The Nurse

     Cleo’s leather loafers clack against the tiles as she enters the dimly lit room, grasping a tray of multi-colored pills in organizational containers. The old man sits hunched over in his wheelchair, eyebrows furrowed with a perplexed expression as he inspects a crack in the wall.

     “Henry, your medication is ready.”

     The old man slowly blinks his eyes and strains his neck back, seeing the neatly dressed nurse standing in the doorway with his mid-afternoon snack, like always.

     “Yes, yes come over here dear.”

     Cleo smiles and sets the tray down on the nightstand, placing a bundle of pills in his palm and a glass of water in the other. The old man squints down at the brightly colored capsules.

     “My wife loves jelly beans ya know. Never stops munching on em. I wonder if that’s what she’s doing now. Maybe I should go find her before-”

     “Now, Henry, swallow your pills before your sugar starts to act up.” Cleo pinches a capsule in her fingers and taps on the old man’s chin till he opens up, placing it on his tongue and watches tenderly as he sips the water. She flings open the curtains, lighting up the room.

     “Ack! You tryna blind me further?” the old man chuckles as he nudges up his glasses with a shaky finger. Cleo grins and shakes her head as she repositions the wheelchair in front of the window overlooking the garden with blooming cherry blossoms.

     “At least enjoy the view while it’s still spring, Henry.”

     “Eh, you’re right. This is probably gonna be my last season anyways,” the old man says with a sigh. “You know my wife’s favorite flowers are those pink ones outside. If my legs were young again, I would run out and pick some for her. I wonder where that gal is anyways. Did you see Alice in the dining hall?” The old man cranes his neck to meet the nurse’s eyes. Cleo gives him a tight lipped smile and squeezes his bony shoulder.

     “I’ll have a look and fetch your lunch while I’m there. In the meantime keep looking

outside. I’m sure some birds are pecking at the feeder on the trees.”

     “Okay, dear.”

     Cleo walks towards the doorway, eyeing the shelf with picture frames scattered across it. She picks up a photograph and notices the long-gone attentive look in Henry’s eyes as he cradles his newborn granddaughter. She props it back up against the urn with the name Alice engraved on its shiny surface and steps out of the room, knowing that his eyes will be glazed over and lifeless by the time she’s back.

     The leaves have browned and the petals of the cherry blossom trees are long gone. The man sits by the window most days, looking but not really seeing. The hunch in his neck has deepened and his breathing has become more shallow.

     “Hello Henry,” the nurse says sweetly as she walks into his room, crouching next to his wheelchair.

     “Huh, oh hello,” the old man says as he clears his throat, beckoned to the present by the sound of her voice. She can tell by the squint in his eyes that he’s still placing her face.

     “Since I’m your nurse, I’m here to give you your daily pills Henry,” Cleo says slowly, enunciating each word.

     “Yes yes of course,” the old man says as he drops his shoulders and leans back in his chair. “By the way, have you seen Alice, my wife? I can’t remember the last time I saw her.” The nurse holds her breath and chews at the inside of her cheek.

     “I’m sure she’s around here somewhere,” Cleo says in her most convincing voice.

     “Ah alright. Let me know if you see her. I can’t remember much, but I know I miss her.” The old man heaves a sigh and holds out his hand for the pills.

     “These look like jellybeans ya know? My wife loves jelly beans” he says with a smile.
     “I know she did,” the nurse says with a whisper too quiet for the man’s old ears to pick up on. She wraps some blankets around his body, hoping to warm his brittle bones as the seasons change. Cleo gives his shoulders a little squeeze before walking out the room.

     “Ah wait, before you go, have you seen my wife?” he says as she has one foot out the door. The nurse swivels around and gives him a smile, her eyes shiny and wet.

     “Look out the window Henry,” she says before turning back around and walking out. The old man blinks and stares at the spot in the doorway that is now empty. He looks out the window and his memory resets.

     As winter chills the senior home down to a bitter temperature, the old man’s body continues to wither away. He’s sentenced to bed rest, his organs running out of steam and his physique too weak for a wheelchair. The nurse visits him during all her lunch breaks, nibbling on the stale cafeteria sandwiches while he eats his chocolate pudding. His mind is mostly elsewhere recently, so nearly all their interactions have been filled with silence. One afternoon, he turns his head and analyzes the nurse’s face rather than staring at the far wall like usual.

     “You know Alice?” the old man croaks in a near whisper. The nurse can feel her eyes getting hot as she quickly nods. The old man heaves a satisfactory sigh. “I’m glad you know her. She is the only person who has stuck by my side for all these years. She’s a great person to know.” The nurse bobs her head up and down, not being able to find any words.
“I can’t remember much but did ya know she likes jelly beans and them pink flowers?”
The old man smiles and closes his eyes, basking in the memories he can recall.

     “I know. She is so lovely,” the nurse says with a choking sound. Henry approves this notion with a grin.

     “I wish I could remember who you are dear.”

     “Me too,” Cleo says before kissing the old man’s forehead and rushing out of the room. She finds an empty corner and curls up, hugging her knees to her chest with her tear-streaked cheeks in her hands. She can’t remember the last time the old man recognized her as his granddaughter.

     The nurse finds the courage to visit him during lunch break again the next day, and he’s even paler than before, his transparent skin showing the blue veins running up and down his arms. She pulls a stool up next to his bed, and waits for him to gain awareness of her presence. The steady beeping of the heart monitor hums in the background, and he slowly rouses. The old man looks at the nurse’s face with a blank expression, studying the arch of her nose and the greenness of her eyes, searching for familiarity. All at once, the deadpan look in his face is replaced with elation.

     “I’ve been looking for you for so long!” gasps the old man. Cleo’s mouth hangs open and her eyes are wide with shock. He’s finally remembered her after so many years of caring for him!

     “Yes yes it’s me!” she says as she grasps hold of his hand.

     “Oh Alice, how I’ve missed you.” Silence fills the room. Cleo’s breath is pulled out of her lungs and she can practically hear the blood pulsing through her body. The old man doesn’t recognize the shock on her face and continues. “I kept holding on hoping I’d see you again. It was all worth it just to see your beautiful face once more.” Cleo freezes, staring at the look of adoration on his face that hasn’t been there since she was a child. Memories of when he used to claim Cleo as his favorite granddaughter overwhelm her head. She remembers the summer nights he spent reading Pippi Longstocking to her and the blueberry pancakes he whipped up every morning before his diabetes worsened. She now takes in his frail frame and notices that the light has returned to his eyes.

     “Of course I came back Henry,” she says with a shaky voice as a tear rolls down her cheek. “I love you.” The old man squeezes his hands over hers and lays his head against the pillow, never taking his gaze off her.

     “I love you more,” he says with a toothy smile. She watches the life shimmer in his face before he slowly blinks his eyes closed, the beeping of the heart monitor coming to a halt.