by Lj McEvoy
The scene changed, they were standing in Jean-Pierre and Gabrielle’s sitting room. Lauren looked around; Claude and Helene were sitting holding hands watching Gabrielle reading a story to the four children. Jean-Pierre was in his usual chair, one eye on the paper one eye on the children.
Lauren bent down to kiss Emma and Keith then Chantal and Pierre, she laughed aloud turning to Peter, ‘Pierre will go mad if he finds out I did that.’ Then she looked once more at Jean-Pierre, he was staring directly at her his pipe nearly dropping from his mouth as she smiled back to him and winked.
‘Time to leave Lauren,’ Peter put his hand on her shoulder, once more they were in the hospital room.
Jean-Pierre couldn’t believe what he just saw, as Lauren disappeared a flash of lightening spread through the room, the children gasped with fright. Jean-Pierre rose from his chair, Gabrielle turned to him her face full of concern, leaving the room he immediately dialled David’s mobile. Emma followed Jean-Pierre with her saucer-like eyes then as he closed the door she lowered her head, big sorrowful tears began to plop down onto her nightdress. Pierre put his arm around her asking Gabrielle, ‘please continue with the story Mammie.’
David’s mobile was turned off so Jean-Pierre left a message recounting what just happened.
Lauren was once more watching the people in her hospital room she commented to Peter that they all looked so sad, so anxious.
‘Of course they are Lauren,’ he replied solemnly, ‘you’re dying.’
‘No I’m not,’ she lightly laughed, ‘I’ve never felt so exhilarated and happy in all my life. I want to continue flying with you,’ she listened to the song.
Turning to Peter she laughed again, ‘We never got to dance to that song, you always hated it!’
Peter gave a sad smile, ‘It has different meanings for different people.’ Turning to the monitors in the room he grew more concerned, ‘Lauren you’ve got to go back,’ he said softly.
‘But I don’t want to go back.’
‘Lauren they need you, your time hasn’t come yet. Go home and when the time comes I’ll still be here but now,’ Peter looked down to David, ‘now he’s waiting for you, go home.’
‘What do you think of him?’ she asked him mischievously.
Peter laughed, ‘now don’t be bad Lauren. You’ll never get an answer like that from me!’
‘Ah, go on, just a little hint of what you think’
‘No way! But…’ he hesitated for a moment quickly looking to the light and then to her, ‘Lauren, what’s the French word for there?’
Lauren burst out laughing, ‘What on earth has that got to do with anything Peter?’
‘What is the word, Lauren,’ he sounded so serious.
‘La, it’s La, but what do you mean?’
‘One day you will know. Don’t let him go there Lauren!’ as he said those words he pushed her away she began flying again, she turned back but the warmth and light was fading. Peter was gone.
Returning to the bed she wickedly decided to take a detour.
David listened to the music in the background and then the monitors, refusing to accept that the heart and pulse beats were slowing down. The young doctor pressed a buzzer and immediately two nurses entered the room with yet another machine, it was requested that everybody move to one side of the room. David didn’t move from her side knowing what that dreaded machine was, an A.E.D., which gave electronic shocks to the heart. He turned to Gerard questioningly.
‘She states seven days in the Will,’ Gerard answered his silent question.
‘This can’t be happening!’ he screamed inside his head, David’s world was slowly crashing. Closing his eyes to stop the tears from falling, but he could feel them burning down his cheeks, ‘Breathe Lauren, don’t leave us!’
Suddenly he let out a cry opening his eyes wide, everybody turned to him as he blushed with embarrassment and joy knowing exactly what he had just felt. Clasping Lauren’s hand more tightly than before he looked at the monitor with everybody following his gaze, the numbers were increasing the beeping sounds were speeding up.
‘What is it David?’ Veronique asked but he didn’t dare look away from the monitor nervously laughing, almost whispering, ‘It was Lauren!’
His heart was pounding increasing speed as he listened to the monitor sounds increase too. The love he felt from her was overwhelming and he knew she felt his love for her too. She was coming back to him.
Checking with the doctor the young man just smiled nodding in agreement, the assembled let out a sigh of relief.
