the nurse's station. Several nurses bustled around, making notes on charts and talking softly. A young man stood at the counter of the station, earnestly talking with one of the nurses. Dressed in jeans and tight black T-shirt that showed off well-toned abs, the man appeared to be getting more than a few interested glances from passersby. He ran a hand through his dark black hair before flashing a smile and laughing at something the nurse said.
He looked over and met Jacqueline's eye.
A ripple of recognition ran through her.
"You know him?" Matilda's keen eyes took in everything. "He's looking at you."
"He seems familiar, like I've seen him before."
The man kept looking at her, a slight smirk on his face.
She walked to the door and shut it firmly.
"Aw, why'd you do that?" Matilda complained. "I just wanted to drool over him a little longer. He was eye candy."
"Sorry, but you need to rest. Besides, I brought you something."
"Beer?" Matilda's frown turned hopeful.
"Yep. Fresh from the six pack in my car." Jacqueline handed her the Styrofoam cup. "Just the way you like it."
"Oh, you are a sweet girl."
Greedily, Matilda sucked the beverage down. She let out a long burp when she was through.
"Much better. I can rest now." Matilda leaned back in her bed, closing her eyes. "How you holding up, Jackie?"
"What do you mean?"
"Lots of dead people in this place. Lots of souls. Thought maybe you might be having a hard time of it."
"I'm fine."
But it was a lie.
The moment she'd stepped into the hospital, she'd had the urge to sing. Souls called out to her from every corner, but there was nothing she could do. So she'd suppressed the urge as best she could--a first for her and one that gave her hope.
"Just don't be taking my soul," Matilda's voice grew softer. "I need it."
"Don't worry. You aren't marked," Jacqueline said. "Go to sleep now."
For once, Matilda followed directions. In a few minutes, her deep snores shook the room. Jackie pulled out her cell phone and texted Toby.
Mom sleeping
Did she like the beer? Toby texted back.
Put her over the edge
Lol. Thanks 4 staying w/her
Toby hadn't wanted to leave the bar with Gabe again and Jacqueline hadn't minded helping out. She genuinely cared about Matilda. Staying the night with her was no big deal.
Jacqueline curled up into the hospital chair and settled in.
****
It had to be a dream.
There was no way everything that was happening could be real. Her mind wanted to accept that explanation, but yet, it didn't seem quite right.
Jacqueline was floating down a hospital corridor.
Her hair streamed around her, which was impossible since she kept it short. Yet, she could see that long locks of golden blonde drifted about her. She wore a gray dress made of light,
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