Joseph arrived at Lilly’s place a little before Six and knocked on the door. A woman with blonde hair and a bright white smile is wearing a stylish black dress with white flowers and a black and white polka dot hem. The dress is ruffled on the bottom. She is wearing nude heels and a charming smile.
“Oh hi Joe right on time as usual I see,” Lilly said to her friend as she waved him inside the house.
“Hi, Lilly. How did you get roped into this thing then?” Joseph asked her.
“Well, when Susan told me about your bet I volunteered. You have been my friend for a long time Joe but you need to learn when to keep your mouth shut. That and you upset the feminist in me.” She answered.
“You're right that I can speak before I think. Do you think that you could apologize to the feminist in you on my behalf?” Joseph replied with a smile on his face.
With this comment, two old friends laughed out loud and hugged each other. This lasted for a few minutes until Joseph asked.
“So where is Susan?”
“She is away on a business trip she left on Thursday and will be back in a few days. It's not fair with me working nights last week and her away for a few days we have bearly seen each other than in passing. I got to see her in the morning when I got in and then again when I was leaving that night. “ Lilly answered.
“Well you had to qualify as a nurse didn’t you,” Joseph said again with a smile on his face.
“At least I have a few days off this week and so does she. We will have to do something to make up for it.” Lilly told him trying to not smile as wide as she knew she was.
“TMI Lilly TMI,” Jospeh told her.
“Sorry, Joe. Would you like a coffee before we get started?” Lilly asked him
“Is it cold at the north pole? Joseph answered.
Lilly groaned as she went to the kitchen to pour her friend a cup. The two friends spent a little while catching up with each other. Even though they were good friends it had been a few months since they had last seen each other. Life always seemed to get in the way but now they could chat without having to pay too much attention to the clock.
“I have been told that I am your house guest tonight,” Joseph said a little while later.
“Yeah, my idea I figured that you might need some help getting ready tomorrow. After all, it will be the first time you have worn a bra without filling it with socks.” Lilly replied casting her mind back to a Halloween party a few years back. At a party, Joseph had borrowed one of Lilly’s uniforms to go as a nurse. Borrowed was not quite right. He didn’t quite fit into it and ended up ripping it by night's end but he did pay for a replacement.
“Yeah I suppose so but I don’t think it will be much different from then will it?” He asked his friend.
“A little,” Lilly said in reply.
“I don’t see how,” Joseph said in return with a blank look on his face.
“Oh, Joe you can be so thick sometimes. I suppose that's about it we got started anyway. Follow me into the guest room. Lilly said as she rose out of her seat.
“I thought this wasn’t starting till the morning. What do we need to do tonight?” He answered as he got out of his chair and headed to the spare room which Lilly called the guest room as a joke. In reality, it was only just about big enough to fit a camp bed in.
“Okay take your shirt off young man,” Lilly told him as she went inside.
“Lilly I would hate to spoil our friendship,” Joseph said to her with a red face as he followed in behind her.
“Oh, Joe I am afraid you don’t have the equipment that I am looking for,” Lilly said trying to stop herself from laughing. “It is nice that you think so highly of our friendship though. Now take your shirt off.” She continued still laughing.
“Oh ok then.” Joseph with his face growing redder by the minute.
“As much as I love your sister Joe I want to check her workings before we get started,” Lilly informed him.
“Get started with what?” Joseph asked her still somewhat perplexed by the fact he was now standing shirtless in front of one of his closest friends.
“She wasn’t that far out. Sit on the bed while I get what I need.” Lilly said as she walked out of the room.
Joseph was not sure what was going on was Lilly pulling a prank on him because of what he had said to his sister? He had no idea. A minute or two later Lilly came back into the room carrying a couple of small bags.
“Now could you lie flat on the bed please sir? Oh sorry Joe that’s the nurse in me slipping out. Could you lie on your back and look up at the ceiling?” Lilly asked him.
“Yes, nurse,” Joseph replied trying to act as if he knew what the joke was. He moved himself into a comfortable position on the bed and fixed his gaze upwards as he had been instructed.
“That’s great. Now keep looking at the ceiling.” Lilly told him.
He heard a noise from his right-hand side. He presumed that Lilly had opened one of the bags.
“Never mind what I am doing there will be plenty of time for you to see everything later,” Lilly told him as if she had read his mind about wanting to see what she was doing.
“Yes, nurse.” He replied. The next thing he knew was that one side of his chest was colder than the other.
“It's meant to be that cold,” Lilly told him once again employing her mind-reading techniques.
“Oh ok,” Joseph replied still trying to work out what was happening.
“Now Joe Can you give me your right hand just here?” She asked
Joseph did this as he trusted his friend but still wished he knew what was going on. Then he felt a weight on his chest on the right side which then followed by Lilly placing his hand where the weight seemed to be coming from. The process was then repeated on his left side as he began to remember what his sister had said about how Lilly might be able to help them. Joseph had thought that Joanne was just joking. She had been hadn’t she? Now he was not so sure.
“Now don’t move for twenty minutes,” Lilly told him.
“Why?” Was the only word that he could think to say.
“Oh, you will see. You will see. Now what were we talking about? Oh, I remember” Lilly said as she started to pick up their conversation from where it had stopped.
Joseph didn’t know what else to do other than what he was told. He lay there chatting to his friend while holding onto his chest.
