by Marla Monroe
“I’ll be there for the next visitation,” Randall told him.
Marcus hung up and slid the phone back in its holder on his belt. He thought about calling his mom and dads and letting them know, but decided to let Randall see her first, and then they could call them together. For the first time since they’d brought her in, Marcus could breathe a little easier.
* * * *
Randall finished handling ranch business as fast as he could and headed for the hospital. He couldn’t wait to see her and feel her squeeze his hand. Hope flared to life inside him as he drove toward the hospital. It would be close to nine p.m. by the time he got there, but visiting hours weren’t until ten fifteen anyway. He would have time to bring Marcus up to date on the ranch and find out what had been going on there at the hospital.
They had been taking turns being there at visiting hours for the last three days. The longer she remained unresponsive, the less chance she would come back to them. Now they had hope again.
He got several odd looks when he jogged down the hall to the ICU waiting area. He knew better than to run, but couldn’t keep the urgency from his steps. He wanted to find out just what all had occurred. Had her squeeze been strong? What about her breathing? Had it returned to normal? The pneumonia had made it hard for her breathe, and they actually thought about putting her on the ventilator to help her. Randall was glad they hadn’t done it. One more machine and she would look like a refugee from a science fiction film.
“Randall.” Marcus called out as he reached the waiting room. “The doctor is here now seeing her. The nurse called to let me know so we wouldn’t leave. He might want to talk to us.”
“He better talk to us. This is major,” Randall fussed.
“I kept asking her to squeeze my hand and telling her how much we loved her. She wiggled her fingers in my hand,” Marcus told him.
His younger brother spoke ninety miles an hour about what had happened. Randall wanted to hug him and tell him to shut up. He grinned. She was going to be okay. If she woke up soon, they would move her to a room. As long as she was unconscious and had pneumonia, they would keep her in ICU.
Randall filled Marcus in on what was going on at the ranch while they waited for the doctor to come talk to them. He kept looking toward the door to ICU expecting the doctor to walk through them at any minute.
Finally, the door swung open, and the ICU doctor walked through it. He immediately saw Randall and Marcus and walked in their direction.
“How are you two holding up?” he asked.
“As well as can be expected,” Randall said. “How is she doing?”
“I’m pleased with this latest development to say the least. She still has a long way to recovery though. She is moving her fingers on command. She hasn’t squeezed with them yet. I’m sure that is just a matter of time.”
“How long before she can be moved to a room so we can stay with her?” Marcus asked.
“I don’t want to move her until she is either over the pneumonia or is awake and able to cough.”
“Why do I get the feeling that there is more?” Randall frowned at the doctor.
“I’m worried about the baby. We’re monitoring her of course, but the baby is too small right now and is easily affected by her condition. I’ve called in a neonatologist and a high risk specialist. We are communicating back and forth through the Internet. They have been given all her records and are helping us to do all we can to keep the baby, but I have to tell you. There is a very big chance she will lose it, and if she doesn’t, we don’t know how all of this will affect its development.”
Marcus shook his head. Randall knew how he felt. Sure, they wanted the baby, but Darla was more important. They could give her more babies.
“So what you are saying is the baby could be retarded or have some birth defects?” Randall asked point blank.
The doctor sighed and nodded. “Yes, that is what I’m saying. You need to know what to expect.”
“We appreciate you leveling with us. You’re right. We need to know what to expect.” Marcus sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets.
“I’ve got to go now. When you visit her, keep stimulating her and urge her to squeeze your hands. The more activity we can engage her in, the sooner she’ll regain consciousness.” The ICU doctor walked back through the ICU waiting room doors.
“You go ahead at the ten o’clock visit, and I’ll wait here to find out how it went. Then I’ll go home and check on the ranch.” Marcus pulled out his cell phone and checked for any missed calls.
“Have you talked to Mom or the Dads since yesterday?” Marcus asked.
“Yeah, talked to Jim. Mom was outside with Paul. He said he’d fill them in on what was happening now. I told him one of us would let him know when we knew more. He said they were all praying for her.” Randall walked over to the two chairs they’d commandeered as their spot. He sat down and propped one ankle over his knee.
A few minutes later they announced visiting hours over the loudspeaker. Randall joined the other visitors walking toward the ICU receiving area. They washed their hands and proceeded to their individual loved one’s room. Randall opened the glass door to Darla’s room and smiled at seeing her look so much better. The bruises continued to change colors, but for the most part, her complexion had improved from the pale white to having a little color in her cheeks.
Randall crossed the room and immediately picked up her hand and squeezed it gently.
“Darla, honey. It’s Randall. Can you squeeze my hand? Let me know you can hear me, baby.”
He felt the tiniest flutter of her fingers against his hand. He nearly wept with relief. He knew what his brother had said was true, but he felt like it was really true when he felt it for himself. He squeezed her hand again.
“I feel it, baby. You rest now. I’m not going anywhere as long as they will let me stay.”
Randall talked to her about the ranch and Marcus’s attempt at cooking for them.
“I know he talks about mine, but his is really worse,” Randall said.
