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Jimmy – Waiting Room Hell

Ipaced the waitingroom. Noon. Only two minutes had passed since the last time I checked. My gaze continued to rove, searching for the figure I most wanted to see; Dr. Webb, coming to tell me Melena’s catheter ablation was successful and complete. The procedure was supposed to deaden the part of her heart muscle causing the irregularity. If all went well, her heart wouldn’t kick into an abnormal rhythm anymore. Which meant hopefully she would be able to resume more...physical activities soon. The door opened, but it wasn’t the face I wanted to see. The dirty blond head was familiar though.

“Chase. What are you doing here?”

He gave me a steady look. “My best friend’s wife is in surgery. What do you think I’m doing here? I came to sit with you and wait.” He gestured to an insulated cooler. “Tamra and I also made a few easy dishes for you to eat while Melena’s recovering. We figured you might not want to cook tonight.”

I reached out for a quick hug. “Thanks, man.”

He sat beside me, and I stared at the wall before glancing at the clock again. What was taking so long? Three minutes past. I glanced down at my hands where they clenched on my thighs.

“Have you figured it out yet?”

“Figured out what?” I asked, focusing on his face. Chase peered at me intently, searching my expression.

“That you’re in love with your wife.”

I opened my mouth to respond to his matter-of-fact pronouncement but had to close it when no defense came to mind. Of course. I was in love with my wife. She wasn’t a random stranger; she was mywife. My fears weren’t irrational. I was in love. With my wife. Whom I loved. It was more than desire. More than friendship. It was all of those things and a thousand others. She’d captured my heart.

I shook my head. Then I nodded, realizing he’d misinterpret my response.

“Good. Glad we got that cleared up. I was beginning to wonder if you were slow.”

I snorted. “Not all of us have your instincts for this kind of thing,Mr. Romance. When did you know I was in love with Melena?”

He smiled. “When you made me meet you at the gym after her last attack. You were awfully guilty and wound up. I could tell it came out of a place of caring.”

“You couldn’t clue a brother in?”

“You weren’t ready.”

“And I am now?” I asked. I rubbed my chest. I wasn’t so sure about that.

“Ah, you’re never really ready for life to change on that scale. I was worried you’d fuck it up if you didn’t figure it out soon.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“What are friends for?”

We settled in to wait together, and the minutes ticked by slowly. Love and fear swirled, fighting for supremacy in my sour stomach. Melena had to be okay. I glanced up every time the waiting room door opened, but it was never Dr. Webb. Melena was patient 234, and the hospital had a status screen for surgeries. Which I appreciated. Except her status stayed the same. ‘In surgery’ told me a whole hell of a lot of nothing. I was counting the minutes until she flashed to ‘In recovery.’ Then I could relax.

The door opened, and I glanced up. Another familiar face. Still not the one I wanted.

“Hey, big brother. How are you doing?”

I swallowed hard, pushing down the bile, and decided to be straight with Andi. “I love my wife. And the waiting room sucks.”

She shook her head at me. “I know. I’m sorry.”

“Sorry I’m in love with my wife?”

“No, goober. Sorry that the waiting is so hard. How long has she been in for?”

I sighed and scrubbed my hands across the stubble on my head. “The longest four hours of my life.”

“What’s taking so long? Isn’t this a short procedure, only a couple of hours? Minimal risk?”

“How do you know?” I asked.