Welcome!! Thanks for coming. This week the word prompt is "smart" -- an easy one for an English professor, a silent-but-present character in this story. When you're done, skip on over to the other authors and read their fabulous stories. Find them HERE. Thanks for stopping by.
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Staring at her smart, handsome husband, she longed to crawl into
bed with him. If she could snuggle up under his arm, hear his deep voice, she’d
know everything was going to be okay. Stan was the rock, not her. Freshly
thirty, Jen had never had to cope with serious illness or death. Oh, sure,
grandparents, but that’s always expected. Not a husband, not a boyfriend, not a
lover – no, no, no.
For a
fifty-three-year-old English professor, he looked damn good. His
salt-and-pepper hair flopped down over his forehead. She combed it back, making
it neat. He would have approved. Stan never had a hair out of place. He always
looked put together. No reason why now should be any different.
She went
to the window. Sun pushed through the clouds. Resting her palm on the pane, the
cool glass made her shiver. She donned a cardigan she’d left there the night
before. Settling into the chair next to his bed, she looked up when a nurse entered.
The
women smiled. “Your relatives went to the cafeteria.”
“Oh.
Thanks. They’re not mine. They’re his,” Jen said, indicating Stan.
“Have
you eaten anything?”
Jen
shook her head.
“You can
have his food. He’s not gonna need it today,” the nurse said.
Her tone
made Jen shiver. “Are you sure? What if he wakes up?”
“The
doctor will be along soon. Go ahead, honey. Eat it. You need it.”
The
nurse checked his vitals and marked them on a chart.
Curious,
she peeked at the food: apple juice, decaffeinated tea with lemon and sugar,
white, mushy hot cereal, that was no longer hot, and a roll with butter. As she
looked over the slim pickings, hunger gripped her belly. Suddenly, the food appealed.
She turned the tray around and chowed down.
Jen
drank the apple juice, ate the cereal and polished off the roll and butter.
Then careful not to touch any of the machines, wires, or cords, she sat back,
resting her feet on the bed and took Stan’s hand.
“Mrs.
Hogan?”
Jen
bolted upright. “Yes?”
“I’m Dr.
Harrison.”
She
rubbed her eyes and shook his hand.
“When is
my husband going to wake up?”
That's all for this week...
Excellent post giving us insight into Stan's character. Hope the news will be good, but expecting it won't be. So sad seeing someone you love in that state.
ReplyDeleteHow incredibly sad and traumatic for her. Stan has always been her rock and now he is lying there helpless. So sad.
ReplyDeleteAwww. So sad. I can relate. Hope all will be well.
ReplyDeleteOh dear. I don't think I want to know what the doctor is going to say. My heart is breaking for her.
ReplyDeleteOh no. The nurse’s words worry me. I’m afraid to hear what the doctor has to say. Great job!
ReplyDelete