But she didn’t really want to hand it to him directly, so this was a perfect opportunity to take it to his room. So, with that in mind, she picked up the guitar, walked back inside the center, and put it in his room, being careful to not wake him. She left it just against the dresser, so he could see it when he woke up. And then she snuck back out again. She didn’t want him to feel any pressure, but, if it would bring him pleasure, that was a whole different story. She was all about him getting more of that.
Back in her room she was restless herself. She headed outside for a swim and found herself plowing through the water. She knew it was all about being worried about Lance. It was frustrating to care this much. She loved and cared for all her patients, but, at the same time, it was frustrating to always worry about one continually. When she came out of the water and just sat in the evening air, drying off, Stan came out.
“Hey, how are you doing?”
“I’m okay,” she said. “I just had to burn off some excess energy.”
“Understood,” he said. “I’ve got puppies that need feeding, if you want to come and give us a hand.”
Immediately she hopped up and said, “Absolutely I do,” and she headed down to the vet center with him. And there, one of the vet techs—Robin, she thought was her name—had a puppy and a bottle. As soon as she saw Jessica, she reached out with both and handed them off. Then she snagged up another puppy and another bottle.
“Quite a production line going here,” Jessica said, as she curled up in a chair, cuddling the puppy. “They’re so special,” she whispered, holding the bundle of fur close. By the time the bottle was empty, the puppy was slowly falling asleep in her arms. She chuckled and handed him back. She looked over at the other two, but they were asleep as well. “So amazing,” she whispered.
Robin nodded and said, “We’re up twice a night with them,” she said. “So, just like any parent, we have to cuddle them a little bit more often,” she said.
“It’s all worth it,” she said, “because, when you care, when you look after them,” she said simply, “they realize they are loved.”
“Exactly,” Robin said.
Jessica headed back to her room, smiling because just something about doing things for others made her happier. And, with a big smile on her face, she fell asleep.
When Lance woke up the next morning, he felt marginally better. He didn’t recognize the nurse who came by with his medication first thing in the morning, immediately thinking of Jessica. Then he stretched, wondering if he felt better because of the antibiotics or just because he’d gotten some sleep. It was a hard thing to know. But at least he was feeling a little bit better. He also knew it would be pretty easy to overdo it and be right back where he was too. But he was happy to take this over the last few days he’d had.
Feeling a bit better, he got up, had a shower, and got dressed. When it was time for breakfast, he managed to get into his wheelchair and saw a guitar leaning against the dresser. He stared at it in surprise. Pushing the wheelchair closer, he reached out to stroke the long neck of the instrument.
“Well, this definitely has to be from Jessica,” he said quietly. And wasn’t that just so typical of her. She’d also been the one who had stayed on past her shift, who had tracked down the test results and the doctor, and who had given him his antibiotics last night, just to make sure that he got his treatment started. She was definitely somebody who cared and went above and beyond. It was such an odd thing. But, at the same time, it was really lovely.
She was a special woman. And maybe he was lucky enough to actually touch her in some way too because he certainly enjoyed every moment he spent with her. He just hadn’t been feeling all that great since his arrival here, so it was hard to actually do anything for others. He let his thumb drift across the strings and smiled as he heard the notes that came from the instrument. It wasn’t a high-end or an expensive guitar, but it had been tuned. He couldn’t wait to play it when he got back from breakfast. Bolstered by the unexpected gift or loan or whatever it was, he resolved to ask her the next time he saw her, and he headed down to the dining area.
Dennis took one look and said, “Well, it looks like you got some sleep last night.”
“You’re right,” he said. “I am feeling better this morning.”
“Good,” he said. “Now you need another good meal.”
“That’s what I was hoping for,” he said. “How about lots of protein?”
Chuckling, Dennis made him up a platter of eggs and sausage, with bacon on the side.
“Pretty hard to argue with the food,” he said.
“You’d be surprised,” Dennis said. “Lots of people do complain.”
“Well, that’s hard to believe,” he said. In his wheelchair, he stopped at the coffee station and tried to put some on his tray, but it was already pretty full.
“Not to worry,”
