Max pushed Fran down the hallway to the large lab room and the nurse led them to a chair. The lab tech walked over and greeted them and got the order from the nurse.
"Oh, if you are able- could you sit in this chair here? It's just a bit easier for me to do the blood draw and get your IV set up. Is that alright?" The lab tech asked Fran.
"Oh, sure, I can get up," Max helped her stand up from the wheelchair and she reached over to sit herself in the lab chair. Max moved the wheelchair out of the tech's way.
"And before I get your IV in, when they do your MRI, they'll mention again that you can't have any metal on, so if, you know, if you have a bra with metal hooks or anything in it, it might be difficult to remove it with the IV where I'm going to put it, so I was just going to suggest if you needed to that you might want to remove it now." Max looked over at Fran.
"Oh, no, I prepared for that, I just put on an athletic one, no hooks or anything. I think all I need to do is take off my shoes and my ring," Fran said. Max had almost forgotten about the ring. He looked over at it on her finger, fondly. She looked down at it too and rubbed her fingers over it, then looked at Max and smiled.
"Okay then. I'll need your left arm if you think we can get a line in there. If you are severely dehydrated it can make that difficult." Fran pushed up her sleeve and checked the vein.
"Does that look okay?"
The tech looked over from preparing her tray of items. "Yeah, I think we can do it there. Let's just get the rest of this ready."
"You okay with needles, Fran?" Max asked, stepping over to her other side.
"Uh, sort of, as long as I don't look at it." The tech rolled her chair over to Fran and wrapped the elastic band around her upper arm. It squeezed her snugly.
"Can you squeeze on this a few times? I need to get several vials, and that might help- especially if you're dehydrated." She handed Fran a rolled up elastic bandage wrap. Fran took it in her hand and began to squeeze. Max offered her his hand if she needed to squeeze that too. She took his hand and stared at it so she wouldn't look at the needle.
"Okay, here we go, you'll just feel a stick," and right as she said stick, it stuck Fran and she squinted her eyes. She took one vial at a time and stuck it into the tube, then waited momentarily until it filled, then popped it out and grabbed the next until all three were filled. "Great, the first part is done, now let me just set up your IV. They won't be putting the bag into it just yet, that will happen at the radiologist once they get the images they need there." She continued working and got the IV needle where it needed to be and taped down the short tubes, then wrapped over it with another roll of elastic bandage. "Okay! That's done, now just hang on a second while I label these vials and scan your bracelet and I'll get all these labs started." She peeled off printed labels and stuck them to each vial and filled out a few spaces on a piece of paper. "Now can you check the information on each of these to verify it's all correct?" She held the labeled vials out for Fran to read and Fran nodded that they were correct, and then the technician held out the scanner to scan Fran's bracelet. "You are all set, you can get back in the wheelchair. Tracy will take you out to the front desk."
"Thank you," Fran and Max said at the same time. The nurse Tracy led them back down the hallway again and to the front desk.
"I have that electrolyte drink the doctor was telling you about, as well as a basic plan for what is going on this morning and where you will need to be. He wants you to get as much of the drink in you as you can before the MRI, and then you can finish the rest after that. I believe the MRI tech will have the IV bag put in immediately after that imaging is done, so after lunch when you come back up here, we'll check it out and see if it's ready to be removed. The only thing that might delay you heading out of here after your meeting with him is if he decides he wants more fluids in you, but I don't think that will be the case. You haven't fainted or anything this morning, right?" Tracy asked.
"Oh no, I was just a bit shaky on my feet. I've been trying to drink a good bit of water."
"That's good. Oh, make sure you use the restroom before the MRI so you're comfortable during that. I think they don't want you to go before the ultrasound because sometimes a full bladder can help them see what they need to see. But the tech will let you know for certain."
"Okay, thank you." They walked up to the desk and Tracy handed the woman Fran's chart. Then she got Fran her drink and handed it to her.
"Here you go. I hope this helps you start feeling a bit stronger. She'll get you checked out and scanned again, and then where you are going from here. I'll probably see you later when you come back for the consultation."
"Thank you," Fran said. Tracy walked back down the hallway and the woman at the desk sorted through the papers. She handed them two new papers.
