Time waits for no one

Sandra's life seemed to be on hold, frozen in time. Adelyn visited every week whether she wanted to or not, something inevitably led her back. She's gotten into a bad habit of taking a nap by Sandra's bedside and can never remember what really happens in her dreams, but something about them keep bringing her back.

"I found another job a better one" she tells Sandra, talking to her as if she can hear her words. Adelyn found comfort in these talks with Sandra it was therapeutic in a sense. Her weeks now consisted of going to work creating designs for her new boss and spending the weekend with Sandra. Technically she's there as a volunteer but only so she can have more visiting privileges. Adelyn must go to each room and do different chores and on occasion she gets a scoff or two from nurse 'grouch'.

"It's time to eat now Mrs. Bethel." Adelyn puts on her best customer service smile as she attempts to serve the baked chicken and plain green beans in a tray.

"No, I wouldn't feed this to a pig" her gravelly voice low but harsh with an added thick spit at the end right into her food tray.

"That's all we have Mrs. Bethel so please don't spit in it." she sets the tray down knowing that this would be a battle.

"Here" Mrs. Bethel coughs loudly as she hands Adelyn a twenty-dollar bill "take this to the nearest fast food restaurant and buy me a damn cheese burger!" coughing continues.

"You know why I can't do that." getting exasperated because this is the third tray of food she's brought to this room Adelyn settles herself.

"If this throat cancer doesn't kill me first the slop you serve me surely will" she slips a cigarette from her pillow and attempts to light it.

"Where did you get that?" Adelyn grabs the cigarette before the old woman can light it smashes it and throws it into the trash.

"Hey, you bitch, you can't do that. That's my property!" she bellowed angrily, her voice cracking.

"I can and I will, no smoking in the hospital!" Adelyn defiantly walks out of the room. The woman making an obscene gesture with her finger behind her back. The next room she was excited to visit.

"Hello Bobby, how are you feeling today?" Adelyn greeted him as usual.

"I'm feeling good today do you want to draw with me!" his tone was happy even though he looked exhausted.

"Sure, I've got some time." her worrying countenance hidden under her smile.

"Yay! You're the best, you always have the good pencils to draw with. Not like that mean nurse!" he picked his favorite pencil from her collection and began to draw.

"What are we drawing today Bobby?" she smiled and grabbed some printer paper that she kept in a drawer next to his bed.

"I wanna draw a wolf, Awooooo!" he excitedly but patiently awaited Adelyn's instructions.

"Ok first we are gonna draw three circles one small and two medium-sized, they don't have to be perfect." she demonstrates how to draw a circle and shows the spacing needed between them.

"Now we connect them, the small connects to the nearest circle then that one connects to the next one at the top and bottom of the circles." she draws a slightly curve line from each circle creating the body of the wolf and the neck.

"Then we add legs, a snout, fluffy ears and a bushy tail!" she goes on to demonstrate the rest of the drawing unaware of how much time has passed. She glances at her watch and realizes she's late to change the neighbors bed pan which means it is going to be extra full today. "Bobby, can you do me a favor and hold onto that very special pencil for me? Can you do that?" he nods his head in fervent agreement. "Yes, ma'am miss Del!" She arrives to a grumbly old man angry at the world. He snaps "You're late! My pan is overflowing!" It's not overflowing "As dramatic as usual Mr. Schakowsky" she says dryly.

"It's pronounced Chew -kaw-ski" He went about emphasizing each part syllable.

"Yes, that's fine, do you want me to take your bed pan away now or later?." The question was rhetorical, but he answered regardless.

"Now!" the man exclaimed.

"Yes sir, I'll get right on its sir." she mocked his drill sergeant attitude and rolled her eyes.

"I saw that! Kids these days have no respect!" he insisted as he tried to lift himself up. His body shakes as Adelyn grabs the pan out from under him and pours it out into the toilet.

Finished with him and all other rooms empty for now she headed back to Sandra's room which is now decorated by many drawings from Bobby and herself. Along the windowsill are some plants from Margret, with a few blankets brought in from elsewhere draped across a chair. Now the difficult part, rolling Sandra over so she won't get bed sores. Adelyn has gotten more comfortable as well as more adept at rolling her. The fact that her wounds from the crash were now completely healed helped as well. She used to be afraid to get near her wounds for fear of damaging her further. Flipping her onto her side she pulled up a chair and began to tell her about work and the other patients and how Bobby is becoming quite the artist. Sometimes though the pain in her chest is too much to bear and she just cries and apologizes, pleading her to wake up.

Margret comes to visit her daughter almost as much as Adelyn. They chat about this and that, sometimes Adelyn walks up and see's Margret weeping while grooming Sandra's hair. The sight pains her heart and is unbearable to watch, so she pretends to have more chores to do around the hospital. They see each other so often it is not unusual for Margret to invite Adelyn over for dinner.

Today Margret seems more down than usual. "Hey there, how are you doing today?" Adelyn attempts a somewhat cheerful tone.

"Today... is Sandra's birthday..." Margret replied a tear edging it's way out from her eye, her voice trembling.

"Oh, I see..." Adelyn sits down next to Margret glancing at the wrapped up box in her hands.

"I had hoped that she would have woken up by now." The present sat in her lap with perfect seams and a beautiful bow draping down the sides. She places it on the side table next to the bed, kisses Sandra's forehead and silently walks out of the room.

Adelyn feeling quite uneasy and unsure what to do sat and talked to Sandra, she begins rambling "Work has been going really well, my new boss is way nicer than my old one. I think I might get a raise soon, she loves my work" her tone became more serious "I hope your feeling well." she grasps her hand and holds it gently, laying her head down on the bed feeling Sandra's warmth against her cheek. she swears up and down that Sandra's body heat fluctuates when she does this, the doctors humor her and tell her it's possible even if they don't believe her. "All the stories your mother tells me makes me wish I could really meet you." she pushes back the hair that's grown almost shoulder length since the accident, her eyes lingering slightly on Sandra's face before whispering "Happy birthday" Adelyn's eyes dart around the room one last time settling on the gift left by the bedside before leaving for the night.

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"I wonder what they have in store for my birthday" Sandra thinks out loud as she's driving to work. "Mom always bakes a cake, so I have that to look forward to.... I wonder if I should tell Del, I mean we have been seeing each other for a few weeks now or has it been a month. I can't remember when we started our dates." she doesn't even pay attention to the road as she gets lost in thought. Before she even realizes she is showing up to her own birthday party, faces of co-workers and family fill the room. Glancing around, the only faces she see's clearly are of her mother and of Del. She smiles and quickly greets them with a chipper "Hello!" their faces didn't match their tone of voice at all, they sounded solemn. Her mom gives her a hearty hug with a great big smile on her face but says in quivering whisper "Happy birthday my baby." Sandra heard a soft 'thunk' and then her mother vanished. She was beginning to feel incredibly uneasy now. She turned around and noticed she was alone, only Del remained. She began to tremble, so many emotions thrust up all at once. Confusion, fear, sadness, anger; but then Adelyn began to speak to her and her emotions started to calm down. Her voice soothing the conflicting thoughts and feelings. She finds herself at home in her bed once more incredibly tired and goes to sleep.