Dr. Brown and Delia walked down the Hospital hallway to where Irv and Edna sat. Irv stood up to greet them but Edna remained sitting and, kinda slumped over. Irv shook Dr. Brown's hand and Delia looked at Edna, who wasn't moving.
"Why is Edna asleep in the hallway?" Delia asked Irv. He chuckled slightly.
"Because she's stubborn. Come on, Jig's awake," Irv said walking them inside. The two stopped seeing Jig semi-conscious in the bed (Amy at her side), but more, the completely unconscious people laying in what used to be the empty bed next to her. Desi and Ephram lay asleep on their sides, both facing Jig's bed. Ephram hand his arm wrapped around Desi and she didn't seem to mind.
"Ephram?" Dr. Brown asked.
"Oh don't. They barely got any sleep last night. Plus they're cute," Jig said weakly from the bed. Amy smiled. Dr. Brown leaned close to Irv.
"How is she?" he asked.
"Still weak, but, she knows where she is," Irv told him. Delia walked quietly past her brother and over to Amy. Amy smiled at her and Delia looked at Jig. Her hair was matted to her face, which was a sickly pale with red around her eyes. Dr. Brown walked over to them too and frowned. Delia walked away from Jig's bed and wrapped herself around her father's legs. He rubbed her shoulder with his hand. He had been used to seeing the sick, but Delia hadn't. For Amy this felt like old times, only Jig would occasionally talk to her. Plus, Amy had the benefit of knowing that Jig was never alone. The sleeping love birds had evidently moved in.
"How are you doing, Jig?" Dr. Brown asked her. Jig didn't answer him, her eyes already closed due to sleep. With a frown Dr. Brown turned to Amy, who sighed.
"She falls in and out of sleep quickly," Amy explained. Dr. Brown nodded.
"Dad, can we go?" Delia asked him.
"Yea, sure. You'll tell Ephram we stopped by?" Dr. Brown asked them. Both Amy and Irv nodded and Dr. Brown ushered Delia quietly from the room.
The next time Ephram woke up it was dark again. His back hurt a little from the less than comfortable bed. The first thing he noticed was that he was now alone in the bed. Yet, he could hear Desi's voice. He blinked sleep from his eyes and looked over toward Jig, or, rather, followed the sound the Desi's voice. Desi was sitting in a chair facing Jig, a mug of tea in her hands. She was talking about her story. With an unheard moan Ephram got off of the hospital bed and walked toward Jig's bed. Jig was asleep.
"Can she hear you?" Ephram asked Desi, who turned to him with a smile.
"I don't know, but, I figured since you were getting tired of listening to me, I'd tell Jig," she said. Ephram smiled and walked over to her.
"I never get tired of listening to you," he told her. She looked up at him and smiled. Jig shot up in the bed and leaned over the side of it. She threw up into a conveniently placed garbage can. Ephram cringed but Desi stood up and brought Jig a glass of water to wash her mouth out with. Once she had she leaned back into the bed and fell asleep again. Desi looked over and Ephram worriedly. Ephram was still a little disgusted and didn't notice it.
"She's been doing that all day…" Desi told him. Ephram looked surprised.
" 'All day?' What time is it? How long have I been asleep?" Ephram asked her, looking around for a clock. Desi smiled.
"About twelve hours. It's seven thirty," she told him. He fell into a silent shock.
"I must have been tired…" he said. Desi started laughing and nodded.
"The cafeteria's still open, if you're hungry," she told him. He nodded, placing a hand on his stomach.
"I think I am, I'll be right back…" he said, leaving the room. Desi waved to him and turned back to Jig. She placed her hand onto Jig's shin and rubbed it slightly with her thumb. Not her legs…
With Orrie gone and Dr. Brown being able to take care of himself and offspring, Star had made plans for the end of January. She and Cory would be there just long enough to celebrate Ephram's birthday, (Star was getting him some anime Orrie said he would like,) and then they would be off. Everwood wasn't enough for Star. Her little brother might be able to live at a slow, mind-numbing, pace, but she needed lights and movement and action. Right now she was an action movie kind of girl stuck in a chick flick, and she needed out. Cory too. He and Everwood mixed like vinegar and milkshakes. Cory being the vinegar, naturally. Star had gotten their old home back, after making the current resident cry, and enrolled Cory back into his school. Everything was set and taken care of, but only Star knew that. She was wondering when just the perfect time would be to tell Cory, or, more so, her little brother. She knew he needed her here for courage and support, and would no doubt miss her terribly, but he would have to get over it. It was the best thing for him.
