After his X-ray, Rawle faded out again, but they were moving him by stretcher upstairs into a real hospital bed, he gathered, in a private room thanks to Kelloway’s pull at the hospital.
When he came to, he was in a small dark room and it took a minute for his eyes to adjust. He focused a little. Kelloway was there waiting on a blue chair at the end of the bed. She talking on the hospital phone in her trademark sob voice.
Her eyes were red and soaking wet with tears.
“He’s here,” she said into the phone. “Yeah.” Her voice was very high pitched. “I will. Bye Dad.”
Oh Jesus, Rawle thought. She’s leaving.
Kelloway hung up the phone and just started at Rawle’s half-closed eyes. One of his eyes was covered with a heavy antibiotic bandage. Kelloway didn’t have to say a word, Rawle knew what she was going to say. He even agreed with her.
Her eyes were streaming tears. “I have to go, Rawle. I can’t handle this. I can’t.” she took a deep breathe and tried to compose herself. “We’re going to mom and dad’s.”
He cleared his throat. “For how long?”
She looked at him but didn’t answer, her eyes just watered more and she put her hand over her mouth.
Kelloway had cried many times during five years of marriage to Rawle. This was the first time he cried back.
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