When Anna accompanied Millicent Carter back to the ICU, she could feel anger and tension emanating from the woman. But, none of it showed on her face. How unlike the grandson, Anna thought, Carter had a difficult time hiding his emotions.
As they approached the doors to the unit, Anna could see that Robert Carter was inside sitting by John's bedside. One of the nurses stopped by his side and spoke to him, and he shook his head at her. Anna could see that he was holding John's hand with both of his own. Maybe the man wasn't as heartless as she had thought. The nurse pointed at them and Robert Carter turned his head to look at them. Then he slowly got up and came out into the hallway. Anna was surprised to see tears glittering in his eyes.
"Are you ready to leave, my dear?" he asked his wife.
Millicent nodded, then turned to Anna. "Thank you for all of your help, Doctor Del Amico."
"John's my friend, Mrs. Carter, there's no need for you to thank me for being his friend."
Millicent nodded, then headed for the elevator. Robert Carter cast a quick look in Anna's direction, then followed his wife. Anna went into the ICU and settled into the chair that Robert Carter had so recently vacated. Taking John's hand into her own, she noticed that he was once more sleeping peacefully. He had been given his pain medication, she didn't need to check his chart to know that much. Her heart ached for him and she wanted nothing more than to be able to look into his eyes and once more see his love for her in them. She wondered if she would ever see that again.
Alone in the elevator, Millicent gazed intently at her husband, who for his part, wouldn't look at her at all.
"I spoke with Doctor Corday."
"Did you?"
"She told me about the phone conversation she had with you and Roland. Did you reach Roland?"
"I did. I gave him your message, dear." He kept his eyes on the display above the elevator door.
"If John takes a turn for the worse, then I will never forgive you nor Roland for this."
"What was I supposed to do, Millicent? Get into an argument with my son while Doctor Corday was still on the telephone with us? I refuse to air our family's problems in front of strangers."
"You could have assured her that we would be on the next flight to Chicago, Robert. That's what you should have done. Then, after the conversation had ended, you should have gone to Roland and reminded him that he had a son who needed him very much right now. You never hesitate to remind the children about their familial obligations regarding the business, yet you refuse to remind them about their obligations to their own children. I've lost two grandsons in my lifetime, Robert, and I refuse to lose another."
The elevator came to a stop at the ground floor and when the doors opened, Robert stepped out. Millicent did not.
"Aren't you coming home with me?" he asked.
"I'm staying here with John. I'll call if I need a ride home. As soon as Roland lands, have him come here." And on that note, the doors closed. Millicent then pressed the button for the administrative floor, hoping to have a chance to speak with the Chief of Staff. She thought they could discuss making arrangements to have the cards and gifts taken to the house until John was well enough to have them. After that, she would go back to the ICU to sit with John. He needed to have someone from his family with him.
The next morning, Peter was looking over Carter's chart when Roland and Laura Carter finally arrived. Millicent Carter was seated by Carter's side and she was the one who noticed their arrival.
"Well, it's about time. Excuse me, Doctor Benton," she got up and walked out to them.
Peter watched them through the glass, noticing that Carter took after his mother in looks. Laura Carter wasn't a tall woman; she was small and petite, with dark hair, and from what he could see from inside the ICU, dark eyes as well. Roland Carter was tall; obviously Carter had inherited his height from the man. He was blonde and tanned. Both of them were tanned. For a brief moment, Peter regretted that he had not gone to the cocktail party that Roland Carter had thrown in honor of Carter's graduation from medical school. It would have given him a chance to meet Carter's parents and the rest of his family. Of course, back then, he had no idea that Carter would continue to be his student. Back then, he had been too busy feeling sorry for himself over his failed relationship with Jeannie Boulet and dealing with the very real worry that he might have contracted the HIV virus from her. His fears over that were continuing to prove groundless and he no longer mourned the death of that relationship. He had moved on and now had a child of his own. There was still no woman in his life, but he did have his son, and Reese meant the world to him. He had always thought that parents felt that way about their children. His mother had certainly doted on him. Looking out into the hallway and seeing the unrepentant looks on the faces of Carter's parents, he could tell that Carter had never been doted on; at least not by his own parents.
He put Carter's chart in the slot at the foot of the bed, then headed out into the hallway. If Mrs. Carter had been in the middle of berating her son and daughter-in-law, she stopped the minute he entered the hallway.
