I usually didn’t question her about them, because they were really good. She hadn’t played seriously since college, but she’d kept her guitar and had bought a few more before I’d met her. She still wrote songs, too. I’d discovered that one night when we were still just friends; there had been pages of lyrics strewn over her desk. When I’d asked what they were, she’d gotten very secretive and snatched them away from me, appearing to be pretty embarrassed about the whole thing. I’d been fascinated though, and had encouraged her to keep writing if she felt that she could.

She did, although she never made it public and I never heard her playing anything. Still, the kids had both told me that every now and then when I was gone on a commentating trip, she’d taken the guitar off the wall and played for them. I got a little misty-eyed thinking of that, and wondered if she’d ever play her guitar for me again. I knew she wouldn’t be able to sing, really, but for some strange reason it broke my heart to think of her never being able to play her guitar for me again.

I shook my head to clear it and helped her to get the straw into her mouth. She kinda glared at me after I’d done that and brought her hand up to take the container from me. I let her, and stood there watching her drinking on her own until she glared at me again.

“Sorry,” I told her. “I just think it’s great that you’re able to do this by yourself.”

She didn’t seem too impressed by that comment, but she didn’t really react. She just drank her juice slowly. I had to help her when her arm started to shake, but she managed to drink most of it without my help, and it made me happy.

Kallie came in on her late lunch break as I was helping Alice finish the last of her juice. “I can’t stay too long, but I did manage to take an hour to come see you,” she told Alice as she gave me a hug. “How’re things?” she asked when she’d sat down next to me.

“Not bad. The doctor was in awhile ago, they might be able to move her to a more private room soon,” I replied.