An Unexpected Hospital Visitor

"Would you mind waiting here for a couple of minutes? I, uhmmm, need to go to the men's room," Josh lied. He would have kicked himself for making such a lame excuse but at that moment, it was the best he could come up with.

"Oh. Okay, then. Stella and I will wait here," Alynna mumbled a half-hearted reply. Yesterday's incident planted doubts in her mind and they would probably not go away any time soon.

Josh had gone back inside the hospital even before Alynna had finished speaking. Alynna watched his tall, slender figure disappear into the crowd of people going through the entrance. She stroked Stella's hair.

Stella walked around the Alynna's wheelchair. Alynna didn't want to be wheeled out of the hospital but because of protocol, she really didn't have much choice. Stella twirled around, pretending to be a ballerina. As she did so, she extended he arms and miscalculated how far the passing people from her were. She felt her right hand hit something but she didn't know what it was. She stopped immediately and just in time to hear some people say, "Oh!" She looked around and saw a cup of coffee, spilled on the floor. Beside the cup stood a man, who Stella thought dressed well. Unfortunately, some of the coffee spilled onto his pants. His face had a shocked expression. He slowly looked at Stella.

Stella was close to crying. She looked over her mother who was also quite shocked about what happened. Alynna was looking at the man, waiting for his reaction.

The man walked over to Stella who was slowly backing away. The man raised his hands and said, "It's okay. Don't worry about it."

Stella couldn't believe her ears. She thought she would hear a scolding.

"Don't worry about it," repeated the man. "It's just coffee."

Stella looked at the hem of his pants that were wet and were stained by the coffee.

"Don't worry about those, too," said the man. "I'll just take it to the dry cleaners."

The man looked around. "Whose with you?"

Stella pointed to Alynna who was now standing from the wheelchair watching them.

"I'm her mother," Alynna said, walking towards them.

"No, please, sit down," the man said to Alynna when he noticed the empty wheelchair beside her. The people passing by were watching the scene. "I don't want anybody to think I'm heartless, letting a woman on a wheelchair stand up."

Alynna complied. She motioned for Stella to come to her. Stella ran to her, avoiding both the man and the spilled coffee.

"Sorry about that," Alynna said to the man. "I'll pay for it."

"No, please. Don't worry about it. It was half-empty anyway," lied the man. He had just bought the coffee from a nearby coffee shop. He was on is way to his car when Stella knocked his drink from his hand.

"What's your name?" The man asked Stella.

Stella looked at her mother, as if asking permission to talk to the stranger.

"Go ahead," Alynna said.

"I'm Stella," she said shyly.

"Hi, Stella. My name is Xander."

. . .

Josh walked around the hospital lobby for a few minutes. The information table had a handful of people asking for directions — where the laboratories are, where the clinics are, where the Emergency Room is.

Josh waited for the people to clear up the information table. He slowly approached the woman sitting behind the desk. She was an elderly woman but her smile was welcoming.

"May I help you?" She asked as soon as she saw Josh in front of her.

Josh noticed her lipstick had faded a bit. Her wavy hair falling just past her shoulders. The woman reminded him of his mom.

"Yes, I was wondering if there is a person by the name of Alexander Green admitted in this hospital?"

The woman thought for a moment before looking at the computer beside her.

"What's the name again?"

"Alexander Green."

Josh watched the woman typed in Xander's name.

"I'm sorry, there is no Alexander Green admitted in this hospital,"

A man came and stood beside Josh but Josh quickly spoke again.

"Are you sure? Maybe he's not admitted? Maybe he consulted with a doctor?"

"Sir, I can only tell you if a person is staying in the hospital. I cannot tell you if they are here for a consultation."

"Okay. Thank you." Josh walked away slowly and then he realized something.

Maybe Xander wasn't here because of himself. Maybe he brought somebody to the hospital.

But who?

Josh had a good idea who.

He went back to the information officer again.

The lady sighed when she saw Josh.

"How may I help you, Sir?"

Josh cleared his throat. "Could you please check if there is a Mandy Enriquez admitted to this hospital?"

The lady looked skeptical. But she checked her computer. She looked at Josh after typing in the name. Her eyes squinted.

"We do have a Mandy Enriquez in this hospital. May I know how you are related to her?"

Josh cleared his throat again. "I work for her company, I'm a messenger there and I have to bring a message to her. A confidential message, which I have to deliver personally."

"Do you have an ID?"

Josh showed her his company ID. She took it from his hand and studied it, looking at him at one time as I verifying if he was indeed the man in the ID. She gave the ID back to Josh after a few seconds.

"She's at the Emergency Room. Just down the hallway and then turn left. You won't miss it."

"Thank you," replied Josh.

Josh walked the length of the hallway, his heart rapidly beating. As he turned left, he stopped walking.

"What am I doing?" He asked himself.

"Even if I find her here, what will I say to her? She probably hates me right now and wouldn't want anything to have to do with me."

Josh turned around and walked slowly away.

"No, wait. I will just check if she's okay and then I'll go," he said to himself. He began walking towards the ER again. He could hear voices but he couldn't understand what they were saying. At the end of the hall was a nurse station.

"Excuse me," he began, "is Miss Mandy Enriquez still here?"

The male nurse took a clipboard from behind the computer and looked. He adjusted his thick eyeglasses while reading the paper attached to the clipboard.

"Bed 15, Sir," said the nurse.

"Oh, okay. Thanks," replied Josh.

He slowly walked towards the row of beds. Some of the divider curtains were closed, indicating there was a patient there. Josh read the numbers of the beds he passed.

"12, 13, 14…" Josh was whispering to himself.

Bed 15's curtain was closed. Josh wanted to call out Mandy's name. But he didn't know how Mandy would react. With a heavy heart, and heavier feet, he walked away and returned to the nurse's station.

"Excuse me, the patient in Bed 15, how is she? I went there but the curtain was closed. She might be resting or sleeping and I didn't want to wake her," explained Josh.

This time it was a different nurse.

"Bed 15, you say?" The nurse read the record. "The patient is stable and doing well, Sir. In fact, she was already discharged. The curtain was probably closed because she's getting ready to go. Would you like to see her, anyway?"

"No, it's okay. She might be resting. It's enough to know she's okay," Josh said and then he started to walk back to the lobby.

"Josh?" A voice said behind him. He knew the voice all too well. He turned around to face the owner of the voice.

"Hello, Amanda — I mean, Miss Mandy."

"Why are you here? Are you sick? Did you bring someone here?" Mandy asked, concern in her voice.

Josh thought for a moment. "I… Yes, I did bring someone here."

"Who? Alynna? Your daughter?"

"No. I mean yes," he said. Today, there will be no more lying. "I did bring Alynna here. She wasn't feeling well last night. But she's okay now."

"I see. So… why are you still here?"

"I… Well I saw…"

"Miss Mandy? Are you ready to go?" Andrew, Mandy's chauffeur, suddenly came out of nowhere.

Mandy looked at Andrew and then back to Josh and then to Andrew again before she answered.

"Yes, Andrew, I'm ready to go."

Andrew asked for her purse so that he may carry it.

"It's okay, Andrew. I got it. Would you mind waiting for me at the lobby? Thanks."

Andrew obliged and left the two of them.

"Like what I was saying…" Josh began again but Mandy cut him off.

"No need to explain Josh. I'll see you at work." Mandy walked past him without looking back. She wanted to hear what he has to say but for what reason? In her mind, Josh was taken, no longer available to be with. Whatever romantic inclination they had before was thrown out the window last night.

Josh stood there, watching her walk away. He wanted to explain but how? How do you explain to somebody who doesn't want to listen?