hope they’ll do.”
“Daisies and roses? Yes, they’ll do. Thank you.”
“What are your favorite flowers?”
She couldn’t lie.
“Daisies and roses.”
“No!”
“Yes, I’m afraid so.”
“Ms. Austen, it would seem we have somewhat in common.”
“Don’t become too familiar, Mr. Clark. We are accident buddies, nothing more.”
“I never meant to infer anything, Ms. Austen. Please call me Dave.”
“It’s Margaret.”
“No, I’m pretty sure it’s Dave.”
“I think you know what I meant.”
“Just trying to introduce a little humor into the situation.”
Maggie smiled a little.
“A Big Mac.”
“Excuse me?”
“I would like a Big Mac.”
“Right now?”
“Yes, right now.”
“Would you like fries with that?”
“Oh, you are funny, aren’t you? No fries, but a vanilla shake.”
“I’ll be back in 15 minutes.”
He left the room and Jacob could hold his tongue no longer.
“What is this thing going on between you two?”
“Jacob, what is wrong with you?”
“It just seems that you are becoming awfully familiar with him.”
“We are going to be speaking to one another to settle the accident. We might as well do it in a civilized manner. I’m really a little surprised at your attitude over this. We are solid, Jacob.”
“I’m sorry, Margaret. It is so hard not to be able to talk as freely as we normally do.”
“Ms. Austen, are you alright? Who are you speaking with?”
“Oh, nurse, I’m fine. Really. I just talk to myself a lot lately. I live alone, you know. So it’s either me or the cats usually and they are not here right now. I’m fine.”
“Are you sure you don’t want me to call the doctor.”
“Oh, I’m sure!”
“OK, then. Try to get some rest.”
“Will do.”
She waved the nurse out of the room and looked longingly at Jacob with a shrug of her shoulders.
She turned her head and looked out the window and through closed lips, much like a ventriloquist, she muttered.
“I’m sorry. I’ll speak with you later.”
Jacob made his way back to the dark green vinyl hospital visitor chair and put his chin on his hand and also stared out the window.
Frustration nearly sucked the oxygen out of the room.
The arrival of the quintessential burger brought her out of her doldrums. Her mouth literally watered at the sight of it.
“This is the only thing that prevents me from being a vegetarian.”
Mr. Clark smiled and watched her wolf down the treat and polish it off with the slurpy vanilla shake.
“Feel better?”
“I’m not sure. That might have been a mistake. We’ll see how it settles in my stomach.”
“Then I guess you won’t be wanting these chocolates anytime soon?”
“What kind are they?”
Maggie slanted her head and raised her eyebrows in feigned disdain. She had a weakness for chocolates and she had to fight back her curiosity.
“Half nuts and half truffles. I had them customize a box for you at the confectioners.”
Maggie could hide it no longer.
“How on earth did you know?”
“Know?”
“That these are my favorites? This is getting a little creepy.”
“Are you serious? I just guessed. I hoped you would like them. I wasn’t even sure about the nuts. So many people are allergic. These are also my favorites, so I took a chance.”
They stared at one another and Jacob rolled his eyes. What was this thing that was developing between the two of them? Was this some game he was playing to try to lessen the damages she could lay claim to from him? It didn’t matter. He was intrusive and he needed to leave Maggie alone and let her rest.
Jacob signaled to Maggie behind David’s back by slicing his horizontal hand across his throat, his way of letting her know she needed to cut this conversation short and get an afternoon nap.
Maggie smiled and winked at Jacob and continued to chat with her visitor. Clearly she was enjoying the attention she was getting from this stranger. She had gone from a wish of never
“Daisies and roses? Yes, they’ll do. Thank you.”
“What are your favorite flowers?”
She couldn’t lie.
“Daisies and roses.”
“No!”
“Yes, I’m afraid so.”
“Ms. Austen, it would seem we have somewhat in common.”
“Don’t become too familiar, Mr. Clark. We are accident buddies, nothing more.”
“I never meant to infer anything, Ms. Austen. Please call me Dave.”
“It’s Margaret.”
“No, I’m pretty sure it’s Dave.”
“I think you know what I meant.”
“Just trying to introduce a little humor into the situation.”
Maggie smiled a little.
“A Big Mac.”
“Excuse me?”
“I would like a Big Mac.”
“Right now?”
“Yes, right now.”
“Would you like fries with that?”
“Oh, you are funny, aren’t you? No fries, but a vanilla shake.”
“I’ll be back in 15 minutes.”
He left the room and Jacob could hold his tongue no longer.
“What is this thing going on between you two?”
“Jacob, what is wrong with you?”
“It just seems that you are becoming awfully familiar with him.”
“We are going to be speaking to one another to settle the accident. We might as well do it in a civilized manner. I’m really a little surprised at your attitude over this. We are solid, Jacob.”
“I’m sorry, Margaret. It is so hard not to be able to talk as freely as we normally do.”
“Ms. Austen, are you alright? Who are you speaking with?”
“Oh, nurse, I’m fine. Really. I just talk to myself a lot lately. I live alone, you know. So it’s either me or the cats usually and they are not here right now. I’m fine.”
“Are you sure you don’t want me to call the doctor.”
“Oh, I’m sure!”
“OK, then. Try to get some rest.”
“Will do.”
She waved the nurse out of the room and looked longingly at Jacob with a shrug of her shoulders.
She turned her head and looked out the window and through closed lips, much like a ventriloquist, she muttered.
“I’m sorry. I’ll speak with you later.”
Jacob made his way back to the dark green vinyl hospital visitor chair and put his chin on his hand and also stared out the window.
Frustration nearly sucked the oxygen out of the room.
The arrival of the quintessential burger brought her out of her doldrums. Her mouth literally watered at the sight of it.
“This is the only thing that prevents me from being a vegetarian.”
Mr. Clark smiled and watched her wolf down the treat and polish it off with the slurpy vanilla shake.
“Feel better?”
“I’m not sure. That might have been a mistake. We’ll see how it settles in my stomach.”
“Then I guess you won’t be wanting these chocolates anytime soon?”
“What kind are they?”
Maggie slanted her head and raised her eyebrows in feigned disdain. She had a weakness for chocolates and she had to fight back her curiosity.
“Half nuts and half truffles. I had them customize a box for you at the confectioners.”
Maggie could hide it no longer.
“How on earth did you know?”
“Know?”
“That these are my favorites? This is getting a little creepy.”
“Are you serious? I just guessed. I hoped you would like them. I wasn’t even sure about the nuts. So many people are allergic. These are also my favorites, so I took a chance.”
They stared at one another and Jacob rolled his eyes. What was this thing that was developing between the two of them? Was this some game he was playing to try to lessen the damages she could lay claim to from him? It didn’t matter. He was intrusive and he needed to leave Maggie alone and let her rest.
Jacob signaled to Maggie behind David’s back by slicing his horizontal hand across his throat, his way of letting her know she needed to cut this conversation short and get an afternoon nap.
Maggie smiled and winked at Jacob and continued to chat with her visitor. Clearly she was enjoying the attention she was getting from this stranger. She had gone from a wish of never
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