Lance: A Hathaway House Heartwarming Romance

by Dale Mayer

  “That makes sense too,” she said. “He helped you a lot with your ankles. How are they doing now?”

  He lifted one foot out of the water and slowly rotated it at the ankle.

  “Oh, wow! It looks like you’re doing really well with that,” she said, smiling broadly.

  “Yes, and no,” he said. “The hot water is helping a lot.”

  “Some sun might help too,” she said. “If you’re always avoiding it, you’re never getting any vitamin D.”

  “Maybe that’s part of the reason I’m out here,” he said. “It’s just kind of weird to be in a hot tub out in the sun.”

  “But technically you’re not in the sun because you’re in the shade,” she pointed out.

  “That’s because I’ll burn if I’m in the sun,” he said with a laugh. “It’s all about finding balance, I guess.”

  “Agreed,” she said. “So, once again, can I get you something to drink?”

  “No,” he said. “It’s all good.” He shook his head. “Honest, I’m fine.”

  She nodded but said, “You’re sweating pretty well,” she said. “So don’t stay in there too long.”

  He just smiled at her.

  Feeling like she should stay and watch over him but not sure why, she headed back to her office, but it wasn’t very long before she found herself heading to the cafeteria and looking out over the railing to see if he was still in the hot tub. When she realized he was gone, she sighed in relief.

  Shane came up behind her, a cup of coffee in one hand and an ice cream cone in the other. She looked at the ice cream cone in outrage. “Where did you get that from?” she asked.

  “Dennis. He keeps the ice cream in the back though.”

  “Man, I would love one of those.”

  “Just ask for it,” he said. “So, who were you looking for outside just now?” he asked, his gaze watchful.

  “Well, Lance was in the hot tub earlier,” she said. “He worried me a bit because he was sweating so heavily, but it also looked like he was still in a ton of pain.”

  “It’s taking him some time to adapt to being here,” Shane said. “It will probably be another week or two before he’s fully acclimated.”

  “Is it common to take that long to settle in?” she asked.

  “It can be,” he said. “It takes some patients longer than others.”

  “It feels like he wasn’t ready to come,” she said.

  “Just don’t say that to him,” Shane said. “I think he was in this condition at the VA center for quite a while,” he said.

  “So he heals slowly?”

  “His body has been through a lot of trauma,” he said, “and each subsequent surgery added so much more. He had a bout of anemia too, which has really slowed him down.”

  She winced at that. “That makes more sense.”

  “We’re running a bunch more tests too,” he said. “We’re not exactly sure if something medically is going on or if it’s just that more recovery time is needed.”

  “I didn’t even think to check his file to see if somebody was following up on that.”

  “I think his whole team is a little worried about him,” he said, “but he’s back in his room now.”

  “Okay,” she said. “Hey, did you offer him an ice cream cone?”

  “I didn’t,” he said, looking at the cone, “but you can do that. Go get yourself one, and see if he wants one.”

  She hesitated, and he nudged her gently. “Come on. You know you want to.”

  “I worry about him,” she admitted. “Everybody else seems to be doing pretty well, but he isn’t showing the same type of progress.”

  “Hence the extra tests,” he said. “And, in fairness, he hasn’t really gotten started yet. Go get him an ice cream.”

  She chuckled and happened to see Dennis wiping tables just then. “So, Dennis, what’s this about ice cream?”

  “Absolutely,” he said. “What flavor?”

  “Choices too? Man, you’ve been holding out on me.”

  He named a bunch of flavors, so she picked two and then said, “Can I get a cone for Lance as well?”

  “Do you know what flavor he likes?”

  She shook her head. “No idea. Just make it the same as mine.” He raised an eyebrow at that but headed into the back. When she turned around, Shane was gone. He’d headed down the stairs and was even now cutting across the back pasture toward the fence where the horses were. She waited a few minutes for Dennis to return, and, when he showed up with two medium-size cones, she smiled, grabbed some napkins, and thanked him. She headed toward Lance’s room, but, when she got there, the door was closed.

  Why hadn’t she thought of that before she came with both hands full?

  She knocked awkwardly on the door. When he called out, “Come in,” she tried to hold the two cones with one hand and open the door. She managed it but had to use her foot to push the door itself wide open. As she stepped inside, she said, “I know I didn’t ask you about this, so I’m taking the chance that you actually want one.”

  He looked at her in surprise, saw the ice cream, and his face lit up. “I didn’t even know ice cream cones were a thing here.”

  “I keep forgetting,” she said. “I just saw Shane, and he had one, so I asked Dennis.” She handed over the cone and said, “There were all kinds of choices for flavors, and I didn’t know what to get, so I just had him get us two the same,” she said. “So this is rum raisin and maple walnut.” He immediately took a bite off the top, and she winced when she saw his teeth come down on the ice-cold ice cream.

  “What are you wincing for?”

  “You put your teeth right in the cold ice cream,” she exclaimed. “I can’t bite ice cream. So I just lick my ice cream.”

  “I can,” he said with a shrug. “This is really good, Jessica. Thank you.”

  She smiled and nodded, then put a few spare napkins on his little bedside table and said, “I just figured you might like it after the hot tub.”

