without? Mark was tired and was probably over thinking things again... so he let it go.
“I had planned on taking a cab, but I would like that very much, thank you,” Julie stared at Mark like she was sizing up a stranger. “Are you ok to drive, Mark?” Her voice came out sounding weak and shaky. “Maybe we should split a cab.”
“I‘m okay, Julie, a s good as could be expected, you know? I can drive. I promise I won‘t kill us,” he tried to joke around, but the joke fell flat. Once again, he realized how inappropriate he seemed to be acting.
Mark noticed the sudden tears welling up in Julie’s eyes.
“Hey, don’t cry. That wasn’t funny, I’m sorry. Don’t worry about me, though, it must be adrenaline or something. I’m not going to wreck us, I promise,” he said reassuringly.
He absentmindedly put his arms around her. For a brief second, he put his hand on the back of her head, feeling her soft blonde hair, and tenderly held her to him. Then he abruptly let her go.
She stopped crying, and cleared her throat.
“I have confidence in your driving abilities. I’m pretty tired and I just don’t know what to say except, I‘m sorry. My brain isn’t functioning, I’m so sorry,” Julie rambled.
She was weeping as she fumbled with her jacket, and mumbling something about her hands not doing what she wanted them to do. She struggled to pull her coat up over her shoulders. Mark saw this, and helped her.
He realized that she was taking this pretty hard, much worse than he appeared to be handling it. He knew that she had loved Allie like her own daughter. They had grown very close over the years.
“You don’t have to keep apologizing, Jules, really. I know you’re exhausted. Let’s just get you home, huh?” He tried his best to reassure her, and gave her the best smile he could muster.
Julie suddenly burst into tears, as she cried out…
“I saw her! I snuck in after you and talked to her. I had to say goodbye and I think I had to make sure she was really gone!” She was choking on her words. Julie covered her eyes with her hands, like she could block him from seeing what she had seen…
“Shhh… it’s okay,” he whispered quietly to her. “That’s just fine, it’s more than fine, and I understand why you did that. I did it too.” He pulled out the wad of extra tissues from his pocket, offering them to her. Hugging her close to his side, he slowly proceeded towards the elevator doors. They walked by the nurse’s station for the last time. Mark looked up to thank them, but instead saw new, curious faces. Must have been a shift change, he thought. So with a respectful goodnight nod, they walked on by.
CHAPTER 4
THE CALL OF DUTY
“Oh, no,” Julie mumbled. She sat up in the passenger seat. She had closed her eyes and drifted off for a moment.
“What is it? What’s the matter?” Mark turned his head slightly, not taking his eyes off the road.
“I needed to go back to the restaurant, but never mind that, I’ll go there first thing in the morning. There’s no reason for you to go back there. Everyone’s pro-probably gone anyway,” she stammered.
“No, it’s fine actually. I’ll take you. Did you leave something behind?” Mark asked curiously.
“Yes, my cell phone. I must have left it there on the table in all of the…um…commotion. Like I said, I‘ll just get it in the morning,” she nodded convincingly and tried to smile, “Or, I could ask Nick to grab it for me,” Julie mentioned.
“It’s not a problem Julie. I’m sure the police are still there, It‘s only been a few hours. I was headed there anyway.” He was thinking
“I had planned on taking a cab, but I would like that very much, thank you,” Julie stared at Mark like she was sizing up a stranger. “Are you ok to drive, Mark?” Her voice came out sounding weak and shaky. “Maybe we should split a cab.”
“I‘m okay, Julie, a s good as could be expected, you know? I can drive. I promise I won‘t kill us,” he tried to joke around, but the joke fell flat. Once again, he realized how inappropriate he seemed to be acting.
Mark noticed the sudden tears welling up in Julie’s eyes.
“Hey, don’t cry. That wasn’t funny, I’m sorry. Don’t worry about me, though, it must be adrenaline or something. I’m not going to wreck us, I promise,” he said reassuringly.
He absentmindedly put his arms around her. For a brief second, he put his hand on the back of her head, feeling her soft blonde hair, and tenderly held her to him. Then he abruptly let her go.
She stopped crying, and cleared her throat.
“I have confidence in your driving abilities. I’m pretty tired and I just don’t know what to say except, I‘m sorry. My brain isn’t functioning, I’m so sorry,” Julie rambled.
She was weeping as she fumbled with her jacket, and mumbling something about her hands not doing what she wanted them to do. She struggled to pull her coat up over her shoulders. Mark saw this, and helped her.
He realized that she was taking this pretty hard, much worse than he appeared to be handling it. He knew that she had loved Allie like her own daughter. They had grown very close over the years.
“You don’t have to keep apologizing, Jules, really. I know you’re exhausted. Let’s just get you home, huh?” He tried his best to reassure her, and gave her the best smile he could muster.
Julie suddenly burst into tears, as she cried out…
“I saw her! I snuck in after you and talked to her. I had to say goodbye and I think I had to make sure she was really gone!” She was choking on her words. Julie covered her eyes with her hands, like she could block him from seeing what she had seen…
“Shhh… it’s okay,” he whispered quietly to her. “That’s just fine, it’s more than fine, and I understand why you did that. I did it too.” He pulled out the wad of extra tissues from his pocket, offering them to her. Hugging her close to his side, he slowly proceeded towards the elevator doors. They walked by the nurse’s station for the last time. Mark looked up to thank them, but instead saw new, curious faces. Must have been a shift change, he thought. So with a respectful goodnight nod, they walked on by.
CHAPTER 4
THE CALL OF DUTY
“Oh, no,” Julie mumbled. She sat up in the passenger seat. She had closed her eyes and drifted off for a moment.
“What is it? What’s the matter?” Mark turned his head slightly, not taking his eyes off the road.
“I needed to go back to the restaurant, but never mind that, I’ll go there first thing in the morning. There’s no reason for you to go back there. Everyone’s pro-probably gone anyway,” she stammered.
“No, it’s fine actually. I’ll take you. Did you leave something behind?” Mark asked curiously.
“Yes, my cell phone. I must have left it there on the table in all of the…um…commotion. Like I said, I‘ll just get it in the morning,” she nodded convincingly and tried to smile, “Or, I could ask Nick to grab it for me,” Julie mentioned.
“It’s not a problem Julie. I’m sure the police are still there, It‘s only been a few hours. I was headed there anyway.” He was thinking
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