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Two people meet in a waiting room but you don't find out why until the end of the story. |
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Max is in the waiting room at Thomas Jefferson university hospital in Philadelphia pa. He has cordless headphones in. He’s not listening to anything in particular just wearing them in hopes of discouraging some other poor sap trapped here alone from talking to him to distract themselves from whatever life altering event brought them here. A pretty brunette stands in the doorway surveying the room. Max can see her from his gazes’ periphery. He continued to focus on the magazine in front of him occasionally remembering to bob his head or hum hoping to add believability to his act. Even as Max pretends not to notice he watches her eyes survey the waiting room bouncing from family member to loved one. Max groaned as her hazel eyes kept coming back to the two empty seats next to her. “Is this seat taken,” The woman asks Max who pointedly ignores her singing random lyrics. He even turning the page of his magazine for good measure. Not to be put off the youngish woman tapped the underside of his paper forcing Max to look at her. “Sorry to bother you,” she said so sweetly. Liar! Max thought barely holding back a nasty swear word. Removing an earbud he looks up at her with an annoyed questioning look. “I um, is that seat taken,” she asked again pointing to the chairs next to him. “No,” Max said then replaced the bud hoping she’s take the hint. She didn’t. After four minutes of fidgeting with her crap in her purse she stared at the television grumbling about so called reality t.v. Max almost agreed aloud before remembering he’s not supposed to be able to hear her. Another three minutes goes by. “I hate sitting in hospital waiting rooms, the not knowing gets to me so bad,” she says seemingly out of nowhere staring straight at Max. DAMN! Max thought breaking the illusion of modern distraction with one instance of eye contact. “My mother in law had this crazy nose bleed that wouldn’t stop and my husband is over sees so I had to bring her here then they told me to sit out here while they examined her and,” The woman stopped talking abruptly her shin dimpling below her quivering bottom lip as she struggled not to cry. “I’m sure she’ll be fine,” Max offered in a gruff tone his brown eyes soft and remorseful. “Thank you, I’m Jazmyn by the way,” she sniffled into the wad of thin hospital tissue’s Max handed her. Dammit I just wanted to be left alone Max thought closing the magazine with a sight. “Max,” he offered uncrossed and crossed his legs making a show of selecting a podcast. After scrolling he settled on a noir detective stories. Max thought the stories about private dicks and deceptive dames were so cool and sexy. He could imagine himself as anyone of the detectives. “Oooh that’s a good one,” Jazmyn piped up from beside him pointing at the third tittle from the top. ‘She really was innocent this time’ was the name of the story. “I know, I know,” Jazmyn giggled at the offense on Max’s face. “It’s a dumb title but a really good story. I got through it in eight hours and that was only because I had to go to work and actually accomplish something,” Jazmyn confessed to Max who smiled broadly despite himself. Max and Jazmyn spent the next hour talking about books, genres, the pros and cons of various reading platforms. By that time they were teasing and laughing like old friends happy to distract one another from the day’s concerns that had brought them to the hospital. More than a few times the pair drew annoyed glances from other people in the waiting room. They would hush one another loudly then break into even louder peals of laughter. “Mrs. Delarosa,” The nurse called out. “Here I am,” Jazmyn called out jumping up as if she’d just been called to contestant’s row on the prices right. “My name is Jan and I’m your mother in law’s nurse,” The short chunky woman supplied. “How is she, is the baby all right,” Jazmyn asked her words coming out in a jumbled rush. “They are both perfect, someone will come to get you once she’s situated in her room,” Jan assured Jazymn. “If everything is “perfect, why does she need a room,” Jazmyn asked using air quotes to emphasize the word perfect. Jan smiled sympathetically putting a placating hand on the other woman’s shoulder. “It’s merely a precaution because she’s of advanced maternal age, we’re just giving her IV fluids and letting her rest,” Jan said in her soothing nurse voice. “Thank you Jan,” Jasmyn replied giving the woman’s hand a squeeze before returning to sit next to Max with a huge relieved grin. Jazmyn texted her husband the update on his mother’s condition before turning back to Max. “Thanks so much for keeping me company, I know I was being a pain while you were just trying to ignore me so politely,” Jazmyn said laughing at the rush of color that spread outward from Max’s cheeks. Shrugging palms up Max chuckled. “Okay you caught me, I hate when random strangers come up to you in hospitals and want to tell you their life story so I do my best to discourage that kind of behavior,” Max said with a wry grin. “Does it work,” Jazmyn asked. “Fifty-fifty,” Max answered. “So since you admitted to deliberately sabotaging my evil plan I have a question for you,” Max said. “Shoot,” Jazmyn said. “How old is your mother in law and why are you here instead of the baby’s father,” Max asked. “Well dayum, okay straight to the point,” Jazmyn said sitting back in the chair with her arms folded right eyebrow quirked. “She’s forty-three, and the baby’s father is away on business,” Jazmyn supplied helpfully a naughty twinkle in her eyes as she watched Max process this information. “Oh okay so he’s working with your husband,” Max surmised aloud frowning puzzled at the myriad of emotions that flashed across Jazmyn’s face before she continued. “My husband is the baby’s father,” at the expression on Max’s face Jazmyn laughed so hard she nearly fell from her chair. It took her a bit to recover but finally Jazmyn sat up deep breathing and wiping away tears with one hand while holding her sore belly with the other. “I can’t physically carry a child to term, so my mother in law agreed to carry her for us,” Jazmyn confessed smiling happily. “Wow! That’s um---,” Max stammered at a loss of adjectives. “Your turn,” Jazmyn said changing the subject. “Who or what are you waiting for,” she asked her hazel eyes intense. “I’m waiting for my best friend, He’s being tested today to see if can give me a kidney,” Max said. Jazmyn opened her mouth saved from coming up with a reply by a call from the door. “Mrs. Delarosa, I can take you up to the room now,” The tall spindly male nurse said as Jazmyn stood. Nodding at the nurse Jazmyn turned to face Max one last time. Taking his hand she gave it a squeeze. “Good luck Max, you and your brave friend will be in my prayers,” she said. “Thanks good luck to your family as well,” Max said watching the nurse escort Jazmyn out the door toward the elevator. |
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