Chapter 51

I backed off. I looked from Andy to Hank. I was hyperventilating. I felt faint.

Hank and I went out into the hall. Brad stayed with Andy. I told the nurse at the desk Andy had just received some news that had upset him. She went to his room.

Hank leaned against the wall with his hands shoved in his jeans pockets, his head sagging. “I’m so sorry, Mr. B. I didn’t realize that—I’m just so sorry.”

I walked over to Hank and took him in my arms. “You didn’t know. I didn’t know. Don’t beat yourself up. You were just trying to help.”

* * * *

The next weeks I went to visit Andy every day. Every day I was turned away at the nurses’ desk. He refused to see me.

Finally he was to be discharged. There was no physical reason for him to be in the hospital. Since he had nowhere else to go, he was to come to our home. I went to see Dr. Carbury.

“What am I gonna do? He won’t see me at the hospital. He won’t see Hank. At least he’ll talk with Brad. Oh shit, this is such a mess.”