‘I think you should all leave and get some rest,’ the doctor announced, ‘we’ll check on her every fifteen minutes but we don’t expect any change. Hopefully Mrs. Connolly will wake up tomorrow.’
‘Will you not try to wake her now?’ David pleaded but the doctor responded no. ‘Then I’m staying, I don’t want her waking up alone,’ he said softly.
***********
Lauren opened her eyes, she felt so thirsty. Her eyes darted around the room but it was empty once more, feeling a weight at the side of her bed she turned slightly and saw David his eyes were closed, he looked exhausted. Stretching out to touch him, she smiled remembering her dream, it was amazing what she felt as she passed through him but she knew it was just a dream. As she stroked his head he opened his eyes, ‘Well hello there mister,’ she hoarsely said, ‘can I have something to drink please.’
David let out a cry of relief, ‘Je t’aime, Mon Amie!’ he hugged her so tightly she cried out with pain from the strength of his hold.
As David poured some water for her he recounted the evening but he got the feeling that she already knew what happened, ‘I felt you,’ staring her straight in the eyes as he helped her with the glass, ‘and I got the strangest of messages from Papa on my cell phone.’
‘Did you?’ she asked coyly knowing exactly what he meant.
David smiled back it was that sexy smile again the one she always dreamt about. ‘Yes,’ he said with pleasure oozing from his face, ‘you know I did,’ he kissed her lightly on the lips.
Chapter 50
Gabrielle carried out her daily chores with her usual brusqueness but her mind was somewhere else. It was 1pm. Finishing washing the worktop for the third time she shouted down to her husband, ‘What’s happening, why won’t he telephone us?’ her normally laid back character was losing its patience.
‘Quiet woman, we’ll get a call when something happens,’ Jean-Pierre was sketching in his studio below. At least, he was trying to, error after error was made. He sighed, ‘why won’t he call!’
‘Why won’t they call?’ She glared at the telephone again, begging it to ring. Jean-Pierre entered the kitchen from his studio as the phone sounded; it was like an alarm bell, louder than usual. They both looked at each other, who was going to answer? ‘You answer it,’ Gabrielle said but then changed her mind. They both dashed towards the hallway but Jean-Pierre got to the phone first.
‘Hallo,’ he tried to sound steady, ‘Ah, David,’ he had his back to her, straight, confident, ‘Oh, Mon Dieu!’ he sounded shocked.
‘Oh, Mon Dieu!’ she repeated after him, her hands clasping tightly together. But then Jean-Pierre turned to her, a wide smile stretched across his face, he winked to her, ‘I think you better listen to this,’ as he handed her the telephone.
‘Hi Maman,’ David sounded so excited.
‘Well,’ she tried to sound calm.
‘Well,’ he happily sighed, ‘It’s a girl and it’s a boy!’
‘Oh David that’s wonderful!’ then Gabrielle realised what he just said, ‘it’s what!’ she exclaimed.
David laughed, ‘oh we forgot to tell everyone, we were expecting twins!’ Gabrielle screamed down the phone then started to cry.
Jean-Pierre came back on the line, ‘How’s the mother doing?’
‘Ah Papa, don’t you know she’ll live to see another dawn. Wonderful, she’s doing wonderful!’ David had to cut the call short explaining
he had to call Gerard and Carl in America and everybody in Ireland, he could also see his delivery arriving down the corridor.
Jean-Pierre hung up comforting his wife, he started to cry remembering the words David just said, ‘she’ll live to see another dawn!’ He remembered Lauren saying those very words about Emma two years ago - ‘but she’s a bit like me, she’ll live to see another dawn.’
‘Do they ever realise the duality they create from time to time,’ he wondered.
As Lauren sat up to look at her two new babies, the door awkwardly burst open she turned quickly to reprimand whoever was the culprit because the babies jumped with the noise. But then she smiled bursting into laughter, in front of her were two of the biggest teddy bears she’d ever seen, they were floating towards her, ‘you big child, David Corvasieur!’
The bears parted and he stuck his head out, ‘Ca VA Mon Amie!’ as he plonked the two bears on the bed, there was just enough room for him to lean over and kiss her, ‘and how’s my crazy Irish woman today then.’
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