one missed call

one hundred -thirty one

        

north moved her chin so her face would shake off the blanket over her head. the room, for once, felt warm. it felt like she was at home even if she wasn't.

she looked up at leo who lay next to her with his eyes closed but his arm around her shoulder. he looked like he was having a good dream judging from the smile on his face.

the door opened from the end of the room and in stepped a younger woman in a blue uniform. "tsk, tsk, what did i tell you about taking off the tubes?"

north chuckled before coughing, "they get tangled whenever we cuddle."

the woman pretended to look mad, "hmph, i'm telling you to dr. richards. he'll cut down your sugar intake even more."

"oh no, don't take this out on the sugar." north joked but the look on both women's faces said there wouldn't really be cutting down on sugar at that point.

nurse nancy smiled, "you have a visitor by the way."

north glanced back at the door where another woman stood. "hey mom."

north smiled, crinkling the skin on her face. "keira, you flew all this way just to visit?"

by then, nurse nancy had left them alone to talk. keira pulled a chair and dragged it to the side of the bed where the couple still lay cuddled up. "of course. you seem to look very comfortable and well tangled with each other—it really contrasts what dr. richards has been saying."

"oh that man doesn't know shit. doctors don't know shit,"

keira laughed, "i know, i know, you've said it before. but this doctor however knows his stuff. mom—"

"look, honey, i don't want to talk about that stuff here when you're actually here. if i wanted to, i would've wasted a small topic like that in our phone calls. now please, tell me how you are."

so the two talked for a while, north coughing here and there and leo snorting in his sleep and flinching at times.

finally night came. "you better get going, i don't want you walking late at night in the streets."

"i know how to take care of myself, mom." keira crossed her arms as she gathered her things.

"i know you do but i used to be like that too. didn't want help from anyone, stubborn as a mule. but your father made me realize it's just said because the person cares. and i want you safe."

keira sighed, "okay mom, i'll take a cab to the hotel. so i'll drop by tomorrow morning again?"

north smiled sadly, "i... i think you should take a flight home. you've got your job and jack and lizzy to take care of."

"what? things at work can wait and bruce can handle the kids for a few days."

"please keira... i think you wouldn't be able to drop by tomorrow anyways."

"why?"

"well, maybe you're right about dr. richards knowing some things about shit."

keira was silent with thought before tears formed in her eyes and she rushed over to the bed to pull the couple into a hug. "i love you mom and dad."

that's when leo woke up with his dreamy smile still playing on his lips, "we love you too, sweetheart."

the next morning, nurse nancy entered the room to find the old husband and wife to still be cuddled together with their hands locked in each others but as north had predicted, they didn't live to see that morning.

but it was alright, as leo had said the night before, their life was full and content. all the surviving was worth it because in the end, they lived. they lived until their timely and great end.