NEW YORK CITY, NY – HOSPITAL – MAR. 16TH, 2002 – SATURDAY

     Ashley immediately looked up at Tom.

     “Can’t we all stay?” Ashley asked the nurse.

     “I’m afraid not, sir. It’s hospital policy.” the nurse said kindly.

     “But… he came from Los Angeles to be with Kirstin.” Grace tried to help Ashley out. Tom just observed.

     “I’m sorry, miss. There’s really nothing I can do about that.” Claire said and then closed the door behind her.

     Ashley just looked at Tom with despair and returned his gaze to Kirstin. He still held her hand tight to his.

     “I’m sorry, Ash.” Grace said about neither him nor her being able to stay there. Ashley didn’t say a thing. Neither did Tom. The three of them just kept looking at Kirstin, sometimes switching their gaze to the heart monitor.

 

     After what seemed to be 20 minutes, the nurse Claire came back into the room.

     “I’m sorry, but the visiting hour is over.” she announced with sorrow on her eyes “I’ll give you some time to say goodbye.” she said and closed the door.

     Grace got closer to Kirstin and let a tear fall. She hadn’t cried the time she spent inside Kirstin’s room, but saying goodbye to Kirstin in the state her friend was in, hurt Grace. She wanted to be by her side, but she couldn’t. She got closer and kissed Kirstin on the cheek without saying a word.

     Then it was Ashley’s time to say goodbye.

     “K, my sweet baby, I have to go now. I know you’re listening. Don’t worry. I’ll be right outside waiting until it’s time for visits again, ok? I’ll be right there, just a door away. If you need me, yell and I’ll come, alright? I won’t leave you. Don’t worry.” a tear fell down his face. At that moment, Tom exited the room “Ok, I’m going now.” he got up from the chair beside her hospital bed, brushed a lock of hair away from her face and kissed her tenderly on the lips “I love you.” he brought his lips close to her ear “Wake up soon, please!” another tear fell. Before he pulled back, he kissed her again, this time on her forehead.

     When he was standing up, he wiped the tears away from his face. He stood up staring at Kirstin for a couple of minutes. Then he headed to the door with Grace when Tom came inside again.

     “Listen, I…” Tom started, but got cut off by Ashley.

     “I really don’t wanna hear you throw in my face that you get to stay with her, ok? I already feel bad as it is and…”

     “Could you just listen, man? Jeez…” Tom just shook his head “I talked to the doctor and convinced him to let you stay with Kirstin instead of me.”

     “No, you didn’t!” Grace exclaimed immediately.

     “Yes… I did. I know it’s the best for her and if it’s the best for her, it’s the best for the baby, and that’s what I’m worried about now. So, you stay, man. I know she needs you much more than she needs me.”

     “I can’t believe it.” Ashley said incredulous.

     “I know. Me neither. So I better get out of here before I regret it.” Tom said with a grin.

     “Thanks, man. Really.” Ashley thanked Tom. Tom showed his hand out to Ashley, but instead of taking it, Ashley gave him a hug “You really don’t know how much this means to me. Thank you so much, man.”

     “Yeah…” Tom patted Ashley’s back “I know. And I know how much it means to Kirstin too. That’s why I did it.”

     “Good.” Ashley said, pulling back.

     “Ok, then we should go, Tom.” Grace informed.

     “Yeah. Let me just say goodbye to Kirstin first.”

     “Oh, yeah, sure.” Ashley clear the way so Tom could get to Kirstin’s bed.

     “KeeKee, bye.” he kissed Kirstin on the cheek “I’ll be coming back tomorrow. Ashley’s staying, so… I know you’ll be fine. Bye.” he kissed her again and left the room with Grace by his said.

     Ashley looked at them leaving through the glass window before he retreated to the chair beside the hospital bed.

     “Wow. Did you hear that, K? Man… Tom is… changed. I might start liking waiter boy now. Wow… I don’t know if I would have done the same thing in his position. Wow. You gotta appreciate the guy.” he grinned at Kirstin.

     Ashley kept in silence until the nurse came back, half an hour later.

     “Oh, you’re here? What happened to the tall dark-headed guy? Wasn’t he the father of the baby?” she said looking at Kirstin’s medication.

     “Yeah, well… he is the father, but he talked to the doctor and asked me to stay instead of him.”

     “Wow… if you don’t mind me asking… what is your connection to Miss Addams?” the nurse said trading Kirstin’s medication.

     “I’m her boyfriend.”

     “Oh. So… you’re her boyfriend and not the father of her baby?” Ashley nodded “What a complicated relationship you got there!”

     “Yeah, you could say that.” Ashley pulled a lock of hair away from Kirstin’s face again “Why won’t she wake up? She doesn’t usually sleep like a rock like this. She usually wakes up if she hears a door being opened.”

     “Well, the medication she was on was really strong. She needed the sleep and she was really depressed when she came here. So we gave her some sedatives to help her sleep and feel better when she wakes up. But I just changed that. Now she’s on a lighter medication, so she’ll probably wake up in an hour or so.”

     “Oh, good.” Ashley looked at her tenderly and kissed her hand.

     “Miss Addams is really lucky.” Claire watched Ashley.

     “Why is that?” Ashley looked up at the nurse.

     “She’s been through a lot today, survived it all and got you by her side. You clearly love her.”

     “I do…” Ashley stared at Kirstin “Very much.”

     “Good. That’s good. Most of our patients don’t have anyone to stay with then. It’s always good to see what I’m seeing in this room.” Ashley smiled up at her “Well, let me go now. If you need anything, just press that red button above her bed, alright?”

     “Yeah. Thanks.”

     “No problem, sir. Bye.”

     “Bye.”

     Claire closed the door behind her and left Ashley alone with Kirstin again.

    

     It had been about 40 minutes and Kirstin was still asleep. Ashley closed his eyes for a bit. He was so tired from the traveling and from all the stress he’d been through since he got to New York that he could easily sleep right there in that chair. And that’s what he did. He fell asleep.