***
The Janitor sat stiffly on the mahogany peu, slowly raising his wristwatch to the level of his ivory pocket square. The service wasn't going to start for another twenty three minutes, so he sat alone in the hospital chapel. No one was there to see him close his gray eyes. No one was there to hear him let out a shuddering breath. And no one was there to watch a single tear drip off his eyelashes as he involuntarily re-played the scene in his mind.
***
They say that every tragic occurence happens in slow motion. That every fatal accident is viewed frame-by-frame by whoever is there to witness it. But in the Janitor's mind, it had all happened very quickly. One moment, he was assembling the greasy components of his roast-beef sandwich. Licking the tip of his left index finger, he announced to no one in particular, "Needs salt." The Janitor reached toward his combination salt-shaker-pepper-grinder taxidermi rabbit Bingo. Just as he heard his name echo through the house, a subtle twitch of the wrist knocked the bunny off the counter.
And as Lady rounded the corner, one high-heeled peep toe pump cleared the stuffed rabbit, but the other didn't. Her arms twirled in an effort to regain her balance, but it was in vain. Lady's slender frame tipped out of sight into the narrow stairwell. The Janitor reached out to grab her hand. And his fingers tingled violently when they brushed the tips of Lady's. But he heard the thunderous thump of bones against wood, and one sickeningly final snap as Lady reached the bottom of the flight. With his heart ready to leap out of his chest, Glenn sprinted down the stairs, sinking to his knees beside his wife.
Lady lay haphazardly on the ground, a snaggled heap of legs and arms and her favorite yellow dress. Her auburn head was attached awkwardly to her broken neck. And her delicate chest remained void of rise and fall.
The Janitor slipped one arm under her torso and one underneath her legs as he slowly lifted Lady's lifeless frame from the ground. He pulled her body close to his own, his lips pressed to her scalp. And he sat there for a long time, feeling the lingering warmth is his wife's body slowly fade. Hot tears flowed freely from his eyes and dripped onto Lady's chest. And when he could finally bring himself to look down, to run his strong hands through her hair, to trace the gentle outline of her petal pink lips with a finger, he lifted Lady's body off the ground. Glenn carried her up to their bedroom and tenderly lowered her onto the crisp sheets. He fingered her golden necklace. And he lay down next to her and wrapped a muscular arm around her waist, slowly letting a numbing blanket of drowsiness enfold his quivering body as he cried himself into a restless sleep.
Bingo remained on the floor.
***
A short procession of people trickled into the chapel, solemn expressions plastered across their faces. Dr. Cox and Jordan entered first, arms linked. Dr. Cox wore a black jacket and a stubbly beard, and the Botoxed woman clinging to him was draped in a charcoal gray shawl that gently fluttered as they took a seat. Turk and Carla stepped in next. Turk was dressed in an elegant navy blue suit, and Carla's curly brown hair was pulled back into a tight bun. Doug entered wearing a brown sports jacket that just barely hid his ever-present fanny pack stuffed with cherry lollipops. Ted Buckland followed suite, dressed in an uncharicteristically stylish gray dress shirt. Stephanie Gooch had picked it out, and she looked down at her hand clasped in his, draped with a billowing black sleeve. The feeling of respect hanging in the air was only slightly dampened by the half-naked women printed on The Todd's tie that swung gently from side to side as he entered the room in front of LLoyd, who was wearing a navy blue sports jacket. Randall made his way to a peu near the front, his black trousers brushing the floor. And Troy stumbled into the room, wearing the same ridiculously innapropriate tuxedo he donned for their fake a cappela group's performance five years ago.
The crowd slowly interspersed themselves throughout the oblong benches, but the spaces on either side of the Janitor remained empty. All eyes came to rest on the framed snapshot resting atop the chestnut-colored casket. Lady glowed with radiance on her wedding day, a yellow flower twisted into her hair, sunshine caressing her cheekbones. A tender smile rested on her face.
