Chapter Thirty-Seven
"You doing alright back there, sweetie?" she asked. Glancing at her daughter in the rear-view mirror. "Yes, Mommy. Are we there yet?" She smiled at Ali's question. She'd already asked the same question countless number of times since they left Harmony this morning. "Not yet, baby. Just a little farther I promise." "Mommy, why didn't Daddy come with us?" "Daddy's really busy. He couldn't get away from work," she explained patiently.
"Oh," Ali replied quietly in a sad little voice. Then brightened up considerably as the car slowed to a stop. "We're here, Ali. You ready to go see Josh? You remember I told you he's very sick, don't you?" She paused. Letting Ali digest this information. Continuing after she nodded her head gravely. "We can't tire him out, okay?" "Okay, Mommy." "Come on, sweetie," she said. Helping Ali out of the car and taking her hand. Stepping back into the past as they walked through the hospital's doors.
In the hallway she came face to face with a dear friend. A dear friend she hadn't had the chance to say a proper goodbye to. "Molly!" she exclaimed. Hugging the older woman tightly. Then pulling back from the embrace to look into her kind brown eyes. "Jenny," she said. Cupping both sides of her face in her hands. "My sweet Jenny. Oh, how I have missed you. We all have. Terribly," she said with tears in her eyes.
"Actually, Molly, it's Sheridan," she told her with a smile. "Oh," Molly gasped in embarrassment. "Foolish, foolish me. I'm so sorry. Sheridan," she said. Testing out the foreign name. "It's okay," she rushed to assure her. "Would you look at you?" she said. Holding her at arm's length. "You cut your hair." "What do you think?" Sheridan asked. Running a hand through her blond hair self-consciously. "You look beautiful."
"And who is this adorable little girl here?" she asked. Noticing Ali for the first time. Ali giggled as she took Molly's offered hand and shook it. Just like a grown-up. "Molly," Sheridan said, voice laced with love and pride, "this is my daughter. Ali. Ali, sweetie. This is the woman who took care of me all the time I was away." Ali's bright blue eyes shifted from Molly to her mother and back. "Thank you for taking care of my mommy," she said. Shyly. "Oh. Aren't you the sweetest little thing. Come here. I want a hug." Ali willingly went into her arms. Kissed her cheek. As Sheridan smiled at them both.
"You're here," a voice called out. "Josh will be so happy to see you. So...this is Ali," Christine said. "I've heard a lot about you. Don't tell your mom, but I think he's looking forward to seeing you more," she said. Eliciting more giggles from Ali. "I promise." Then she hugged Sheridan. Whispered in her ear. Causing her to grow serious all of a sudden. Causing Molly's smile to disappear as well. Ali looked on in confusion. But didn't dare say a word.
Until they came to Josh's room. "Josh!" she squealed. Rushing to his bedside. "Ali," he said. "I'm so glad you came. I have something for you," he said between labored breaths. "You have something for me?" she asked in excitement. "Dr. Nick," he said. Reaching his hand out and taking his favorite baseball cap from Nick's hands and giving it to Ali. "Here," he said. "Your mom got this for me in Boston. I want you to have it." "Thank you," she said sweetly. Giggling as Nick put in on her head. Backwards.
"Look, Mommy." "I see, sweetie. It looks great on you. How's my buddy doing?" she asked. Settling on the edge of Josh's bed and smiling brightly at him. "Not too good. But I'm so glad you're finally here. I thought you were never going to get here." "Nothing and no one could have stopped me from seeing you," she said. Kissing his forehead. Then trying to wipe away the smudge her lipstick had left. "Mommy," Ali giggled. "You got make-up on him." "I know," she laughed. "I'm sorry, Josh," she said sheepishly. Josh only smiled at her in response.
"Miss Ali," Molly said cheerfully. "What do say me and you go for a walk? Meet some of the other kids?" "It's okay, baby. You can go. I'll be right here waiting for you. Molly might even let you meet some of the babies," she said. Tucking Ali's long blond hair behind an ear. "Bye, Josh. See you later," Ali waved. As Molly led her out of the room. And Christine followed them. Leaving Sheridan and Nick and Josh alone.
"Okay, Josh. Your wish is my command. Just name it. What do you want to do? Play cards? I'm sure I could beat you and Dr. Nick both." "Could not," he boasted. "No, I think I could beat you both," Nick bragged. "What do you say, Champ? Want to prove us wrong?" "No," Josh said. Shaking his head. "I don't want to play cards." "Well, what about cartoons?" Sheridan ventured. "Nope." "Checkers?" Nick asked. Again he shook his head no. "I'm running out of ideas here, Josh," Sheridan laughed.
"A story," he said. "A story," Nick replied. Dumbfounded. A smile lit Sheridan's face. "A story. Sounds wonderful. Any particular story in mind?" "Uh huh," Josh nodded. Producing a well-worn copy of a familiar book. One they had been reading together. Before Boston. She crawled into the hospital bed beside him and slipped an arm around his shoulders as she read. Taking turns with Nick at various times throughout the story. She felt tears clog up her throat when she gazed upon his small form. He was so tired. So worn from his battle. She forced the tears back down. Squeezing Nick's hand. Kissing Josh--who slept peacefully--goodbye. Her lips lingering on his forehead. "Love you," he mumbled. Only breaking down once she left the room. Falling apart in Nick's arms.
