The Loving Silence

Chapter 29

He hurried out the door and closed it behind him. He did not want to risk embarrassing them. Their feelings were theirs to feel, and they were not yet close enough for him to feel he had the right to witness their reactions. That being the case, Mica decided it was time to stall.

First he went to the bathroom on another floor. Then he went to get some hot cocoa. He drank the cocoa as he took a stroll through the gift store. After disposing of the cup, he decided it was time to do what he set out to do.

Giving them this time was his way of thanking them. He wanted to give them enough time to compose themselves, just in case they needed that. And the more rest Rue could get, the better.

The nurses station was busy, but not so busy that they didn't notice Mica approaching. A few stopped what they were doing and one got so distracted that she put the needle straight into the patient's arm, nowhere near a vein of any kind.

"Ow! What are you doing?" the patient exclaimed.

The nurse flinched and looked back at him. At what she was doing. She did not notice what she'd done until she followed the patient's pointed gaze and noticed the needle sticking out of his upper arm. It was in quite deep and quite close to the elbow too, which was likely why it had hurt. She hastily removed the needle, held a piece of cotton against the wound and gently fixated a new needle into the healthiest looking vein. All while apologising profusely for her carelessness.

Mica was humble, but he knew he looked decent for his age. His beloved James often told him that he had aged like a fine wine, but being the love of his existence, they were likely a tad biased. That's what he always figured anyway. Until the other day. One of their kids were upset their passport-photo hadn't come out the way they'd hoped. Mica had assured them it looked fine and that no one was over the moon over how they looked in their passport-photo. That led them to ask to see their parents passport-photos. James did not have one, and both parents made a note to get that sorted soon. They couldn't go on any impromptu romantic trips abroad unless they both had a valid one.  Mica's was still good so he decided to show them his. That's what he did and it did not help the situation. They let themselves be comforted by James as Mica had to play the villain.

They told him it wasn't fair that he looked to be the same age as them, his kids, if not younger in his photo. Granted, the passport was a few years old, so he was sure he looked older now. Still, he was very flattered by their unintentional compliments. It was so unexpected that it made his cheeks turned rosy, which his darling of coursed fussed endlessly over. The truth was that after being a teen dad for what felt like a century, he had become so used to hearing "Ew dad, you're gross!" that he was utterly unprepared to receive such a compliment. And so, the father found he now had an extra skip in his step.

With this new spark of confidence, his caring, concerned knight in shining arms type of personality all along with his ruggedly handsome appearance, the entire staff naturally became putty in his hands. They agreed to talk to the night nurses to make sure they let the patient in room 608 have his rest. They also offered to give Mica permission to come see the patient as often as he wished, without the limits of the set visiting hours. He gratefully accepted. He was about to leave when a woman stopped him. It was the one who had made the offer. She looked to be in her late forties and she wore a kind smile that made her hazel eyes sparkle. The lines around her eyes and mouth told a story and her short, curly reddish brown hair framed her face.

"I know what it's like," she told him empathetically as she pulled him away and took his hand in both of hers, "and in situations like this, strict visiting hours do more harm than good. Patients who have been through trauma need to be around the people who love and care for them the most. As good as our team is, we are still strangers. For a victim to be left alone like that, trapped in a room with nothing but their own thoughts and memories... it is just not healthy. And sometimes... sometimes it doesn't end well. Like what my son was put through."