She saw him as he approached. “Sorry,” is all she could get out.

“Don’t worry about that now. You need surgery. We need to get you there. They need your signature to operate.”

The nurse handed her the form and she scrawled on it. She grabbed Brad’s hand a moment before she was taken to the OR.

The nurse gave him a room number of a waiting room on the fifth floor. He could wait for her there.

Three hours later a nurse came in and asked him to come with her. Two doctors he recognized were standing in the hall, they motioned him to a small room. They explained her condition was grave. She had broken ribs and both chest and abdominal injuries. The surgery had done as much as they could to begin the healing process. Her legs were also badly injured. They were crushed from just below the knees. They had been amputated while she was in the OR.

Brad seemed almost stoic in face of the information. “Where is she? I need to be with her. She was with me when I was here. I must be with her now.”

“She is in recovery. When we move her to a room the nurse will let you know. She will probably be in intensive care for a couple of days. She lost lots of blood.”

“Thanks. I will be here.”

Just after midnight Friday the nurse woke him. “She is in a room, you can go in to see her but only for a couple minutes. She is medicated for pain and may not know you.”

“No problem. She was there for me, I will be there for her as much as I can.” He spent the time allotted with her. She was really spaced out and very pale but he was sure she recognized him. Several times she tried to ask a question as if she were confused but could not frame words. He went out and waited till the next time he could be in. He slept between visits, the nurses promised to wake him when he could see her.

About noon she was starting to come around more and got out a “Hi” when he came in. After noon he went home, showered and changed clothes, then headed back to the hospital. He stopped at a store and picked up three magazines and a planter of flowers and took them along. She was sleeping when he went in. He placed the planter and magazines on the stand. She could not read them now but when she wanted them they would be there.