Chapter 55
“Iris…”
I heard Jack’s voice through a veil of sleep
“Iris, hey…”, I heard again, and felt his hand caressing my arm.
“Come here with me…”, I mumbled
“Hey, we have to go home”
I opened my eyes and saw the whiteness of the room. I was at the hospital and I needed to go home, pack, get ready for tomorrow.
“Jack…I forgot where I was”, I said, raising my eyes
“I figured you had”, he laughed, giving me a hand to help me up
“I collected your things and the doctor has signed the documents already, so we can go…”
“Do you know where my clothing are?”
“I brought you one of my clean shirts”, Jack told me with a half apologetic, half amused tone, pulling out a short sleeved button-up from a grocery shop plastic bag
“Ok, wait a moment for me to wash and dress”, I said, laughing at the look and size of the shirt I would have to wear
The more I scrubbed, and moved and felt the water run on me, the healthier I felt, and I thought with anger at the nurse obsessively repeating “You should rest”. Three days in this place had gotten me into a larval state, and now that I was beginning to move around the lymph of life was starting to flow in me again.
I stepped out of the bathroom fresh and energized
“Let’s go! Ready?”, I told Jack, tugging his hand playfully.
“Ready”, he said smiling at me
We walked through the white air-conditioned hallways, and when the elevator opened to the reception I felt an exhilarating rush, an excitement for the world and I laughed.
“What?”, Jack asked
“Nothing, I am just happy”, I said
Jack shook his head and smiled, opening the doors for me. The air outside was burning hot and the light was intense, almost blinding when coming from inside.
“Boy, I had forgotten what summer feels like”
“There’s no need to be so theatrical now, you’ve only been in the hospital for three day!”, Jack said, but he was squinting too
“I know, but it’s weird how I lost track of time…I could have been there for a week, or a month, or longer”
“What about we go have lunch at my place? I have everything packed already, so we can go to your house to prepare your luggage after lunch. Sounds?”
I nodded, and took Jack’s hand, swinging it back and forth. I had forgotten how to be childish for a long time, but Jack was reviving the kid in me, the bubbly flow of cheerfulness, the carefree playfulness.