To Orange

Laura Dell sipped her coffee. Her brain hadn't shut down well last night, what with Herbert's revelation, her mother's lecture ("He's your grandmother's age, you know, you can't be involved with someone your grandmother might date!"), John Williams' departure, Dr. Feinman... even the bird. As a result, she woke up feeling considerably less than rested.

She also missed the biscuits John Williams had made. They'd tasted like home, and they made her wish - just a little - that she was back in Siloam. But, of course, if she'd never come to Chicago, she would have never met Herbert, and a part of her knew that he was an important part of her story, although she didn't know how yet.

She left for the museum, a little later than usual. She knew today was going to be rough.

She strode through the door at the museum and promptly found some of the animal droppings Feinman was talking about - with the bottom of her shoe. “Great,” she muttered, stepping back through the door and wiping her shoe on the mat. “Gross.” The bird. I guess I’ll have to take care of that today, she thought. But first things first. Laura Dell made her way to Sue’s exhibit, where Herbert sat already.

“Hello, Laura Dell,” he said. “I’ve spoken to Feinman, and you have the morning off. I was hoping you would join me for breakfast. I have an appointment after lunch, but I would like to explain why talking about Malynne is so difficult for me, and I’d like to do it somewhat privately.”

“How did you do that? Dr. Feinman just gave me time off, and I’m sure I’ve got a lot of work piled up and waiting for me.”

“You’ll only be gone over the morning,” Herbert said, dodging her question. “Anything there is that’s piled up, as you say, can wait until lunch.”

~:~

Herbert took her to Orange, a restaurant who offered, among other things, cinnamon-roll-flavored pancakes. Laura Dell ordered them and a cup of the orange-infused coffee, which had been recommended by the waiter. Herbert ordered the jelly roll pancakes.

“So I suppose I’ve whetted your taste for Malynne?” Herbert said after the waiter left. Laura Dell hesitated – but he saved her. “I suppose she did that for me, too. She came and spoke to me, and I could never get enough of her after that.”

“What was she like?”

“Like no other girl I’d ever met. She wasn’t shy.” He fiddled with his fork. Laura Dell hesitated for a second before speaking.

“What happened, if I may ask?”

“She got sick.” Herbert set the fork down. “We never had any children, though not because we didn’t try. She spent a lot of time with me at digs because of that.”

“Oh.” Laura Dell wasn’t sure how to respond to that – but thankfully the waiter brought their food to the table just then, saving her from having to respond to it immediately.

“I will not be back at the museum this week,” Herbert said a few seconds later as he cut into his jelly-filled pancakes. “I will be undergoing some more tests to determine the source of that cough, and the doctor has recommended I be hospitalized due to the somewhat invasive nature of these tests.”

“Oh, no,” Laura Dell said. “Would it be okay for me to come visit you while you’re in the hospital?”

“Of course. I will be at the Medical Center of the University of Chicago, and my tests will be mostly over by the time the museum closes.” He smiled. “You’ll have to keep me updated on that bird visitor.”