Continue Reading → The heat in Room 412 was dry and smelled of rubbing alcohol. Ben lay propped against two pillows, his face pale under the white fluorescent lights. I sat in the vinyl chair beside his bed, holding his silver pocket watch. The metal felt cold in my hand as I used the edge of my sleeve to polish the glass face, rubbing away a small smudge near the dial. “He brought it from the farm when he was sixteen,” Ben said, his eyes tracking my hand. “It never lost a minute.” “I’ll wind it for you,” I said. “No, don’t wind it,” Ben said, his voice raspy and thin. “Just keep it close. I don’t want Arthur seeing it.” “I can leave it right here on your bedside table,” I said. “So you can see the time.” “No,” he said, reaching out to touch my wrist. “Keep it with you. Do not let Arthur take anything from our house, Elena.” I looked at him, my throat tightening. He was rubbing his left temple with his thumb, his eyes fixed on the small silver case. “Did Arthur ask you about the watch?” I asked. Continue Reading → “Just keep it safe,” Ben whispered, his hand dropping back to the sheet. “He was asking about a lot of things.” The cafeteria basement was cold, and the only sound was the low hum of the vending machines. I stood in the short line, waiting to pay one dollar and fifty cents for a cup of lukewarm black coffee. Nurse Brenda stepped into the space behind me, her blue scrubs rustling as she shifted her weight. She checked her wristwatch twice in the span of thirty seconds. “Elena,” she muttered, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.“Are you staying late tonight?” “Only until eight,” I said, putting two quarters and a dollar bill on the counter. Brenda leaned closer, pretending to examine the basket of red apples by the cash register. “Your partner, the big man with the ring. He was here last night.” “Arthur?” I asked, turning to look at her. “Visiting hours ended at eight. I left right after the nurse’s station changed shifts.” “He was in the corridor at ten,” Brenda whispered, looking over her shoulder toward the double doors. “I saw him coming out of Room 412 after the night shift took over.” Continue Reading → “Did he speak to Ben?” I asked. “He told the front desk he was Ben’s brother,” Brenda said, her voice barely audible over the cash register’s beep. “But I know what Ben’s family looks like, and that man isn’t one of them.” “Why didn’t anyone stop him?” I asked. “He had a visitor’s pass from the afternoon,” Brenda said. “He must have tucked it in his pocket and sneaked back up the service stairs.” “And Ben was medicated,” she added, stepping back as the cashier looked up. “You need to keep an eye on what gets signed.” The room was dark when I returned, save for the green glow of the monitors. I sat on the edge of Ben’s mattress and took his hand, his skin dry against mine. “Arthur was here last night, Ben,” I said quietly. “After I left.” Ben did not open his eyes, but his fingers tightened slightly around mine. “He brought some papers,” Ben whispered. “He wanted me to sign them.” “What papers?” I asked, leaning closer to his pillow. “Do not worry about Arthur right now,” Ben said, his voice fading as the evening medication began to take hold. “No matter what happens, Elena, you must trust Dr. Marcus.” Continue Reading → I stared at the closed door of the room, wondering what Arthur had held in his hands under the dim hallway lights. Elena slides the silver pocket watch into her purse, feeling its heavy weight against her hip. I walked into the Green Leaf office at eleven the next morning, the smell of damp earth on Arthur’s work boots still lingering in the narrow hallway. Arthur was sitting at the corner desk, his fingers moving rapidly through a stack of yellow invoices. The ledger lay open on the side table, its green columns filled with Ben’s neat, slanted handwriting from the previous month. The heavy brass ring on Arthur’s hand caught the sharp fluorescent light from the ceiling as he shuffled the papers. “Arthur,” I said, holding my hand against my purse where Ben’s silver watch rested. “I need the key to Ben’s personal drawer.” He did not look up immediately. He pressed his thumb against the corner of a document, sliding it into a green folder. “The bank required a lock on that drawer, Elena,” he said, his loud voice filling the small room. “With Ben being away, they needed to ensure the accounts were fully secured.” Continue Reading → “Ben always kept the spare key in the brass cup by the thermostat,” I said, pointing to the wall. “They had to change the cylinder yesterday afternoon,” Arthur said, finally looking up. “It is standard security for a small partnership during a transition. I do not even have a copy of that key myself.” I watched him tap his heavy brass ring against the desk, the sharp click echoing in the quiet office. “Which bank representative came by?” I asked. “A new fellow from the commercial division,” Arthur said, reaching for a fresh stack of timesheets. “I did not catch the name on his card before he left.” “We have three payroll checks that need Ben’s signature by Friday,” I said, my finger twisting my plain silver wedding band around and around. “Do not worry about the payroll,” Arthur said, his tone shifting to a warm, easy rhythm. “I can handle those
Just after we learned from the doctors that his remaining lifespan was estimated at only a couple of months, I married my childhood sweetheart right there in his hospital room—and as soon as our “I do” vows were completed, a nurse drew close and whispered, “Before you leave…
