I don’t have much experience with hospitals
other than my own ER visits
but the ER is different
than the oncology floor
where people aren’t just hurt
they are dying
and I can feel grief
hanging like a curtain
as I pass through the doors
the nurses are kind
but subdued
perhaps wondering if
I am grieving for one
of their patients
I am handed a mask
to keep me from getting others
sick while I am here
I follow the nurse’s instructions
around a corner and down a hallway
where I see Ben
sitting against a wall
his arms draped over his knees
and his head hanging
feelings rush through me
so quickly
that I cannot sort them out
he looks up
sees me
and stands to his feet
his pace quickening
as he nears me
until he reaches me
and draws me
into his arms