Hidebound

Chapter TwentyThree

Hex may have agreed to sort out a suitable hospice for Wyonna but moving her in was a whole other ordeal. And so that's what Harley and I found ourselves doing today; on a sunny Saturday morning.

I had double checked before I left the apartment if Hex was sure he didn't want to be involved and he was very much sure. Although he did make it clear that he wanted updates throughout the day.

So far everything had gone to plan. Wyonna doesn't have that many belongings that decorate her small studio style room and so it was easy to move everything.

Cherry had kept her company while she waited in the common room as we moved her out. We figured it would be the best way to keep her calm, who knows how she'll react to "strangers" taking her things from her room.

"I really like this place Harley" I say as I take a box and walk down the hallway, in the direction of Wyonna's new room.

"It's nice, isn't it?" I nod in agreement. It's bright and airy, the wall's are filled with paintings of all colours and all the nursing stuff we pass had smiled at us. "I didn't want to be reminded of death every time I walked through the doors" Harley says. I get what she's saying, the first thing I thought of when a hospice was mentioned was dark corridors, distant crying and moans of pain but this place seemed to be the complete opposite.

We arrive outside Wyonna's door and open it. The rest of the boxes that we had brought in earlier sit in stacks, waiting for us to unpack them.

The layout is similar to her room at the care home except now she has a hospital bed and multiple wall plugs surrounding it. The room is bigger too and I can only guess it's for family to fit and also so nurses can work without being cramped.

"These are the last boxes" I announce as I lower the final box with a huff. The slight pain in my spine telling me that I hadn't squatted and instead used my back.

Harley claps her hands together and runs them through her hair, pushing back the flyaways that had crept out. "Time to unpack" she exclaims and opens the first box. I follow suit.

We try and set up Wyonna's new room the same as her old one just to avoid the confusion that we know will set in when she walks through the door.

We take a few breaks in between and I send Hex update photos every now and then so he can see how we're progressing.

And a few hours later we're done. Everything is unpacked and the boxes are folded up in a corner, waiting for us to take them out to the big dumpster that sits on the side of the hospice.

"Finally" Harley huffs and slumps down on the hospital bed that we had put Wyonna's bedding on.

I slump down on a chair that surrounds her little table.

We sit in silence for a while just to gain back some of the energy that we had spent today. It's only 2pm and I'm exhausted but I use the last of my energy to pull myself out of the chair and stand.

"I'll take these out and then we'll go pick up Wyonna" I say as I bend and gather the cardboard boxes that we had stacked. I gather them under my arms and against my chest and hold on tightly, hoping that I don't drop them. I don't want to have to do a second trip.

"Can you get the door for me?" I ask Harley as I look over at her. She's still lying on the bed with her eyes closed. She sighs and picks herself up, grabbing the door for me.

"I'll be here, sleeping hopefully" she says as I walk out into the hallway. The door closes behind me and I walk down the hallway in the direction of the front doors.

I have multiple nurses ask if I need help as I struggle to hold on to the boxes but I refuse. I'll be fine and I'm sure that they have better things to do.