She started to reach for his The first nurse, the obvious hand, stopped, then stood up. senior of the two, said to Jessica, go on out, okay?” Her own you for coming. I know “Let’s “Thank voice was unsteady. want you you had to come a long way, but “I to meet George again.” he gave us a written request when he was admitted. His Winter instructions were to call you when Jessica entered the hospital we thought it was appropriate.” room, then jolted to a stop at the okay,” Jessica replied. “It’s “I sight of him. He lay there on his want to be here. We’ve been back, his eyes closed. He could friends for a long time.” She have been sleeping, but she knew looked down at her hands, he wasn’t. thin and arthritic. very long “A me take your coat,” the time.” “Let older of the two nurses whispered must have come “You to her. straight here?” Mechanically, Jessica As soon as I got the call. “Yes, jammed her gloves and scarf into But it was a struggle. We couldn’t the pockets of the heavy coat, get flights yesterday, but we then handed it to the woman. The finally left Orlando late this nurses all looked so young, she morning. Then, when we thought, pushing a strand of gray transferred planes at O’Hare, we hair back in place and had a long layover due to the straightening her glasses. weather. But we finally got here The other nurse bent over and came straight from the Steven. Snakes of tubes and wires airport.” She glanced at a on connected him to life support the console next to the bed. The equipment. A heart monitor time was 11:27 P.M. beeped in the corner; the smell of afraid,” the nurse “I’m antiseptic hung in the whispered with sympathy, both background.
She started to reach for his hand, stopped, then stood up. “Let’s go on out, okay?” Her own voice was unsteady. “I want you to meet George again.” Winter Jessica entered the hospital room, then jolted to a stop at the sight of him. He lay there on his back, his eyes closed. He could have been sleeping, but she knew he wasn’t. “Let me take your coat,” the older of the two nurses whispered to her. Mechanically, Jessica jammed her gloves and scarf into the pockets of the heavy coat, then handed it to the woman. The nurses all looked so young, she thought, pushing a strand of gray hair back in place and straightening her glasses. The other nurse bent over Steven. Snakes of tubes and wires connected him to life support equipment. A heart monitor beeped in the corner; the smell of antiseptic hung in the background. The first nurse, the obvious senior of the two, said to Jessica, “Thank you for coming. I know you had to come a long way, but he gave us a written request when he was admitted. His instructions were to call you when we thought it was appropriate.” “It’s okay,” Jessica replied. “I want to be here. We’ve been friends for a long time.” She looked down at her hands, and arthritic. “A very long time.” “You must have come straight here?” “Yes, As soon as I got the call. But it was a struggle. We couldn’t get flights yesterday, but we finally left Orlando late this morning. Then, when we transferred planes at O’Hare, we had a long layover due to the weather. But we finally got here and came straight from the airport.” She glanced at a on the console next to the bed. The time was 11:27 P.M. “I’m afraid,” the nurse whispered with sympathy, both thin