His time was up before he knew it. He knew they wouldn’t let him stay a little longer, so he bent over and kissed her lightly on the lips. He thought she smiled but wasn’t sure. Her face looked peaceful. He hoped she wasn’t hurting somewhere. Not being able to tell someone you needed something for pain was scary.
Walking back through the ICU doors, he hurried back to the waiting area. As soon as Marcus saw him, he headed in Randall’s direction.
“So, did she move them for you?” Marcus asked.
“Yeah. It was the best feeling in the world,” he said.
“I know what you mean,” Marcus agreed. “Okay, I’m out of here. I’ll call you from the ranch when I get there.”
“I’ll keep a watch on my phone since I have it on vibrate. You be careful. I can’t handle you and her in here,” he said.
“I will. Oh, and Tater called. He pulled the car out of the ravine today. He hauled it back to his shop until we tell him what to do about it. He has her things locked up when we want to come get them.”
“How ‘bout I go by and pick up her stuff. I’ll look at the car when I get there to see how bad it is,” Randall suggested.
“Sounds like a plan to me.” Marcus grabbed his coat and hat and headed out the door. Randall settled down for a long night.
Chapter Fifteen
Each day, Darla improved. She graduated from moving her fingers to lightly squeezing their hands to tell them how she was and that she understood them. Marcus just couldn’t understand why she didn’t wake up when she was obviously aware of things around her. He and Randall continued to trade off times so each of them had time with her. It wasn’t exactly quality time since they could only stay fifteen minutes or so each time. Marcus continued to ask every day when they would move her to a room. He got the same answer each time. “When she wakes up enough she’s able to cough.”
One day, Marcus was putting cream on her lips so they wouldn’t d
ry out and crack when she actually moaned and turned her head. She didn’t open her eyes, but she did move her hand off the bed for a few seconds.
Marcus smiled as big as the state of Texas. He couldn’t wait to tell Randall. He’d hate that he missed it.
“That’s real good, Darla. You keep it up and you’ll be up and bitching at us in no time.” He straightened the covers then leaned over and kissed her. “I’ll be back soon. Randall will be here next time. Show him a good time, baby.”
He wondered what she would think of that. No doubt she was seething at him where ever she was in there. He stopped by the nurse’s desk and let them know her progress. He was on a first name basis with most of the nurses now. They flirted with him and Randall, knowing that it would go nowhere.
“Physical therapy started yesterday, and she doesn’t seem to be stiff anywhere yet, they said,” the nurse smiled.
“Great,” he told her. “I’ll tell Randall. He’ll be here at the next visiting hour.”
“Durn, that’s after my shift is over,” she pouted. “I always miss him.”
“Careful, I’ll think you like him more than me.”
Marcus whistled all the way to the truck. She would be okay. He and Randall would will her to be. Now he needed to concentrate on business.
He and Randall were running themselves ragged taking care of ranch business and coming to visit Darla at least twice a day. They had been lucky so far and the weather had stayed cold but clear. That could change at any minute. He would need to be caught up so he could stay with Darla while Randall took care of the ranch business. He wouldn’t like not being able to see her, but it couldn’t be helped.
Marcus pulled into the drive and noticed fresh tracks. Someone was here or had been here recently. When he pulled up outside the house, he smiled. It was their mother and one of their dads. He knew one of the dads was with her because they never let her drive in the snow.
He climbed out of the truck and was on the porch when the door opened and his mom smiled, holding the door for him.
“Hey, Mom.” He hugged her. “How are you doing?”
“Doing good. How is Darla?” she asked with a look of concern falling over her face.
“She moved her head and lifted her arm up off the bed today,” he said proudly.
“That’s real good. Who’s with you today?”
“Jim. He’s out talking with Randall.” She pursed her lips. “Randall is working too hard, isn’t he?”
“Yeah, I don’t think he’s slept much at all since the accident.”
“What I don’t get is why she was driving in the first place. I can’t believe you boys let her.” His mom was fishing for the truth.
Marcus wasn’t sure what to say, so he didn’t say anything at all. He knew how she would react to what they had done. She would have fussed at them and told them how disappointed she was in them. It would hurt worse than anything she could do or say.
The sound of stomping feet could be heard on the back porch. Randall and Jim walked through the door when he opened it for them. Jim immediately pulled him into a bear hug and clapped him on the back.
“Good to see you, son,” he said.
“You, too.” Marcus glanced at Randall.
Randall nodded his head and walked to the laundry room to clean up. There were worry lines at his mouth, and his face looked haggard. Marcus had to figure out a way to help him. As it was, he didn’t have to worry. Jim announced he was going to stay and help with the ranch. Randall of course told him there was no need for him to.
“Son, let me help. We don’t have as much to do, and I can help you out. That’s what parents do for their children.” Jim wrapped an arm around their mother.
“And just how is Mom going to get home?” Randall demanded.
“Paul is going to come over in a little while and take her home with him.” Jim tried to hide a smile, but didn’t manage it.
“Son, face it. You never grow up,” Jim said.
Finally, Randall settled down and thanked Jim for the help.
“Marcus, how was Darla?” he asked.
“She moved her hand off the bed and turned her head.” He was proud of her and knew it showed on his face.
