Life Unexpected

Life Unexpected - Three

Life Unexpected Part Three. 

I was a nervous wreck as I saw the red number on the elevator panel increase by one as we headed to the ICU. Henry was holding my hand, but all I could feel was the sweat collecting in my palm. I hated hospitals; always have and always will. After that incident back when I was in high school, I swore I’d never set foot in a hospital unless it was utterly necessary.

And now years later, here I stood in the elevator going towards the one place that had seen more deaths than a morgue; the ICU. Intensive Care Unit is what it stands for, and it is one of the places that fills me with dread, pain, and fear the most. People come to the hospital to get healthy, they go to the ER when something is wrong and cannot wait any longer; however, people come to the ICU to wait for their time of death when nothing can be done but wait.

“Everything is going to be fine, Eli.” Henry said for the millionth time and just like I had done so for the millionth time I shook my head.

“She said she was dying, why would she say that if everything is supposed to be ‘fine’?” I quoted the last word and wrapped my arms around my torso; not caring if Henry wanted to hold my hand. I wasn’t a child, damn it!

“Sometimes women exaggerate, love, maybe she was doing a nose job and something went wrong. Maybe she just didn’t like the nose job, or the breast augmentation for all we know.” He crossed his arms over his chest, clearly annoyed at me.

When Henry had arrived last night, I was a mess. After Denise had told me she was dying, I tried to make her tell me what was going on but she wouldn’t budge. She said she needed to see me in person and asked me to come the next day; I agreed. After we hanged up, I sat on the couch in shock. Never in a million years would I have thought that she’d be calling me much less tell me she’s dying on the same call. I had taken a few deep breaths but by the fifth or sixth one it all had clicked in my head and the water dam opened. I hadn’t cried that hard in so long that I felt drained when I opened my eyes and realized I was in Henry’s arms cradled against his chest.

I couldn’t talk but he didn’t care. Henry held me against his chest all night until morning came and I was able to explain why I was in that state. He sat silently on the kitchen chair as I explained Denise’s call. At first I didn’t want to mention that Denise was my ex right before I had met him, but our relationship was based on trust so I told him the truth. He was silent as he continued listening to me and I was starting to get a little nervous. Henry had never acted jealous around me. He knew the type of work I had and the type of people I worked with, and he had never made a jealous scene. It might be because I’ve never given him a reason to be jealous; everyone knew I was taken and that I was madly in love with my partner.

However, it appeared I had been wrong all along. Henry was a very jealous man.

“So this woman, your ex, goes missing for four years and now comes back saying she’s dying? My god, Eli, can you be any more naïve? That’s the oldest trick in the book!”

I shook my head, “It’s not like that, Henry. She sounded sincere, plus she would never lie to me.”

He scoffed, “She’s trying to get you back, Eli! Why can’t you see that?” He slammed his fist on the table and I flinched at his actions.

“Henry, will you calm down? I’m telling you, it’s not like that.” I tried to hold his hand but he pulled away.

He shook his head, “I bet you she found out you’re making more money than before. I bet you she got pregnant after you two broke up and wants to pin the kid on you so you’ll give her money.”

Henry scoffed, “I know her type, and let me tell you they almost always get what they want… almost. Good thing you have me; she won’t get shit from you, you hear me, nothing.”