The Lonely Hearts Job

One week later she found herself pool side watching as her niece splashed around in the pool. ‘Be careful now’, she heard her sister say to her as she stepped onto their patio. ‘She’s good Trina’, she said. ‘I know, but I worry’ ‘I know you do, you forget the summer I got the pool and she sneezed two times and dunked herself, I think she’s okay now’ , with that Trina sat her glass of soda down & handed one off to Andi. ‘So how long you planning on staying’, asked Trina. It had been weighing on her mind ever since her sister had gotten there. ‘I don’t know, why, are you tired of looking at me already’, asked Andi giving her sister a side way glance. ‘No, I was just wondering’ ‘Honestly, I don’t know that I’ll ever go back’, said Andi. ‘Okay well if that’s true than why are you still wearing your engagement ring’ it was than that Andi looked down at her left hand, she had forgotten to take it off. She touched it & than looked at her sister, ‘Guess I just forgot I still had it on’ ‘Yeah, sure you did’ ‘Mommy! Aunt Andi! Look at this’ & the two women looked up to see Jakole plug her nose & disappear underneath the water only to appear a second later jumping up & going ‘Ta da’, the two women laughed & Trina said ‘You about ready to come out Jakole’, she asked. ‘No Mom, just ten more minutes, please’ ‘Okay ten more minutes’, said Trina. Andi smiled to herself because she realized this is what made her happy. That night she helped her sister make dinner, as she was cutting the lettuce for the salad her phone began to ring, she had forgotten all about it. She looked at the collar I.D. it was Sophie. She wondered if she should answer it & than her sister said, ‘You gonna get that’ ‘It’s just Sophie, I’m sure she’ll leave a message. I’ll call her later’, said Andi. Back in Boston a frantic Sophie listened to the phone ring & ring until Finally Andi’s voicemail came up, ‘You’ve reached Andi, I’m unable to answer my phone right now but if you leave your name and number I’ll call you back as soon as I can’, ‘No no, I don’t need this’ & than came the beep, ‘Andi, it’s Sophie but I’m sure you know this by now because as I’m sure of it you probably ignored my call and if so shame on you. Anyways, I’m calling because there’s been an accident, Nate’s been hurt, please, if you ever cared for him or us at all you will either call or come. And if you don’t come we’ll understand, but please he needs you’, with a click of her phone the message was sent. ‘No answer’, heard Sophie from behind her. ‘No’, she said to Elliot. ‘She needs to be here’, he said. ‘I know that, but she doesn’t’

Andi finished helping her sister clear the table & do up the dishes. When the last dish had been dried Trina look at her little sister & said, ‘I’ve heard your phone ring at least a dozen times since Sophie called, you better call back’, she said. ‘Why, there’s nothing there for me anymore’ ‘It could be an emergency. Just because your upset with Nate doesn’t mean you should take it out on the rest of them’, said Trina. ‘Alright, alright, I’ll check my messages’, she said grabbing her phone & going to the back yard. She checked her missed calls, one from Sophie, two from Hardison, one from Parker, & three from Elliot. But there was only one voicemail, she assumed it was Sophie & so she checked it. Inside Trina was getting Jakole ready for her bath when her sister came running into the house. ‘Trina’, she screamed. Just than her sister came out of her daughter’s bedroom, ‘What is it’ ‘I have to go’ ‘Why’ ‘I have to go, here, could you book me a plane ticket while I pack’ ‘What’s wrong Mommy’, asked Jakole coming out of her bedroom. ‘I don’t know sweetie, just go back into your room, I’ll be there in a min’, turning back to her sister she said ‘What’s going on’ ‘It’s Nate, there’s been an accident, that’s all Sophie’s message said, I have to go, he needs me’ ‘Okay, hold on’, said Trina. As Andi frantically packed a suitcase she called Sophie, she answered on the first ring. ‘Sophie, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to ignore you and everyone else’ ‘That’s not important, w hat’s important is Nate’ ‘I know, Trina’s booking me a plane ticket right now and I’m flying out tonight. I’ll be there as soon as I can’, she said. ‘Alright, call when you land’, said Sophie. ‘No I’ll get a rental and meet you at the hospital’, she said. ‘Okay, see you when you get here than’, said Sophie. ‘Of course, bye’, said Andi & than she hung up the phone. Just than Trina came in & said to her sister, ‘They have a flight for Boston an hour from now’ ‘Okay that’s fine, can you drive me’ ‘Yeah hold on I have to get Jakole’, said Trina. ‘Okay’ said Andi rushing to get her things out to the car. Everything was happening so fast & she almost forgot to hug & kiss her niece & sister good-bye before she boarded the plane. All she remembered was her sister’s final words, ‘Be safe, call when you get there, we love you’

