Dreams

Chapter Nine-Part 10

He pulled back from the hug and said, "Let's go figure out how McPherson is doing."

"Let's." She smiled at him as he turned to walk down the hallway and ran his hand down her arm and locked his fingers with hers. The simple gesture had her going warm inside. It was nice to not feel so alone at a hospital, for the first time in her life.

As Mick was pushing the elevator up button, she noticed the gift shop out of the corner of her eye. "Wait. Mick, we have to get flowers." She tried to sprint toward the gift store but he wouldn't release her hand. She turned back to him and lifted her brow.

"You don't bring guys flowers."

"Oh yes you do."

"Stevie we don't even know his condition yet."

"We know that he is stable. We know that he got hurt under our watch, which calls for flowers, balloons, and maybe chocolate."

"It was under my watch, not yours," he said as he allowed her to pull him into the gift shop.

"Technicalities," she said as she picked up a pink stuffed pig.

"He's not a damn woman."

"Oh stuff it Brown."

"We are absolutely not buying the man a stuffed animal," he said as he noticed most of her color had come back.

"Of course not. Just thought it was cute." He rolled his eyes to her back as she walked away.

Mick wondered around, feeling useless. He wanted to get up to see Jim and didn't want to spend time on frivolous stuff like flowers. He understood that women liked these things, but men could care less. If he could buy Jim a six pack and a pack of smokes then the gift shop would have been of some help. He stood, waiting at the counter, when Stevie came up with a vase filled with tulips, four Get Well balloons, a box of hot tamales and a get better soon card. He pulled out his wallet and paid in cash for the items as Stevie tried to pay with her card.

He picked up all the items and made his way out of the gift shop to her ranting on about how she should have been the one that paid.

In the elevator, he had had about enough of hearing she was responsible. "Stop."

His tone had her shutting her mouth and looking at him. He didn't say anything else but she knew what he was referring to. She took a deep breath and changed the subject.

"We need to sign the card before we go in." She rummaged around her purse for a pen when they got off the elevator they stopped at the nurse's desk to fill it out. On the way down the hallway Mick said, "Nice touch with the card."

As they turned into Jim McPherson's room they were both glad to see Jim sitting up in bed, talking to his family.

Mick had met his wife, Beth, on several different occasions. Jim had worked for MB Enterprises for five years now. He had been the lead contractor since he started. He travelled to do the jobs, expense always paid by MB. His wife always came along. She was a writer for a fitness magazine and could do her work from the road. Like Mick, their home base was in Kansas City. McPherson was a good man and just a few years older than himself. They got along well, they had matched in poker games and been known to have a drink or two at the bar together. He was an employee but more he was a good friend.

"Mick? Earth to Mick?"

Mick shook his head and said, "Sorry, what?" He had completely missed what Stevie had been saying to Jim and Beth.