THE SEVENTH DAY

Walter Altland stopped in the room to see Penny, Barb and Margie.  The doctor had signed his discharge and he was waiting for Denise.  While he was talking to them she came down the hall.  She came over to him and put her arms around him. He introduced the women, said good-by and headed down the hall to leave.  At his room he said good-by to Mark Norris and Keith Lassiter.   They would be here a few days longer.  He slid into the wheelchair and held his crutches as the aide pushed him down the hall.  Ten minutes later he was in his car and headed home.

THE NINETH DAY

Paul Merris slipped into his sister’s hospital room late in the morning and visited with her.  He too was a police officer, her junior by nearly a year, a rookie.  He stayed only a few minutes.  Out in the hall the nurse saw him crying as he left.  Later he would admit this trip to the hospital was as tougher than anything he had done in his life. 

At one PM Paul met with Felicia for lunch, both of them were working the second shift, lunch was the opportunity for them to get together.  They held hands and talked until time for her to leave for her shift at 911.  He kissed her as she got up and left, then watched her walk to the door.  She was so pretty.  He thought back on the day they met. 

He ate often at noon at The Café.  The day they met she came in as he was waiting to be seated, standing off to the side, trying too not be noticed.   The hostess motioned to him, “We have a booth open for you sir.”

He motioned to Felicia, “Give it to her, I’ll wait.”

The hostess nodded and walked to her, “I have a booth for you.”

“She looked up, “Wasn’t the police officer here first?”

“Yes, but he said give the booth to you, he will wait.”

She said thanks and started to go with the hostess, noticed how full the café was and then stopped, “Ask him if he wants to sit with me.  There is plenty of room in the booth.  I’ll try not to bother him.”