"All right, here we go. These two papers are the doctor's orders for imaging- one is for the ultrasound, and one for the MRI. You'll give those to the technicians. Let me just scan both of your bracelets and then I'll tell you how to get over to imaging from here. Once you are done with the MRI, you are free to wander around or get lunch or whatever. We just ask that you please stay on the hospital campus in case of any emergencies or if we need to call you back real quick for anything additional we might need." The woman said. She set the papers on the desk near them and reached for her scanner.
Fran and Max both held out their arms so she could scan them. Fran then picked up the papers and set them in her lap with her drink.
"Okay- to get to Imaging, get back in the elevator here and go to the second floor. When you come out of the elevator, there is a big directory sign and it shows where imaging is- to the left. Follow the signs for imaging until you get to their check-in desk. And then you will follow pretty much the same procedure you've been doing. They'll check you in and will scan your bracelets. Both of you can go in to the ultrasound room. I believe they will come get you when the tech is ready. And that shouldn't take long. Then, Mr. Sheffield, They'll have to separate you after that. They'll take her to radiology- to where the MRI is, and someone will show you where the big waiting room is where you can wait until she is done. They'll bring her out to you when she's done. And of course, they'll be doing all the scanning in and out as well. The doctor would like you both to get some lunch. He's big on that, doesn't want anybody starving themselves if it isn't medically necessary. Alright? Do you have any questions before you head over there?"
Max looked down at Fran in the wheelchair and she shook her head. "No, I don't think so. I guess all the questions will come later. Thank you, we'll head over to imaging and I guess we'll be back here by 12:30."
"All right, don't hesitate to ask for help if you get lost or anything. There's lots of people in this building to help."
"Thank you," Fran said. Max turned her in the chair and pushed her toward the elevator, and she opened the bottle the nurse had given her and took a swig. Max pushed the button to go down and they waited.
"How does that taste?" He looked down at Fran again from beside the chair.
"Not too bad. A little bit like Koolaid I guess." Max smiled. He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. She took another swig and the elevator doors opened and several people got out. One man stopped to hold the doors so they could get in.
"Thank you very much!" Max said to him.
"No problem," the man said, and then let go of the door when they were inside. Max hit 2 and then they waited briefly to be taken down a floor. The doors opened and Max pushed the wheelchair out and around the waiting riders, then looked for the large directory sign.
"I see it," Fran said, pointing to the left. "Down that way," she said. Max turned the wheelchair and they headed down the long corridor. As they walked, Max touched her shoulder and she reached back to hold on to his hand. He gave her shoulder a squeeze. They passed by a large area full of chairs and several TVs, with large windows in the distance. Another check-in looking desk sat near the entrance by the corridor, but it didn't seem like it was actually a check-in desk. They both saw the sign at the same time, Waiting Area.
"I wonder if that's the waiting area I'm supposed to go to when you have your MRI," Max said to Fran.
"I bet it is, because Imaging is right there," Fran pointed just ahead and to the right, right after the waiting area. They turned through the doorway and headed for the check-in desk.
"Is this where they did your ultrasound before?" Max asked.
"No, the place I went to before was right by the ER. I guess maybe they have something dedicated just for emergencies."
"You're probably right," Max agreed. They were greeted at the check-in and Fran handed the woman the order sheets. The woman then scanned both of their wrist bands and handed the papers back to Fran.
"You're all set, when the technician comes to get you, you'll give this top one to him. You can wait right over there." She pointed to a waiting area with only a few chairs.
"Oh! I almost forgot, we're wanting to get copies of all the imaging and reports. The doctor said to let you know, and when they're ready, for you to send the disk up to his office so he can give it to us. I also had a previous ultrasound I need to get copies of," Fran said.
"Yes, absolutely, we can do that for you. I'll make a note here. When will you be meeting back with the doctor?"
"At 12:30," Fran told her.
"No problem, we'll get that done right after the radiologist reviews everything, and will have someone bring it upstairs for you."
"Thank you so much!" Fran said.
"Yes, thank you!" Max joined in. Max moved the wheelchair over to the waiting area and sat down next to Fran. She leaned over and kissed him lightly on the lips.
