Thirty-Six
Rilee
Hospital noises were the same whether in the critical care or neonatal unit. You can get lost in the chirp of equipment and wheezing of IV pumps, which is why when Mia and Silas shuffled into Craig’s room, stirring me, it took a long moment to orient myself.
“Hey there,” Mia said in an exhausted whisper.
&lbrShe wouldn’t stay in bed,” Silas explained.
Wibrwoozy smile Mia said, “The pain meds do wonders.”
From the bed Craig, still with his eyes closed, groaned, “They let you have some good stuff while they’re keeping an eye on you.
” A cough shook his body, his eyes jerking open.
I reached for the call light but he waved me away, sinking back into the bed with a grimace. “I think they’re getting better.”
He'd been coughing ever since the EMT’s had brought him around with an injection of adrenaline and the electric paddles. All the coughs sounded bad to me. But he’d slept a full two hours this morning so there might be some truth to Craig’s hopefulness.
We’re being discharged today and I wanted to bring Cecil by to say hello,” Mia cooed. “After all, he wouldn’t be here without you.”
Silas tilted the bundle so the squinty eyed infant’s face could be seen.
“Cecil?” Craig grimaced, shifting to get a look. Every time he moved, I winced.
“So, it wasn’t a girl?” I asked.
Mia shook her head. “The doctors don’t always get it right,” she said with a wink.
“What kind of name is Cecil?” Craig continued.
Silas looked like he wanted to pull the baby away but didn’t. “It’s my grandfather’s name. It’s Welsh.”
The rings on the privacy curtain chimed, scraping on the metal rod around the hospital room, as Jackie and Craig’s brother–in–law pushed in, “Oh it’s a full house,” Lukas said.
“Oh, what a sweet baby,” Jackie cooed. “Is he yours, Mrs. Arbenning?”
“Yes, though I think I need to sit down.”
Silas led Mia around to sit next to me and settled Cecil in her arms. “I’ll go check on the discharge paperwork and be back,” he said. “Don’t go anywhere until I get back.” Mia assured him she wouldn’t and he left.
Lukas tossed a newspaper on Craig’s lap. “You two made the front page. Well, you three, I mean four, counting the baby.”
Sitting on the foot of the hospital bed Jackie beamed, “High school teacher and boyfriend save pregnant coworker in bridge collapse. It was even on TV. Dad’s done a good job keeping the reporters away but they keep talking about it.
” It was all out in the open now. I was just glad Jackie was taking it well.
“Boyfriend, huh,” Mia muttered. “I guess the district will have a hard time firing you after this. The press would kill them. And he’s a lot brawnier than you told me.”
Even draped in a hospital gown there was no hiding Craig’s presence, he filled the bed. “So, Cecil? Not Roger?” I tried to change the subject, while gazing at the tiny face in Mia’s arms.
Leaning in, Mia whispered, “Silas insisted. He said he’s been dreaming of his grandfather for weeks. I only met the guy a couple of times but he was a strange duck. He could look right into your eyes and know exactly what you were thinking.”
With the pad of my finger Cecil's cheek, insubstantially soft.
His eyes flickered open in a full body yawn.
They were dark and deep and I wondered what the future held for him.
Then he slipped back into sleep, making a sucking motion with his closed mouth.
He was so much more than a tiny person. Glancing at Craig I wondered if we could make tiny trees together.
Craig laid the paper out across his lap, “Well even with a name like Cecil, after all of this, he has to be something special.”
We must have been making a racket because a nurse walked in, arms folded. “Non-visiting hours are limited to immediate family only. You all have to go.”
Lukas shrugged, standing as if he hadn’t really planned to stay long anyway. “See you around Craig. Ulrich sent a care package to the house. It will be there when you get out.”
Tentatively, Jackie approached Mia. “Mrs. Albenning, let me help you find someplace to wait for your husband.” Mia considered the situation and then handed Cecil over to the teen before she eased to her feet. Jackie had good hands and would take care of the baby.
Reluctantly, I stood to follow them. If the nurse was sweeping Jackie and Lucas out the door she’d be back for me soon, and I was less family than they were. Reaching over Craig grabbed my hand, his fingers entwining with mine, “Stay.”
Looking from our hands to the retreating crowd, and then to Craig’s no longer pallid face, I decided.
Crawling into the space between Crand the plastic hospital bed bars I laid my body beside him and my head across his shoulder.
“I’ll stay if you will,” I whispered, the pounding of his heart echoing in my ear, now pressed against his chest.
Craig's whiskers tickled my forehead a moment before his lips gently caressed my skin. “I’m not going anywhere without you.”
Across the room, Jackie looked back at us with a smile, and closed the door behind her.
The End