The nurse who had helped Alice give Dana a sponge bath earlier in the day emerged from the room beside Dana’s.  Seeing Alice, she walked over to her and explained, “we just lost a patient.  I hope all the commotion hasn’t disturbed Dana too much.”

Alice’s knees suddenly felt like jelly as waves of relief flowed over her at the confirmation that Dana was alive and ok.  Although she knew this meant that someone else had just lost their loved one, she couldn’t help but be elated that her loved one was still with her.

“I’m sorry,” Alice said quietly to the nurse, who smiled wearily in response before walking away.    

Alice quietly opened the door to Dana’s room and resumed her well-worn spot on the chair beside her bed.  As she sat down, Dana shifted in the bed and opened her eyes, gazing at Alice with a flicker of a smile.

“Hey again,” Alice said quietly, leaning over Dana and kissing her cheek.  She let her lips linger for a second, relieved beyond words for the warmth and life she felt against Dana’s skin.

Dana swallowed with some difficulty, and whispered, “did something happen next door?”  She had seen doctors running by her room just after Alice had left, and she was sure something bad had happened.

Alice shook her head firmly, not wanting to tell Dana that there was a death so near her room.  That was the last thing Dana needed to hear right now.  “No, nothing happened,” she lied.  “Your neighbour had a bit of indigestion, that’s all.  Too much of this delicious hospital food.”  She grinned, and was rewarded with a slight grunt from Dana that she was getting used to interpreting as laughter.

“Hey, you’ll never guess who I ran into outside,” Alice said, in an effort to change the subject.

Dana looked at her expectantly.

“Tonya,” Alice said, laughing when she saw Dana’s eyes widen in surprise.  “And, you’ll never guess why she’s here – she’s trying to get pregnant.”

Dana shook her head in surprise.

“I know,” Alice said, agreeing with Dana’s wordless shock.  “Anyway, we talked for awhile, and she seemed really excited about it.  She also wanted me to say ‘hi’ to you.”