"How are you doing?" She asked him.
"Alright I suppose. You?"
"I don't think I feel as warm as I did before. Hopefully the fever's going away." Max checked her forehead, then put his arm across the back of the wheelchair.
"I hope so too." Fran chugged more of her drink. "Be careful you don't get a mustache," Max smiled.
"Oh geez, I didn't even think of that. I'm not, am I?" She asked.
Max looked at her upper lip. "No, I don't think so. Looks good to me," he kissed her again and rubbed her un-poked arm. A man came out of a room and walked down the hallway toward them.
"Fran Fine?" He asked.
"Yes," Fran said. Max got up and turned the wheelchair towards the man.
"Follow me right down this way. Do you have the order with you?" The man asked.
"Yes, right here," Fran handed him the paper. The man took the paper and waved for them to follow him. They headed down the hallway towards the room the man had just come out of.
"This shouldn't take too long. It looks like it's a followup to another ultrasound you recently had?" He asked Fran.
"Yes, almost two weeks ago. It wasn't originally planned, but I guess he added that today?" Fran asked.
"Yes, I guess he called down here to see if we could get you in, he wants new images and video and some new measurements. It should be fairly quick, it's just that one area, not a full abdominal scan like the last one you had."
"Oh, okay, that's good I guess." The man held the door to the ultrasound room open as Max pushed Fran in, then shut it behind them.
"Are you able to get up on the table, or will you need assistance?" Max reached down to help her up by the arm to a standing position.
"I'll see if I can do it, I'm not having pain right now, I'm just a little weak today." She stepped toward the table and was able to sit on the edge and slowly scoot back onto it.
"Here, darling, hold onto my arm while you try to lie back," Max stepped next to the bed and put his arm out for her. She grabbed it with one arm and first pulled her legs onto the table, and then slowly rested back.
"You alright?" The tech answered.
"Yes, I'm okay," Fran said.
"Okay, great. If at anytime you're uncomfortable or have pain, let me know, alright?" He said.
"Okay."
"Sir, if you would like, you can grab this chair and sit next to her on that side," he pointed to a chair against the wall.
"Oh, thank you!" Max said. He pulled the chair over to the side of the bed and took Fran's hand.
"Now, I'm going to raise you up a little, and then lean you back. If you could hike the bottom of your shirt up a little, and I'll get you draped so I don't get the gel on your clothes. I'll need to move your waistband just a bit because I need to use the larger wand for this scan." He raised and tilted the table and Fran was lying almost flat, then he pulled out a thin towel and tucked it into her waistband, covering the upper part of her pants. He then pulled them down on her right side just enough so he could get the wand where he needed it. He took out the bottle of gel and squirted some onto her abdomen, then placed the wand on her. He moved it back and forth a moment to adjust it and then began typing on the keyboard. Max looked up at the screen to see if he could see anything, Fran couldn't see from her position, but she watched Max's face.
He wasn't sure what he was looking at at first, but then as the technician began to take measurements over what did actually look like a sort of a golf ball, Max realized that was the tumor. He gulped hard, not realizing it, and his eyes were locked on what the technician was doing. He could see the movement of her insides and then everything would freeze as the technician took a still frame, then the beep beep beep as he marked the tumor for measurements. Max couldn't tear his eyes away. After the tech stopped measuring, he took a number of stills from different angles and then finally it seemed like he recorded a short video as he moved the wand over the area. Then it was over. Max felt almost like he was out of his body for a moment, then was slammed back into reality.
"Okay, all done. You can use this towel to wipe the gel off. I'll get you back upright and lower the table a bit extra so you can stand."
As Fran began to wipe her belly off with the towel, Max just stared at it. When the table stopped moving and Fran was sitting more upright, she pulled her sweater back down and reached for Max's arm to pull herself up. She had to pat his arm to get his attention. He suddenly stood up and reached for her to help her get up and get back to the wheelchair. She held onto his hand and squeezed it hard, not letting him go.
