Page 82 of Smoke and Fire
“It’s only 10% contained, correct?”
He nodded a bit reluctantly. Shayna smiled at Inessa and said, “If anyone can put out that fire, it’s your brother. Don’t you think?”
Inessa nodded dotingly. Bastian grinned.
“I brought your lunch and some medicine,” Shayna continued. “Are you hungry?”
I startled. Had we been here that long? My gaze traveled to a clock filled with cats. Indeed. Noon sharp.
Inessa nodded. "I'm hungry."
“Probably tired, too.”
Bastian chucked her softly on the jaw, earning another smile. She whacked him back, hitting him on the hip. Bastian leaned over, wrapped his sister in another lingering hug, and straightened. She smiled, adjusting her glasses again.
“Love you, Nessa,” he murmured. “I’ll try to see you tomorrow morning again, okay?”
“Love you, Bash.”
Taking it as a cue, I stood up. On a whim, I stepped forward and gave Inessa a hug that she returned, holding me tight. When I straightened, I felt sad to go. Shayna stepped back to let us through, then touched Bastian on the shoulder.
“I’ll speak to you outside.”
He nodded, gave one last farewell to his sister, and we stepped into the hall. Shayna followed us out, closing the door behind her. When she turned to Bastian, something like fear lived in his gaze.
“She’s doing great,” Shayna said in a soothing voice. She put a hand on his shoulder. “For what her body can do, she's hanging in there. But she’s growing more uncomfortable as the days pass. Her lung and heart function are declining, and so is her energy. The doctor will be here tomorrow morning at his usual time if you want to speak with him, but the decision to call hospice is really one to make sure she remains comfortable.”
“Has Nessa spoken with you about it?” he asked. “Does she understand what hospice means?”
“Not really, but she’s starting to understand that she won’t get better. Sometimes she asks me what happens when we die, but not often.”
Bastian nodded. “Of course I want to speak with the doctor. I’ll be here tomorrow. And I’ll have new oil paints and canvases for her.”
Shayna nodded with a warm smile. “She’d love that. Have you had any update on your Dad?”
He shook his head. The hard wall in his gaze slammed back into place that had lifted around Inessa. Shayna patted his shoulder, and her eyes fell to me.
“I’m sorry,” she said with a smile, “I didn’t introduce myself. I’m Shayna, the nurse here most of the time.”
“This is Dahlia,” Bastian said, before I could speak. He set a hand on my shoulder. “My friend.”
A breath of relief almost escaped me. For half a moment, I thought he’d sayassistantor something awkward like that. Friend I would take, and gratefully.
Shayna smiled. “I’m happy to see someone with you. Call me with any questions, and we’ll see you tomorrow.”
Bastian and I exited the bright facility without saying a word. Shayna’s voice reverberated in my head.
I’m happy to see someone with you.
We fell into our separate thoughts as we returned to the car. Once there, he opened my door again, brow knitted as he shut it after I had stepped in.
Did he work on autopilot? Did he realize the sweet, small things he did? While he walked around the car, I closed my eyes and drew in a deep breath, letting it out seconds before he opened the door. The air had grown heavy, but not in a bad way.
His truck rumbled to life, and I realized then that it was kind of old. Functional, certainly, and well taken care of, with a tool box in the bed and new-ish looking tires. The floors were vacuumed, no dust lingered anywhere, but the carpet and seats had worn thin. Did Bastian live so simply and quietly so Inessa could have this?
And what about his father?
The quiet air broke when I said, “Would you like to go visit your father now?”
