Page 74 of Air Affair

“Can you turn on a light? I want to see you. There isn’t anyone else in here is there?”

“No, just you.” She clicked on a lamp, and there she was, beautiful as ever despite her rumpled hair, or perhaps because of it.

“You’re all dressed up.” Her dress looked so soft. He wanted to touch her all over in it. Then he tried to move, and a stab of pain pierced his skull. No, there would be no moving.

She smiled, and it was like the sun coming out. “I was planning to go see you.”

“You got all dressed up just to see me?” He was one to talk. He’d done the same thing.

“For you and for the occasion.”

What occasion? Was it her birthday? Did he miss it?

“I thought I should look nice for our engagement,” she said.

“Wait. Does that mean…? Are you saying…?”

“I’m saying yes, Hank.”

His breath caught. “You mean…you’ll marry me?”

“Yes,” she said, and a moment later her lips were on his. His future wife was kissing him for all she was worth, and he was doing the best he could to respond. With some difficulty, he managed to raise his arm and cup the back of her head.

At that moment, a man cleared his throat loudly. “Excuse me, you two. I’ll thank you to remember this is a hospital. Lieutenant Hawley, I’m very glad to see you’ve…er…recovered.”

“She’s going to marry me, Doc!” He wanted to get up and twirl her around, but of course he could do no such thing.

“Well, yes. That’s why we let her in here in the first place, but I won’t have any funny business or she’s out. This is a respectable institution, and you are in a public place where anyone could walk in. Like me, for instance,” he said, giving them both a disapproving look. “I’ll overlook it this once, but not again, am I clear?”

“Yes, doctor,” they said in unison.

“Besides, you should avoid excitement, Lieutenant Hawley. You may be recovering, but you aren’t out of the woods yet. We’ll need to monitor you for another day at least before we release you. In the meantime, let’s keep things calm and quiet in here, shall we?”

“Yes, doctor,” they said again.

“Doctor,” Hank called as he started to leave. “How long will it take me to fully recover?”

The doctor folded his clipboard over his chest. “Now that you’re awake, I’d say your head should be better in a couple of weeks, around when the stitches come out. Your leg will take six to eight weeks to heal before we can take off that cast.”

“Thanks, Doc.” It was a bit disappointing to know he’d be in a cast for so long. He hadn’t envisioned hobbling down the aisle with crutches. When he imagined marrying Rory, he’d wanted to be her loyal knight, strong and heroic, making up with chivalry for what he lacked in polish. He wanted to kneel before her beauty. He wanted to carry her over thresholds, but he didn’t think either of them could wait until he’d fully healed.

“If that’s all, then goodnight.” And the doctor left them alone.

Rory burst into quiet giggles as soon as he was out of sight. “I think we scandalized the poor man.”

“He’ll get over it.”

“When should we marry?” she asked, squeezing his hand.

He was tempted to say as soon as they got out of here, but he thought better of it. “When would you like to marry?”

“As soon as possible. Could we go to City Hall?”

He smiled. He was about to say yes when he remembered. “I promised my mother and sister that if I ever got married, they would be there. Also, I’d like to get this bandage off my head before our wedding day. The cast I can live with, but the bandage… I don’t want to look like I might have had brain damage on my wedding day. What would you say to two weeks from now?”

“I suppose I can wait that long,” she said with a sideways smile.

“Can you remind me what day it is today?” He was still a bit addled, and his head was starting to throb again.