“In just a little bit, she won’t be your wife any longer,” Bill said quietly, hoping his words would sink in.
Richard smiled and patted his new friend gently on the face. “All the more reason I need to spend as much time with her as I can.” The sadness in his eyes was more than Bill could stand. “Please. Just use this to help get Jason home, the rest is yours. To help make your retirement years more comfortable.”
Bill grimaced as he looked over his shoulder at Jason coming up the hall with his bag over his shoulder. He sighed heavily, then nodded. “Fine, I’ll do it. But I’m doing it for the kid.”
Richard smiled and nodded, pulling the larger man into a hug. “I knew I could count on you,” he whispered in his ear. He let him go and turned back to his safe. As he continued to pull items out and stuff them in the bag, he hollered for Jason, “Jake!”
“Yeah, grandpa?” he asked as he came up beside him.
“Uncle Bill is going to take you home, okay, buddy?” Richard said. “I’m afraid Gram is going to need some special care, and I’m going to stay with her for a little bit,” he lied. “You need to listen to Uncle Bill. He used to be a cop you know.”
Jason turned to Bill, “You’re my uncle? How come I never met you before?”
“I was in Texas.”
Richard finished packing the leather bag and handed it to Bill. “Remember what I told you,” he said. “The address is right here.” He handed him a folded slip of paper. Bill took it and slipped it into his shirt pocket.
“I really wish you’d change your mind and come with us,” Bill said.
Richard shook his head. “Can’t.” He looked down to Jake and squatted in front of the boy. “Give your Grandpa a hug.” He pulled the boy in and squeezed him tight. “I’m so sorry you have to go right back, Jake. I know you were really looking forward to staying, but…” Richard choked up a bit and looked up to Bill while he still held his grandson. “Just remember always that I love you, okay?”
“I know, Grandpa,” Jason said as he hugged him back. “Tell Gram I love her, and I hope she gets to feeling better, okay?”
“I will.” Richard’s tears started to form in his eyes.
He motioned for Bill to take the boy before he lost his nerve. He watched them walk out the back door before he turned down the hall and toward the bedroom. He paused by the door and put his ear to it for just a moment. When he opened it, Harriet sat on the bed, her head in her hands.
“Hey, sweetie. Ready for me to wrap that arm?”
She looked up at him and shook her head. “I’m infected, aren’t I?”
Richard contemplated lying to her. In all the years they’d been married, he’d never once lied. He couldn’t start now. “I don’t know. Maybe. Why do you ask?”
She inhaled deeply and stared at him. “I feel hot,” she said. “And, there’s this.” She pointed to her eyes.
Richard leaned in and saw that the whites of her eyes were beginning to fill with blood. He felt his lower jaw quiver as he sat down on the bed beside her. “Then, yeah. You are.” He nodded. He felt the tears run down his cheeks as she reached over and took his hand.
“Where’s Jason?” she asked, suddenly worried.
Richard smiled at her. “Bill is going to take him home.”
She gasped slightly and cocked her head at him. “He’s going to drive him, instead of flying? That’s quite a drive.”
Richard nodded. “He’s retired. What else is he going to do with his time?” He gently pressed his forehead to hers.
For the next few moments the two sat quietly, heads pressed together, hands gently folded into each other’s. Finally, Harriet, pulled him close and kissed him. “Do you think it’s going to hurt?” Her voice was barely above a whisper.
Richard sniffed back the tears and shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess we’ll find out.”
She looked at him, somewhat startled. “What do you mean, ‘we,’ big boy?”
He squeezed her hand and stared at her. “Where you go, I go. For better or for worse, remember?” He smiled at her and the tears squeezed out of his eyes.
Harriet shook her head adamantly. “No, Richard, I don’t want to live like that,” she said. “As soon as it happens, I thought you would…” She stared at him expectantly. “I’d hoped you’d put me out of my misery.”
Richard’s mouth dropped open and he shook his head. “No, Harriet, you can’t ask me to do something like that.”
She held his face in her hands, a tear escaping her eye. “Sweetheart, I didn’t think I’d have to ask you,” she said. “I would have thought certainly you’d know I wouldn’t want to live like that?”
“You can’t ask me to…” Richard choked.
Harriet suddenly winced. “Ooh, Richard?”
He pulled in closer to her and squeezed her hand. “Yes, darling?”
She shivered again and her shoulders nearly convulsed. “It does hurt,” she said through clenched teeth.
“I’m here, my love.” Richard moved to her other side. “What do you want me to do?”
She shook harder and fought to regain control of herself. She reached out for him, but, instead, grabbed the pillow. She sunk her nails into it and all but screamed, “Shoot me!”
Richard stepped back away from her, his hand going for the pistol in his pants. As he pulled it and released the safety, he backed up to the wall and brought the barrel up to line up with her head. “I don’t know if I can,” he whispered.
Harriet shook nearly to the point of convulsions, and Richard wanted nothing more than to load her in the car and rush her to the hospital. She suddenly snapped her head around and stared