"I think we've got everything we need here, and I believe the MRI tech is ready for you. So, sir, what I'll need for you to do is to head back to the check-in desk. She'll scan your bracelet and will direct you to the waiting area. The MRI could take about an hour. I'll take her over to the MRI room from here." He opened the door for Max to push the wheelchair through and then they stopped in the hallway.
"Oh, Max, do you need any of your things? Your coat?" Fran asked gesturing to the pouch on the back of the chair.
"Oh, let me grab the phone, just in case," he fumbled through his coat until he found the phone, and put it in his jacket pocket. Fran pulled him close to her and he knelt down next to her.
"Here, Max, hang on to this," she slid the claddagh ring Max had just given her off of her finger and put it in his hand. He looked a little nervous and emotional.
"I'll be right out in the waiting room, okay? I'm not going anywhere, I'll be right there waiting for you, and then we'll go get some lunch or something, okay?" He wasn't sure what to say, he was fumbling over his words.
"Max, it's okay, it's just an MRI. I'll be out there with you before you know it. Just hang on to my ring. And can you call Ma for me? Just to let her know everything's okay? In case she might be worrying. Tell her I'll call her later, maybe tonight. Okay?" She squeezed Max's hands and he nodded. "And it's okay if you need to go look for some Tums or Rolaids or something…" She smiled at him, and he grinned back.
"Okay. Just take it easy in there, alright? Maybe you can get a nap."
"I think you need a nap more than I do." She took another big swig of her drink and handed the bottle to Max. "Can you put this in that pocket? I'll finish it later." He took the bottle and stuck it in the pouch.
"Okay, well, I'll see you in a bit," he leaned over and kissed her twice and she caressed his face.
"I love you, Max," she whispered.
"I love you more," he kissed her again and stood up. She held onto his hand until he had to step back to let the tech take her further down the hall. "I'll call your mother. See you in a bit."
"Okay, sweetie…" She drifted off as the tech turned her and she couldn't see Max anymore.
Max watched them head down the hall, his heart aching. He turned around and headed toward the check-in desk, almost like a zombie. When he arrived there, the woman spoke to him and scanned his bracelet, then directed him to the waiting area they had just passed. She said something about how they would call him when she was finished, or would bring her to him, or something, he couldn't remember. He felt like he was underwater. He couldn't get the image of the tumor on the ultrasound screen out of his mind. As he walked out the doorway and headed for the waiting area, he realized he was clenching her ring in his hand. He opened his hand and took the ring, and carefully placed it on his pinky as far as it would go. He made sure the tip of the heart was pointing toward him. As he went in to the waiting area, he headed towards the windows and took a seat in an empty area. He sat down and stared out of the windows. He put his head in his hands and tried to compose himself. He needed to be stronger for her, for everyone. He sat back and took several deep breaths. He took the phone out of his pocket. He needed to call Sylvia. She was probably worried. He would just tell her the basics. Just so she had a little more information. He could do that.
He dialed Sylvia's number and put the phone to his ear. He listened to it ring twice, and then Sylvia's voice was there, almost out of breath.
"Hello?" She said.
"Sylvia, it's Maxwell. Everything's okay right now, I just wanted to give you an update."
"Oh, Mr. Sheffield! I'm so glad you called! I was worried! How is Fran? Where is she?"
"She's alright, Syl, she's just gone back for the MRI. I have to wait for her out in this waiting area. Um, Sylvia, I should tell you that last night, she, uh- last night she had a high fever. She couldn't take that medication so there wasn't any way to help the fever other than trying to keep her cool. This morning she still had a bit of a fever, so they want to put her on some fluids after her MRI. They already put the IV thing in her arm, but they'll hook the bag up after the MRI. The doctor also wanted her to drink some electrolytes because she's a bit dehydrated. I got a wheelchair for her because I didn't want her walking around all over. She was a little wobbly on her feet. But she's okay. She gets to eat regular food again. I'll get her some lunch after she's done. And then we have to meet with the doctors after lunch. We'll see what they say, and we'll have more information to give everyone later today. Oh, Fran said she would call you, probably tonight. Is that alright?"
"Of course it's alright! She can call whenever. And so can you. How are you doing? I know how hard this is on you, too."
