Page 67 of Totally Opposed

“Precious isn’t here. I think she might have gotten out.”

“No, she’s okay, too. Kelly has her. He came to when the paramedics got there and refused to leave if Kelly didn’t bag her up and bring her.”

“That would have been interesting.”

“Yeah, she got two stitches getting her into the bowling bag.”

“Fuck. Okay, I’m coming, I’ll be there in five.”

“You don’t have to come. He’s fine. Really.”

“I know. See you soon.”

I hang up before he can argue, close the window, and do a quick sweep of the room. He’ll probably want his own things. Staying in hospital gowns is horrible. But would he want me going through his things? Fuck. Okay, if I do and he flips out, I’ll just bake him a big batch of cobbler. That should win him over.

I collect his slippers, socks, and dressing gown and find a folded pair of pajamas on his bed that he has to have put there after changing this morning. I throw them in a bag, a pair of pants, a shirt, his regular shoes, socks, and the hat he has sitting on his dresser. It looks like a going out-of-the-house hat, not that he goes out of the house often, or at all apparently. He must hate being at the hospital. I grab his toothbrush and comb, and some of Precious’s treats before locking his door behind me and heading over to the hospital.

Turns out they like keeping people’s room numbers private in this place and the woman behind the reception desk shakes her head for the third time.

“I’m sorry, if you aren’t family, I can’t.”

“I’m his grandson’s…partner,” I say, and her eyebrows rise a little.

“Oh, sorry, yes, okay, well, umm, Mr Beaker is in M, two one five.” She suddenly looks confused.

“Everything okay?”

“Yes. It’s just that’s our pet therapy ward.”

“That sounds right,” I reply, and she shrugs and points towards the hallway to my right.

“Take the elevator to the second floor, then follow the signs to section M, bed fifteen.”

“Thank you,” I reply, heading for the elevator. I pass the nurses’ station at the doors to section M, strolling past like I own the place, and when I turn the corner, following the signs for bed fifteen, I see him. Alan resting against the corridor wall, his head down, shoulders slumped like the whole world has fallen on him.

“I’m here,” I say, dropping the bag beside his feet and wrapping him in my arms. “Did he…did something?”

“No,” he gets out before his arms pull me in tighter and his head buries into the crook of my neck.

I stay in the hallway, holding him, just standing there, breathing with him, letting him hold on for as long as he needs, and then the door to the room beside him opens, and Kelly steps out.

“Oh Ryan, thank god you’re here,” she says, wrapping her arms around us both. “He’s been asking for you.”

“He has?” I ask, and Alan lets me go, though the way his face is so drawn, so tired and so sad, all I want to do is pull him close again and hold him until all of his joy and color returns.

“He was worried about you,” she goes on to say.

“About me, why?”

“He knew you were coming to get him and he thought you might hurt yourself trying to check on him again.”

“Oh, well, I mean, I would have, but the door was unlocked this time,” I say, and Kelly covers her mouth with her hand.

“Oh god, don’t tell him that, please.”

“No worries, I’ll say I got the super to unlock it.”

“Oh good, that will work.”

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