marriage. Isnât it supposed to be the other way around? Doesnât the Bible say that he who finds a wifeââ
âOh, Mom, there you go talking like youâre from the South again. Gal? Since when am I a gal? I thought I told you to cut that out once before. Besides, itâs not what it seems. Nicholas proposed to me, down on one knee, ring and all. Itâs just that at the time I declined. I was confused. I ... I ...â Lorain sighed and went on to explain a little bit more about the situation and how she was about to show up at the hospital with the ring on her finger. âLook, Mother, Iâll tell you everything; I promise. But right now, I have to get to the hospital and find my husband.â
âThatâs fine, dear, as long as he found you first,â Eleanor said, giving her blessing. âBecause the Word says, âHe who findeth a wifeâânot âshe who findeth a husband.â So I just had to be sure everything was in order according to the Word.â
âYes, Mother, now, please, I have to go. Kiss my girls for me and let them know that they are about to have a daddy.â Lorain hung up the phone and left her house. She jumped into the driverâs side of her car that awaited her with an open door and drove straight to the hospital.
Arriving at the hospital, Lorain parked in the visitorâs lot and headed to the ER unit. Most of the staff there was familiar with who Lorain was. Nicholas had introduced her to some of them on the days they shared lunch in the hospital cafeteria. Sheâd met others the time heâd given her a tour of the hospital, while sheâd met the majority of them at the hospitalâs Memorial Day picnic just that year. Heâd invited her, and sheâd brought the boys along. The twins had stayed with Eleanor. The boys had had the time of their lives there.
âWell, hello ... Lorain, right?â a nurse stopped Lorain and asked before she could get to the nursesâ unit.
âYes,â Lorain replied, looking at the nurseâs face, trying to recall the name by face and not the name tag the nurse was wearing. âJim, right?â
âThatâs right,â he said. âLooking for Dr. Wright?â
Lorain had to chuckle inside. She was looking for Doctor Wright all right, never even realizing that God had made it plain and clear by sending her a man with the last name of Wright. Sure, it was a play on words, but God had a sense of humor; oh yes, He did. âAs a matter of fact, I am looking for Doctor Wright,â Lorain confirmed.
âYouâre in luck. He just got out of a surgery, so he headed outside toââ
âTake a smoke break?â Lorain finished the nurseâs sentence.
âWell, yes. I guess you know the good doctor very well.â
âYes, I know all about the good doctorâs nasty little habit.â
The nurse leaned in and whispered in Lorainâsâ ear. âTry working on that with him, would you? Doctor Wright is an excellent doctor. I can see him having his own practice one day, and me working for him. But thatâs not going to happen if the poor man dies of lung cancer. So try to get him to kick the habit, all right? My future and his are at stake.â The nurse stood up straight and winked at Lorain.
âIâll do my best,â Lorain assured him.
âGood. You know where the lawn is?â The nurse pointed down the hallway. âDown the hall, go right, second door on your left.â
âThank you, Jim,â Lorain said, then followed the directions he had given her to find Nicholas.
When Lorain walked outside, she spotted Nicholas standing beside a picnic table where a few members of the hospital staff sat. He was exhaling a puff of smoke. As she walked in his direction, he took one last puff, put the cigarette out, then threw the butt away, all without even noticing that Lorain had approached
Learning to Kill: Stories