"Oh, I'm okay, Syl. I just don't like being away from her. I don't like not seeing what's going on. They said it would take about an hour or so. So I'm just killing time a bit now. How is Morty doing? Did you talk to him?" Max asked.
"Yes. I told him everything. I think he maybe felt a little guilty about not being there yesterday. He's been quiet. He went out for a walk this morning and he hasn't gotten back yet. I imagine he probably ended up at the bowling alley. That's where he goes sometimes to think about things. I'll expect him home around lunchtime. I can tell him what you said, so he doesn't feel like we're keeping things from him."
"Yes, that's probably a good idea. Fran does still want to see him. She needs to know he's handling things okay. How are you doing, Sylvia?"
"Well, you know. I guess about the same as everyone else. It just doesn't seem real. But I'm glad to know the doctors are on it, that they're working to get her better, you know? I just want her better." Sylvia sighed.
"Yeah, me too." Max sighed. "Sylvia, can you do me a big favor?"
"Sure, what is it?"
"Can you try to call Val and let her know? I don't know when she gets out of work or when she'll be home. But if you could get a hold of her and let her know what's going on. And I can let Fran know to try to call her tonight, too. We might need to get a nap when we get home. It was a bit of a rough night."
"Yes, yes! You both need to get enough rest now, especially now. I'll find Val. Just ask Fran to call when she's feeling up to it, don't worry."
"Thank you, Syl. Really. Let Morty know Fran's worried about him, that she wants to see him. Maybe even tomorrow if she's doing okay and we can work something out. We'll figure it out. But Syl, I need to go, I need to watch for when she comes out. But she'll call you later, okay?"
"Okay, go be with her when she comes out, and get her some food. She doesn't need to get skinnier. We need to see her eating again."
"Yes, we do. She still has the Chinese food at home, so we'll make sure she gets some of that, too." Sylvia chuckled.
"Yes, that will make her happy. Alright, Mr. Sheffield, go wait for her. I'll be home all day so call whenever you can, okay?"
"Alright, Syl. You take care now. Let Morty know we're thinking about him, too."
"I will. Give Fran a hug for me. Goodbye."
"Bye, Syl." Max hung up the phone and then stared at it for a while. He wanted to call Niles. Niles should know what's going on. Max dialed the number for the house and Niles picked up almost immediately.
"Sheffield residence," he said.
"Niles- it's me."
"Oh, sir! Is everything alright?" Niles exclaimed.
"Yes, she's getting the MRI right now. I couldn't go back there with her. I'm in a big waiting area right now."
"Oh, gosh. That must be hard on you, sir, not being with her."
"Yes. It is. So I'm, uh, just waiting. They said it could be about an hour. Did the children get off to school okay?" Max asked.
"Yes, sir. They were quiet. Margaret said she told Brighton what was happening last night- I guess he was up and wanting to know what was going on. But thankfully Grace slept through it. Oh, speaking of Brighton, he finished his proposal and left a copy for you both. He wanted to get to school early to set up a meeting with his teacher. I sort of- I hope you don't mind- but I sort of read it."
"You did? How is it?"
"It's very good, sir. I think you will be impressed. But anyway, back to Ms. Fine- how is she?"
"Well, I had them get a wheelchair for her. I didn't want her walking around all day. She still had a bit of a fever and was a bit unsteady. I guess she's a little dehydrated too, the doctor came to talk to us after we got here and they got her vitals. We told the nurse what happened last night so she ran to get the doctor before he went on his rounds. And, well, he added another ultrasound and wanted her to drink this drink with electrolytes, and they will get her an IV when she finishes the MRI. They already put the IV thing in when she had blood drawn, so it's ready for an IV bag."
"Another ultrasound? Was that necessary?"
"I guess it was, for them to get more information. This time it was just for the tumor itself, to get more measurements and a bit of video…" Max drifted off.
"Sir?" Niles asked gently.
"Yes?"
"Did you- did you, uh, see-?"
Max cleared his throat. "Did I see the tumor? Yes." They were both silent for a while. Max wanted to change the subject. "But, um, the doctor said she can eat regular foods. He's supposed to be giving her something else later when we go back for the consultation. I guess so she doesn't have any pain or discomfort. But we'll see."
