The Gift

After getting all that settled, I got her pajamas and handed her the top while I got her feet into the bottoms so she didn’t have to bend. Now fully clothed except for socks, she started to pick up stuff, but I told her to leave it and we’ll let someone else deal with it.

I used part of a towel to clean and dry our feet and I put my slippers on while Marybeth put on her socks. We made it to the bathroom door when my mom came back.

Not wanting to freak her out with all the blood, I say to her, “Just in time. Walk with us to Marybeth’s room.” Mom doesn’t question me but instead walks with us down the hall to the girl’s room.

In the room, Marybeth gets into bed and I ask, “Who’s your nurse today?”

“Jason,” she replies.

Of course. I sigh and say, “Mom, stay with her for a minute. I’ll go find someone else.” I walk out of the room dragging my IV and look both ways down the hall hoping to see a nurse. I get lucky as nurse Jaime comes out of the door next door.

“Jaime, do you have a minute? I’ve got a problem,” I say.

She looks concerned and replies, “Sure hon, what is it?”

I quickly explain the problem, telling her I know that Marybeth isn’t her patient, but it’s a female issue and neither of us wanted to explain it to Jason – it was just embarrassing.

She understood. I tell her what we did and that housekeeping needs to clean the chair and my bathroom. She tells me I should have called for someone sooner, but that I did a good thing, and I’m a good friend.

I didn’t want to raise any suspicions, but I had to tell Jaime that I didn’t actually think it was Marybeth’s period. There was too much blood and it was bright red, not dark.

She said she would tell Jason to save both of us the embarrassment and swap a patient with him so she could take care of Marybeth instead. “Go tell her I’ll be right there while I find Jason and tell him,” she tells me.

We go different directions. I go back into Marybeth’s room and Mom is still standing in the same spot she was in when I left. Like a deer caught in headlights, I think.

“Mom, we can go back to my room. Jaime will be here in a minute to take care of Marybeth.”

She walks to the door and I take the root beer she still had and walk into the room. My mom paused at the door and I say, “I’ll be right there. Stay out of my bathroom, housekeeping will be in to clean it up shortly. I’ll only be a minute here.”

Mom smiles and waves goodbye to Marybeth and walks away.

Marybeth is sitting up and I walk over to the bed, putting the drink on her table. “For later,” I say.

“I don’t think I can ever thank you enough for what you did for me,” she says.

“Meh, had the time of my life. How many thirteen year-olds can claim to get a girlfriend, see her mostly naked and get to second base in the span of ten minutes?” I have a big grin on my face.

“If you were a boy, I would say you were really lucky, or lying through your teeth. Most likely lying. You don’t have what it takes to get this supermodel body,” she retorts sarcastically.

“Yeah, but I saw this mole on your butt th- “

“Shut it!,” she snaps. “Lies, all lies.”

We laugh and she holds out her arms saving me the trouble of how to accomplish what I need to do. We hug and I concentrate as I wrap my arms around her. It seems easier this time and I feel the tingle in my hands and hope she doesn’t feel something strange.

We draw apart and I hold on to her as my knees try to buckle. I hope she doesn’t notice this.

I catch my breath and let go of her shoulders and instead take ahold of her head around her ears.

She looks into my eyes, maybe a little worried. I wanted to laugh as I wonder if she’s starting to think I might really be into her. I told in the laugh and say, “Remember, you’re not a loser, not matter what. You take care of yourself and I won’t ever forget you.”

I turn her head slightly and kiss her cheek, then let go of her. That was the last time I would see her alive. I turn and holding onto my IV companion for dear life it feels like, I say over my shoulder, “Just remember who the girl is in this relationship.”

She replies, “And which one of us is it?”

I just shrug my shoulders as I keep walking. “I have the long hair, so it must be me,” she adds.

I couldn’t say anymore without making it obvious I was crying. Turning towards my room I heard Jaime behind me say, “Housekeeping is on its way, Mandy.”

I just wave my hand in acknowledgement as the hall became a blurry mosaic, glad that I could find my way back to my room in that state.

I pause to wipe my face with my hand before going into my own room, knowing Mom would be worried and start questioning me. I could answer the obvious, but how could I explain our chance encounter, or for that matter how do I explain Marybeth’s death in twenty-four hours or less?

Lucas already told me that I would sound crazy and now I could see he was right.

Better get this over with, I think, walking into my room. My mom is sitting in the chair she moved from the bathroom door, quietly watching TV. She sees me and asks, “Are you okay?”

I see the concern in her face. I just mod and shuffle over to the bed.

I kick off my slippers as I sit on the bed, not caring where they went. Lifting my feet onto the bed, I pull my sheet over me and lean back.

Mom hands me the Pepsi she got me and I open it and drink half of it before replacing the cap, then belch. Oops. “’Scuse me,” I mumble and hand it back to Mom. “I’m beat. Gonna take a nap, okay?” I say.

“Sure, sweety. I’ll be right here. Is the TV bothering you?”

I shake my head, now too tired to even answer. I might have even been asleep before she finished the sentence and thought I nodded.