Off the Record (Off #3)(22)

He answers me with a smile of his own, but it is different than mine. It actually looks predatory in nature, like the way I imagine a lion would smile when it realizes it’s captured the gazelle. My insides squirm. Linc steps in close to me, so his next words are for my ears alone. “Your smile would bring a lesser man to his knees. But if you wore your glasses and smiled at me like that, it would topple me.”

Linc is teasing me, I know it. But I can’t help the heat that floods through my body at those words. That same heat has flooded my face and I’m sure he’s taken stock of my reaction. The downside to being so pale is that it is painfully obvious when I’m embarrassed.

Before I can even think of what to say, we are interrupted.

“Linc? Is that you?”

We turn to see a young, pretty nurse in pink scrubs walking toward us. Linc steps back from me slightly but doesn’t release my hand. “Hey, Monica.”

She offers me a smile and turns to Linc. “Are you here to see Kyle? He’s having a bad day and you will certainly brighten it.”

“Actually, I was here to see someone else but I’ll stop by his room and check on him. Thanks.”

“Sure thing,” she says and then walks off, glancing back at him once and smiling flirtatiously.

I look to Linc questioningly.

“Do you mind if we make a quick stop before we leave?” he asks.

I shake my head and Linc leads me to the elevators, still holding my hand. My head tells me to pull it away but I’m enjoying the warmth and feel of it. I also couldn’t help but notice the way the perky, nurse Monica looked at Linc, and it made me feel nice that Linc was not acknowledging that look.

And just as soon as I have that thought, I mentally chastise myself. That’s exactly the type of thinking that led me to fall for Marc. Feelings of security and self-worth parceled out to me by a man pretending to love me. I quickly pull my hand out of Linc’s grip and he doesn’t say a word about it.

Linc takes us to the fourth floor and when we get off, it looks like we stepped into Disney World. The walls are painted bright colors and adorned with cartoon characters. Even the floors are painted with bright flowers, butterflies and birds. All of the nurses walking by are wearing colorful scrubs, many covered with the same cartoon characters that grace the walls. I even see one nurse walking by wearing a red clown nose.

Obviously, we are on the children’s ward.

Most of the nurses and even some doctors that we pass say hello to Linc. He’s definitely not a stranger here and that has got my reporter’s curiosity raging. I watch as he walks up to the nurse’s station and reaches over the counter to grab something. He acts as if he owns the place. His hand pulls back and he’s holding two red balls.

He hands me one with a grin and takes the other, putting it on his nose. I can’t help but laugh at him.

“Red and bulbous is not really my style. Do you have something else?” I ask.

He takes the red ball from me and reaches back behind the counter, pulling out a pair of black rimmed glasses with a large nose and mustache attached.

I take them and put them on. “There. That’s more my style.”

“You know how I like it when you wear glasses.” And once again my insides are warmed by his words.

Idiot!

Linc leads me down a hall. No one looks funny at us for the props we are wearing. He enters a room and I follow, a little curious and a little nervous as to what I will see.

Inside is a little boy, maybe ten years old. He is pale and thin...his body frail with sickness. His bald head has a few thin wisps of hair still sticking out. His eyes are looking at the TV but they are dull and lifeless. But then the boy sees Linc and a sparkle immediately appears.

“Linc!” the boy shouts as he struggles to sit up in the bed. “What are you doing here? You were just here last night.”

Last night? That’s where Linc went? I can’t help but wonder why he didn’t tell me, or even invite me along.

Linc crosses to the bed and helps the boy sit up. “Hey buddy! I had to come to the hospital to see a friend of mine and thought I’d pop over to say hi. Monica said you’re having a rough day?”

The little boy nods. “Yeah. I’m not feeling so hot.”

Linc looks over to me. “Kyle...this is my friend, Ever.”

“Hey, Kyle,” I say as I walk to the edge of the bed. I recognize the ravages of cancer and focus in on the green tinge to his face. “I’m pleased to meet you. Feeling a little nauseous today?”

He nods.

“How about I go get you some ginger ale? Sound good?”

He nods again, staring at me. I turn around to the sink and grab a washcloth. I run it under cool water and wring it out. Placing it gently across his forehead, I say, “That should help a little. My mom was sick for a while and she seemed to like that.”

“That feels good. Thanks.”

“Sure thing, buddy. I’ll just go get that ginger ale for you.”

I glance at Linc and he’s looking at me funny. But I don’t have time to puzzle out what he could be thinking. I’m on a mission to find ginger ale.

When I return to the room, Linc is in the bed next to Kyle, still wearing that ridiculous red nose. He’s raised the top portion of the bed up so they are both sitting, playing a video game together. I smile because Linc is too big to fit in the bed so he’s got one leg on the floor, holding himself up.