It was almost 5:30 pm when Cathy and Joann got back to the hospital. Nurse Jackson just walked out of Linda’s room when Cathy and Joann stepped out of the elevator. She told them that Linda is ready for her surgery and that Jack will be in soon to wheel Linda to the OR. Cathy and Joann walked into Linda’s room but weren’t emotionally prepared to see Linda with no hair. Tears fill Cathy’s eyes as she walked up to the side of Linda’s bed. Joann stood at the end of the bed staring at Linda’s bald head.
“She looks so different without hair,” Joann said.
Cathy wiped the tears away from her cheeks, “It will grow back.”
Ten minutes passed when Jack, knocked on the door frame and walked in, “time to take Miss Linda to the OR.”
“We will be right here when you get back,” Cathy said to her even though Linda was still unconscious.
Jack unlocked Linda’s bed and then pushed it through the doorway. He stopped by Joann and handed her a piece of paper with his name and cell number on it, “call me sometime,” he smiled.
Even though she was stunned by what just happened, Joann smiled and then put the piece of paper into her pocket. Cathy walked up and put her arm around Joann as she watched her daughter being wheeled down the hallway.
“He gave you his phone number didn’t he?” aunt Cathy asked.
Joann looked at her aunt, “how did you know?”
“Sweetie, I saw how he smiled at you the first time we saw him,” Cathy said.
“I know that this is a really bad time to be crushing on someone, but he is really cute,” Joann said.
“If Linda was awake she would be telling you to go for it, right?” Cathy asked.
“Yes, she probably would.”
Just then, Cathy’s cell phone rang and it was deputy Rhonda Dean. Cathy answered it and sat down in one of the chairs. She wanted to know how Linda was doing. However, she didn’t know that they were at the hospital again until Cathy told her. While Cathy talked to deputy Dean, Joann walked over to the room's window. She looked out over the full parking lot and then gazed out into the horizon. The sun hung low in the sky and had a few cumulus clouds scattered around it.
Joann cleared her mind and started to pray quietly. She asked God for her cousin's surgery to go well. She prayed that Dr. Giovanni would be able to remove the alien implant with no problems and that Linda would heal quickly. Joann knew that she wasn’t ready to lose another person she loves, and it would devastate her aunt Cathy. As Joann finished her prayers, she heard her cell phone notification sound. She looked at her phone and it was a Facebook notification. Her friend Marcy posted a prayer request for Linda to get well. Joann texted Marcy thanking her for the Facebook post, and then told her what was going on with Linda.
Before Deputy Dean ended her conversation with Cathy, she told her that she hopes that everything with Linda will be good. Both Cathy and deputy Dean grew up in Salt Lake and went to the same high school together. They were never really close friends but deputy Dean understands the pain you feel when your child is suffering. Cathy thanked the deputy for her blessings and told her that she will let her know how things turn out.
Cathy put her cell phone into her purse and walked over to Joann, “are you okay?”
Joann looked at her aunt, “yes, I guess so. I was just texting with Marcy. I told her what was going on.”
Cathy looked out the window and saw the warm glow of the sun in the clouds, “Linda will come through this.”
Joann slipped her hand into her aunt's hand and held it tight. They both stood at the window and watched the clouds slowly move across the sky. It was six o’clock now and all they can do is wait and pray.
Please join me again for more of: Unexplained Encounter.