"Oh, that's fantastic. This Chinese food is waiting here for her. I can make it for her for dinner tonight if she'd like," Niles said, letting Max change the subject.
"Oh, I'm sure she will, Niles."
"Just another thing, sir- Brighton said he would try to call on his lunch break to see if there was any news. If he does, what should I tell him?"
"Um, tell him Fran asked them about getting copies of everything, so we should have that when we come home. Ah, you can tell him they drew three vials of blood for the tests, and about the IV. And that they decided to do another ultrasound. Um, let him know she's feeling better."
"Alright, I'll let him know. Do you know what time you both will be back?"
"I expect we'll be back before the children get home. We meet with the doctors at 12:30. I'm not sure how long it will take to talk through everything and ask our questions and whatever they need to tell us or show us. But I think we might be back before the children get there. And Niles, Fran and I might need some rest when we get home. We'll get some lunch here, so we won't need anything when we get back. Would you be able to keep an eye on the children maybe until dinnertime? We can talk to everyone then. If you want to make a lighter dinner, that might be good. Maybe some Tums for Brighton and myself." Niles chuckled.
"Oh, yes sir. I can do that. Would something like soup, salad, sandwiches be alright? Everyone can just take as much as they want?"
"That sounds good, Niles. Well, I better go. I want to watch for when they bring her out or if they call me or something."
"Yes, sir. Give her a hug for me. And we'll see you both when you get home. Goodbye, sir."
"Goodbye Niles, and thank you again."
"No trouble at all, sir," Niles said. They hung up and Max put the phone back in his pocket. He looked around, having forgotten there were other people meandering around the large room, and some watched the television sets, some talked to each other. There were a number of lone males sitting by themselves, staring off into the distance. He got up from his chair and walked to the large windows and looked out. He watched the people down below walking back and forth to wherever they were going. Cars and cabs drove by on the street. Everyone else's lives were going on without them, like nothing was happening at all. But his and Fran's lives, and everyone close to her- their lives were frozen. Frozen until this awful thing was taken care of and she had time to get better. He needed her to get better. Desperately. He checked his watch. Barely fifteen minutes had gone by. This was excruciating.
He knew it was just an MRI, nothing to be afraid of. And she probably would fall asleep in there. But he couldn't be with her, and he wanted to be with her. To hold her hand through the whole process. He didn't like letting go of her. He looked down at his hand and saw the ring again, pushed tightly onto his pinky. He clutched it with his other hand, running his thumb over it again and again. It felt like a lifetime ago when they had so much fun shopping for all the jewelry. She was so happy. So was he. They got to forget everything for a while and just enjoy being together- finally. He would do anything for her.
He kept getting flashes of the ultrasound images in his mind. It was like a punch in the gut. When she let him feel her abdomen and he found the spot where he thought he could just feel something- that made the tumor more tangible, less of a mystery. But now he actually saw it on the screen- being scanned right in front of him. The look of it upset him. Here was this thing- this mass, that was hurting the woman he loved. He hated it. He wanted it gone. But he couldn't do anything about it himself. Here were these doctors willing to help, pushing things along quickly. But he felt like he was in a freefall, and Fran was the anchor he needed to settle him. He needed to be her anchor, too. She deserved that much. He needed to take care of her. As he looked out the window at the people walking by, he took another deep breath. It's going to be okay, he told himself.
He debated whether or not to go downstairs and try to find the gift shop. He thought maybe Fran might want to go wander around there herself, maybe after lunch. He wasn't sure he needed the Tums at the moment, he just needed to get himself to relax. He walked over close to one of the television sets. It was showing one of those awful court shows where one person has sued someone else for something stupid. He turned away from it and walked in the direction of another TV set to see what it had on. After a couple of commercials, some kind of game show came on. He didn't recognize the host, but he knew Fran probably would. He didn't feel like sitting through that so he continued walking around and over to the last TV set. He saw that it was showing something in black and white, and of course that made him think of Fran, so he got closer so he could hear it. Then he recognized it as something Fran watched a lot- it was the Dick Van Dyke Show. It made him smile a little, so he sat down in one of the empty chairs and began to watch. He was still struggling to feel less alone, less out of control, so he tried to imagine that Fran was there with him, pointing out who the characters were and all the plot points of the episode, which he was sure she had memorized. That made him smile- her fondness for these shows she grew up with and that she watched over and over again. She loved a good story as much as he did, and even he had to admit he had a strong connection to nostalgia similar to hers. They had a lot of overlap in the things they enjoyed, especially as far as old movies went. Maybe there was a cinema somewhere that was showing one of their favorite old films. Maybe he could take her there sometime. He liked that idea. Maybe he would run it by her and they could make plans.
