The Aid

Part 7

"Hey. Look, I hate to do this, but–"

"Where are you?"

"...Why? You wanna come over?"

I rolled my eyes, but at least he didn't sound too bad. "Don't play with me, Harry, is everything okay?

"Yes," He stressed, "I mean, no. I'm in... a situation."

When my phone dinged, informing me of a new message, I'd had no idea that the words displayed on my screen would almost make me drop the three packs of fusilli from my hands in the middle of the pasta aisle. Luckily I'd managed to move myself and my basket to the gifts section, the least popular corner of the supermarket, where I could look stressed out next to overpriced stuffed animals in peace. "Oh, God, what's wrong?"

"Okay, first of all, relax, Evelyn, I am fine. As far as my health goes, it's all going according to plan.

I sighed in relief. "What's the situation then?"

There was silence for just a couple of seconds, but enough to wash me over with a whole new wave of anxiety, "It's... my parents."

"...What?"

"Do you have time to talk? It's a long story and I don't wanna bother you if you're in the middle of something."

"Are they okay?"

"Yes, they're okay, they're great actually, have a lot of spare energy and time to make me wanna shit myself." He paused for a moment, "You got time?"

There was no reason for him to call me if it wasn't of grave importance—as he'd very clearly stated, we did not need to be involved in each other's lives—and the fact that he was tiptoeing around the topic was doing a real number on my nerves. "Harry, if you don't tell me what's going on, I'm going to shit myself."

"So hot. Okay- since you won't tell me if you're free and I know how charitable you are in your ways, I'll give you the short version. I need your help with hoodwinking my parents."

I rubbed my forehead, then the bridge of my nose. "I need the long version yesterday."

"And I need you... whenever you're free, I need you to come to the hospital. It's the St Paul one on Highland Street."

"You're in the hospital?!" I knew there was a reason I immediately asked him for his location when he picked up. Gut feeling or something.

"I am fine!"

I picked up my basket, hurrying to the self-checkout, my worry for the man on the other line manifesting in the form of deep, deep annoyance. "You won't be when I get my hands on you," I replied through gritted teeth, squeezing my eyes shut in instant regret.

"Promise?"

There it was. The regret. "Shut up. I'm leaving now."

○○○

It was a hot summer afternoon, and normally I wouldn't have been leaving my place until the asphalt had cooled down in the evening. Even then, it would've been to take a short walk or maybe bring Violet dinner.

The situation I was finding myself in had one thing in common with my evenings, and it was the hospital. Rather than sit on a chair and kick my feet until my overworked roommate found time to collect her dinner, I was marching down a sterile hallway, already barely remembering the nurse's directions. I liked Violet's workplace better.

Walking into the oncology wing, a wave at the end of the hall caught my attention. Blue eyes had found me before I could find them. "There she is." Harry was grinning from ear to ear as I walked over, "My blushing bride."