  “I really appreciate it,” he said. He hesitated and then said, “I know they did a bunch of blood work on me yesterday. Did you ever get any results back?”

  “I can check your files,” she said, “but it’ll take one of the doctors to give you the results.”

  “Of course,” he said with an eye roll. “It’s all about protocol, isn’t it?”

  “Always,” she said. “Are you feeling worse?”

  “Not worse, I’m just not feeling great,” he said. “I think the doctors wanted to cover the basics to make sure it wasn’t something other than just being tired.”

  “Okay, I’ll check,” she said and headed out of his room, wondering about the tests. As tired as he seemed, he really could be anemic. Also all sorts of bacterial infections could be going on. He’d had so many surgeries that his gut flora could also be completely messed up. As she headed back to her office to pull up his file, one of the doctors popped in and asked, “Did you happen to get the blood work back for Lance?”

  “Not that I’ve seen yet, but I was just checking,” she said.

  “In that case, I’ll wait while you take a look.”

  “That would be great because he seems anxious about it.” She paused. “He could just be overtired, I suppose.”

  “Yes, it’s possible, but I think more’s going on than that,” he said.

  She headed toward her desk and quickly brought up her computer, even though she was done with her shift. Logging in, she checked to see if any of the results were in. She nodded. “They’re here, Doctor. I’m sending it to you right now.” She added the results to his file and tagged the doctor on it.

  Bringing it up on his iPad, he whistled. “Yeah, just as I thought, we definitely have an anemia issue.” He looked farther down and shook his head. “Oh, wow. He needs to be on antibiotics like now.”

  “Ouch,” she said. “Well, that might make him feel better in a way. To know there’s a physical reason behind why he’s been so down.”

&nbs
p; “He’s noticed himself?”

  “Yeah. I think more just feeling like he’s not quite right,” she said.

  The doctor quickly changed the orders on the file and said, “Let’s start giving him the antibiotics twice a day, and I want an iron supplement three times a day,” he said. He shook his head at that. “We may have to look at some injections in his case too—or infusions even.”

  “You tell me,” she said, as she walked over to the medicine cabinet. “I’ll take him some antibiotics right now. Do you want him to get a second dose tonight before bed?”

  “Yes,” he said. “Then starting tomorrow, just breakfast and dinner would probably be the easiest.”

  With the best course of action sorted out, she quickly grabbed one of the little serving trays and said, “Do you want to come and explain it with me?”

  He hesitated and then said, “Sure.” Together they walked to Lance’s room, just as he finished his ice cream. She pushed the door open a little wider and said, “Your blood work came back.”

  He looked up at her, surprised, and then saw the doctor behind her. “How bad is it?”

  “Looks like you’re running a bacterial infection,” he said, “and you’re anemic. I figured on the anemia, but the bacterial infection could have been the cause of it. So, it’s iron supplements and antibiotics for the next bit.”

  “Great,” he said. “There goes my gut again.”

  “Good point. So we’ll add probiotics to that regime too,” the doctor said. “I want you to get two doses of the antibiotics down today, so Jessica has your first dose.”

  She held them out with a glass of water.

  He obediently took his pills and said, “So the second will be when? Bedtime?”

  He nodded. “The nurse will come around at the eight-o’clock shift and bring you the second dose.”

  “Okay,” he said. “Are you thinking I’ll feel better after this?”

  “Yes,” the doctor said. “I think this is very likely the reason for your fatigue.”

  “I sure hope so,” he said. “As much as I keep trying, I’m not getting very far on doing some of these exercises.”

  “The antibiotics will take three to four days to really kick in,” he said, “and the iron supplements may be the same,” he said. “It really depends on where this malaise is coming from.”

  Lance leaned back against the bed and said, “Three to four days then. Thanks for getting the results back so fast.”

  “They literally just came in,” she said with a smile, then she turned and walked out with the doctor at her side.

  Lance had been surprised when the doctor had wanted to do more blood tests. Lance remembered being in the hospital before, and it was just test upon test. But here at Hathaway House, he’d been feeling just low enough and rough enough that he’d agreed. And obviously there was a reason for it. It perked him up mentally too, since he’d been wondering if he was really all here or if he was just so spaced-out in life that he didn’t have any effort to put into anything.

  And that shouldn’t be. He didn’t want to talk to the doc about being depressed because that would immediately mean more pills. But, if the antibiotics and the iron pills were enough to make a difference, then that could really give Lance a whole new lease on life.

  He sat up and shifted his legs over the edge of the bed because he really needed to get a real meal in tonight. His plan had been to go early and to come back early. He made it to his wheelchair and collapsed, feeling his body already breaking out in a sweat. That wasn’t normal at all. He went to the bathroom, where he pulled the towel off the railing and quickly wiped down his forehead and the back of his neck. Then he headed out the door and down the hallway in search of food. He was one of the first to arrive.

  Dennis looked at him, smiled, and said, “I gather you must be hungry?”

  “I am,” he said, “but I’m also really beat.”

  “I think some dark green vegetables for you,” he said, “and some heavy protein.”