When the credits at the end of the episode came on, Max checked his watch again. Not quite thirty minutes yet. He leaned back in his chair and stretched his legs out, then ran his fingers through is hair. He looked around the big waiting area, wondering who all the people were and why they were here, and what they were thinking. Were they just here for appointments? Were they with a loved one, waiting for some kind of news? Were they waiting on someone to come out of some kind of test or procedure, going stir crazy trying to kill time and hurry it along? It was then that he realized that one of the women at the desk by where he came in would occasionally call a name, and someone would look over and get up from their seat and walk over to that desk. Why didn't he hear that until now? He had wondered why there was a desk there with a few people seemingly working at it. But they weren't scanning any bracelets, so maybe they were telling the people that they could stop stewing in the waiting area, and could go see their loved ones, wherever they may be. He watched one man get up as he was called, walk over to the desk, speak to a woman there, and then nod his head- thanking her, and then he left the waiting area to the main corridor and turned and headed away in a hurry. He saw a bracelet sticking out from under the man's cuff. Was he a patient? A caregiver? A husband? Would they call Max's name when Fran was finished? He wished he could remember what the woman at the Imaging desk had told him.
Max looked back up at the TV set and watched as another episode of Dick Van Dyke came on. At least this might help suck up some more time. He could at least give it a try. He straightened himself up in his chair and tried to pay attention, which wasn't the easiest thing to do- he kept glancing at everyone going back and forth, in and out of the waiting area, checking that no one at the desk had called him and he had missed it. He went in and out of daydreams- thinking about Fran and all the times they had together, walking with her on beaches, dancing with her, laughing with her. All the times he would realize he had feelings for her, and getting nervous because he didn't know what to do, especially if they had kissed. He hated that struggle he went through- knowing what he wanted to do but feeling like he wasn't allowed to, so he felt he had to fight the urge to wrap his arms around her, to bury his face in her neck, to tell her how much he loved her and wanted to be with her. But he didn't have to do that anymore. He would never have to do that again. He smiled at the thought. He remembered their fun over the weekend. He remembered taking care of her the previous night. He was very glad he was the one watching out for her then. He didn't want anyone else doing all those things for her, no matter who they were. Not only would he tell her every chance he got what she meant to him- how he felt about her, but he would show her, too. No more repressed Maxwell Sheffield. She had taught him to be better than that. This situation showed him that he needed to be better than that. She needed everything that he could give her. As his attention went back to the TV and he tried to focus on what was happening between the characters, he suddenly heard a voice calling his name nearby, but it wasn't coming from the desk at the entrance to the waiting area.
"Maxwell Sheffield?" Max turned toward where the voice was coming from. "I thought that might be you." Max stood up as a man came toward him. It was the cop- Jeff, was it? The one who had arrested Fran that night when she threw the party she wasn't supposed to have. Max was a bit taken aback at seeing him.
"Oh, uh, hello. Jeff, was it?"
"Yeah, how are you? I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" Jeff asked, shaking Max's hand.
"Uh, not at the moment, I'm just, uh, waiting…"
"Oh, yeah, so am I. You have an appointment or something? Oh, well, I guess it's none of my business, I shouldn't ask…" Jeff said.
"Oh, it's okay, no, I don't, I'm just, waiting for someone…" Max glanced over toward the desk and back. "Are you-" Max stopped himself.
"Oh, I'm just waiting on a patient. On a case, actually. I'm supposed to interview a victim, but I have to wait until she's out of a procedure. Should be any time now."