Everything was happening so fast that it was all such a blur. She remembered getting off the plane, making the phone call to her sister & rushing to get a rental car. Her mind was running a million miles a minute when she pulled into the hospital parking lot. She calmed herself before she took even one step out of the car; finally with enough courage built up she got out of the car & walked up to the hospital. She could hear voices as she got closer to the nurses station & she recognized all of them, ‘Andi’, she heard a voice say to her as she stepped into full view she turned & looked at them. ‘I got here as soon as I could. What’s going on’, she asked. Sophie stepped towards her, ‘They won’t tell us anything’ ‘Why not’ ‘Were not family’, said Elliot. It was than that Andi touched her left finger, she knew she was the closest thing he had to family & yet not at the same time. ‘Let me see what I can do’, she said as she walked away. ‘Do you think they’ll tell her anything’, asked Parker. ‘She is his fiancée’, said Sophie. ‘No technically she’s not’, said Elliot. ‘Please Elliot, not now’, snapped Sophie. A few minutes later Andi came walking back; ‘What did they tell you’, asked Sophie. ‘He needs surgery; he has three broken ribs and a broken wrist. His breathing is labored and one of his ribs is dangerously close to puncturing his right lung’. She said. ‘So what are you going to do’, asked Hardison. ‘I’ve already signed the paper’s, their going to take him up in five minutes, if you want to see him you better go now’, said Andi. ‘Well don’t you want to see him’, asked Sophie. ‘I don’t think that would be best’, she said. ‘Why the hell not’, asked Elliot. ‘Elliot please’, said Sophie. ‘No, she leaves him high and dry for a week, a week, and she only came because you called her’ ‘What do you want her to do’, asked Sophie. ‘Go in and see him’, he snapped. It was than that Andi raised her head & looked at them all, ‘First of all don’t take that tone with me Elliot Spencer! Second of all I care about him, I do, and I want to know what the hell happened here?! How did he end up hurt when it’s your responsibility to keep him safe! Don’t stand there acting all holier than thou with me when you couldn’t even do your job’, she screamed at him. Elliot came to stand in front of her, ‘So it’s my fault’, he snapped. ‘Maybe so, your responsible for him, you told me he would never get hurt and yet here we are. You know why I left so don’t act as if it’s my fault’ ‘Guy’s come on’, said Parker. ‘Yeah, please stop this, it’s not good for Nate’, said Sophie. ‘You want me to go see him? Do you really want me to see him? Because I will’, she snapped. ‘Excuse me’, said a voice from behind them & they turned at the voice. It was the doctor, ‘Sorry to interrupt but he’s asking for you Ms. Ramos’, they were all shocked, but Andi turned & followed the doctor to Nate’s room. ‘He can speak but we’ve asked him not to. The nurses will be in shortly to take him to surgery, are you up for this’, asked the doctor. ‘Yes doctor, I’ll be fine’, she said. With that the doctor opened the door & they stepped inside. ‘Mr. Ford, your fiancé is here’, he said. Andi stepped to his side & Nate looked up at her. ‘I’ll leave you two to be alone’, said the doctor, ‘Thank you doctor’, said Andi & than he was gone. Andi looked down at Nate & all of a sudden her emotion’s got the better of her, but she fought back the tears. ‘I’m okay’, whispered Nate. ‘The doctor said for you not to speak, so don’t, save your strength, I’m okay, really’, said Andi. She reached down & grabbed his hand, he squeezed her hand & she squeezed his back. ‘I’m sorry I wasn’t here sooner’, she said. ‘It’s okay’, he whispered. ‘I’m here now, I’ll stay as long as you need me too’, she said. They spent the last minutes they had in silence she kissed his hand as a nurse was coming in, ‘I’m sorry but we have to take him’, she said. ‘That’s okay’, said Andi. ‘You can walk out with him’, she said. ‘Thank you’, said Andi. As they walked out of the room everyone was standing outside, each said a word of encouragement & at the elevator doors Andi said, ‘I love you, see you soon’ He smiled & squeezed her hand one last time. The doctor stepped to her side & said, ‘You can wait if you’d like, it will be at least four or five hours before I’m done’ ‘Thank you doctor, I’ll wait’, she said. He got on the elevator & finally her body gave out & she began to cry. She lost herself & almost fell but arms were all around her holding her up, she knew the people holding her up but her tears were streaming down so fast she couldn’t see their faces. ‘He’ll be okay’, she heard Elliot say to her. ‘He’s a fighter’, said Sophie. ‘He’s been through worse’, said Hardison. ‘That’s for sure’, said Parker. They helped her on to the elevator. She tried pulling herself together but it was no use, every time she felt she was okay his face flashed in front of her eye’s & she cried even more. It was going to be a long wait.