girl stands
brushing strands
of ebony hair
back from her face

an unconscious gesture
betraying
relaying
the worry she feels

boy stands
head bowed
frown
across the brightly lit
room

sleepless eyes
drained; bloodshot
he's been caught-
dragged away
by a nurse
who says he needs his sleep

girl watches
with curiosity
possibly
wanting to follow him

instead she looks
over
at the clock
ticking soft
counting by the leftover minutes
of lives

boy protests
pushed into a
plastic chair
worse for wear
seated hundreds
of worried frames
tip tapping feet
on the marble
floor

nurse gives him chips
he's not hungry and she
doesn't understand
he's a man
that's what his father said before
well, before-
but he eats
because she tells him to

girl sits by boy
smoothing her skirt
and her shirt
should he glance her way
his eyes are glazed

girl asks if he's been here long
he says seven hours
words soured
by the reason for his
presence

boy tells girl
about his dad
the way they
played
when he was a child

boy keeps talking
with girl listening
never missing
a
word
he says

girl nods along, interested
and then nurse walks
boy balks
as she comes up and tells him
that his father is okay
they've got it under control
it will be okay

and boy thanks girl
never tells his name
it was just a game
to him
and he
hurries away
to see his father

and girl sits
that's all she can
do
if only she could hold his hand
because she's the one
who's left
brushing ebony strands of hair
back from her face