"This is Doctor Peter Benton, he was one of the surgeons who saved John's life. He can answer any medical questions you might have," Millicent introduced him. "This is my son, Roland, and his wife Laura."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Doctor Benton. John has always had good things to say about you," Roland Carter held out his hand and Peter found himself having to shake hands with the man.
"How is John doing?" Laura asked.
"Much better. I think we'll be able to move him into a regular room within the next couple of days. Why don't you two go on in and see John, and then we can go into the waiting room. I think you'll be more comfortable there while I explain his condition."
"We can go there now," Laura said. "I'd like to know how he's doing."
Roland nodded. "I agree with Laura. I'd like to know more about his condition first. Father made things sound rather serious on the telephone."
"The waiting room is this way," Peter headed down the hallway, trying his best to push his opinions aside. It wasn't his job to agree or disagree with what the parents of a patient did or how they reacted. Even if that patient was John Carter.
They all sat down, with Laura and Roland taking the small couch and Peter and Millicent sitting in nearby chairs.
"Well, first of all, John is finally out of danger. He sustained some very serious injuries in the accident. As a result, he lost his spleen and his left kidney. He had a lot of internal bleeding and we struggled to get him through surgery alive. He has a lot of fractures and will be facing many hours of physical therapy before he gets back on his feet. He developed an infection after the surgery and since his remaining kidney had also been badly damaged in the accident, we felt it was best to put him on dialysis until the infection was successfully treated."
"Will John have to remain on dialysis?" Roland asked with a frown.
Peter shook his head. "No, he won't. As I said, we put him on dialysis in order to protect his remaining kidney. Without his spleen, John will be more susceptible to infections. Doctor Miller makes regular visits and can also update you on John's condition."
"Father mentioned something about having Ronald take a look at John," Roland said.
"John's not in danger of dying now, right?" Laura impatiently asked.
"He's getting stronger every day, Mrs. Carter. He has a long recovery ahead of him, but in my opinion, he is out of danger."
Laura Carter closed her eyes, then nodded. "I'd like to see him now."
"Of course."
They headed back down the hallway to the ICU.
"I'll wait out here in case you have any questions about his condition or his care." Peter held the door open for them, then watched as they approached their son.
"Don't judge Laura too harshly, Doctor Benton," Millicent said as she too peered through the glass. "When Bobby died, it hit her hard. I don't think she's ever fully recovered from losing him. She couldn't see John until she knew that he was going to live."
"She didn't hesitate to stay away when he needed her most." Even as the words left his lips, Peter knew he had made a mistake in letting his feelings show.
"It wasn't her choice. Roland, like his father, didn't tell the rest of us the entire story. We were under the impression that John had been in an accident and sustained minor injuries. For some reason, the men in my life seem to think they have to spare the women in our family as much pain as possible. Roland would have told Laura the truth once it was clear that John was out of danger and would live."
"And he didn't think that she might come to hate him if John would have died and she had not been here to say goodbye?"
"It's been a long time since I had any idea of what my son thought, Doctor Benton. It's been that way since Bobby was diagnosed with leukemia. When Bobby died, Roland had difficulties dealing with his wife and the children and Laura, of course, was in shock from Bobby's death. As a result of what was happening with Roland and Laura, we found it necessary to send John and Barbara to boarding schools. I guess you could say that the children lost their brother and their parents at the same time. I don't like to think of myself as showing favoritism toward any of my grandchildren, Doctor Benton, but there are times when I find myself paying a little extra attention to John and Barbara."
"Like when you took his trust fund away?"
She sent a sideways glance in his direction. "That was by his choice, not mine. He could have kept the trust fund. I never offered an ultimatum to him. I merely made the comment that they, meaning the grandchildren, had no problem living off of the work of the family and never wanted to give anything back. He then told me that if I really thought that about him then I could keep the money. So, I did. I know it's been difficult for him to adjust to having nothing but his salary, but I also know that John will succeed on his own terms. Achieving his dream of becoming a doctor has not been easy for him. Oh, I know that financially speaking it has. But, there has to be more than that. It often helps if your family is standing behind you, urging you on and giving you support when you hit a rough spot."
Peter remembered how his mother had always been there to cheer him on and he nodded. "It's easier to do when your family is behind you, believing in you."
