Bedfellows

I stir in the night
and wake freezing,
even under a mass
of covers.

The bear has crawled,
despite the glass needles
that thread his spine,
down the hall
to sit all night
in a chair because
he can't lie down.

NZWell has refused to pay
for his operation
as they claim it is a
'recurring injury'
even though they paid
the first time it happened.

So now he must wait,
another month at least
of dragging along with
broken glass piercing his back,
while NZWell, ACC, and the surgeon
slug it out as to who will pay.

And if none of them will -
fifteen thousand dollars
that neither of us has
is what it will cost.

I snuggle deeper,
not wanting to get out of my bed
and face the cold day.