The Greatest Showman #877 – Calm

After sending Andy, Roy, and Nathan on their way, Renly found himself alone at Mount Sinai Hospital.

He turned and spotted Anita Tunissa at the nurse's station, her round face clouded with a sigh of exhaustion. She stepped forward, her movements a little awkward, and in a playful tone, she complained, "You made me move my ass; it's not easy for me, you know."

Anita, with her larger frame, was more prone to sitting down and dealing with small tasks, so getting her up was no small feat. The nurses often joked about how difficult it was to pry her from her comfortable seat. Anita, though, took it all in stride.

Her joke brought a small smile to Renly's face.

But as the humor faded, Anita's gaze grew more serious. Her dark eyes seemed to look beyond the surface, as though they could see the man behind the mask of calm he wore. Yet, instead of saying anything, Anita pulled him into a tight hug, her big hands gently landing on his back.

Before Renly could respond, Anita spoke again, "No complaints about my hugs. All the little ones in the hospital refuse to hug me now. If you don't like it, I'll throw you out, you hear me?" Her gruff words were laced with genuine affection and warmth.

Renly smiled slightly, a glimmer of warmth in his eyes. When she let go, he asked, "Is there anything I can help with? I have some time until five o'clock, before dinner."

Anita scratched her forehead thoughtfully. "We were planning to tidy up the game room this afternoon. Did you hear about it? Someone donated some books to the hospital. We're setting up a little reading corner in the game room so the kids can enjoy them. I know you're not much of a carpenter, but you should be fine tidying up the playroom, right?"

Renly laughed and nodded, "No problem." He patted her arm, accepting the task with a grin before heading toward the game room.

Just as he started walking, Anita's voice called after him. "Hey, young man." Renly stopped and turned, raising an eyebrow in question. "What's up?" he asked.

"You know, it's not your fault," Anita said softly, the fragility in her words revealing something deeper.

Renly lowered his gaze, a storm of thoughts passing through his mind, but he quickly shifted the topic. "I'd prefer not to be alone in the game room. Maybe get a few more people to help out?"

Anita nodded, understanding the unspoken need for companionship in this moment, and with a quiet "I'll take care of it," she headed off.

Renly continued on his way, his footsteps steady and deliberate. He passed by Heather's ward and stopped, his gaze drawn to the faint silhouette through the window.

Inside, Heather lay still on the bed, a ventilator connected to her mouth, tubes coiled around her like snakes. The soft, golden light from the window made her appear as if she were simply asleep, but the machines and monitors told a different story. The steady beep of the heart monitor cut through the stillness, reminding him that this wasn't just sleep.

For a moment, Renly felt a sharp pang of recognition—he didn't see Heather's face, but the image of Chu Jiashu flashed in his mind, and then, for a brief moment, his own face. The illusion passed as quickly as it came, leaving him with the reality of Heather's fragile state.

He drew in a breath, forcing himself to move on. The game room awaited.

Hours passed as Renly worked, lost in the rhythm of setting up the game room. When Carrie Barton reminded him it was lunchtime, Renly realized he had lost track of time. He grabbed his lunch—simple but filling: a sandwich, an apple, orange juice, and some potato chips.

After stepping outside the hospital building, he made his way to the backyard lawn, seeking some quiet. He spotted Annie Silliman sitting nearby. Glancing over at her, Renly asked, "What are you eating?"

Annie, perched on the bench with her feet curled up in front of her, was munching on a banana. She looked up at him with a little too much seriousness for someone her age. "What else could it be?" she replied with mock indignation.

Renly chuckled. Annie had a thing about bananas. She hated them, but somehow they were always her go-to snack.

Unable to resist, Renly laughed again. Annie just shrugged, her small frame puffing out her chest dramatically. "Life's nothing but a banana," she sighed dramatically, as if the whole world had conspired against her.

Renly's laughter bubbled up uncontrollably at the sight, and Annie's eyes narrowed, as though daring him to find humor in her predicament.

Still grinning, Renly wiped the tears from his eyes. "Well, if you're tired of the banana, I could trade you my apple."

Annie raised an eyebrow. "The doctor says I can't eat apples today because they're too high in fiber. Ridiculous, right? A banana and an apple can't be that different. It's the doctor who's making a big deal of it."

Renly nodded in agreement, playing along. "You're probably right. But what do I know about nutrition?"

With that, Renly took a bite of his sandwich, and for a few moments, the two of them sat in companionable silence, bathed in sunlight, letting the peace of the moment settle over them.

After a while, Annie broke the silence. "Renly, do you think Heather will wake up tomorrow?"

Renly swallowed the bite in his mouth and paused. "Derek said you promised Heather you'd take us to that party in LA, right? So, she must be awake soon."

Annie's expression brightened as she looked up at Renly, her eyes full of hope. "Ellie said Heather was too tired from last night and needed rest. But she's been sleeping for so long. What if she misses the party? Will she still be able to come?"

Renly's heart twisted, knowing how much this meant to Annie. The confusion between hope and guilt reflected in the little girl's eyes was hard to ignore.

He smiled gently. "If you want to go to the party, you and Alex can come with me. But if you do, you'll have a big responsibility. You'll need to tell Heather all about it when you come back. Let her hear about all the fun, so she'll want to get better and join us next time."

Annie's face lit up. "Can I really go?"

Renly nodded. "If your mom agrees."

Annie's face broke into a smile, and the tension in her little body eased. She started munching on her bananas, her voice picking up steam as she babbled about the party. "Maybe Heather will wake up tomorrow. Then we can all go together!"

Renly nodded, watching Annie's excitement with fondness. "Yes, maybe she will wake up tomorrow."

Lunch ended, and Renly got back to work. By five o'clock, the game room was nearly ready—just waiting for the bookshelf to be finished. He had a moment to himself before Nathan arrived to pick him up.

After a quick shower and a change of clothes at the apartment, Nathan took Renly to the café on Madison Avenue. The place was famous in New York, even if it wasn't well known to outsiders. Woody Allen played jazz there every Monday, and tonight, he'd be dining with his usual crew—Tony Kaye, Karl Lund, and Renly Hall.

Dinner passed quickly, and by 9:30, Renly, Woody, and the others made their way out of the café. Nathan reappeared, ready to take Renly to the night's main event on the Upper East Side.

As they drove, Nathan glanced in the rearview mirror, his worry clear. "Renly, are you sure about this?"

Renly, dressed sharply in a suit and leather shoes, leaned back and smiled slightly. "We're going to be late."