He looked so pale, so beaten, all hooked up to the machines. I couldn't believe that it was Tom. He looked at me and gave me a smile. I grabbed his hand and sitting down I told him that it was seven years. He nodded and whispered that he told me so and that I owed him fifty bucks. Laughing as a tear dropped I asked him what happened. He told me that it was finally time for him to go, and he thought I should be the first to know. I started to stroke his hand, as if he was family and told him not yet. He smiled again. I didn't realize that we weren't alone until the scarf boy (I don't remember his name) put his hand on my shoulder. I leaned over and kissed Tom's cheek, told him he wasn't going to get that fifty and walked out the door.
She was whispering to him and he to her for a few minutes until he looked at me. I put my hand on her shoulder and tried to comfort her, but she took it as a sign that she should go. She stood up, grabbed her purse and walked out the door. After a minute a nurse came in and handed Collins a $20 and I a Benjamin. The nurse told me it was from the girl who was just in here and turning to Collins she told him that the girl told her to tell him that he would get the rest when he admits that she was right about the rest. He laughed, actually laughed, only to be interrupted by a fit of coughing. He handed it to me and I put both of them in my pocket. I handed him a glass of water. Walking out of his room I motioned for the others to come in. Looking past the oncoming group I saw her walk out of the second set of doors, I went into a sprint and grabbed her arm as she walked onto the parking lot.
"Where are you staying?" I asked, seeing her red-sleep deprived eyes.
"I was just going to drive back, I still have a half-tank."
"Like hell, that's almost two hours away. You can stay at the apartment."