She woke up from hearing O´Malley meowing her heart out in front of the food bowl.
"Oh god! Is it morning already?!"
Christ! You're doing it again! Don't talk to yourself like that Shannon; you'll turn it into a habit!
She turned her attention to the cat, who was now stroking its side and cheek against her leg.
"Yes, yes, I know, I know, you're hungry…"
She took a handfull of kibbles out of the bag of cat food and laid them into the bowl.
"There you go sweetie. Now, I think mommy had better hurry if she's going to make it to work on time today!"
Glancing at the clock in the hallway as she passed it, she quickly realised that there was no chance what so ever that she would actually get to work on time.
It was now 8.40, she started work at 9 and the interiour decorating firm she worked in was 20 minutes away, if she got lucky and caught a subway train right when se arrived the station. If not, the trains on that line ran in 8-minute intervals. Besides that, she was still wearing yesterdays clothes, had not showered or washed herself, her hair probably looked terrible and she was as hungry as a wolf since she had not eaten since lunch the day before.
She started getting herself ready.
"So you took the day off yesterday and then you come in late this morning, huh? What is this, madly in love with someone are you, Shannon?"
Keisha smiled and winked at her.
She faintly smiled back.
Oh god Keisha, if only you knew! Mad? Yes. Both in the sense of being out of my mind, and in the sense of being pissed as hell with the bugger!
In love?
Who knows…
When she had finished her workday, she wasn't sure of what to do.
Was she going to go to the hospital, or just go home and go there another day? Or maybe just go home and not go back to the hospital at all?
At home, O´Malley awaited her and she could have a quiet night in front of the TV with a bowl of popcorn.
She could use that…
Or she could always call Richard, the handsome guy who ran the bar across the street, to see if he had the night off. She was pretty sure he did. They could go to the movies like they usually did on occasions like this.
Or she could spend the night in the hospital, shaving, and then trying to have a conversation with the one guy she hated more than anyone in the world, but still had some strange feelings for; while he was lying in bed, safely tucked away in a coma.
Her ex-husband.
She opted for having a night out with Ricky.
About halfway home, her conscience caught up with her. She fought it, but still ended up going to Macy´s to buy a bottle of Dakkar Noir shaving cream and after-shave respectively.
O.K, now I'm all set for tomorrow then. But tonight is damn well my night, and you're not going to ruin it, Ryan O´reily!
Three hours later, sitting in the movie-salon, she still couldn't let go of the thought of her ex-husband lying in that cold, sterile looking hospital bed, strange machines hooked up to him everywhere and constantly bleeping.
That's ex -husband Shannon!
Ex-husband as in "I don't want to be married to you anymore."
Ex-husband as in' thanks for 9 years of marriage, now fuck off.'
Ex-husband as in the fucking bastard that left you with your heart broken!
"Are you all right honey?"
"Uh? What?"
"Shannon, are you O.K?"
"Um, yeah…I was just thinking…"
"About what?"
All right Shannon, deep breath. You have no obligation towards Ricky!
"I saw Ryan today."
"Ryan as in Ryan O´reily, your ex-husband?"
See Shannon, there you go! EX-husband!"
"Yeah."
"Oh."
Shannon could see that he did his best to not look hurt, but he was.
"He's in a coma."
"What?!"
"Shhh!"
A large lady on the row in front of them turned around and raised her finger to her mouth.
"Oh! Sorry!" Richard whispered.
"He's in what did you say?!" he whispered to Shannon.
"He's in a coma. Unconscious, you know?"
"Oh god, Shannon!"
"Shhh."
"Oh Sorry. "
He turned his attention back to Shannon.
"I'm so sorry to hear that! Is he in the hospital then?"
He realised after he had asked, what a stupid question it was. But Shannon didn't seem to notice much.
"Yes."
"In a hospital inside prison?"
"Well, no…He's at Benchly memorial…" She said; then adding, sarcastically: "I guess they're not too worried that he'll run away right now…"
"Well, no, I guess not…"
There was a bit of a silence.
"So do you want to go home and rest, and we can see each other tomorrow?"
"I have to go to the hospital tomorrow…I´m sorry Ricky…"
"Oh that's O.K…"
She could hear on his voice that it really wasn't.
"Friday huh? Go out for a drink?"
"Yeah, sure! I'm here for you Shannon when ever and whatever you want. Even if you just want a good friend."
"Thanks Ricky!"
"Shhh!"
"It really means a lot!"
"SHHHH!"
"Oh shut up!"
"Um, Shannon, I think we'd better go…"
Ricky had seen the big lady get up out of her seat by now, and the woman made for an impressive sight, and looked quite strong too!
"Yeah, OK."
They ducked out of the building as soon as possible.
They stopped outside Shannon's door.
"Nighty-night then."
"Good night..."
He gave her a tiny tender kiss on the cheek and she made her way up the steps to the front door.
"Oh and Shannon!…"
She turned around to look at him.
"Anytime, even if you just need a friend."
"Thanks Ricky!"
"Your welcome darling. Now go home and sleep!"
"I will honey, I will…"
And sleep she did!
She had put her alarm-bell to wake her up an hour early the next morning, and she was lucky to have done that!
Once she was all dressed, had packed the shaving cream and after-shave and her papers into her bag, she remembered one vital little thing she had forgotten…
The shaving-set…
She hurriedly went to the basement and started searching. She knew the shaving-set Ryan had got for their last Christmas together had to be there somewhere!
After searching for 45 minutes she finally found it in a pile with some of his old shirts and shoes and pants.
She took it out and smelled the brush, tuning it over and over in her hands; it smelled good. Smelled of him.
DONT! DONT YOU DARE COME IN AND RUIN MY LIFE AGAIN, YOU BASTARD!
I have a perfectly good life! A good job, which I'm good at, a nice flat for which I pay the rent myself, and I have Ricky who, loves me…
She stopped herself there, not sure that she could actually say that she loved Ricky…
Oh never mind! I have to get to work!