she never fixes this, but at least she tries
When there was nothing else for Meg March to do, she liked to count. It took time, it took patience, it took her mind off of her inability to do anything in any given situation. Meg March had been doing a lot of counting in the past few months. She especially did so in hospital waiting rooms.
Five nurses have passed them. Sixteen waiting chairs are occupied. Eight magazines scattered on the rack. And one Joan Brooks, sitting in the pleather seat besides her, stroking her thumb.
This is the first time Meg has been to the hospital since Beth’s diagnosis. And the fact that Joan is with her (Despite the fact that they’ve been together for only what? A week?) makes the proccess no less difficult, but possibly more manageable. Meg could say that for a majority of situations involving Joan; not any easier, but less…impossible.
Joan stopped stroking her hand and laced their fingers together. She leaned in to Meg, furrowing her head into the crevice between Meg’s neck and shoulder.
“If you’re going to tell me that this is going to be okay,” Meg warned, feeling Joan’s breath warm on her neck and trying not to feel her stomach flip, as she hadn’t felt it done since it had dropped when she first heard about Beth. “Please, don’t. Nothing you can possibly say is going to make this better.”
“I wasn’t going to,” Joan whispered. “I was going to tell you that your shoes are on the wrong feet.”
“What? Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
“I didn’t notice until now.”
“I can’t believe this.” Meg broke apart from Joan and fixed her shoes. One left shoe, and one right shoe. When she readjusted herself in her chair, Joan had a sad but sweet smile.
“Well, just think, things can only get better from here.” Joan said.
“And what makes you say that?”
“Well, at least now whatever level of hell you and your sisters have to go through now…at least you have your shoes on the right feet,” Joan pressed a kiss to Meg’s temple.
If there’s one thing that Meg March can count on, besides her (one, two, three) sisters, it’s Joan Brooks.