"John was supposed to graduate from the Wharton School of Business, then start work in my husband's company. Robert wanted him to be trained to take over the company when Robert was ready to retire. My husband has not ever agreed with nor condoned John's decision to be a doctor. In Robert's eyes, it was a waste of time, a childhood dream that should have been discarded once John grew older. I think that Roland backed John only because he liked the fact that he was keeping his own father from getting what he wanted." She turned to him, a faint smile on her lips. "We are not a nice family, Doctor Benton. Not a nice family at all. We have our charity work to make us feel as if we're giving back to the community, but it doesn't take away from the fact that we are not nice at all."
"John's a nice person."
"Yes, he is. John is caring and trusting. A little naïve at times. I have no idea how he ended up that way. God knows he wasn't raised in a caring and trusting environment. Well, I take that back. Bobby adored him. Bobby had always wanted a little brother, and when John was brought home, Bobby took to him immediately. He took John under his wing and protected him. Those two children loved each other very much. When Bobby had to be in the hospital or go to the doctor, he would insist that John go along with him. The hospital would be forced to put a cot in Bobby's room for John or else face Bobby's wrath. For a boy weakened by the ravages of leukemia, Bobby could throw a very impressive fit in order to get his way." She smiled as memories of her grandson swept through her mind.
"Bobby's the reason John became a doctor, isn't he?"
"Yes. Well, I'm sure you're bored by my recounting of the Carter family woes. My main point was that this is the best Roland and Laura can do."
Peter looked into the ICU. Roland and Laura Carter were standing by John's bed, but not touching him. He wondered if they were even trying to talk to him. When they turned around to leave, he didn't see any emotion displayed on their faces. Both of them appeared to be made of stone. It hit him then how much he had in common with John's parents. He had learned long ago to cut himself off from his emotions. Emotions only got in the way of his goals. How ironic that he, a black man from a poor section of Chicago, could have so much in common with a rich white man from the richest part of the same city.
When Roland and Laura joined them in the hallway, Millicent gave them both quick hugs. "Well, I've been up here for hours sitting with John. It's about time I took a break. Laura, you'll sit with him while I'm gone?"
"Of course," Laura automatically replied.
Millicent smiled. "I probably won't be gone for long. Roland, will you escort me to the cafeteria?"
"Yes, Mother."
Millicent turned back to Peter. "Thank you for your help, Doctor Benton. I'll be seeing you later."
"Yes, ma'am."
Peter watched Millicent and her son walk toward the elevators, then he turned to head back into the ICU. He held the door open. "Mrs. Carter?"
Laura broke her gaze away from the retreating pair and walked back into the ICU. "Thank you," she said as she passed by Peter.
Well, he thought, she might not be a loving and demonstrative person, but she's certainly polite.
"Is John asleep because of medication?" she asked him.
"He's in quite a lot of pain. He gets his medication about every four or five hours and usually awakens around the time for the next dose." Peter check his watch. "Which should be any time now. He is beginning to stay awake for longer periods of time though, which is a good sign."
She nodded. "You only mentioned some of his injuries, but not what happened. I was told he had been in an accident, but Roland didn't have any details for me."
They were now to John's bed and Laura sat down in the chair that Millicent had left by the bedside.
"John was leaving to go visit his cousin Chase at the Kenner Institute. Another doctor, Max Rosher, who had been doing consulting work here, went with him to discuss something. While they were talking, a child managed to get down on the El tracks. A train was coming and John jumped down to the tracks to get the little girl. He tossed her to Doctor Rosher but wasn't able to get off of the track and ended up being hit by the train. He suffered some severe injuries, but luckily for him, the train was going rather slowly at that point."
"And the little girl was all right?" Laura had taken John's hand into her own and was gently stroking the back of it.
"She was scared, but she wasn't injured. John was thrown by the impact and ended up with a lot of internal injuries. His left side, from the middle of his rib cage to the top of his hip, was literally torn open. His left kidney suffered so much damage that it had to be removed and his right kidney was also damaged, although we were able to repair it with surgery. He also lost his spleen. His left arm was fractured, as were his left leg and thigh. He also has a hairline fracture of the skull, but all the CAT scans have shown us that no damage was done to the brain as a result of the fracture. Other than having fractured ribs and contusions, that's about it."
"That's a lot for one body to handle," she gazed down at her son and Peter began to think that maybe she wasn't so heartless after all. "A friend of his died from being hit by a train. Did you know Dennis Gant?"
"Yes, ma'am, I did. He was one of my interns."
She looked thoughtful, then nodded. "I believe John might have mentioned that. So, what will John be facing as far as his recovery goes?"
