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It was just a tiny little lift of her lips, but Sienna saw it and couldn’t help but grin.
“Eleanor,” she began, “this is Mick.”
“Michael,” her friend whispered.
He stepped forward and gently took her hand in his. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Eleanor. Sienna has told me so much about you.”
“It’s nice to...finally meet you...too.”
For the next several hours, they talked as Eleanor slipped in and out of consciousness. Mick left to get them some lunch, and as the afternoon turned to evening, he left again to get dinner. Sienna had little appetite, but he still made sure she at least ate a little something to keep up her strength.
It was almost eight when she excused herself to speak to one of the nurses. Debbie’s shift was over and now the nurse on duty was named Leigh.
“Hey,” she said as she approached the desk. They had met the previous day when Sienna had been up visiting. “I wasn’t sure how late we’re allowed to stay.”
“There are no rules up here. You’re welcome to stay all night if you’d like. The sofa opens into a bed and the chair does as well. I was just getting ready to bring some coffee and cookies in to you.”
“Oh, you don’t have to do that. Mick brought dinner up a little while ago.”
Standing, Leigh came around the desk and gave her a small smile. “That was almost three hours ago.”
“Was it?”
She nodded. “He brought dinner for all the nurses too.”
Why am I not surprised?
“I just don’t want you going through too much trouble just for us. I’m sure you have other patients with families here that need you more.”
Her expression turned sympathetic. “Sienna, this is what we do. We’re fortunate that there aren’t a lot of patients on the floor right now, so for tonight, Eleanor—and you, and Mick—are my only responsibility. Please let me do this for you.”
Before Leigh could turn away, there was something Sienna had to ask.
“Um...when Debbie called me this morning, she said that...well...she didn’t think...”
“She didn’t think she’d make it through the day, right?”
Swallowing hard, she nodded. “But...she’s been somewhat awake at times and talked to us. I mean...she’s not fully alert and I understand because of the morphine, but...”
“There’s no way to know for sure,” the nurse replied solemnly. “Her body is so weak, and I think she’s enjoying having you here to talk to. While you were away, she shared all the pictures and videos of your trip. You have no idea how much she looked forward to hearing from you each day.”
Her heart kicked hard in her chest.
“Most nights she wouldn’t go to sleep until she shared your news with all the nurses who were working. And whoever was off had to be caught up to speed when they came back.” She laughed softly. “You’re a wonderful friend, Sienna, and she’s lucky to have you.”
The familiar sting of tears was back and she forced herself to smile and say thank you before heading back to Eleanor’s room.
When she stepped back inside, she found Mick leaning over the bed, looking as if Eleanor was whispering something to him. She stayed back in the shadows and waited for several minutes until they were done. Having him with her all day had been a blessing. He’d kept her distracted and cared for, and it still amazed her how the man simply gave and gave and gave and she wondered how on earth she could possibly ever do the same for him?
Had anyone ever done the same for him?
Somehow she doubted it.
When he finally straightened. She watched as he gave Eleanor’s hand a comforting pat before he sat back down.
That’s when she walked back in.
“Hey,” she said softly. “Sorry I was gone for so long. Leigh is going to bring some coffee and cookies down for us.” Stepping over to the side of the bed, she smiled down at her friend. “Any chance you want to split a cookie with me?”