  He ended up with a steak for the iron and dark green vegetables to help boost that as well. Between the spinach and whatever cream sauce that was, plus broccoli with fried mushrooms and onions, and he figured he was doing just fine. By the time he made it over to a table, a lineup was at the buffet area, so he had literally just made it in time. He sat alone and ate quietly, as a group of other vets came around and filled up the table around him. He was pleasantly surprised. He was halfway included in the conversation and halfway not, and that was just fine because he wasn’t feeling all that social himself.

  When he finished his plate and put his fork down, he made his excuses, then slowly turned and headed back to his room again. He hated feeling quite so weak, but he was really feeling tired. The sweat broke out on the back of his neck again too. By the time he made it to his room, he struggled with the doorknob, wondering if he would even make it to his bed before he collapsed. When a hand reached out and helped with the doorknob, he looked up to see one of the orderlies.

  The man looked at him in concern. “Do you need a hand?”

  “I shouldn’t,” he said. “I’ve been fine all day. I’m just feeling pretty shaky right now.”

  The orderly stepped inside with him and quickly turned back the bedding. “Let’s get you up here.”

  Lance nodded and, with the big man’s help, slid his frail wasted body onto the bed and laid back. “They’ve given me new antibiotics,” he said. “I don’t know if that’s got something to do with it or not.”

  “Or maybe it’s the new antibiotics actually starting to work,” he said.

  “I’ve only had one dose,” he said.

  The orderly nodded. “Do you need anything else?”

  “No,” he said, “I think I’m fine. Thanks for the help.”

  “Remember. You’ve got a buzzer there,” he said. “If you need help, call for it. I’ll leave the door open,” he said, “just because you’re feeling rough.”

  “Good enough,” he said. With the blanket pulled around his shoulders, he curled up ever-so-slightly and closed his eyes. It was only five o’clock, and he had no business trying to sleep right now, but his body was saying it was too tired to do anything else.

  He opened his eyes to see Shane coming in and checking on him, and then about an hour later Jessica came by. Later on it was Shane again, and Lance muttered in a grumpy voice, “If all you guys keep checking up on me,” he said, “I’ll never be able to sleep.”

  Chapter 7

  “Well, I’m back with your second dose of antibiotics,” Jessica said with a smile.

  Lance opened his eyes and frowned at her. “You should have been done working a long time ago.”

  “And I was,” she said, “but everybody’s a little concerned about your condition right now.”

  “I know.” He hated feeling like he was causing everybody extra trouble. “But honestly, I’m fine.”

  “If you get a good night’s sleep, you mean,” she said, teasing.

  He gave her a crooked smile. “Exactly.”

  She gave him his antibiotics, which he took with a glass of milk. Stretching, he used the remote to lay the bed back out again and said, “Now you can close the door and let me sleep.”

  “Well, I’ll close the door partway,” she compromised. “And, yes, you can go to sleep.” She turned the lights down low, and he immediately closed his eyes and drifted off.

  Outside, she waited until he was asleep and then propped the door back open again. She put a note in this file for everybody on the team to see, saying that he’d gone to sleep after his medication and was hoping to be left alone so he could sleep. Then she headed to her on-site apartment. She had been planning a surprise for him. She had picked up a secondhand guitar in town and had it tuned at a music store. The guitar itself had been dirt cheap, and she hoped it was good enough to actually play on. The tuning itself had cost more than the instrument.

  But she didn’t really want to hand it to him directly,
so this was a perfect opportunity to take it to his room. So, with that in mind, she picked up the guitar, walked back inside the center, and put it in his room, being careful to not wake him. She left it just against the dresser, so he could see it when he woke up. And then she snuck back out again. She didn’t want him to feel any pressure, but, if it would bring him pleasure, that was a whole different story. She was all about him getting more of that.

  Back in her room she was restless herself. She headed outside for a swim and found herself plowing through the water. She knew it was all about being worried about Lance. It was frustrating to care this much. She loved and cared for all her patients, but, at the same time, it was frustrating to always worry about one continually. When she came out of the water and just sat in the evening air, drying off, Stan came out.

  “Hey, how are you doing?”

  “I’m okay,” she said. “I just had to burn off some excess energy.”

  “Understood,” he said. “I’ve got puppies that need feeding, if you want to come and give us a hand.”

  Immediately she hopped up and said, “Absolutely I do,” and she headed down to the vet center with him. And there, one of the vet techs—Robin, she thought was her name—had a puppy and a bottle. As soon as she saw Jessica, she reached out with both and handed them off. Then she snagged up another puppy and another bottle.

  “Quite a production line going here,” Jessica said, as she curled up in a chair, cuddling the puppy. “They’re so special,” she whispered, holding the bundle of fur close. By the time the bottle was empty, the puppy was slowly falling asleep in her arms. She chuckled and handed him back. She looked over at the other two, but they were asleep as well. “So amazing,” she whispered.

  Robin nodded and said, “We’re up twice a night with them,” she said. “So, just like any parent, we have to cuddle them a little bit more often,” she said.

  “It’s all worth it,” she said, “because, when you care, when you look after them,” she said simply, “they realize they are loved.”