Delia and Murasaki had spent the day making snowmen and snow angels in Delia's front and back yard. They also wrote their names in the snow, Murasaki writing hers in both English and Japanese. In hopes of bringing some happiness to his daughter, having seen Jig in the hospital lowering her spirits, Dr. Brown had suggested she invite Murasaki over to stay the night. Now this was a big step for Dr. Brown, normally he had enough trouble taking care of one incredibly intelligent nine-year-old, but now he had two. Not to mention neither Ephram nor Nina would be available for him, each taking care of their own feminine charges. They ordered out, naturally, Dr. Brown wasn't about to tempt fate. The three of them stayed up watching 'Billboard Dad.' There was something about the movie that Dr. Brown found a bit odd, but the girls seemed to enjoy it.
Ephram had stopped by the cafeteria but felt a little too unnerved to eat. It probably had something to do with watching Jig vomit. Things like that had ways of demolishing appetites. Now he was walking off twelve hours of sleep. He could feel it, in his legs and in his back. He had been asleep for awhile, but he didn't remember having any dreams. He remembered the smell of Desi's hair, and her warmth. He remembered thinking how much he always wanted to fall asleep like that. Wrapping his arm around Desi and holding her close to him when they were both at their most vulnerable. Why had she stayed with him like this? No one, no one, would even think of doing what she's doing. Being there for him in his vigil. Actually, she watched over Jig more than he did. Ephram really wasn't of any use here, but it made him feel better. Set him at ease. And Desi, Desi made the experience special. Without her it would be a chore, she made it seem like a mission. She'd make a good mother, someday. She handled Jig like a mother would. Caring, understanding, supportive, comforting. Jig probably didn't even realize it. Very few people realize how special Desi was, how wonderful every breath she borrowed was. Her parents didn't. Her parents barely remembered they had a daughter. Desi was like the good china. Bring it out when company comes, but forget it's there the rest of the time. Just set it in a cupboard somewhere, pay a person to dust it every now and then. Desi could handle meals daily. She could be washed and dried and used every day. And she'd do all while still maintaining that beauty that made her worth showing in the first place.
Ephram wished he could really tell Desi how he felt about her. Everything he thought about her. How great she was, how special. Of course, he'd probably leave the plate metaphor out, but the rest he'd love her to know. Then again, it might make him sound like a complete geek. Like some Romeo who just stumbles and mumbles and gets laughed at. Some faulty Don Juan. But, Desi did have that seemingly uncanny ability to understand all, even without words. It's like she just knows. Maybe it's from years of watching, waiting, and listening. Maybe being a reporter makes her better and understanding how people think and feel.
He was pretty sure why this whole Orrie/Jig thing bothered him so much. He had thought that the two of them were like Desi and himself. He thought both couples held the same amounts of love. But Orrie says it wasn't like that. And Orrie left. Jig and Orrie bothered Ephram because he had this fear Desi would leave. Who knew the reason? He hadn't wanted to even imagine a reason, but what if she left? He'd be in the same position as Jig. Of course, her illness is physical, and his would be mental, but they'd amount to the same. He'd sleep, and sweat, and vomit and every now and then make a few noises that could be considered words. If Desi left, he'd be as pathetic looking as Jig was now. Actually, Jig would probably be the one taking care of him. His father would be too busy, Delia too young, and Amy, well, she's already taken care of enough people in her life. Ephram knew he would be able to live without Desi, but he'd have to struggle to find a reason to. But, like with Jig, he'd really rather not find out.
Later that night, or, rather, very early the next morning, Ephram sat in a chair between the two occupied hospital beds. Jig was still asleep in her bed, and Desi had laid down in the other and quietly fallen asleep. Jig would snore every now and then, but Desi was quiet. Ephram was watching an incredibly late running episode of Jeopardy, and during the commercials he'd look over at Desi and smile. She was so beautiful. Ephram turned his head back to the TV screen.
"To memorize something through repetition, or, if you cannot, to jot it down," Alex said under the category 'Homophones.'
"Rote," Ephram said.
"Rote," the only female contestant said.
"Rote, right," Alex said and the contestant went on to another category.
"You're not bad," Jig said. Ephram turned to look at her, surprised. He smiled.
"You know, until now I thought girls were supposed to look better while they slept, not worse," he told her. She gave him a weak smirk and looked over at Desi.
"What are you talking about? Desi looks great," Jig said.
"I wasn't talking about her," he said, looking at Desi and keeping his gaze there. Jig smiled.
"Amy once asked me if you were happy. Are you?" Jig asked him. He turned back to her.
"You have to ask?"
