Let the world turn without you

 In an up-Island hospital, Double Leo Sister was ministering to her best friend in all the world, smoothing the cracked skin of her hands and feet with lotion, while singing softly from Jesus Christ Superstar:  

Try not to get worried/ Try not to turn on to problems that upset you/ Don't you know everything's alright, yes, everything's fine?/ And we want you to sleep well tonight/ Let the world turn without you tonight/  If we try, we'll get by, so forget all about us tonight.

Sleep and I shall soothe you, calm you and anoint you/ Myrrh for your hot forehead/ And you'll feel everything's alright, yes, everything's fine/ And it's cool and the ointment's sweet/ For the fire in your head and feet/ Close your eyes, close your eyes, and relax; think of nothing tonight.

It was a song from their shared late childhood, a song as old as their friendship, begun when they were both twelve, continuing through adolescence, marriages, children.  Four weddings between them, one for each decade.  For each ceremony, one served as the chief attendant for the other.  Their lives were spent mostly in distant communities, the connection unbroken.

The Best Friend, always suspicious of mainstream medicine, finally was drawn to her local hospital by the belief she had COVID.  It turned out to be late-stage lymphoma.  Best Friend quickly deteriorated, as Double Leo Sister drove the 500 miles to be with her.  Well, her husband the Jolly Not-so-green Giant did the driving.  DLS was far too distraught.

DLS stroked on the lotion, singing, and was startled when her best friend burst out, with surprising force and energy (and on-key):

Woman, your fine ointment, brand-new and expensive/ Could have been saved for the poor/ Why has it been wasted? We could have raised maybe three hundred silver pieces or more! /People who are hungry, people who are starving/ Matter more than your feet and hair!

A few weeks later, the world turned without her.

Here's the song, as performed in the 2012 "Arena Tour" revival, by Mel C., Ben Forster, and Tim Minchin: