anywhere. I’m going to take care of you. You’re my favorite person in the world. I know I’m not here all the time, but it doesn’t mean I don’t love you.”
I whip my head back and stare at her openmouthed, but she can see my face since she’s pulling a shirt over my head. “I know that. I love you too. I’m saying don’t feel obligated. I’m a grown woman. I don’t have a huge handicap. I feel like you think I’m incapable, and I’m not.”
“I know. I just worry about you; that’s all.”
I slide my flip flops on and stare into the corner one last time as I slip on my cardigan. It’s cold in the hospital.
Or maybe Tongue brings winter, freezing life around me as I wait for him to come back to me. The corner is lonely, and I wait for my mind to conjure him up, but he isn’t there. No matter how hard I try to focus, his darkness isn’t here.
The nurse rolls in a wheelchair, and I sit down, the leather seat giving under my weight. Aunt Tina pats my arm, strolls over to the nurse outside of the door, and they share whispers. I try to listen, but I can’t hear any words. I know what she’s talking to the nurse about, and I’m worried Aunt Tina is going to suggest that I get committed for a few weeks.
I swear, if she does that, I’ll never forgive her.
“Okay, are you ready?” She gives me a big, bright smile, her dimples peeking out on either side of her cheeks.
“I was ready yesterday.” I’m willing to do anything to get me out of this room.
The corners are haunted, and yet the ghost isn’t here.
“I bet. Hospitals are a drag,” she says, wheeling me down the hallway. “Want to have some fun?” she leans down and whispers in my ear.
“Always,” I say out of the side of my mouth, keeping a smile on my face as doctors give us curious looks.
She speeds up her pace. We pass nurses, and one doctor jumps out of our way, dropping a medical chart. Aunt Tina doesn’t apologize. She’s running now, and if she lets go of the wheelchair, I’m going to go flying.
“Hey! You can’t do that here,” an overweight security guard yells at us as we zoom by him.
“Oh, crap. He’s running after us!” Aunt Tina screeches, and right as we make it out of the double doors of the hospital, the roaring grumbles of Harley Davidsons have me searching the parking lot.
I’m searching for a speck of chrome, the shine of smooth black, a man in leather, but too many cars are in the way.
“That was fun…” Aunt Tina slows down, gasping for air.
“Hey! We need that wheelchair back,” the security guard shouts at us as he leans against a supportive white beam. He holds his side from a cramp, and even from the parking lot, I can see the sweat shining on his bald forehead.
“Oh, right.” Aunt Tina rolls her eyes. “They act like they don’t have plenty of these pieces of crap. I mean look, the wheel is fucking rusted. It’s a lawsuit waiting to happen.” She holds up her finger to the guard, telling him to hold on a moment. “Sorry, I need to get my injured niece into the car. It will only take a moment.” She fishes for the keys in her blue tote and points the black key fob to her Lexus. The clicks tell me the car is unlocked, and Aunt Tina opens the passenger side door for me. She lifts me up and supports me as I stand. My hand grabs the plastic ‘oh-shit’ handle to pull myself into the seat. “I’m going to roll that security guard over with this damn wheelchair.”
“Aunt Tina!” I scold her and click my seatbelt in place.
“What? He was rushing us. I don’t like to be rushed.” She shuts the door, and I watch out the window as she approaches the guard who is now sitting on the curb. “Yoo-hoo! Mr. Security Guard.” She waves at him, hiking her purse up on her shoulder.
“She’s impossible,” I mumble under my breath.
“You want your wheelchair? Go fucking get it, dick!”
She pushes the chair, and it rolls away from us and even farther away from the guard. He stands and runs after it, his pants falling down his ass, showing the top of his butt crack.
Aunt Tina spins around, dark hair flowing over her shoulders, and