"We put pins his arm, thigh and leg because of the numerous breaks. He'll need a lot of physical therapy, but so far his x-rays are showing that the bones are beginning to mend correctly. I think he'll make a full recovery."
She nodded again. "Good. Is he waking up now?"
Peter looked at John, who was awkwardly moving his body. "I think so. He's uncomfortable, partially from the pain and partially from having to lie in one position all the time. If you'll excuse me, I have some other patients to see."
"Thank you for answering my questions, Doctor Benton." She smiled up at him and he nodded to her, then went to check on the other patients he had in the ICU.
Laura smiled as John opened his eyes. "John? It's Mom. I'm here, honey."
John took a few moments to orient himself, then he smiled. "Hey. Gamma said you and Dad were here, but I kept missing you."
"She told you that, huh?" Laura made a mental note to thank Millicent for lying to cover for her and Roland. After Robert had called them in Paris to order them to come home, Roland had confessed to her that John's injuries had been far more serious than he had led her to believe. If it wasn't for the presence of their daughter on the plane, the trip back to Chicago would have been a silent one. Laura had never been so angry with her husband in her life and she wasn't sure if she would ever get over this latest deception of his.
"Yeah. I guess I slept though your visits." He yawned and shifted in the bed, then grimaced as pain shot through his body. "Damn," he softly swore.
"Under the circumstances, I think I'll ignore that remark. Barbara's here, too. We ran into a friend of yours on the way in and Barbara stayed downstairs to talk to her."
"Her who?"
"Anna Del Amico." Laura could tell that the flash of pain in his eyes at hearing that name was not because of his physical injuries. Barbara had told her that John had confided to her that he was in love with the woman, but that the feelings were not returned. Anna wanted to be his friend and nothing more. But, from what Laura had noticed while being introduced to her, Anna cared for John far more than a friend would. There were dark circles under her eyes, a sign of worry and futile attempts to sleep. Her eyes had a glow in them though when she spoke about John. There had been a time when her own eyes glowed when she spoke Roland's name, Laura remembered. But, it had been a long time ago. A very long time ago.
"Is Dad here?"
"He went to get some coffee with your Gamma."
"I think Gamma's been here all morning."
"She's been worried about you. We've all been worried about you. You gave us quite a scare," Laura managed to lie. She hoped he would believe her. She had never been good at lying, a trait he had inherited from her. The two of them were transparent when it came lies. But, if she would have known the truth about his injuries, then she would have been scared for him. Hell, she was scared. Running an infection while only having one functioning kidney was not good. Not good at all. Despite Peter Benton's reassurances that everything was getting better and that they had spared his remaining kidney further damage by using dialysis, Laura found herself wondering if John might be in danger of losing that kidney as well. If she might be in danger of losing him.
She couldn't hold back her tears though when he looked up with big eyes and said he was sorry for making her worry.
"Oh, honey, you don't have anything to be sorry about."
"Mom?"
Laura turned at the sound of her daughter's voice. With Barbara was Ann Del Amico.
"You have good timing, John's awake." She wiped the tears from her eyes, then turned back to John, squeezing his hand. "Look who's here."
Barbara Carter took a few steps to bring herself beside her mother. It was painful to see her brother so pale, so bruised and cut, and with tubes sticking out of his body. She then chided herself for her inward shiver of distaste for his physical appearance. If it was this painful for her to see him, she couldn't begin to imagine what it must be like to be him right now.
"Hey, Johnny," she reached out and stroked the back of his hand. It was apparent that their mother had no intention of letting go of it anytime soon.
"Hey," he sent a weak smile her way.
"I don't want to tire you out, so I'll just stand here and keep quiet. That way you won't feel you have to talk."
"Don't mind," he said. Then he yawned. "Sorry. I'm still tired."
"You're going to be tired for a few more days, John," Anna said as she picked up his chart and read the results of his latest vital signs check. "Your body needs to heal and it can do that the easiest if you're asleep."
"Not much to see in here anyway," he lowly commented.
"That's pretty much true. I.C.U. isn't the most interesting place. Once you can be moved to your own room, you'll have a t.v. to keep you company."
He smirked. "I don't think I can handle the anticipation of waiting."
"John," his mother began, but Anna laughed.
"I think we'll find a way for you to manage. Well, it was nice to meet you, Mrs. Carter. And it was really nice to talk with you, Barbara."
"Do you have to leave now?" Laura asked.
Anna nodded. "I need to get back to work. It seems we're one doctor short downstairs and he has some pretty tough shoes to fill. I'll come by later, John."
