HOSPITAL BEDS • Elounor •

38 | Goodbyes

GOODBYES

15 days later

The next two weeks after Eleanor's departure were a rollercoaster of emotions. During the mornings I had the best mood, having my intense recovery sessions with Mark to finally be able to walk on my own. The problem was the evenings and nights. Being alone in my room was a real nightmare and loneliness was driving me crazy.

El did as she'd told me and visited me every two days, sometimes alone and sometimes with her brother or someone from my family. Watching her enter the room was definitely the happiest moment of the day. She looked gorgeous as usual but much healthier now; she even had a new glow in her face and eyes that made me smile like a child. I swear I fell more and more in love every time she visited me.

But this Friday was different. I had called her and my family to tell them I would be having some analysis done and that they couldn't visit me. And why? Because I had a plan. The best plan in my life. Of course they had insisted with coming over no matter what but I had managed to keep them away.

"Nancy, you'll run out of tears if you keep crying." I smiled at her, looking over my shoulder to see her sitting down in the bed once belonged to Eleanor wiping her tears.

"It's happy tears, son." She giggled still sobbing.

"I know, Nancy." I sighed and turned back to the open suitcase on my bed. "It seems unreal, you know?"

"What?" she asked me walking to my side.

"This day." I slowly turned to her and I felt a lump forming in my throat. Soon it would be two of us crying.

"Oh, Lou-" she paused and looked at my suitcase. "I still remember the day you arrived."

"Really?" I raised an eyebrow surprised.

"Of course. Nobody has done such a tantrum!" she burst out laughing and playfully shoved my shoulder.

"NANCY!" I covered my face ashamed at the memory. "I never apologized for how I behaved back then."

"There's nothing to apologize for, Louis. You went through a lot and it was and has continued to be my duty to take care of you. But you know what? I don't feel it's a duty anymore."

"No?"

"No. It's my pleasure." Her teary eyes focused on me again and I could do nothing but to basically jump and hug her.

"Shit, Nancy! I'm going to miss you," I murmured, sobbing and realizing that I was finally living.

"Me too, son. Me too." She hugged me stronger and we both remained like that for a moment, the two of us remembering all my time in the hospital in complete silence.

But to my surprise, when Nancy broke our hug, we stared at each other and we were both smiling. And then I remembered something my mum used to tell me when I was a child... happiness is a great feeling, but shared happiness is always better. And my recovery and departure from the hospital made me incredibly happy, but also Nancy, one of the best people I'd met in my life and that I was glad to call my friend now. She'd been not only for me but also for Eleanor in our ups and downs, always supporting, taking care and loving us both.

But of course she wasn't the only person I had to say goodbye. Later that day when I entered Dr. Smith's office, my jaw dropped at the sight. Dr. Frederickson, Nancy, Mark and every single doctor and nurse who had taken care of me were there. They were all standing in a semi circle, clapping and cheering for me. It had been Mark's idea to gather them all to share a last evening with me and, obviously, have the chance to say goodbye to me.