He didn't see her for five days and assumed she'd gone to Phoenix. He wished he could take back those final words but maybe this was for the best. Almost a clean cut.
Then he saw her through the window in the door. She looked much the same as she had that night she left. Maybe he was seeing things. Maybe he was dreaming.
He shut his eyes and didn't open them until the door opened.
"Hey." She smiled sadly.
"I thought you'd gone."
"Not yet. How are you feeling?"
"Better. Looking forward to going home."
She was all too aware he meant her apartment. "Yeah, the nurse said. Actually, I'm here to sign you out." She picked up his chart. "Go on and get changed, I'll be right back."
She'd hoped to be unaffected but leaving wasn't getting any easier.
He got dressed quickly, hoping she wouldn't maintain this professional distance like she seemed to be doing so well. He knew it was partly the pain meds, but he wasn't going to be able to keep up a safe distance of dishonesty just to make her leaving easier. He didn't want it to be easy.
He sat on the edge of his bed, a bag beside him.
"You ready?" she came back in, avoiding his eyes like the plague.
"Sure." He got up.
She handed him the paperwork and several boxes – pain meds, antibiotics. "You had breakfast yet?"
"Not really. I wasn't hungry." He sought her eyes but she avoided his.
"Do you want to get something at doc's?"
"Sure."
He was still angry.
She could tell. And fair enough. She wasn't her biggest fan right now either.