Miles and Vera

"Russell, I can't." Vera fumbled with her cell phone, slipping the headset onto her ear.

"You have to." The deep voice on the other end of the line pleaded. "It's his dad. None of the rest of us can get there."

"Russ." Vera sighed.

"Good." Russell breathed out his relief, taking his shortened name as a sign of her acquiescence.

"I have plans this weekend." She continued to argue futilely.

:It's his dad." Russell repeated. "You're only an hour and a half away, the rest of us have at least 15 hours.

"I know." Her voice sounded mouse like even to herself.

"There's not something going on that I don't know about is there?"

"No." Vera's turn signal blinked loudly in the background.

"It's not about that crush you had in school is it?"

"What?" She was suddenly alert. "What crush? How did you know?"

"Oh, come on Ver. It was obvious you were crazy about him."

Her heart thudded loudly in her chest masking the click of the signal light. "That was forever ago, Russ. I'm long over it."

And she was. As long as she didn't have to see him, or be near him, or hear his voice. She could listen to him all night. She had before, in the deep quiet that descended onto the dorm after those enormous floor parties. Rubbish and students were strewn across the floor, but Vera would curl herself up contentedly into whatever corner was available and listen to Miles play. Sometimes she recognized the tunes that melted into each other, tumbling past his fingers, out of his guitar. Sometimes he'd find his notebook or a scrap of paper and scribble words and chords all night, mumbling and humming to himself as the song grew and begged him to sing it. Softly, in the darkness he whispered the most tender love songs that she had ever heard. Each time she lay still, feigning sleep until she did finally drift off, lulled to sleep by his quietness and the soothing rumble of his voice.

Russell was still talking. "I emailed you directions to his parent's home and the hospital."

"Alright. I'm home."

"Good. Good. Go pack. Call me if you need anything."

"Yeah. Sure." Vera remained in the car even after she had hung up fromm the call and removed her headset. She'd only seen Miles once or twice since graduation. He and the rest of her close college friends had remained in Kentucky, while she had moved back to Pennsylvania. Miles came home to the Philadelphia suburbs a couple times a year to visit family, she knew so much from Russ and Katie. Now he was home indefinitely. His father had had a massive heart attack just the day before. Miles had apparently left in the middle of a meeting, left his car running in the airport parking lot and boarded a plane within half an hour of receiving the news. Vera lifted her head from the steering wheel, here she was agonizing over a petty years old crush. Now was his time of need. She was an extension of Russ, Katie and all of the others, a reminder of times long past that might provide enough distraction to get him through the next day or two.

There wasn't time to deliberate over what to pack or who to call to water her plants. Vera was known for being reliable, being steady whether you needed 10 bucks or a shoulder to cry on Vera was the one to call. She would always rise to the occasion. Miles needed someone to stand strong and hold the pieces together. In just an hour and a half he would have her.

Vera wasn't used to eight lane highways and she certainly wasn't used to hospitals but somehow she found the cardiac floor, but she had no idea how she would find Miles' father. "Mr. McCormick." That was all she knew for sure. Miles was an only child, born to older parents. She knew that he must have mentioned his parent's names at least once in four years of college but she couldn't remember. Her problem was solved for her while she hesitated in front of the nurses station. The door to a family conference room down the hall opened and two doctors hurried away while a graying woman and her tall son followed more slowly. His black hair stuck up in all directions as if he hasn't combed it in a day or two and his face looked drawn and pale.

"How can I help you, miss?" One of the women behind the desk asked.

"No thanks." Vera mumbled.

Miles turned and his blue eyes held hers. Vera wasn't sure which one of them covered the twenty feet that had separated them before he surrounded her with his arms, his scent and the weight of his worries.

"God Vera. You're here." His voice was raw.

"Miles." She whispered into his hair. His face was buried in her neck and his hands were shaking as they pulled her tight in his arms.

"Don't let go." He pleaded desperately. "Don't let go or I'll go crazy."

"I got you." She promised. "I got you now Miles."

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He kept one arm around Vera and another on his mother's shoulders as they plodded in the direction of the waiting room.

"When can we see him, Miles?" His mother's smile was fragile.

"About half an hour. The Doctors said they were moving him from surgery to recovery right now."

His mother seemed so small beside him, almost childlike in her dependence.

"Triple bi-pass." Miles stated.

Vera squeezed his hand encouragingly. "He came through all right?" It was a question and a statement rolled into one.

"Yeah." They sank into orange leather chairs with wooden arm rests. He tilted his head back, resting against the wall, his eyes closed. Vera smiled tentatively at his mother.

"It's good you're here." The woman nodded. "Ray will be excited to meet you."

"Thank you Mrs. McCormick. I don't want to intrude on your family too much, just let you all know that all of Mile's friends are praying for Mr. McCormick as well."

"You're not staying?" Miles sat upright abruptly blocking Vera's view of his mother.

"Well, I'll be here as long as you need me tonight and when you get tired of me there's a room waiting at the Holiday Inn."

"What about tomorrow?"

"I guess we can wait and see about tomorrow"

"Russell said you were staying the whole weekend."

"I..." Vera shrugged. "Russell told me that, too. But it's really rude of me to intrude on family during..."

Miles groaned. Mrs. McCormick hushed them when a nurse arrive to escort them back to the recovery unit.

"Go on." Vera shoved him gently. "I'll be here when you get back." She let her fingers linger on his arm as she gave him another push.

Hope mixed with fear in his eyes as Miles helped his mother stand and held her arm while they hurried to follow the impatient nurse.

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"How is he?" Vera smiled over her magazine when she saw Miles' grin.

'Horrible!" He said, his brow wrinkling with a frown. "He looks awful. Old."

"Oh." Vera looked down.