"'kay," he yawned again.
Anna quietly left. The Carter women remained quiet by John's bedside, watching as he slowly lost his fight to remain awake. Once asleep, they were able to talk quietly.
"Anna seems nice," Laura commented.
Barbara nodded. "She is. She cares a lot about John. She's just so afraid that he won't have anything to do with her once he's out of here."
"Why?"
"It's a complicated story, Mom. Let's just say that they had a terrible argument the day he was injured. Anna's afraid that he doesn't love her anymore."
"Because of an argument? That doesn't sound like John. Once he gives his heart, he gives it fully."
"I tried to reassure her. Once he's able to stay awake for longer periods of time, she'll see that her fears are groundless."
"I hope so. John deserves to be happy and if she can make him happy, then I'm all for it."
"Me, too."
A few days later, John was moved into a regular room. He was still sleeping a lot, but when he was awake he was completely coherent. He was trying to keep from taking as much pain medication, but once they started his physical therapy, he found himself accepting it when it was offered. Things were not as strained between him and Anna as they had been before he had left the hospital on that fateful day. He was grateful for that. If nothing else, at least they could still be friends, right? And friendship was something he could handle. One day, Anna was in his room telling him what had been going on down in the E.R. when he realized that he had bills due any day. Without thinking about it, Anna offered to take care of that for him. And without thinking about it, he had found himself accepting her offer. He gave her the keys to his apartment and told her where she would find the bills and his checkbook. One of his neighbors was already picking up his mail for him and he asked Anna to collect for him as well and take care of any bills that were there.
After she left, he found himself wondering why he had accepted her offer. His parents and sister were still in town. Either one of them would have been more than willing to handle it for him. But, the idea of having Anna in his apartment, even if she was only sitting at his desk, made shivers run down his spine. Not eerie shivers either. No, they were the kind of shivers that ended with a spike in the brain, sending waves of pleasure and anticipation outward. If nothing else, he would always know that she had sat in that chair, held that pen, and touched those papers. He would imagine the scent of her there in his apartment. Knowing that there was no one around to see him, he leaned back against his pillows and smiled. A person could never be hurt by a fantasy, he mused.
The next morning, Anna went to John's place. She was impressed with the apartment. Even though it was only five minutes away from the hospital, and not in an exclusive neighborhood, it was a nice building and a great apartment. Two bedrooms, one which had its own full bath. A separate kitchen and dining area. Large living room with a gas fireplace. She grimaced as she spied a glass jar on the mantel - it contained an organ. A human organ. It was apparent that no one had been in the place since John had left for work weeks ago. His breakfast dishes from that day still sat in the sink, a slight film on them. Thank God he had rinsed them. Anna cringed as she thought about what they would be looking like by now if he had not. His bedroom was untidy as well, looking as if he had been in a hurry to get ready for work. She glanced at her watch, then decided she had time for a little light housekeeping. She headed back to the kitchen and filled the sink with hot, soapy water and put the dishes in there to soak. Then she straightened out his bedroom. The bathroom needed only a light cleaning, and as she wiped a polishing cloth on the faucet handles she wondered why it was that John had not chosen the other bedroom. That was the one that had it's own bath. He wasn't even using it for storage. It was just an empty room. Well, maybe she'd ask him about that someday.
After doing the dishes, Anna sat down at the desk in the living room and pulled out John's bills. She added them to the few that had been in the mail, then pulled out his checkbook. She would write the checks, address and stamp the return envelopes, then take them all to the hospital for him to okay and then sign. First things first, though, she thought, I need to make sure he has enough money to cover his bills. She added the bills together, then opened the checkbook, going to the last entry to see if John had been keeping a running balance. What she saw there made her eyes widen. It was barely enough to pay his bills. Maybe he had made a mistake? Not added his deposits correctly? She knew that he had to be making the same salary as she was.
Feeling like an intruder, she flipped through the checkbook several times, then read slowly through it. John had not made a deposit of any kind since last spring. Not a single one. He had mentioned a savings book, and she searched through the desk drawer until she found it. John must be depositing his paychecks in his savings account, she thought. But a thorough examination only revealed that his savings were nearly depleted. John Carter was a few rent payments away from being completely broke. She knew he had given up his trust fund, so he didn't have that money to rely upon anymore, but what had happened to his paychecks? Was he cashing them and using cash to pay his bills? A scan of his paid bills showed her that was not the case. He had used checks to pay his bills. The only thing she could do was write out the checks for his bills now and later when she went to get him to sign the checks, she could ask him about his paychecks. Glancing at the clock, she saw that she only had thirty minutes before she had to report for duty in the E.R. Barely enough time to get his few bills paid and catch the El.
