Barbara McKean closed her eyes as she leaned against the wall inside Dr. Minnick’s office. When she opened her eyes, she was greeted face to face with her reflection in the curio cabinet that was in the corner of the room. She was fighting the demons inside of her mind. One was telling her to walk away and forget this ever happened, the other telling her to talk to that friend of the patient’s and explain the error of the medication that Dr. Minnick had given.

Barbara shook her head as if to clear her mind. She slipped her purse off of her shoulder and opened her bottom desk drawer. As she went to close the drawer, she noticed the shakiness of her hands and clasped them together to try and still them.

Picking up the phone, she dialed the extension to the ICU nurse’s station.

“Three west, this is Monica.”

“This is Nurse McKean, Dr. Minnick would like the chart to the patient in ICU-13, can it be delivered to his office stat or do I need to come down?” Barbara swallowed hard, she knew her voice was shaky but she was praying that it wouldn’t give her away.

“I can have someone bring it down right away,” Monica replied as she walked over and pulled the chart and handed it to the LPN that was standing near her. “Take this to Dr. Minnick’s nurse, stat,” she told the nurse. “She’s on her way.”

“Thank you,” Barbara replied and hung the phone up.

Only a few moments passed when there was a soft knock on the office door.

“Come in,” Nurse McKean ordered. A young nurse wearing blue scrubs peeked her face around the door, holding a silver clipboard.

“I have the chart you requested,” she said with a smile.

Barbara held her hand out and the young nurse gave it to her. “Just call the station when you are done with it and someone will come down and get it.”

Barbara managed a thin smile and nodded. Once the girl left the office, she quickly flipped open the chart and thumbed through it to the doctor’s notes and progress reports.

Brian pushed Lizz down the hall towards Nick’s room. Kyung walk along side the wheel chair guiding the IV pump. Lizz was thinking to herself about how much she hated having the oxygen on her face but she knew she couldn’t argue with Kyung anyway. She also knew that Nick more than likely would have oxygen on as well.

“Nick’s parents went back to the hotel for a bit so I am guess that he’s probably sleeping right now,” Brian said in an apologetic tone.

“That’s okay, I don’t care if he’s sleeping, I just need to see him,” Lizz insisted.

Lizz could feel her heart beating rapidly as they entered Nick’s room. All she could think of was the typical visions of stroke victims, that his face would be drooping on one side, slurred speech, and the whole package. As her eyes rested on his face, she found him not to look like any of the images her mind had allowed. Nick looked just like Nick, just asleep.

The IV pump started beeping and Kyung quickly scrambled to silence it. Nick’s eyes fluttered open when he heard the scuffling from Kyung’s feet on the tile. He smiled slightly at Lizz and then frowned.

“I know, she is so damned stubborn Nick, she insisted that she come to see you,” Brian explained.

“Hey Nick, how are you feeling?” Lizz asked softly.

I licked my lips, I wanted to say something to Lizz but I knew I wasn’t capable. I didn’t want to upset her. I just smiled again hoping that she would just leave it at that. Unfortunately, she wouldn’t let it go at that.

“I hear your parent’s have been here.”

I managed a slight nod.

“I told Kyung that they should allow us to stay in a room together because both you and I are worried about each other,” Lizz said staring at Nick’s face. “Aren’t you gonna say anything?”

Shit, I knew she wouldn’t just take simple smiles and nods as talking to her. I really didn’t want to say anything because any word I wanted to say didn’t come out and lately any word I did form was not a very pleasant one. I about died a few hours ago when I said ‘fuck off’ to my mother. She about died. Lizz was still being persistent.

“Come on Nick, just one word, please?”

Brian placed a hand on Lizz’s shoulder. “I really don’t think this is a good time right now.”

“Why not? I know about the stroke I’m sure his speech has been affected, but I just want him to say something,” Lizz persisted.

Okay, one word and she would get off my back about speaking. I wanted to tell her that I was feeling better. I formed the sentence in my mind. I took a deep breath in, “Shit you bitch.”

The reaction on Lizz’s face told me that she definitely wasn’t expecting that from my mouth. To be honest, neither was I.

“Lizz, the thought process in his brain is twisted right now, he didn’t mean to say that,” Kyung quickly replied.

Lizz tried to blink the tears away from her eyes. She didn’t want Nick to see her cry but this was upsetting to think that he couldn’t even talk a small sentence. “I know,” she managed to whisper. She looked back up at Nick’s face only to see tears slipping down his cheeks.

Lizz reached out and took Nick’s hand and squeezed it tightly.

"I think I upset him, maybe I should go back." I looked back at Brian and Kyung. But before they could answer, Nick squeezed my hand. I turned back to him and he was shaking his head slowly. I nodded. "Okay."

Brian and Kyung exchanged looks. "Lizz, Kyung and I need to go find that Barbara nurse. Will you be okay in here for a little bit?" He asked me.

"I'll be fine." I thought I was doing a pretty good job hiding my exhaustion.

"Call your nurse if you need to go lay down. And remember what I said. If you pass out or anything, I am not letting you out of that bed again." Kyung said sternly.

I smiled. "I know, I know." Brian and Kyung left and it was just Nick and I.

"I'm sorry that I kept pushing you to say something. I shouldn't have done that. I know you didn't mean what you said okay? Please don't cry." I said softly.

He gave me a small smile. Then his eyes got a questioning look. I knew he didn't want to try to talk again though.

"Are you wanting to know what they are doing?" I asked him, gesturing towards where Kyung and Brian just went off to.

He nodded.

"Well, I'm not totally sure. Brian came rushing into my room all anxious to go find some nurse named Barbara. He said that she might be able to tell us what is going on, whatever that means." I explained. That made me realize that I had no idea what Brian was talking about either. I glanced up at Nick and he got that look again. Then he squeezed my hand again. Shit, I hope he wasn't trying to ask about me.

"So, uh, I saw TRL the other day. You would have..." I stopped when Nick squeezed my hand again. This time harder. I looked at him and he locked his eyes onto mine. He wasn't going to let this go, just like I wouldn't let his not talking go. I sighed. How could I tell him that I didn't have much time left unless I got a transplant. "I'm doing better." I said carefully.

He narrowed his eyes and shook his head. Shit! He knew? I lowered my head, feeling the tears come again.