"Oh," Maxwell said. There was, of course, an awkward silence. Max had no idea what to say, or to ask. He didn't really want to be talking to anyone right now. Especially a man that had shown an interest in Fran, even if it did seem to be brief, or unpursued, or whatever. Jeff looked around the room, then cleared his throat.
"So, how is the theater business? Keeping you busy?" Jeff asked.
"Um, sure, usually. But, uh, I'm actually taking some time off from it for a little while," Max stumbled over his words. Jeff noticed that he seemed different somehow. Maybe unsure of himself? Not the confident, if even arrogant, man he had met before.
"Oh? Well, I guess that's good. We all need a break once in a while."
Max nodded, then looked back at the TV, then at the floor, then towards Jeff, but not directly at him.
"Maxwell Sheffield?" Suddenly a woman at the desk called his name and he nearly gave himself whiplash looking over. He gave a wave to the woman, acknowledging her and letting her know he heard her. She had the phone to her ear, and she waved him over.
"Uh, sorry, I have to go," Max said, shaking Jeff's hand quickly as he backed away. "Uh, nice seeing you, uh, I have to go," Max pointed toward the desk.
"Okay, alright, nice seeing you," Jeff waved as Max turned and jogged towards the desk to speak with the woman there. That was weird, Jeff thought to himself. He found an empty seat and sat down. He glanced at Max as he talked to the woman at the desk, and wondered what they were talking about.
Max hurried up to the desk. "Yes, I'm Maxwell Sheffield."
"Oh, yes sir, I'm just on the phone with the Imaging desk. They wanted to make sure you were over here, They'll be bringing Fran Fine over in just a moment. If you can wait here for her?"
"Yes, yes, I'll wait right here!" Max was excited. He checked his watch. Almost an hour on the dot.
"Yes, he's right here at the desk, you can bring her over." The woman said into the phone, and hung up. "She's on her way, sir."
"Thank you, thank you!" Max nervously wrung his hands waiting for what felt like an eternity until he saw her in the wheelchair, being pushed by an orderly around the corner into the waiting area. She now had an IV bag hanging from a metal extension bar right behind her shoulder, with a tube running from it to her arm. She beamed when she saw him, and he thought he might burst with happiness at seeing her again, too. She held her arms out to him and he leaned over and kissed her, clutching her arms too. They were both oblivious to the fact that there were still other people in the waiting room and corridor. The orderly handed over a few papers to them as he stepped away from the wheelchair to let Max take over.
"You ready for some lunch, sweetheart?" He grinned from ear to ear.
"Absolutely, baby!" She said. He kissed her again, then remembered the ring on his finger.
"Oh, I believe this is yours, my darling!" He slid the ring off his pinky and she held out her hand, letting him slide it back on her ring finger, with the tip of the heart pointing towards her. She grabbed his hand and looked up at him.
"Thank you for keeping it for me, I didn't want to take it off at all but I know I had to, I'm glad I have it back now. Come on, gorgeous, let's go see what the cafeteria has. I'm starving!" Max laughed and grabbed the handles on the wheelchair, turning her around and heading for the elevator.
Jeff's eyes were wide open after what he had just witnessed. He could see them waiting outside the elevator doors, Max kneeling beside her, and the two of them kissing like a couple of newlyweds. He wondered what had happened to Fran, why she was in the wheelchair with an IV bag. And why Max hadn't mentioned who he was here with. It must have been because they were a couple now, that was who he was here waiting for, and maybe he didn't say it because of Jeff's brief past with Fran. Maybe that was why Max was taking time off from the theater, too. Well, he shouldn't be surprised. He had a feeling there was something between the two of them. But he didn't expect them to do something about it, or for Max to look so devoted to her. Jeff was a little disappointed in himself that he hadn't pursued things with Fran, but after seeing them together, maybe that was a good thing. Maybe he wasn't meant to be with Fran. After all, she and Max did look happy together- and they did look like a nice couple. He watched Max push Fran's wheelchair into the elevator, and he hoped Fran was alright. He knew Max's history- that his wife had passed away. If he could open his heart to Fran, that had to be a good thing.