“Sorry, son.” His father smiled. “I just couldn’t catch my breath.” He shook his head. “Damn,” he said after looking around. “I’m back here? I hate the food here.”
Nick chuckled. “If you’re good, I’ll bring you a burger tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow? Why can’t they let me go now? I’m awake, ain’t I?” His father tried to sit up.
Nick jumped up and hit the button on the bed, making it sit up for him.
“I can do it.” His father waved his hand and took over hitting the button. “Damn, I keep meaning to get one of these at home so I can sit up and do my crossword puzzles in bed.”
Nick smiled. His father was always doing puzzles or reading the paper. Not many people still ordered the paper in town. His father always joked that he was single-handedly responsible for keeping the local newspaper in business.
“How are you feeling now?” Nick asked, adjusting the oxygen tube strapped to his father’s face.
“Fine, fine,” his father said, shifting slightly. “Well, what’s the doc say this time?”
Nick’s face fell. His eyes moved back to his father’s hands.
“That bad, huh?” His father sighed. “Well, I knew it was coming,” his father said after a moment. “Guess it’s time I put my foot down.”
“On?” Nick asked, his eyes going to his dad’s.
“I promised your ma that I wouldn’t leave this place until you’d found yourself someone to share it with,” his father shocked him by saying. “I had hoped you’d get around to the task on your own.” His father winked.
“What are you talking about?” He frowned again.
“Marriage, boy. I’m talking about you settling down with someone.” His father chuckled, then went into a coughing spree.
“Dad.” Nick shook his head and sat back down after his father stopped coughing. “You should get some rest.”
“Soon I’ll be getting plenty of that. Now it’s time I did what I should have done a while back.”
“What’s that?” Nick asked, worried that his father wasn’t making any sense.
“Give you an ultimatum.” His father nodded his head once. “That’s what you need.”
“Me?” Nick frowned.
“Let’s see, I think by Christmas. That should give you enough time.” His father smiled.
“For what?” Nick was thinking about ringing for the nurse.
“To find yourself a wife.” His father relaxed back. “Or I’ll sell the ranch to Wilbert. He’s been hounding me for years about it.” He shut his eyes.
“What?” Nick said loudly, but his father had either fallen asleep or was faking it to avoid arguing.
Nick spent the night in the hospital chair next to his father’s bed, waking each time a nurse came in to check on his father. By morning, his back hurt and he was growing more worried about his father.
A quarter after eight, there was a light knock on the door.
“Come in,” he called out, standing up and stretching. His father was awake already, doing a puzzle from the local paper he’d requested.
Kara walked in holding a large bundle of flowers. “Morning,” she said cheerfully. “Beth out there tells me you’re doing great,” she said to his father.
“Well, there she is.” His father set down the paper and smiled up at Kara. “Flowers? For me?” He chuckled softly.
Nick noticed that his father held in a cough this time. “Wow, it’s been years since anyone’s gotten me flowers.” He winked at Kara as she set them down on a table next to his bed.
“How are you feeling this morning?” Kara asked as her eyes ran over his father.