2nd Intermissions

I managed to continue breathing calmly when a kind looking nurse with mousy hair told me I could see him now. I stood quickly, grabbed my things and followed her down the hall.
The quiet squeak of the nurse's white shoes mixed with the anxious tapping of my heels to make a painful soundtrack to our long trek towards Adam's room.

Finally, we reached it and I flew inside, dropping my stuff on the chair next to the bed and going to him quickly.

He laughed and said, "Wow, I didn't know you cared that much about me- or that you would still be here."
I looked at him- with his knee now in a brace and told him, "Of course I'm still here, it hasn't been that long, silly. How are you feeling?"
Adam gave me a funny look and said, "Sam, we came here around nine. It's midnight."
I shook my head and looked at the clock, hanging high above the doorway.
"Shit." I said.
"What's wrong?" Adam replied.
"I need to call Harper to see what's going on with the circus trip. Oh god- I don't want to leave, Adam." I said, sitting on the edge of the bed.
"Why don't you go outside and call him, figure it out, and come back in?" He said with a calm voice, but when I looked at him, it was clear he didn't want me to go on the road trip that would keep me away for two weeks.
I nodded my head and went outside, turning on my phone.
While it rang, I realized just how cold it was outside, and I saw snowflakes starting to fall.
I shivered a little and Dr. Harper picked up.
"Where have you been? How is Burish?" He asked, no niceties observed.
I answered all of his questions with the same speed they left his mouth, then, I asked my very important question, "Will you be going on the trip?"
I heard the silence at the other end, "Why?"
"Bur wants me to stay here, but the team needs a doctor."
I heard him sigh and reply, "I need to do some things while the team is gone."
I leaned my head against the cold column of the entrance and replied, "Okay. Can you contact Troy Parchman and get me another ticket- for early tomorrow morning?"
"Will do, doctor." and that was that. He hung up, promising me that Troy would call me with my information.

I closed my phone and put it in my pocket. Sighing again, I pressed myself against the column, feeling like crap. I would have to leave poor Adam when he needed me most. I sucked in a deep lungful of air and headed back to his room.
When I stepped in, I saw him with the television on, snoozing. Smiling, I put my phone on the table, set to a loud ring tone for Troy, and took off my cardigan, folding it and placing it on top of my purse. I crawled up next to him, waking him from his fitful slumber. Making an effort to stay away from his bad knee, I curled in next to him, my head and arm on his chest, his arm around my shoulders.
We slept like that until my phone rang around five in the morning, waking both of us quickly.
I answered it near the window and after Troy had told me where to pick up my ticket, I closed the phone and sat on the bed next to Adam.
"You have to leave, don't you?"
I nodded, toying with the sheets.
He reached up and tilted my chin so I would look at him.
"It's alright, Sam, I know you have to take care of our boys. Just..call me all the time, okay?"
I gained some of my humor back and replied, "Only if you admit that you love me, already."
"I love you." He smiled. I was taken aback at first but figured after about a month of pure compatibility, I thought: why not? "I love you too." and kissed him on the nose.
"You better be giving me a better kiss if you're leaving me for two weeks."
I looked at him, laying in the hospital bed, knee encased in black plastic, skin pale and his dark hair fanned around his head. Leaning down, I told him right before I made our kiss last, "I promise you something better when I get home."

--

After the morning had gone by quickly on a plane, that night I lay in a Dallas hotel room, all to myself, having traveled all that way. I rub my head against the pillow for optimal comfort and pulled out my cell phone.
I had three texts and one missed call. Two texts and the call were from Adam, and one text from Angelina. I decided to text Gina tomorrow and call Adam so I could at least tell him goodnight.
I heard the phone ring once, twice, then he answered with a, "Samantha?"
"Who else would be calling you this late?" I laughed, rolling over, crawling underneath the covers.
"Eags?" He replied, referring to Ben Eager, the lovable big guy.
"Do I need to beat him up for hitting on my man?"
"YES. He undresses me with his eyes!" Adam whined, then gave up and we both laughed for a while.
"How's the knee, honey bee?" I giggled.
"Hurts. The scheduled the surgery tomorrow night- so I may have a faster recovery time."
"That's good, Adam. I wish I could be there with you."
"I wish I was there with you. I could sneak into your room like we did that one time."
I recalled the time perfectly, actually. It was in a Vancouver hotel room, and he barely made it back before Patrick Sharp woke up.
Our voices lowered and I asked, "What are you doing?"
"Laying in the hospital bed, you?"
"Laying in the hotel bed."
"Wish I was there."
"Wish you were here too."