“That’s great!” Randall and his mom said at the same time.
They looked at each other and laughed. It was the first smile, let alone a laugh, he’d seen from Randall since the accident. Things would get better.
Randall pulled out of the drive to go to the hospital around a quarter of six. Then next visiting hour was at seven fifteen. Marcus prayed she would move for him. He would be disappointed if she didn’t.
* * * *
Randall arrived in the ICU waiting room at ten till seven. He willed his heart to slow down. Right then it was pumping a thousand miles an hour. He’d worried needlessly they would have visiting early and he would miss his chance. One of the other visitors in the room assured him that he had plenty of time.
He watched the clock. Its hands seemed to move in slow motion. The seconds stretched into minutes, and when seven fifteen came and went without the announcement to let them in, he began to worry all over again.
Finally at seven thirty a nurse came out to talk to them.
“We have a new patient, so we are trying to get him settled before we can let you in. I’m sorry you are having to wait, but it shouldn’t be more than another twenty or thirty minutes.” Everyone groaned, but no one fussed at the nurse. Randall drew in a deep breath and let it out. Then he located his chair and relaxed as much as he could until they let him in to visit with Darla.
Unfortunately, it gave him time to think. So far he’d avoided thinking overly much by working himself into exhaustion. Now he had nothing to do but think. Every detail of Darla swirled in his head. How she laughed, how she smiled. When she was amused but didn’t want them to know it, she bit her lower lip and looked up.
Thoughts of her ample breasts and rounded ass broke into his thoughts. With the erotic pictures came the devastating knowledge that what they had done by going behind her back had put her there in the hospital in that ICU bed.
“Sir? Sir?” A timid voice broke into his memories.
“Huh?”
“They just called for visitors. I thought you would want to know.” The young woman smiled at him.
“Yes, thanks. I was thinking too hard I guess.” He stood up and hurried to the door that separated him from his Darla.
When he entered her room, he noticed there was a little more room than before. One of the machines had been removed. He took that as a good sign. A beep, beep, beep echoed in the small enclosed space. He knew from questioning the nurse it was her heart monitor and as long as it was steady and at least fifty beats a minute, they were happy with it. Hers showed sixty-two at the moment.
She lay on the stark white sheets looking pale and beautiful despite the bandages on her head and at her shoulder. He was almost afraid to approach the bed now. What if she didn’t respond to him? Maybe Marcus had dreamed it in the first place. Shaking that thought off, he carefully grasped her hand with his and squeezed.
“Hey, baby. It’s Randall. I missed you today. Marcus said you were doing better today. Can you squeeze my hand for me?” He waited anxiously for some small movement. Her hand remained limp in his.
Randall closed his eyes in disappointment. Instead of giving up, he bent over and kissed her on the lips. Then he whispered how much he loved her in her ear.
“I love you more than I love that ranch, Darla. Please come back to us. We are so sorry we lied to you. That’s what it was, a lie. Please forgive us, baby.”
The noises of the ICU filtered in through the door. Nurses talked and visitors visited. Still, she didn’t acknowledge him. It hurt. He took her hand again and ran his thumb over her knuckles and talked to her about anything and everything.
“Mom and the Dads are at the ranch right now. They want to meet you. They can’t come back here though, so you have to get well so you c
an move to a room,” he said.
Frustration got the better of him.
“Dammit, Darla, do something. Let me know you’re in there. You’ve had long enough to rest. It’s time to get up now.” As soon as he said it, he regretted it.
But her hand moved in his. She closed it loosely around his. He didn’t move, afraid if he did, it would all be a dream. It was one he didn’t want to wake up from at the minute. She turned her head toward him and opened her mouth just wide enough her tongue could wet her lips. Randall nearly yelled out loud. Instead, he squeezed her hand back and raced out the door to find a nurse. He grabbed the first one he came to.
“She’s licking her lips. I think she is thirsty. Can I give her something?”
“She can’t have anything until she wakes up, but you can rub some ice chips across her lips and she can lick the water off.”
Randall nodded a little too quickly and hurried in the direction the nurse pointed to get some ice. He filled a small cup with it then returned to find Darla quiet once again. He didn’t let it upset him. Instead, he took a small chunk of ice and rubbed it across her lips. Immediately, her tongue came out and licked it away. Joy filled his heart. He couldn’t wait to tell everyone.
Over and over again he wet her lips until she turned her head away. She’d had enough, he decided. He set the plastic cup on the bedside table and dabbed at her lips with a napkin to remove the drops that she didn’t lick away.
“You did so good, baby. I’m proud of you.”
“Sir? Visiting hours are over now.” A nurse slipped her head in the door and indicated the time on the clock on the wall across from the bed.
“I’ll be right out,” he assured her.
She nodded and backed out of the room.
Randall leaned over Darla and kissed her on the lips and on the tip of her nose.
“I love you, Darla. You rest now. Marcus will be here in the morning,” he told her.
She made a slight humming noise. He had to lean in close to her lips to hear, but it was something. She was going to get better now. He figured it was only a matter of time before she woke up to rain all sorts of hell down on them. His good mood lasted all the way home.