Chapter Two - Is This How We Meet Again?
Tony was riding a cab from the airport to the hospital. The flight had been a nightmare. His hands had trembled and his shirt had been wet from sweat - the other passengers must have thought he had a terrible fear of flying. But actually he had this terrible fear of losing the woman he never stopped loving for ever. As soon as the plane had touched the ground, Tony had grabbed his hand luggage and had run through the arrival hall to catch the first cab. Now, as they were approaching the hospital, the lump in his throat was so big he thought he would suffocate. "Can you drive a bit faster, please? It's really very urgent!" he tried to speed up the cab driver who already drove at full throttle because he could see the agony and despair on his passenger's face.
Upon arrival at the hospital, Tony rushed to the reception desk and asked for the Intensive Care Unit. He didn't want to wait for the elevator, so he chose the staircase, taking two steps at a time all the way up to the eleventh floor. His lung almost burst but he didn't care.
At the I.C.U. there was another receptionist who asked him politely, "Excuse me, Sir, who are you looking for?"
"Angela Bower, please. She was hospitalized yesterday after a severe car accident." Tony answered out of breath.
"Yes, Ms. Bower. Are you a relative?" she asked Tony in a very business-like tone.
"No, not quite." he said truthfully.
"What do you mean 'not quite'? Are you or are you not a relative? Only close relatives are allowed at the I.C.U. If you are not related to Ms. Bower, I cannot let you in, Sir. I'm sorry." she said matter-of-factly. She stood up behind the counter to mark her authority. Tony had the feeling of slowly going crazy. After hours of frantically trying to get to the hospital as fast as possible, this woman wanted to stop him right in front of her room?
"Please, Ma'am, I really need to see her!" Tony begged.
"That might be true, but I'm still not allowed to let you pass. I.C.U. patients need quiet and rest and mustn't be disturbed by any visitor who comes by." The receptionist was beginning to feel annoyed by him.
Any visitor who comes by? Tony struggled to stay polite, reminding himself that this woman was only trying to do her job, when suddenly he had an idea. "Is her mother with her, Mona Robinson? If yes, would you please be so kind to tell her I'm here. My name is Tony Micelli and she asked me to come."
The receptionist was relieved that the muscular man in front of her seemed to have relaxed a little. "That I can do. Please wait here, Mr. Micelli. I'm going to talk to Mrs. Robinson." With these words she was gone for a couple of minutes which seemed like hours to Tony. Finally, a door opened and Mona stepped out of a room, dressed in a green surgical gown, and instantly saw him. Oh my God!, Tony thought, I've never seen her this exhausted!
"Tony!" Mona exclaimed, "I'm so glad you're here, Buddy." She threw herself in his arms and closed her eyes in his embrace. Never ever had Tony seen as much of an emotional outburst from Mona. Addressing the nurse, she said, "Ms. Foster, please meet Tony Micelli. He is my daughter's former fiancée and closest friend. If anybody can help us survive all of this, it's him. You have to let him in, otherwise I'm going to have a nervous breakdown right here in front of your reception desk, that's for sure!"
The nurse patted Tony on the shoulder and complied. "It's good you're here, Mr. Micelli. Ms. Bower's son and mother need all the support they can possibly get. Forgive me for being so interrogative earlier, but it's my duty to protect our patients from any kind of unnecessary disturbance. If you need anything, please contact me any time. We need to get you a sterile gown, then you can go and see your friend."
Tony managed a slight smile and for the first time in almost 12 hours he felt some kind of relief. A few minutes later he was dressed like Mona in a green gown and followed her to the room Angela was in. Just as they stood in front of the door, Mona hesitated and turned around. "Tony, I have to warn you. She looks terrible. Don't be too shocked." With these words she opened the door and they stepped into the room. Mona's right, Tony thought, she does look terrible! He gasped for breath. So this was how he was supposed to see her again: In a hospital bed, closer to death than life. Angela was lying in a slightly raised bed, covered by a thin white cotton sheet and a shirt which was buttoned up at the front. She was tied to a respirator, a heart and oxygen monitor and an access for intravenous medication. Her head was bandaged and her left leg plastered. Tony swallowed hard before he approached her. He spotted some dried blood stains at her right hand. He took it in his and felt terribly relieved that it was as warm and smooth as he remembered it.
"Angela, Sweetheart, it's me!" Tony whispered, gently stroking her hand. "I came as fast as I could and I won't leave until we have you back!" Behind him Mona took a deep breath and felt a tiny little bit of confidence reaching her heart.
