Free Greetings from the Flipside by Rene Gutteridge

mind like that?
    Mindy grinned, stepped forward, patted his shoulder. “Jake, I’ve worked for you for several years now. I’ve always known you to stay on task and get things done.” She glanced toward the front counter of the shop, where ticket orders were piling up.
    Jake looked at his feet. “Mindy, I’m sorry. I know I’ve been distracted.”
    “Don’t apologize. That’s not what I’m saying. What I’m saying is that when we’re consumed with something, we ought to figure out why. You witnessed something horrible to someone you once knew. The fact that you can’t get her off your mind says something.”
    What did it say? He had no idea.
    “It says that you need to go see her.”
    Jake walked to the counter, sifted through some of the tickets. “I’ve been to see her, Mindy. Twice since the day of the accident. I mean, I’m not family. I’m not even a friend. What am I supposed to do there? She’s in a coma, so what’s the point?”
    “The point is, you can’t stop thinking about her.”
    Jake held up the tickets in his hand. “I think we better get to these pronto.”
    She took the tickets from him. “I can handle these myself. Go to the hospital.”
    “No. Too much to do. I can’t leave you here by yourself.”
    “I’ve got the sisters.” She touched his arm. “Jake, you’ve been very good to me. The best employer I’ve ever had. You’ve always watched out for me and my family. It’s the least I can do. There’s a young woman in a coma after the worst day of her life. She needs somebody there.”
    Even as Jake shook his head in protest, he knew that’s where he wanted to be. His mind was there already, every part of the day. His body should follow. Jake hugged Mindy.
    “I’ll come in tonight, help finish up these orders. Just leave them by the cash register before you lock up.”
    “Go.”
    The hospital was only fifteen minutes away, but it took him an hour to get there because he kept circling the building, then would head home, then turn around and come back. What was his hesitation? But then again, what was his obsession?
    Finally, he made it inside the hospital elevators. When they swished open, he just stood there.
    A little old lady, her purse clasped against her chest, stared at him. “Are you going to get off?”
    He stepped off, but didn’t move. The elevator missed pinching his backside by mere inches. He didn’t bring flowers this time. He carried nothing except hesitation as he turned right and walked the shiny, white linoleum toward her room. Everything was so stark, so sickeningly clean and bright. The lights hurt his eyes. The sounds buzzed his ears. His head throbbed with uncertainty.
    He paused right before her doorway. He could still leave now. He could just turn and go home and let fate carry Hope to wherever she was supposed to go. But for whatever reason, he didn’t. Instead, he stepped into her room.
    Her friend, Becca, was at her bedside. Sobbing. Jake immediately regretted his decision to come. He’d broken into a private moment. He took two steps backward, trying to quietly and gracefully exit.
    But Becca suddenly looked up. Then she gasped. Jake gasped too, but he tried to suppress it, which caused his lips to press together like a waffle iron and his cheeks to inflate like balloons.
    Becca wiped the streaming tears. “I thought I was alone.”
    Jake took a deep breath as Becca stood with effort, her belly round and protruding. “I’m so sorry,” Jake said softly. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
    “It’s Jake, right?”
    He nodded. They’d stood together the day of the accident, almost two weeks ago, but he’d barely seen her since.
    “The flower guy?”
    “Yes. I’ll just come back another time—”
    “No, please. Come in.” She beckoned him with her hands. “I have needed to leave for twenty minutes but I hate leaving her alone.”
    “Where is her mom?”
    “I’m not sure. She is here some, but she spends a lot of time down at