"You doing alright back there, sweetie?" she asked. Glancing at her daughter in the rear-view mirror. "Yes, Mommy. Are we there yet?" She smiled at Ali's question. She'd already asked the same question countless number of times since they left Harmony this morning. "Not yet, baby. Just a little farther I promise." "Mommy, why didn't Daddy come with us?" "Daddy's really busy. He couldn't get away from work," she explained patiently.
"Oh," Ali replied quietly in a sad little voice. Then brightened up considerably as the car slowed to a stop. "We're here, Ali. You ready to go see Josh? You remember I told you he's very sick, don't you?" She paused. Letting Ali digest this information. Continuing after she nodded her head gravely. "We can't tire him out, okay?" "Okay, Mommy." "Come on, sweetie," she said. Helping Ali out of the car and taking her hand. Stepping back into the past as they walked through the hospital's doors.
In the hallway she came face to face with a dear friend. A dear friend she hadn't had the chance to say a proper goodbye to. "Molly!" she exclaimed. Hugging the older woman tightly. Then pulling back from the embrace to look into her kind brown eyes. "Jenny," she said. Cupping both sides of her face in her hands. "My sweet Jenny. Oh, how I have missed you. We all have. Terribly," she said with tears in her eyes.
"Actually, Molly, it's Sheridan," she told her with a smile. "Oh," Molly gasped in embarrassment. "Foolish, foolish me. I'm so sorry. Sheridan," she said. Testing out the foreign name. "It's okay," she rushed to assure her. "Would you look at you?" she said. Holding her at arm's length. "You cut your hair." "What do you think?" Sheridan asked. Running a hand through her blond hair self-consciously. "You look beautiful."
"And who is this adorable little girl here?" she asked. Noticing Ali for the first time. Ali giggled as she took Molly's offered hand and shook it. Just like a grown-up. "Molly," Sheridan said, voice laced with love and pride, "this is my daughter. Ali. Ali, sweetie. This is the woman who took care of me all the time I was away." Ali's bright blue eyes shifted from Molly to her mother and back. "Thank you for taking care of my mommy," she said. Shyly. "Oh. Aren't you the sweetest little thing. Come here. I want a hug." Ali willingly went into her arms. Kissed her cheek. As Sheridan smiled at them both.
"You're here," a voice called out. "Josh will be so happy to see you. So...this is Ali," Christine said. "I've heard a lot about you. Don't tell your mom, but I think he's looking forward to seeing you more," she said. Eliciting more giggles from Ali. "I promise." Then she hugged Sheridan. Whispered in her ear. Causing her to grow serious all of a sudden. Causing Molly's smile to disappear as well. Ali looked on in confusion. But didn't dare say a word.
Until they came to Josh's room. "Josh!" she squealed. Rushing to his bedside. "Ali," he said. "I'm so glad you came. I have something for you," he said between labored breaths. "You have something for me?" she asked in excitement. "Dr. Nick," he said. Reaching his hand out and taking his favorite baseball cap from Nick's hands and giving it to Ali. "Here," he said. "Your mom got this for me in Boston. I want you to have it." "Thank you," she said sweetly. Giggling as Nick put in on her head. Backwards.
"Look, Mommy." "I see, sweetie. It looks great on you. How's my buddy doing?" she asked. Settling on the edge of Josh's bed and smiling brightly at him. "Not too good. But I'm so glad you're finally here. I thought you were never going to get here." "Nothing and no one could have stopped me from seeing you," she said. Kissing his forehead. Then trying to wipe away the smudge her lipstick had left. "Mommy," Ali giggled. "You got make-up on him." "I know," she laughed. "I'm sorry, Josh," she said sheepishly. Josh only smiled at her in response.
"Miss Ali," Molly said cheerfully. "What do say me and you go for a walk? Meet some of the other kids?" "It's okay, baby. You can go. I'll be right here waiting for you. Molly might even let you meet some of the babies," she said. Tucking Ali's long blond hair behind an ear. "Bye, Josh. See you later," Ali waved. As Molly led her out of the room. And Christine followed them. Leaving Sheridan and Nick and Josh alone.
"Okay, Josh. Your wish is my command. Just name it. What do you want to do? Play cards? I'm sure I could beat you and Dr. Nick both." "Could not," he boasted. "No, I think I could beat you both," Nick bragged. "What do you say, Champ? Want to prove us wrong?" "No," Josh said. Shaking his head. "I don't want to play cards." "Well, what about cartoons?" Sheridan ventured. "Nope." "Checkers?" Nick asked. Again he shook his head no. "I'm running out of ideas here, Josh," Sheridan laughed.
"A story," he said. "A story," Nick replied. Dumbfounded. A smile lit Sheridan's face. "A story. Sounds wonderful. Any particular story in mind?" "Uh huh," Josh nodded. Producing a well-worn copy of a familiar book. One they had been reading together. Before Boston. She crawled into the hospital bed beside him and slipped an arm around his shoulders as she read. Taking turns with Nick at various times throughout the story. She felt tears clog up her throat when she gazed upon his small form. He was so tired. So worn from his battle. She forced the tears back down. Squeezing Nick's hand. Kissing Josh--who slept peacefully--goodbye. Her lips lingering on his forehead. "Love you," he mumbled. Only breaking down once she left the room. Falling apart in Nick's arms.