After the general murmur of the attendants died down, Glenn stood up from his peu and slowly strided down the aisle. He stood to face his friends, one hand coming to rest on the corner of his wife's coffin. He cleared his throat and looked down at his hands. "I decieded not to have a preist speak today," he began, his voice shaking ever-so-slightly. "After the wedding fiasco, I'm not really confident in public speakers." A quiet chuckled bounced around the crowd. "So I just wanted to say-"
Just at that moment, the heavy wooden doors burst open. JD walked into the chapel, dressed in a black suit and a sky blue necktie, which was slung over his shoulder. He quickly smoothed it down his chest. Elliot stumbled slightly in her black patent leather pumps, causing the Janitor to wince, but JD caught her and they preceeded to the peu where Glenn had formerly been sitting. "So sorry," Elliot mumbled, and then gestured for the Janitor to continue.
"No problem, glad you could make it..." The Janitor trailed off and looked down at his shoes. "So, anyway..." He looked up, staring into the stained glass window in the back of the chapel. "I met Lady two years ago, and we just sort of clicked. She was beautiful, and smart, and sweet... and a germaphobe, which, I mean, made her a perfect match for a janitor, eh?" Glenn tapped his fingers on the chestnut casket. "And she learned to appreciate me for my quirks, you know, really accept me for who I was. I guess I thought she was my savior, sort of, because I never expected to spend my life with anyone other than my squirrel army. And now that I traded them for a stuffed Labrador..." The Janitor shot a jokingly severe look at Carla, "And Lady's gone..." He sniffled faintly. "Well, enough about me. Point is, Lady was the love of my life, and a friend to a lot of you... She was a great Lady."
The crowd sat in silence for a moment, watching the Janitor give the casket one last pat. He took a long look at the picture perched atop it and then turned back towards the crowd. "Thank you all for coming," he announced, and there was a general shuffle as everyone stood up and left, shooting apologetic glances at the Janitor as he remained standing at the front of the aisle.
JD streched in his seat and began to stand, but Elliot grabbed his forearm and pulled him back down. She wiped a tear from her eyelashes and moved her head ever-so-slightly, gesturing for Glenn to come join them.
The Janitor obliged and made his way back to the peu. He sighed and took a seat next to Elliot, letting his guard down as she rested one French-manicured hand on his shoulder. "I am so sorry, Janitor," she whispered. JD wrapped an arm around her waist. "Me too, buddy."
In response, the Janitor let out a shuddering breath. He wrapped an arm around Blond Doctor's shoulder. And for the first time he could remember, he just let go. Shimmering tears slid down his face and dripped into Elliot's hair as he silently wept. His gigantic body quivered gently as Elliot rubbed circles into his back, shushing him gingerly. And JD rested a hand on Elliot's thigh and squeezed slightly, allowing a few tears to flow down his own face.
The three of them remained in that peu until the yellow afternoon sunshine that leaked through the windows had traveled all the way across the chapel. United in greif and compassion, never letting a word escape their mouths, JD, Elliot, and Glenn sat intertwined until the tears ran out. When tissues pulled out of sleeves were used and shivering of weeping bodies ceased, the Janitor finally spoke. "The hearse will be here shortly," he whispered, eyes still locked on Lady's picture.
Elliot gave his back a final pat and unwound herself from his embrace. She and JD slowly stood up, clasping eachother's hands, and looked down at the Janitor. "You gonna be okay?" JD inquired gently in a low voice, blue eyes filled with genuine concern.
Glenn stood up from his seat and returned to the front of the chapel, gently removing the framed picture from its perch and slipping it under his right arm. "I think so."
JD nodded and guided Elliot out the wooden doors, halting when the Janitor cleared his throat. "Thank you," whispered Glenn.
"Anytime, big guy." And with that, they were gone.
The Janitor stood stationary for a moment, taking one last look out the stained glass window. And as the shimmering sunshine kissed his face, he fingered the golden necklace in his jacket pocket.
She was still there.
***