Our Souls at Night

4

When he woke that afternoon he realized he was sick. He got up and drank some water and felt hot. He thought for a while and then decided to call her. On the phone he said, I just got up from a nap and I don’t feel good, a pain in my stomach of some kind and also in my back. I’m sorry. I won’t be coming over tonight.

I see, she said, and hung up.

He called his doctor’s office and made an appointment for the next morning. He went to bed early and was sweaty in the night and couldn’t sleep and in the morning he didn’t feel like eating and at ten he went to see the doctor and was sent to the hospital for blood and urine tests. He waited there in the lobby until the lab had the results and then they admitted him with a urinary tract infection.

They gave him antibiotics and he slept most of the afternoon and again was awake much of the night. In the morning he felt better and they told him he’d probably be released the next day. He ate breakfast and lunch and took a short nap and when he woke up around three she was sitting in the chair beside his bed. He looked at her.

You weren’t kidding, she said.

Did you think I was?

I thought you were just saying you were sick. That you decided you didn’t want to be with me at night.

I was afraid you were thinking that.

I thought it wasn’t going to happen, she said.

I’ve been thinking of you all yesterday and last night and all day today, he said.

What were you thinking?

How you’d misinterpret my call. And how I could explain that I still want to come at night and be together. How I was feeling more interested in this than I’d felt about anything for a long time.

Why didn’t you call me then? To tell me?

I thought it might even be worse, that it would sound all the more like I was making this up.

I wish you’d tried.

I should have. How did you find out I was in the hospital?

I was talking to Ruth next door this morning and she said, Did you hear about Louis? I said, What about him? He’s in the hospital. What’s wrong with him? They say he’s got some kind of infection. Then I knew, she said.

I’m not going to lie to you, he said.

All right. Neither of us will. So will you come again? at him, waiting.

As soon as I feel well and am sure I’m over this. It’s good to see you, he said.

Thank you. You look pretty ragged right now.

I haven’t had time to put on my face yet.

She laughed. I don’t care, she said. That’s not what I mean. I was just making a comment, an observation.

Well, you look pretty good to me, he said.

Did you call your daughter?

I told her not to worry. That I’d be out in a day and this was nothing to be concerned about. She won’t have to take off work. I don’t need her to come see me now. She lives in Colorado Springs.

I know.

She’s a teacher like I was. Then he stopped talking. Do you want something to drink? I could call the nurse.

No. I’m going home now.

I’ll call you after I’m home again and feeling all right.

Good, she said. I already bought some beer.

She left and he watched her walk out of the href="kindle: