A Thousand Miles to Walk in Your Shoes
A/N: I'm here!!! I thought this up a couple nights ago and got inspired from my life. Please review and enjoy.
Chapter 1: Broken
"All she does is look out the window as if she's looking for someone, waiting for someone to arrive," the nurse murmur to the visitor eyeing the woman. "And she's always saying something along the lines of, 'I will always love you, come back'. Do you have any idea who she's talking about?" The plump nurse faces the balding man with curiosity written on her face. "She has been puzzling the staff here all the time and she'll never leave that spot except only to eat and sleep."
In his Boston accent, he responds, "I think I do. But, he's never coming back."
The nurse smiled with relief and sadness saying, "Well good luck getting it out of her, Mr. Winchester, she doesn't talk too much. It's as if she's in another world and only she knows where. It's like that with most of the patients here. But then again, you're the first visitor in a long time and everyone gets some kind of visitor once a week."
Charles Emerson Winchester III reassured the nurse with a nod as he made his way to the woman's direction. He was slightly heavier, older and his receding hairline was gone. His spectacles hung from the tip of his nose. There was an empty chair near the woman and he sat in it. "Margaret?"
She turns to him as he notices her icy blue/green tired eyes that were thrilled for a moment's time hoping that it would be him, but after her dismay, she calmed herself with disappointment filling her. Purple bags circled her tired eyes. She smiles, happy to be in presence of company, but her mind isn't quite sure who he is. Charles notices that she looks the same with the exception of her thinnest. Her prominent bones show through her white skin. He's shocked, but not surprised. Charles knew that sometimes she forgot to eat or remembers eating when she really didn't. That's a downfall with Alzheimer's disease.
"Hi," she greets.
"Margaret, you look wonderful!" He leans down to kiss her cheek. "I'm Charles. We used to work together. Do you remember me at all?"
Her face switches to confusion and she shakes her head trying to remember who he was. He grasps her hand as if reading her mind, saying "It's ok. You don't have to know me."
"I'm sorry." Her eyes went downcast upon her shoes feeling guilty.
"Don't be. Who, are you waiting for if I may ask?" He changes the topic.
She smiles, her white teeth pearls as if she has a secret that she is passing on to him, she once again leans towards the window and full of delight tells Charles. "I'm waiting for my love. He has blue eyes, a big smile and a big heart. And his lips are gold. He promised to return to me one day."
"I see." Charles' tone changes a notch down, knowing that she's talking about Hawkeye, his once dreaded Swamp Bunkie. He knows what happened to him, but keeps it hidden from Margaret's ears. So, he just asks in a simple tone as possible: "When is he coming?"
She sighs. "Soon, I hope, I've been waiting here for what seems like ages." She turns back to him. "Do you know where he is?"
He shakes his head. "No. Sorry Margaret." He lies.
"Don't be, Charles. It's not your fault. I appreciate you keeping me company today. I get very lonely and not many people visit me." She pats his knee and smiles broadly.
"I've heard."
"No matter, I enjoy every company I get; I just wish that he would come." She repeats looking out the window anxiously. "He knows I hate to be kept waiting."
Charles remains silent staring at the nurse he once knew as a hardworking woman in the middle of a war zone and made sure everything was precise and prepared for inspections and surgeries. This woman sitting in front of him just deteriorated right before him faster than he could blink. It saddens him that all that she has done in her military career has been forgotten in her head. She keeps deteriorating.
"Where are my manners, how are you?" Margaret says breaking his thoughts facing him.
He springs ups and answered that he's fine and he's finally retired from the medical field and spending more time with his grandchildren.
"That's sounds wonderful!" She smiles in delight. "I'm sure they run you ragged all the time." She laughs to herself.
He smiles as well. "They do."
Yet again, Margaret looks out the window as is she saw something passes by. Her eyes grow wides for a slight second.
"Margaret, while we're waiting for him, why don't you tell me how you two fell in love?"
Ms. Margaret Houlihan closes her eyes as she grins. She knew this story; she remembers this particular story. She plays this story over and over in her head every day. This is the one story she will never forget even in her condition. She's been waiting for someone to tell it to, and happy to hear that someone was actually interested in it.
"It was spring 1957; I remember the cherry blossoms being in bloom…."