waiting outside

i've been sitting here. in my car. outside the hospital. for hours. waiting for news. the sun is high. in the sky. beating down. on the pavement. i've got the AC on. but it's still warm. i think about all the times. i've been to this hospital. with my family. with friends. each time. a different reason. i glance at my watch. for what feels like the hundredth time. the minutes are ticking by. slowly. i try to distract myself. by listening to music. but my mind keeps wandering. back to the person. i'm waiting for. and the reason. they're inside. the hospital is a big place. with many rooms. and many stories. each one. a separate world. i think about all the people. who come here. every day. with their own fears. and their own hopes. the parking lot is almost full. with cars. and trucks. each one. a visitor. or a patient. as i sit here. i start to notice. the small things. the way the light reflects. off the windows. the sound of the birds. it's strange. how in a place. like this. you can find. a kind of peace. the door to the hospital. opens. and a woman walks out. she looks tired. and worried. i wonder. what her story is. and what she's going through. the minutes tick by. and i'm still waiting. the sun starts to set. casting a golden light. over the hospital. i'm still here. waiting. for news. for a chance. to see the person. i care about.