part of our ability to heal. Sometimes the healing isn’t in body but in spirit and mind. And that’s just as important, if not more so.”
When Jane didn’t respond, Jon-Paul asked, “Listen, what else does Seth enjoy? I mean, beside carpentry. What are his interests?”
“His interests? Well, he loved the outdoors. He liked to hike and camp and fish. He really enjoyed fly-fishing.” She looked at Jon-Paul, who nodded just as though he could see her gaze. “He liked to watch NASCAR racing with his dad. They’d sit around for hours watching those cars go around and around on the TV screen, and I mean, they were excited about it. I used to kid him. I told him I knew I was going to end up a racing widow just like his mom, and he said yeah, I’d just have to get used to it.”
Jane laughed lightly. Jon-Paul smiled. “Anything else?”
“He was great at chess. He was captain of the chess team back in high school when the team went on to the state championship. They won too.”
“Chess, huh?” Jon-Paul lifted a hand to his chin. “Believe it or not, I was pretty good at chess myself once.”
“Oh, and he liked kids. He was really good with kids. He was always involved with them in one way or another—volunteering at the Y, working at summer camps, things like that. There was a program for troubled youth at the community center, and Seth volunteered to teach woodworking there. It seemed to go over really well. I mean, they all liked him. In fact, I never met a kid who didn’t love him.” Jane’s eyes welled up, making her self-conscious until she remembered Jon-Paul couldn’t see her tears. Her voice dropped a notch when she said, “We were going to have a bunch of kids ourselves, you know.”
Jon-Paul didn’t answer. Instead, he did what she had wanted to do for him earlier. Somehow, perhaps out of what remained of his peripheral vision, he found her hand on the table and covered it with his own. He squeezed gently. Only after several long minutes did he let go.
———
When Jane finally reached the fifth floor, Seth was napping. He looked serene and satisfied in sleep. His features were relaxed, his face untroubled, just as before the war. She could almost believe he would awaken and get up out of the bed. She remembered then what he had said, that when he was sleeping, he was whole again.
She turned away from his bedside and walked back down the hall.
15
W hen she arrived at the hospital the following afternoon, Seth was awake. He wasn’t alone. Sausalito was in the chair beside the bed, a laptop computer balanced on his knees as he pecked away slowly at the keyboard. “And when you come . . .” Sausalito muttered as he typed.
Jane stepped into the room and, smiling, asked curiously, “What are you guys doing?”
Seth rolled his eyes toward her. “I’m dictating my last will and testament to Sausalito.”
The aide laughed as he looked up from the computer. “Don’t believe him, Miss Jane. He’s sending an e-mail to his folks.”
“Is that your computer, Seth?”
“Yeah. Mom and Dad brought it last weekend. Guess you haven’t seen it.”
Jane shook her head. “Nice. Good idea. It’ll make it easier to stay in touch with them.”
“It’d be even easier if I could use the thing myself. I have to bother Sausalito here to come in and play secretary.”
The young Ugandan laughed again. Jane liked the way his whole face opened up with delight. “That’s all right, Mr. Seth,” he said. “I’d rather be typing your e-mail than emptying bedpans. Now, tell me again what you wanted your mother to bring.”
“The Nikes. They’re in the hall closet.”
“Okay. Please bring the—rats!”
“Bring the rats?” Seth echoed.
“Where’d it go?” Sausalito’s hands flew up from the keyboard as he stared at the screen in disbelief. “It’s gone! The computer sent the e-mail, and I wasn’t finished!”
Seth sighed heavily, but Jane was relieved to see that he was
When Jane didn’t respond, Jon-Paul asked, “Listen, what else does Seth enjoy? I mean, beside carpentry. What are his interests?”
“His interests? Well, he loved the outdoors. He liked to hike and camp and fish. He really enjoyed fly-fishing.” She looked at Jon-Paul, who nodded just as though he could see her gaze. “He liked to watch NASCAR racing with his dad. They’d sit around for hours watching those cars go around and around on the TV screen, and I mean, they were excited about it. I used to kid him. I told him I knew I was going to end up a racing widow just like his mom, and he said yeah, I’d just have to get used to it.”
Jane laughed lightly. Jon-Paul smiled. “Anything else?”
“He was great at chess. He was captain of the chess team back in high school when the team went on to the state championship. They won too.”
“Chess, huh?” Jon-Paul lifted a hand to his chin. “Believe it or not, I was pretty good at chess myself once.”
“Oh, and he liked kids. He was really good with kids. He was always involved with them in one way or another—volunteering at the Y, working at summer camps, things like that. There was a program for troubled youth at the community center, and Seth volunteered to teach woodworking there. It seemed to go over really well. I mean, they all liked him. In fact, I never met a kid who didn’t love him.” Jane’s eyes welled up, making her self-conscious until she remembered Jon-Paul couldn’t see her tears. Her voice dropped a notch when she said, “We were going to have a bunch of kids ourselves, you know.”
Jon-Paul didn’t answer. Instead, he did what she had wanted to do for him earlier. Somehow, perhaps out of what remained of his peripheral vision, he found her hand on the table and covered it with his own. He squeezed gently. Only after several long minutes did he let go.
———
When Jane finally reached the fifth floor, Seth was napping. He looked serene and satisfied in sleep. His features were relaxed, his face untroubled, just as before the war. She could almost believe he would awaken and get up out of the bed. She remembered then what he had said, that when he was sleeping, he was whole again.
She turned away from his bedside and walked back down the hall.
15
W hen she arrived at the hospital the following afternoon, Seth was awake. He wasn’t alone. Sausalito was in the chair beside the bed, a laptop computer balanced on his knees as he pecked away slowly at the keyboard. “And when you come . . .” Sausalito muttered as he typed.
Jane stepped into the room and, smiling, asked curiously, “What are you guys doing?”
Seth rolled his eyes toward her. “I’m dictating my last will and testament to Sausalito.”
The aide laughed as he looked up from the computer. “Don’t believe him, Miss Jane. He’s sending an e-mail to his folks.”
“Is that your computer, Seth?”
“Yeah. Mom and Dad brought it last weekend. Guess you haven’t seen it.”
Jane shook her head. “Nice. Good idea. It’ll make it easier to stay in touch with them.”
“It’d be even easier if I could use the thing myself. I have to bother Sausalito here to come in and play secretary.”
The young Ugandan laughed again. Jane liked the way his whole face opened up with delight. “That’s all right, Mr. Seth,” he said. “I’d rather be typing your e-mail than emptying bedpans. Now, tell me again what you wanted your mother to bring.”
“The Nikes. They’re in the hall closet.”
“Okay. Please bring the—rats!”
“Bring the rats?” Seth echoed.
“Where’d it go?” Sausalito’s hands flew up from the keyboard as he stared at the screen in disbelief. “It’s gone! The computer sent the e-mail, and I wasn’t finished!”
Seth sighed heavily, but Jane was relieved to see that he was
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