Keveney jerked from a deep sleep at the familiar twinkling of her phone. She snorted in surprise, lifting her heavy head from the pillow to glance at her clock. The large blue numbers indicated that it was early morning – far too early. She released a groan of protest, burying her face back into a pillow to will away the dreadful sound. Though, she was surprised that she had even heard the thing. Usually, she even had trouble hearing the piercing wails of her annoying alarm. Yet, the ringing persisted through her blurry thoughts, refusing to be silenced. Knowing she had lost the war, she fumbled to free a hand from beneath a thick pile of covers. Groping along her nightstand, she fought to locate the noisy phone. After several loud crashes of blurry objects, she finally located the phone. Mumbling still incoherent curses, she struggled to hold the phone correctly to her ear as she squeezed her eyes shut to avoid any declaration of consciousness.
“No more work—”
“Kevie?!” Howie’s voice interrupted with a painful stress.
“Howie?” Keveney responded, her body working with an icy fear from Howie’s voice. The tones released from just saying her nickname was enough to set her nerves ajar. Something wasn’t right. Every muscle within her body tightened and she felt as if the heavy blankets were suffocating her. Her skin prickled with several sharp tingles as her heart furiously pounded from beneath her ribcage, causing her rate of breaths to increase and beads of sweat to collect at her hairline. Lightheadedness swirled through her clouded mind, struggling to orient from her previous state of sleepiness.
“God, Kevie, I’m so sorry—”
“Don’t be sorry.”
“I shouldn’t have called, but, God!”
“What’s wrong?”
“Jillian — She’s sick — I have no idea what’s going on. She just got this really high fever all of a sudden and was screaming — I’m at the hospital and I don’t know what to do. They took her back and haven’t said a word to me—”
“What hospital?”
“Orlando Memorial—”
“Give me ten minutes,” Keveney declared, throwing the phone down without any considerations for a proper goodbye. She left no room for argument as she threw away the covers from her chilly body, hurdling herself out of the large bed. She stumbled across the length of the pitch-black bedroom, throwing on various articles of clothing from her open drawers and closet. She wasted no time locating the right color or texture. It didn’t matter what matched as long as she arrived without exposing any private portions of her body, bra, or briefs.
Besides, clothing didn’t matter as scenarios of her beloved Jillian thrashed against her aching skull as she tried to get ready. Her mind continued to repeat the facts of Pediatric Nursing, which would frighten even an uneducated layman. Jillian was a premature infant. And, even if she had been perfectly healthy at birth, she still was deprived of precious moments spent in the mother’s uterus gaining immunities and proper functioning of her systems. So, whatever ailment she suffered from, Jillian was at a more severe risk for complications. The idea of Jillian suffering because of an unfair disadvantage terrified Keveney. She could only hope that Jillian was receiving the best of care at Orlando Memorial while Howie simply sat in the waiting room. No answers to speak of.
Her heart ached for Howie at that moment, shifting her attention from the textbook horrors that played in her mind during her Neonatal rotations. She needed to be by his side for the time being. It seemed as if Howie had called no one else. He was waiting for her. They had grown so close in the passing months. Keveney was starting to believe that she held a special portion of his soul, because he held the most special portion of hers. She had to hurry.
“God, let them both be okay,” Keveney prayed softly, tripping from the threshold of her doorway. She cursed softly and kicked her door shut, preparing to give it a thrashing. But, the sharp opening of the opposite door drew Keveney’s attention. She gasped in shock as Stevie sprang from her quarters, swinging a thick baseball bat toward a wall. Keveney fell into her the doorway of her room, missing a firm connecting with the brunt force of the bat.
“Get on the ground, Scumbag! Or I’ll hammer your nuts so hard that they’ll spring out your nose and look like bleeding roses!” Stevie hollered in a sleep-induced state, raising the bat again for a might blow.
“Evie! It’s me, go back to bed! You freaking psycho!” Keveney called with a soft groan, holding her hands up as Stevie poked her in the chest with the bat. Stevie had been known to sleepwalk at certain stressful points. Yet, she also became utterly defensive in a half-awake state. Many nights Keveney’s boyfriends had almost been beaten to an inch of their life because they had roused Stevie. Keveney suddenly felt sorry for Stevie’s future husband who needed a late-night snack. She quickly made a mental note to locate a useful fertility clinic.
“Kevie?! What the Hell—”
“Howie called. Jillie’s Bean’s in the hospital.”
Stevie blinked, “Then why are you just standing there?”
Howie nervously thumped his foot upon the bleached tile floors, refusing to even glance at the clock for one more moment. He was convinced that the hands of the clock were moving backwards to purposely drive him insane. It felt as if he had been confined to the Emergency Waiting Room for a century. The harsh hospital chemicals assaulted his delicate senses to jar him from any calm state as his sleep deprived body screamed for rest. But, it was useless. The adrenaline of fear coursing throughout his body had wound him to the point of self-destruction. He just wanted his little girl in his arms on that lonely Christmas night.
Yet, as much as he longed for Jillian, terrifying memories would distract him from remembering Jillian in brighter moments. He recalled that Jillian’s body was blistering with a heavy fever, almost setting a fire to his hands as he buckled her into the car. She had screamed so fitfully in the car, causing tears to form in the depths of Howie’s dark eyes. She thrashed against the restraints, even holding her breath once or twice to startle him. But when they reached the hospital, she had fallen so silent and still. Howie thought she might be dead. His blood ran cold as he rushed her into the Emergency Department, turning her over to the physicians with several pleas to save his baby daughter. And, when the staff ripped her from his arms, he fell to pieces.
“Dear God, let her be okay. If your punishing me, please, Dear God, don’t take it out on her,” Howie lamented to himself, squeezing his eyes closed in prayer. He clasped his hands tightly as he hunched over in his seat, trying to make a ‘to do list’ to settle his nerves. Yet, nothing was coming to mind. He had left messages to the necessary family and friends, but insisted they stay home. With much reluctance, they actually agreed on the terms that he would call with any news. He accepted quickly, only wanting one person with him during the tragedy.
“Howie!”
Howie whipped his head in the direction of the melodious voice, immediately bolting away from the aching chair. It felt like a true Godsend as Keveney’s warm arms embraced him in a tight knit of comfort and love. He breathed with a bittersweet relief, embracing her softly as he nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck. He needed to be held and take care of as much as Jillian did at that moment. Having someone to finally lean upon did wonders for Howie’s aching heart. He actually released the softest sob as she rubbed his back, bringing him as close as possible.
“Oh, Kevie,” Howie groaned with agony.
“I’m so sorry, Howie. I got here as soon as I possibly could. If I had gone any faster, I would have sprouted wings. But I’m here now, okay? And I’m not going anywhere,” Keveney promised repeatedly, continuing to hold Howie while easing him back into the chairs. She knew they weren’t the most comfortable things, but she couldn’t risk letting Howie fall to the floor. Having Jillian in the hospital was bad enough. She didn’t need to be bouncing back and forth between two rooms.
“I’m just glad you’re here. Jillie Bean needs you,” Howie breathed raggedly, continuing to hold onto his companion. “I need you.”
“And I’m going to stay.”
“Thank you so much.”
“No need. I love you both. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” Keveney continued, allowing Howie to rest against her shoulder. She instantly traced her fingers through his soft curls in a soothing motion, watching his eyes drift closed. He had been waiting for centuries and looked utterly exhausted. Keveney didn’t blame him. She wanted him to rest, even for just a small moment. Besides, she knew it was agony to wait, but they had no choice. And, if possible, Keveney would do the waiting for him. “And I wouldn’t want to be with anyone else, either.”
