Throw Him My Way

“There, now. He’ll be fine. Sing to him. He’s always loved to hear you sing. He was looking forward to your performance. I should’ve called you, but I’m afraid it’s been such a time…”

Heidi shook her head and interrupted.

“No, you had too much on your mind, obviously. It’s fine. I’m glad I finally managed to get through to you. I was beginning to wonder just what the hell was going on. I mean… He’d been there, all along, and suddenly he wasn’t. And I realized that I didn’t know enough about him to be able to drop by to his place, or anything. I don’t even know where he lives. I had to call and call before I finally got through to you.”

Rick nodded, sheepishly.

“Well, you’re going to get to know a lot more about him than you might’ve bargained for. You know he comes from a very large family, don’t you?”

Heidi nodded, looking a bit puzzled.

“Well, the family is very close. His father, Jonathan, is the only son, and has four sisters. That means that there are five women in Christian’s life. Each of them wants to see him settle down with a good woman and make them lots of pretty babies to play with and coo over.”

Heidi grinned, and this time, it looked much more like a real one.

“I’ve heard a bit about his aunts. Especially his aunt Susie.”

Rick chuckled.

“Man, aunt Susie has been on my case for the last two days, once she got over some of that panic. When Christian can’t be bothered about the girls, they try to get me set up with somebody. They really want somebody to date this girl, Peggy. They made Christian go out with her once. But she likes Nickelback.”

Heidi made a face of horror, and it wasn’t all pretend.

“You don’t say!”

Rick nodded, sagely.

“Yes, you see what you’ve saved him from. But you’re going to get the third degree, and soon. I think it’s between shifts right now, so you’ll have about ten minutes alone with him before the next aunt turns up. I think aunt Susie had her turn earlier. The others are less persistent. But it might be Christian’s mother, too.”

Heidi felt her heart trip just for a moment.

Meet Christian’s mom? The nerves were a natural and instinctive reaction, she told herself.

Christian’s mom didn’t know about her. Of course not.

Christian and she had a connection, but they weren’t dating. He hadn’t taken her home. He must have dozens of people coming to see him. She would be just one of the many.

Besides, it didn’t matter.

Despite all the reassurances that he was really quite okay, she needed to see that for herself. She needed to see him, and be sure that he looked…

What could she see, really? He’d be in a room, hooked up to machines that would monitor every single thing about him.

And he would get better, she told herself, willing herself back from the edge of panic.

“This way,” said Rick, and found the elevator that would take them to Christian.

“This is the shortest way. I’ve been here a lot in the last couple of days.”

Heidi nodded.

“Did you need medical attention, too?” she asked him, rather belatedly.

“Nothing worth mentioning. A few scraps, and a few tests. Got a clean bill of health. We had guys lining up offering to give blood. That’s part of the deal. When one of us is in the hospital, we give what we can. But no amount of blood will help Christian, will it? We just have to be patient. We’re not very good at patience.”

They stepped out into another corridor, clean and sanitized, with that lingering smell of despair that couldn’t be washed away with any amount of disinfectant.

She didn’t think she would ever be able to smell a hint of citrus again without thinking of the hopelessness and boredom she saw on so many faces.

People in scrubs seemed to move around busily. Somebody was rolled through the corridor on a gurney, but even the sense of urgency seemed to be routine.

There was noise, but not the kind that jarred. Everything was controlled.

For a moment, Heidi felt as if she might suffocate. The too-white lights in the corridor seemed to burn into her eyes.

“Heidi…”

“I’m fine. Sorry. Which way is Christian?”

He took her hand, squeezing it lightly. Heidi was grateful for the comfort and the strength, and let herself be guided to another corridor, where there was a much more muted feel.

“In here,” he said, finally.

Heidi nodded, and took a deep breath.

She could see him, through the glass door. The blinds weren’t completely closed.

He looked so pale, thought Heidi.

She opened the door and walked in.

There were beeps, and a soft hushing sound. He looked pale, and for a moment, she felt the panic pushing against the surface again, before she saw his chest rising and falling steadily.

“Christian,” she whispered, and moved forward to take his hand.

It was warm, she felt, with relief.

But it was only then that it really hit her.

Christian was in a coma. Nobody knew when he’d wake up.

“Oh, Christian,” she said, and sat down next to him, holding on to his hand.