It took the strength of three fully grown men to break the bond forged by the belligerence of these two determined women. They had locked together like two anacondas trying arm wrestling but with their bodies as the hands. Cindy was shaken up and trembling by the security station that was close to the door some five or so average steps away from where Jade and Elizabeth were tussling. A part of the crowd then came and formed a wall separating the two. Once they became physically inaccessible to each other, they then resorted to verbal punches. With the danger temporarily averted, Cindy ran to her friend and pulled her away. To her, this woman was just not worth it. Jade and Cindy left the hospital first and Elizabeth followed after them a safe distance away, taunting them with insults and threats. Cindy took her friend round the block to a hot dog cart that was stationed there and invited her friend to indulge her gourmet desires as long as they could be satisfied by the dictates of the contents of this particular cart. Once served, Cindy paid the bill and then they made their way into the nearby Riverdale Park and located a vacant park bench. Most trees were losing their leaves thanks to winter's relentless touch. There were flowers however being maintained by the Riverdale Park staff and these gave much needed ambience to a near naked park. The green of the grass was not as lush as usually was when the elements were kinder. As they sat down, Cindy took Jade's hand and gently squeezed it. Jade looked at her, her first instincts suggesting that the mad woman had followed them and there was impending danger. The smile on her friend's face suppressed those thoughts. Cindy then softly said, "Thank you so much. I love you with all my heart, Jade". She let go of her hand and brought it up to her chest and tapped the heart side thrice as she said the words, "Always will". Jade performed the same gesture. They then turned their attention to the food in their hands.
"You go on without me sweetie, I'll catch up". Jade then gave her the look. Cindy sat back down onto the bench and set her purse beside her. Jade shook her head. "No, no Cindy. You need to go home and rest. Take care of yourself. There is no visiting time until tomorrow morning. Until then you need to go home Cindy. Please!" Cindy remained adamant. No way was she going to make plans that far ahead. Not as long as they involved Jake. He lay trapped in that room, soaking in the miasma of pills and medicine and all sorts of nauseating smells that pervaded the hospital while she was out and about taking in the fresh scents from the flora of the park garden. With her freedom intact. All this was as a result of a big misunderstanding. "Cindy, it is not your fault that he is in there. It just happened. I was trying to protect you", Jade pleaded with her friend. Cindy warmly smiled at her. By now, Jade had reoccupied her spot on the bench she no longer hoped to have an association with. Cindy threw her arm over her and pulled her closer to herself. She then whispered in her ear, "I know Jade. It's just that I love him". Jade pulled away and looked her straight into her eyes bemused. She distantly shook her head but the amount of motion was enough to convey her message. "I think it's a little too early for that", Jade retorted. "You barely know the guy and now you claim to love him"? Cindy nodded. Jade then shifted her gaze away from her. She threw it everywhere else except towards her friend. "This has happened before Cindy. You jump in way too quickly and give everything and when things turn sideways then you fall apart and have nothing left to give even your own self", Jade spat with fierceness. Her mood quickly changed and whence was the summer sun, a looming hailstorm sat in its place. Cindy tried to calm her down but this was only gasoline for her fire. Jade went on, "There was Michael, Steven, Russell, Nelson. Should I keep going?" She employed her fingers so she could thoroughly illustrate that the expressed quantity was not only an illusion. Cindy got up from where she sat and came to were her friend was standing and then hugged her for a while. She then said into her ear, "You are my best friend and I know you are looking out for me as you always do. But this is different and I feel it is a mistake I need to make otherwise I will live with regret the rest of my life". She then pulled out from the clasp, held Jade by her shoulders and said, "Please just let me be foolish. Please. I need this. I need him". Jade was reluctant but was partially moved by her words. "Okay fine! But if he turns out shady and hurts you, I'll break his bones and make that water glass feel like a feather", Jade said. Cindy couldn't help but casually smile. "I'll pass on the message", she replied. They hugged once again then Jade left in the direction of her home.
Cindy wandered up and down the hall alert to the possibility of an opportunity. Her eyes were as sharp as an eagle's while she camouflaged her intentions lest she get caught. The nurses were making their rounds, administering medicine and checking the patients' vitals. Cindy knew she would only get one chance and she had to be swift in execution. Her spine was pumping adrenalin continuously while her senses were vigilantly in active employ. She had a cover story too as a contingency in case her attempt at stealth got compromised. She took a seat on one of the benches which was a vantage point with eye access to the room where the gratification of her yearnings lay. Jake was in a private ward. That is why he shared the room with no other patient and the service he got differed from the others in the general population. So there was a good chance that if she managed to creep in after the nurses had finished attending to him, they would have a substantial amount of time to themselves.
She recalled the moment their lips touched. She could feel the spark that ignited in her heart and each time she recalled the moment she felt a warmth inside of her that made her wish for a full blown fire. A fire unquenchable that would consume both of them. The nurses were moving like century old tortoises and it was taking forever for them to reach Jake's room. She observed as they moved with their carts and moved into the room next to Jake's. It took a decade before they went into his room and attended to him. She smiled when after a quarter of an hour or so they left. The moment had come. Her moment had come. She moved with purpose, not making a sound. She gently pushed the handle and opened just enough of the door to sneak inside. There he lay, facing the side opposing the direction of the door. He heard the soft tapping on the floor made by her feet and turned to see who it was. His face twinkled as he saw her and turned his entire body so as to give her all the attention. The fluorescent light that hung above them could not match the light that formed in her eyes. She moved closer to him and sat by his bed. He raised his hands and opened them, inviting hers to come meet them. She obliged. They spent almost a minute just looking at each other. Then she softly said, "Hi!" His lips spread wide and he was about to reply when suddenly he vigorously jerked forward, then back onto the pillow. The jerking back and forth then happened again. And again, and again. Something was wrong. Cindy was trying to process what was happening and before she found any semblance of what could be a sensible answer the jerking stopped. Then a shrill continuous beep from the cardiograph filled the quiet room. She turned her head towards the cardiograph and saw zeros that stood with a continuous straight line.