"But he was starting to wake up. Mom's with him. I think she needs the time. She got mad at me and kicked me out."

Vera laughed and patted the seat next to her. "Pumpkin Pie?"

"Oh, God!" His eyes got big. "I am so hungry."

"Good. I got two slices and a couple sandwiches. Turkey on rye. Italian sub on sun dried tomato bread."

"Oh, God." He tore away the paper on the sub.

"When did you eat last?" Vera asked handing him a soda from the hospital cafeteria.

"I don't know." He took a bite and chewed hurriedly before answering. "They had those little powdery donut holes at the producers meeting."

"Miles." Vera shook her head and scolded. "That was yesterday morning."

"Oh. I had pretzels on the plane. I think. I don't remember very clearly."

"It's alright. Just eat." Vera lay a comforting hand on his arm. She couldn't stop touching him. "I got some for your mom, too."

"Good." He looked suddenly guilty. "I didn't even think about it. I'm sure she hasn't eaten either."

"It's okay, Miles." There she went again, running her fingers over his arm. If only she had dared to touch him during school, but she hadn't. He hadn't needed her, but now he did.

"Oh, you didn't have to." Mrs. McCormick protested when she returned to the waiting room and saw the sandwich and hot cup of coffee waiting for her.

"The cafe was closing for the night and I knew you would want something." Vera passed her a stack of napkins.

"Oh, you're right." Mrs. McCormick settled into her chair and breathed deeply taking in the rich scent of the coffee as she wiped away a few stray tears. "Thank you, dear. Is it really late enough that they are closing?" She strained her eyes but all that was visible out of the window was the brick wall of the next hospital wing and a big parking garage. In false florescent lights that lined the ceilings it was easy to miss the darkness as it was accumulating.

"It's nearly ten."

"Ten O'clock!" Mrs. McCormick sighed. "I got to talk to your daddy a bit, Miles. The nurses said they'll be moving him to a private room in an hour or so and they will have a cot for me."

"Good." Miles nodded. "You didn't sleep at all last night."

"And neither did you. I want you to take Vera home and make sure you both get some rest."

"Mom. I'm staying here."

She shook her head. "He's doing okay, Miles. Nothing exciting is going to happen tonight. Leave your cell phone with me and I'll call you if there is any change at all."

"You don't know how to work a cell phone."

"I'll figure it out!" She declared stubbornly. "Or I'll get someone to help me."

Miles sighed and lay his phone in her out stretched hand. "You'll call if anything changes?"

"Yes." She nodded.

"And you'll get some sleep?" Vera demanded.

"Yes." Mrs. McCormick smiled ruefully. "I can't make it much longer without sleep." She hugged them both tightly.

"Are you sure you want to stay here alone?" Miles still didn't want to leave her.

"I won't be alone." She smiled mistily. "I've got your dad."

He shook his head and hugged her again before he and Vera gathered their collection of food wrappers and napkins and tossed them in the trash can on their way out the door.

"My mom only spent one night without my dad since they got married." Miles hunched his shoulders against the wind.

"Yeah?" Vera pulled her jacket tighter.

"She chaperoned my eighth grade trip to New York City. He stayed home."

Vera turned to tell him how sweet it was but instead she stopped in her tracks. "Where's your coat?"

"Coat?"

"It's cold out Miles! Didn't you notice?"

"It wasn't cold when I left Kentucky."

"Oh, Miles." She grinned up at him. "What am I gonna do with you? Not eating. Not sleeping. No coat." She tugged on the collar of his button down which must have been crisp and classy the morning before but now clung to his skin in damp winkles as the wind blew fine mist across the deserted lot.

"Keep me warm!" He playfully wrapper her in his arms and hid his face in her hair. "Wrap me up Ver. Keep me warm."

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Vera stuffed her hairbrush in her bag and rubbed lotion on her freshly shaved legs. She had caved in and let Miles take her home instead of to the hotel. He needed her and she was too tired to complain. It wouldn't have worked to go to the hotel anyway. She had her car, but he had taken a taxi from the airport and didn't have another ride home. She stifled a yarn and carefully hung her damp towel on the rack behind the door before she left the bathroom.

"Did you find a blanket for me?"

"Yeah." Miles stood from the sofa. His hair was still dripping from his own shower.

"So? Where is it?" Vera made a show of craning her neck to look around him at the empty couch.

"You're not sleeping on the sofa, silly." He chided her.

"I'm not?"

"Nope." Miles scooped her up and slung her over his six foot high shoulder.

"Oh God!" Vera gasped through her laughter. "Oh my God! Put me down!"

He trudged up the steps, careful not to bump her against anything along the way. "I think I'm gonna kidnap you." He announced before kicking open the second door in the hallway.

"Kidnap?" She had her arms wrapped around his middle, her head was hanging downs his back and she had a decent view of his derriere.

He grunted a response as he dumped her unceremoniously on a bed. Vera had a split second glimpse of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles curtains before he landed beside her and began crawling on top of her.

"Oh my God! You're crazy!" She screamed, instinctively pushing and kicking.

"I know." He rolled onto his side and lay facing her, his jolt of adrenaline left as quickly as it had come. Miles gave her one last smile before snuggling closer on the single bed and closing his eyes. With in minutes he was sound asleep. Vera lay still in the circle of his arms. The real Miles was nothing like the boy she had dreamed of those years before.

He was so much better.

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Author's Notes:

Just a short, 8000 word, 4 section story. I wrote it all during down time at work so it's definitely not the the greatest quality or even the greatest story line, but that it what I am reduced to these days. I don't have time or energy to write outside of work.

There is some "choice" language and one rather risque scene. Why, when I am insisting on livinig a less superficial life has my writing taken such a decidely shallow turn?

Kree