Your Perfect Year(31)

“Refuge?” Dr. Fuchs had an expression of complete incomprehension, while Lisa was doubled up with laughter and Simon was barely suppressing a smug grin.

“Just stop it!” Hannah complained. “I got the message, okay? You don’t have to keep rubbing it in.”

“Oh, come on, honey,” Simon said, squeezing her hand again, this time in a soothing gesture. “I need to have some fun. Isn’t that what you always say?”

“But it’s all at my expense.”

“Take your turn with everyone else,” Lisa said.

“Well, I don’t know about all that,” the doctor intervened. “I’ll leave you to it. My colleague Dr. Hausmann will be on duty tomorrow morning. If everything’s going well, which I think it will be, you can go home.” He hesitated a moment, as though wondering whether to add “If you want to.” He held back, merely taking his leave with a brief nod and vanishing from the room.

“Huh!” Lisa said as soon as the door had closed behind him. “What a performance!”

“You can say that again,” Hannah agreed. “I felt like I was confessing every one of my sins at the Last Judgment.”

“It didn’t last long enough for that,” Simon said, bursting out laughing. Hannah gave him an evil look, and he raised his free hand defensively. “Actually, I thought the doctor was great. Someone who took me seriously, at last!”

“As if I don’t take you seriously!”

“Oh, come here and let me kiss you, you impossible woman!” He pulled her to him and began to cover her face with kisses. She let him, laughing.

“It looks like it’s time I went back to Little Rascals,” Lisa said. “Someone has to clean up.”

“Wait!” Hannah mumbled from beneath Simon’s lips. “I’ll come with you!”

“Don’t worry.” Lisa waved her away. “Stay here with our patient.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course!” She grinned from the doorway.

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” Hannah asked.

“If Simon can live without you, of course!”

“Read my lips,” Simon said. “I need rest!”

“Huh!” Hannah replied.

Lisa said goodbye and left them on their own together.

“Oh, my love,” Hannah said and laid her head on Simon’s chest. “That was quite some excitement.”

“Absolutely wild.” He laid an arm across her shoulders. “Actually, I like the way you’re so concerned about me.” He began stroking her hair.

“You know,” she said, closing her eyes and enjoying Simon’s touch, “I got the shock of my life when you keeled over.”

“Really?”

“Yes.” She raised her head and looked at him. “I was really scared for you.”

“Nonsense,” he said awkwardly. “It’d take more than that to finish me off.”

“Glad to hear it.” Her voice shook a little. “I hope you know how much I love you. When I thought I might lose you . . .”

“Shush!” He laid his index finger over her lips. Then he smiled, leaned toward her, and kissed her gently and cautiously. “I love you too.” He kissed her again. “And you needn’t worry. You won’t get rid of me that easily.”

“I hope not!”

“Definitely not.”

“No?”

“No, not at all.” He cleared his throat. “I just realized what it was I’ve been wanting to ask you all this time.”

“Yes?” Hannah’s heart paused for a moment, only to start beating wildly the next. Would this be the ultimate question, the one she’d secretly been waiting for? Here? In the hospital? But she didn’t really care where Simon popped the question. The main thing was that he spat it out at last! Maybe that afternoon’s scare had made him realize that the time had come? That life was short, and when it came to the things that were important to you, you shouldn’t wait until it was too late?

“So, the thing is . . .” He trailed off. “Oh, I don’t know how to put it.”

“Just say it,” she encouraged.

He took a deep breath, then began again. “All this time I’ve been wanting to ask you—”

“Herr Klamm!” The door flew open and crashed loudly against the wall. A strapping nurse strode in, her ponytail swaying back and forth with every step. “I’ll remove your drip; it’s finished now.” She deftly removed the IV from Simon’s arm and covered the puncture wound with a bandage. Then she gave them both a friendly nod and left, pulling the IV pole behind her. Hannah watched the door shut. The nurse was like an evil spirit, making a brief but effective appearance. She could have killed Nurse Ponytail! Why that very moment? Why now?

“Go on,” Hannah told Simon as soon as they were alone again.

“No, I’d better not,” he said, to her bitter disappointment. He yawned deeply. “I’m wrung out. I desperately need sleep.”

“Are you sure?” She tried her best not to let that disappointment show, but she could already feel the tears springing to her eyes. “I could wait here while you take a nap.”