One (Bar Dance) Read Online Free Page A

rambled calm words at him as I held damp wash clothes to his forehead and neck. His parents knew the drill and had moved to the top of the bed together. Touching him lightly without rubbing his skin and aggravating his over taxed nerves.
    I managed to get away a few times. Using the facilities. Getting a drink of water. Eating power bars. I didn’t make it to lunch with Rand. I couldn’t leave Dakota for that long. He needed me, or at worst, I needed to be there for him. It was nearly the end of my shift. I was sitting in a chair next to the bed singing ‘Crystal Ball’ softly when I felt more than saw Rand come in the room.
    He walked up behind me and put one hand on my shoulder. I looked up and smiled at him and finished the song.
    Dakota’s vitals were in the toilet. How he was still keeping his eyes even cracked was beyond me. His eyes followed my gaze.
    When I finished the song Rand spoke quietly but directly to Dakota. “Hey buddy. Your dad and mom a re here and they got each other. I got Terra here and it is my job to take her home. I’ll give her one more song with you though.”
    I had my eyes back to Dakota when I saw one of the most life altering things I could have ever seen. A weight was lifted off of him. He wasn’t holding on for himself. He was holding on for the people around him. Rand had just given permission for him to let go. He needed to let go and until he was given permission he didn’t know how to just… let go. He was too young yet to know how to do that but enough of a man to want to try.
    I started singing ‘Glitter in the Air’ as I reached out and touched the back of his hand that was against his chest.
    His new nurse walked in but stayed back to let me sing this song. I got to the line where Pink holds her breath in the song when I heard the rattle. It’s commonly called the death rattle. It’s when the last breath escapes it isn’t done with the help of the diaphragm. I looked to the monitors. The volume was off. The warning beeps were just too much for anyone to handle. I saw the flat line.
    I stood. My job and my shift were over. Rand led me out of the room then stopped me about five feet down the hall. He took me to the wall then covered my body with his. He saw the tears on my face and misinterpreted them. They were not of sadness. They were of relief. I put my lips against the pulse point on his neck and kissed it. I pushed against his chest lightly and he lifted his head.
    “You are the smartest man I have ever known. You single handedly fixed something that I should have days ago.” I smiled a wobbly smile at him as I said that.
    His eyes opened wide at that. “What?”
    “That kid just tortured himself for the people around him. He’s been doing that for months. Suffering in unimaginable pain.” I took a deep breath. “You gave him permission not to. That was brilliant and delivered at the right time.” I wiggled a bit. He had me plastered against the wall so I couldn’t move too much.
    Rand repeated himself if not a bit louder. “What?”
    “I should have saw it. He was holding on for the wrong reasons. He was never going home. Now he is out of pain. His parents can stop being in pain with him. I can help the kids who will go home. You fixed it all with what you said to him.” I wiped my face. “You don’t know me yet but I love what I do. What I hate is when I can’t help fix what needs to be fixed. You did it. Not me. Now I am starved. I had a crappy breakfast and about six power bars today. I need protein and to move.” I gave him a wiggle. “Let’s stop and get Arby’s and change my clothes. Then we can go to Stogies and get in one round and get out.”
    Rand’s eyes were still wide. His mouth opened and closed a few times trying to find the words that he needed to say but didn’t know what they were.
    I watched for a minute then gave him what he needed. “I didn’t say that wasn’t devastating. It is. We lost him. We. His doctors, nurses, most