Moonlight Magic

Sarah pushed open the brown double doors to ward 25 which was one of three wards in the hospital, wards 23, 24 and 25, which were allocated to acute care of elderly patients over the age of 75, and also the ward where Charlie was being cared for…at least it had been the last time she came to visit him.

“Hello everyone.” Said Sarah as she approached the nurse’s station. There were three nurses on duty this morning…sometimes there were more but at this moment in time there were not enough patients to warrant any more.

“Hello…Hi…Hello.” All three replied one after the other.

“Morning Sarah.” Said the one obviously in charge, whose name eluded Sarah. “I haven’t seen you for a while…you Ok?”

“Yes…yes thanks.” Replied Sarah putting her bag on the floor against the side of the reception desk desperately racking her brains for the nurse’s name. “This is a fleeting visit…I’ve just brought some information about Charlie.” All three nurses looked blankly back at her as if she had spoken in a foreign language.

“Charlie?” Enquired the nameless nurse.

“Yes…Charlie. The elderly man who was in the room at the end.” Replied Sarah pointing further down the corridor.

“Oh…you mean Eric.”

“Eric?”

“Yes. He finally remembered his name. He got his memory back…or at least some of it. Mind you we still don’t know where he lives...he says he can remember but doesn’t want us to know.”

“Wow.” Exclaimed Sarah. “That’s great news…about him getting most of his memory back…Eric. I wonder why he told me Charlie. Anyway…that’s the reason for my visit. I found out only this morning where he lives and thought you should know.”

“Oh well done Sarah.” Said the nameless nurse. “That’s such good news because I think if he’s Ok over the weekend, the plan was to let him go home early next week…especially now we know where he lives…Excellent.”

Sarah proceeded to give the nurse his address and then spent the next five minutes chatting about the other patients and if there was anything she could do to help, but everything was fine so she only had one final thing to ask.

“Would you mind if I said Hello to Charlie…sorry…Eric. Just a quick word before I go?”

“Of course Sarah, I’m sure he’ll be glad of the company. He’s in the same room as before…just down the corridor.” Said the nameless nurse nodding her head in the direction of his room.

“Thanks…thank you.” Said Sarah picking up her bag. “I’ll only be a couple of minutes.”

The doors to his wardroom were wide open so she walked straight in, only to stop immediately. The room looked empty.

“Eric.” She said quietly. “Eric…are you here somewhere.” She whispered, almost tip-toeing further in. As she approached his empty bed by the window she was surprised by a voice from the opposite side of the room.

“Hello Sarah cooper.”

She spun round to see Eric sat in the chair next to the bed opposite.

“Ooh. You made me jump.” She said patting her chest with her hand.

“Sorry.” He replied calmly.

“Why are you over there? This is your bed isn’t it?” She said waving her arm in his bed’s direction.

“Yes…but I was bored with that side of the room so I thought I’d try over here.” He replied with a cheeky smile on his face. “I’m the only person here so I didn’t think it would do any harm.” He said pushing himself up from the chair and walking towards her. Sarah could see he was obviously much better and he now had his normal clothes on.

“So Eric…how do you feel?”

“I’m much better thank you and I’m going to be leaving here soon.” He replied turning to look out of the window.

“Yes I know. The nurses have just told me you can go home next week…if you’re Ok over the weekend.”

He turned from looking out the window and took a step towards Sarah which usually would have made her take a step back, as most people do when a stranger invades their personal space, but this time she felt comfortable and let his face get within only a few inches from hers. His crystal blue eyes stared deep into her hazel coloured eyes making her chest flutter…in a nice way.

“I’ll be leaving sooner than that Sarah.” He whispered without moving a muscle on his weather-beaten and time-wrinkled face.

Sarah stood mesmerized for a second with her gaze fixed to his eyes…and then suddenly as if woken from a dream, her whole body gave a shake waking her from her trance.

“Oh…I…” She stuttered taking a step back and nearly falling backwards onto his hospital bed. “Err…I think the doctor and the nurses mean for you to stay over the weekend…at least.” Eric turned to face the window again as she maneuvered herself away from his bed and stood in the space between the beds in the middle of the room.

“Well Eric…” Said Sarah nervously clutching her bag to her side. “I’m so glad you’re feeling much better…and you certainly look well. I’m going to go now.”

Eric didn’t move a muscle and continued looking out of the window.

“Ok Sarah Cooper.” He replied quietly. “I’ll see you soon.”

“Oh…I don’t think I’ll see you again.” Replied Sarah as she turned to make her way out of the wardroom. “I won’t be coming back for a week or so and you’ll be gone by then.”

Sarah stopped at the wardroom doors and turned to look at Eric but he still had his back to her…just looking out the window.

“Bye.” She half-whispered half-spoke as she turned and began to walk down the corridor past the nurse’s reception where they all said goodbye but her mind was so far away she was completely oblivious to them.

Back in Eric’s wardroom he had now sat on the edge of his bed. In his hand was Sarah’s newsletter and it was opened at the page where the times and dates for the next full moon were showing. Eric looked at the figures, rolled the newsletter up, and stood up looking out at the bright blue sky. Under his breath he whispered some almost inaudible words as a couple of tears began to slowly roll down his cheeks.

“Tomorrow…tomorrow.”