Page 130 of Sing it, Sam

Sam: Fucking pumpkin soup

I burst out with laughter until tears form in my eyes. God, I love this so much. I rattle off a reply.

Me: He is so KIND

Sam: Yeah, that’s exactly what I was thinking.

***

As much as I’ve missed talking to Sam during the last few days, I feel like I’ve come leaps and bounds with life. Yesterday, the rhythmic gymnastics group from Willow Creek Primary School performed for the residents and it was a big hit; both young and old enjoyed themselves. Today, which is now known as Plant Therapy Thursday, I planted bulbs with Mrs Lee and Shirley in the new planter boxes I had the maintenance contractors set up in the courtyard. It’s been beautiful to watch on as the friendship between these two women blossoms. Add to that, come spring, thanks to their efforts, the courtyard will be bursting with colour.

As the sun creeps behind the mountains, I pour myself a glass of red, grab a warm blanket and my phone, and take a seat on the porch with my sidekick.

I savour each mouthful of the wine as I stare at the oranges and pinks poking out between smatterings of cloud. Butch nuzzles into my side and flops his head on my lap.

“Won’t be long and Sammy will be sitting here with us,” I say in an excitable voice.

Butch’s tail whips against the back of the chair and he whines.

“How ’bout we call him now, boy?”

I dial Sam’s number and wait patiently for him to answer. He doesn’t. I try again. No luck. Rather than leave a voicemail, I send him a text.

Me: I’m betting the soup did the trick and you and Ben are on the couch cheering on the Panthers. Give me a call when you can x

I scratch the top of Butch’s head, stand, and usher him inside. “Come on. Guess we’d better eat.”

***

A shrill sound pierces the quiet of the night, jolting me out of a deep sleep. I fumble for the glowing screen on my bedside table and swipe the bottom of it.

“Hello?” I say and clear my throat. I pull the phone quickly from my ear to confirm that Ben has called.

“Jane, hey,” Ben says, a hum of voices competing with his.

I sit bolt upright. “Ben. What time is it?” I rub at my eyes. “What’s wrong?”

“Sorry to call you so late. I know you were trying to get a hold of Sam.” Ben shuffles the phone. The noise in the background fades. “Sorry, I just had to come outside. Listen, I’ve brought Sam to the hospital.”

My heart kicks in my chest. “What?” I croak out. “What happened?”

“Sam told me to tell you not to panic, and that he’s fine.”

“But he’s in the hospital,” I blurt out as I turn on my lamp. “People who are fine don’t go to the hospital.”

“If a healthy person came down with a cold, they wouldn’t need to be here, but team that with a shot immune system like Sam’s and … ” Ben sighs. “I brought him in as a precaution. Had to drag him here, though.”

“Well, thank you. Are you sure it’s just a precaution?”

“Just getting him checked out. The doctor’s assessing him now. With any luck we’ll be sent home in a few hours with some strong antibiotics.”

My shoulders slump as I exhale.Cease panicking. Sam will only give me shit anyway. I need to show him that I can be an adult about this. If Sam says he’s fine and Ben is taking him purely as a precaution, I need to relax. “Can you get Sam to text me later?”

“His phone’s flat, and I forgot to bring a charger to the hospital. I’ll try and track one down and will update you when I can.”

“Good. Thanks. Remind him to be kind to the nurses, ’kay?”

Ben chuckles. “Yes, ma’am.”

Ben is my only chance of getting a message to Sam. Even though what I’d like to say is far from PG, I tone it down. “Um, Ben?”

“Yeah?”

“Tell him I love him, ’kay?”

“No probs. Will do.”

“If you need anything, let me know.”

Sleep doesn’t come until the early hours of the morning. Not when images of Sam in a hospital bed surrounded by four white walls is front of mind.

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