Kev had finally lost it. Instead of being with me in my last few hours, he was holding onto Nurse Busty's hand and they were making their way out of the hospital. I floated along helplessly.
"This is so not a good idea," I said.
"About that miracle," Kev said as they walked in tandem down the street. I hadn't seen Nurse Becky in street clothes before. She made the jeans she was wearing look like heaven.
I prayed Heaven would be that good.
"I hope that a miracle happens," she said. "I don't know why, but Nick...he just...there's something about him."
As scared as I was, I couldn't help but smile. "Kev, did you hear that? There's something about me!"
Kev smiled. "There is something about him. In fact, that's what I want to talk to you about."
"Oh?"
Kev stopped underneath a big shady tree. He glanced up at the foilage and sighed. "I can see him."
Becky's eyes widened. "Excuse me?"
"Kev..." I warned.
"I can see him. Nick's ghost, or mirage, or soul, or whatever it is has been following me around for days."
"Really..." Nurse Becky said slowly.
"Kev's cuckoo for cocoa puffs!" I shouted. I twirled my finger by my temple, but Kev continued to ignore me.
"That's how I got the idea for the kiss. Nick thinks he hasn't already died because he hasn't completed his mission in life."
"His mission is to kiss a bunch of girls?" Becky surmised. I slapped my forehead.
"See? Now she REALLY thinks I'm a poly-legs-are-moist!"
"No," Kev said. "His mission in life was to find 'the one'."
"Really?"
Nurse Becky's voice was so soft that I dropped my hand and looked at her. The wind picked up strands of her blonde hair and whipped them around. I reached for one, knowing full well that I couldn't touch it, but also knowing that she wouldn't get a cold chill if I went through a lock.
"Yeah, actually," Kev chuckled. "His specific goal is to get married and have lots and lots of babies."
Becky's lips twitched. "You know what's funny? I can really picture him saying that."
I gasped. "I think she might be believin' you!"
"I know I sound insane, but Nick's still alive. Even if it is only in spirit right now. I wasn't going to pull the plug; he's one of my best friends. And now---now that decision's fallen into the wrong hands. I just want to give him a last day he'll never forget and --"
Kev did something I had never seen him do before. He burst into tears. Becky wrapped her arms around him and hugged him.
The scene was a little embarassing. Kev's face got all splotchy when he cried. Drips of snot clung to his 'stache. He lifted his head and wiped his eyes.
"Kevin, I really want to believe you," Nurse Becky said softly. She took a deep breath. "If Nick is really hanging around with you, he'll know how many fingers I'm holding up behind my back."
Her arm shot behind her back. I swung behind her. She was holding up one finger - her middle finger. I laughed. She had a great sense of humor. Kev looked at me expectantly.
"Tell her she's holding up one finger," I said. "Her middle finger."
"Nick says you're holding up your middle finger," Kev said.
"What about now?" Becky asked. Three fingers wiggled in the air.
"She's wiggling three fingers."
"You're wiggling three fingers."
"Oh my God."
Becky whirled around and stared right at me. It was the first time I had seen her face to face instead of face to boob or with her back to me. She was friggin' stunning.
"Hubba bubba," I said thickly.
"You're serious," she said. She took Kev's hands and squezed them. "This is...INCREDIBLE!"
"Oh, it is, is it?"
The voice made me jump. Kris was standing a few feet away looking murderous. "Oh, crap, we forgot about Kris!" I yelped. "Kev, I hate to say it but this looks baaa- aaaaad."
"So this is your poptart..." Kristin said, "This is why your shoots keep going long? Why you can't come home with your son?" She had tears running down her cheeks, "Good fucking thing Nick's dying, huh, now you have extra time with your whore girlfriend from California?"
I was stunned. How in the fuck did this happen?
"Kris," I stammered, "Let me explain what's really going on here--" I started.
"Do not start with me, Kevin," she snapped. "I'm not stupid."
"I know you aren't stupid, which is why if you listen to me you'll see that I'd have to be stupid to cheat on you..." I said, moving towards Kris.
Nick hung back and Nurse Becky accidentally backed through him and a chill went through her body. She shook and looked around, "Nick?" she asked, glancing back and forth.
"I'm here!" Nick wailed waving his arms in front of her, "Here! Right here!!" He reached out and touched her arm with his hand for just the briefest of seconds.
Nurse Becky held up a palm. Nick placed his against hers. She shivered, but smiled. "Wow," she whispered.
I was focused on Kris, though, barely noticing them. "Honey, have you seen you? You're gorgeous, why in hell would I cheat on you?"
"Something new," she wailed, "I don't know - Midlife crisis?!"
"What? NO! That's bull," I reached for her arms.
"So explain it then, Kevin, what the hell were you doing out here, huh?" she pulled her arms away from me, "Explain to me why you left your friend, who's dying in less than eighteen hours, and deserted me, your wife, to go walk in an empty park with the sexy, off-duty ICU nurse you've been spending an awful lot of time talking to in the past few days?"
"She's Nick's nurse," I gasped, "Of course I've spent time talking to her, she knows his condition..."
"And she just happens to be a sexpot."
"Yeah," I shrugged, "Besides, I'm not the one that kept her around, I tried to fire her from taking care of him- Nick wanted to keep her."
Kristin rolled her eyes, "Kevin, Nick is a vegeta--"
"No, Kris, listen, I know I sound freaking insane, but listen to me--" I gasped, "I can see Nick. His like - I don't know, his spirit or whatever, I see it. I've been talking to him and helping him for the past few days and --"
"Kevin you're crazy," Kris now looked a little scared, "You're either lying or you're freaking crazy."
"Kevin's not lying."
Both our focuses shifted to Becky, who had both hands up in the air, pressed against Nick's palms. "Kristin, I swear to you, he just told me, too, and- and I think I'm touching Nick's hands right now..." her eyes darted to mine.
"You are," I said.
Becky swallowed and looked at her palms. "I didn't believe him either, but Nick told him how many fingers I held up behind my back, and..." she looked at her hands. "Hold out your hands, let him touch you, you'll feel it," she said.
Nick's eyes were watery, staring down at her hands, too. He glanced at me.
"Do it, Kris," I begged, "Please. Believe me."
Kris rolled her eyes and held out her palms, "You're both fucking insane," she grumbled, "You both belong in a --" She stopped as Nick laid his hands on hers. Her eyes widened and a shiver shook her. "Oh my God," she whispered.
"That's why I'm out here, Kris," I whispered. "Nick has eighteen hours to live and if I can't wake him up I'm at least gonna show him a good time... and... he loves Nurse Becky."
Becky and Kris's eyes were both full of tears.
Nick's breath wobbled. "You're right Kev," he whispered, "I think I do."
Kristin nodded, "Okay then." She dropped her palms from under Nick's and looked around at Becky, Nick - or at least the air she saw where he was standing, and I. Becky held up her palm again and Nick placed his palm against hers. "What're we doing then?" Kris asked.