Anna paused in the doorway to John's room. He was doing so much better - the physical therapy was helping him a lot, even though it tired him out. He was finally getting some color back into his cheeks.
He looked up, saw her and smiled. "Hello. Guess what?"
She stepped into the room and pulled the chair up next to the bed. "What?"
"I can leave this place by the end of the week provided I make some type of arrangements to have someone stay with me during the day and take me back and forth for physical therapy, but I can finally go home," he was grinning from ear to ear. "I don't mind working here, but having to stay here as a patient is not my idea of a good time."
"You aren't here to have a good time, John," she joked. "You're here to get better."
"Not by eating this food, that's for sure. Did you have any problem finding my bills and check book?"
"No. I have the checks here for you to sign." She put the checks and their corresponding bills on his bedtray, then handed him a pen. He scanned the bills, then signed the checks.
"I really appreciate your help, Anna."
"It's no problem. I even took the time to straighten your place up a little. You weren't too neat when you left it the last time."
"I was running late for work. You didn't have to do that."
"I didn't mind. I do have a question though."
"Hopefully, I'll have an answer for you." He leaned back against his pillows and waited for her question.
"Where are all your paychecks? I looked through your checkbook, but I don't see any deposits at all listed."
He chewed on his lower lip and Anna knew then that he had been hiding something from her. Again. She sighed, then hoped he had not heard her.
He had. "I'm sorry. I wasn't intentionally keeping this from you - I thought you already knew."
"Knew what?"
"I don't get paid."
"Excuse me?"
John licked his lips, then told her the story of how he managed to switch his residencies, including his offer to work for no pay.
"So, now I'm stuck. I have no paycheck, no trust fund. I've cashed in all my certificates and other investments; my savings are nearly all gone. I don't know how I can afford to keep my apartment. The lease will be coming up in a few months. It's a great place and I hate to lose it, but I just can't afford the rent anymore."
"I noticed that you have two bedrooms. Why don't you get a roommate?"
He shook his head. "I don't think I would feel comfortable having another roommate in there. Things didn't work out right with the original one."
"The two of you didn't get along, huh?"
"We got along fine. He died." John looked away from her, not wanting to have to tell her the story of Dennis Gant and the circumstances surrounding his death. Especially in light of how he had been injured. For about the millionth time, he found himself wondering if that had been the platform where Dennis had been hit. He shrugged. "I'll think of something before I tell the landlord that I don't want to renew the lease."
"But, you do want to renew it. You just can't afford it. John, it's a nice place. I love the fireplace. Not too sure about the decorations on the mantel, but the fireplace itself is wonderful."
He grinned. "I happen to like seeing Peter Benton's appendix up there every day."
"That's Benton's? How on earth did you get that?"
"I did his appendectomy."
"Oh, my God! Does he know you have it?"
"I guess. I wasn't shy about sharing the photos with everyone. But, I could be wrong. After all, I thought you had heard by now that I wasn't getting paid and I was wrong about that."
Anna decided to take a bold step and she hoped that it wouldn't backfire on her. John had already mentioned that he would need someone to look after him once he was released from the hospital. "John, how about if I move in with you?"
He immediately looked down, his good hand nervously twisting the edge of the blanket. "Anna, I think that might be rushing things too much."
"I don't mean as your lover. I mean as your roommate. You've seen the roach palace where I live. I would bet that what I currently pay would be equal to half of what your apartment runs per month. You said that you'll need someone to look in on you and take you to therapy, so how about me? I'm not sure if I can be a good nurse, but I can certainly give it my best shot. Plus, we'll have a chance to get to know each other better."
"I don't know. A lot has happened lately, Anna. Too much to take in at one time."
"I know what you mean. Will you at least think about it? I need to get back to work."
He nodded. "I'll think it over. Thanks for taking care of my bills and for cleaning up a little." He smiled up at her.
"You're welcome." She gathered the bills and checks together, then headed back for work. She hoped he would decide to accept her offer. She wanted so much to prove to him that she cared about him. Still, she knew that suddenly smothering him with devotion would be going overboard. He had to work things out for himself in his own time. She knew he cared about her and right now that was enough. It had to be enough.