by Nikki Vale
“Momma?” Dawns whispers as she slowly wakes up.
“Yes, baby Momma’s here,” Jenny replies, rushing to Dawn’s side. Rose walks calmly to the other side of the bed and holds Dawn’s hand. I take this time to walk over to get a closer look at Skye while her mother and grandmother are occupied with Dawn.
Her wounds look terribly painful. It almost makes me glad she’s in a coma, almost. Before I’ve realized it I’ve reached my hand up and tenderly brushed the hair from her face. I quickly glance at her family. They didn’t see that. Good. I haven’t done anything wrong, it just might seem inappropriate that I’m touching her since we barely know each other. The heart wants what the heart wants.
I fight the urge to hold her hand. “I’m going to find out who did this to you,” I promise her. I don’t know if she can hear me, but the promise was for me as much as it was for her.
“I’m sorry to interrupt you, Mrs. Williams, Mrs. Thompson,” I say apologetically.
“Boy you can just call me Grandma Rose and her Jennifer or Jenny,” Rose corrects me and Jenny nods in agreement.
“Ok Grandma Rose, I’m going to go home, change and then head directly over to the police station so I can personally get started on this case. I’ll be back in to visit when I can if it’s all right by you. Please keep me updated on their condition,” I solemnly request.
“Of course we will and you’re always welcome to visit Sherriff,” Jenny replies kindly.
“Thank you Ma’am, and it's Cooper. Get well soon Dawn,” I say in farewell, touching the brim of my baseball cap like I always do.
I pull out my cell phone, checking it for messages as I walk down the hall to the elevator. It’s already nine o’clock in the morning and I have 5 new messages. The gift shop should be open by now. The messages can wait a few more minutes.
Chapter Eleven
Skye
My head is pounding. I can’t seem to open my eyes, my eyelids are too heavy. I can hear a man talking. “Daddy? Daddy, is that you?” somethings on my face, my voice is muffled. I feel gentle hands stroking my hair, it’s so comforting. I sigh and fall back into the darkness.
********
I hear a voice again. A man’s voice, I’ve been hearing it a lot. It reminds me of crystal clear skies on a warm summer’s day. Summer? Where’s Summer? Where’s Dawn? Oh no, Dawn! I’ve got to wake up. I’ve got to get my sister. She’s probably hurt, and lying in the cold. “Dawn!” I try to yell, but my voice is just a squeak. I try again “DAWN!”
“Shhhh, calm down darlin. Dawn’s alright.” The man soothes. Darlin? I know that drawl. “Nurse, nurse! Come quick, she’s awake,” he shouts. Nurse? Am I in a hospital? I start to panic. Dawn. Where’s Dawn? The man said she was okay. I trust him. I don’t know why, but I do. I calm down and try to open my eyes again.
“What’s wrong, Sheriff?” a female voice asks out of breath.
“She’s awake,” he says to her.
“Hi there Skye. I’m your nurse. My name is Nurse Mendoza. Can you open your eyes for me sweetie?” she asks kindly. I can hear a slight accent in her voice.
“I’m trying,” I whisper, it hurts to talk because my throat is so dry. “Water, please?” I beg.
“No water, just ice chips for now,” I hear Nurse Mendoza say.
I feel small hands cupping my face as the mask is removed. Then I feel large fingertips against my lips, pressing something cold to them. It’s the ice chips. The man must be holding them to my lips. I tentatively seek out the cold morsels with my lips until I feel a few pieces slide past my lips and onto my tongue. “Mmmmm. More,” I beg. The man feeds me more until my throat feels a small amount of relief. “Thank you,” I murmur.
I think I’m ready now. I slowly open my eyes. Everything looks blurry at first. I rapidly blink my eyes in an effort to clear my vision.
“Don’t rush it, sweetie, it will come. You’ve had your eyes closed for over a week. They need time to adjust,” Nurse Mendoza kindly warns me.
I see a blurry image sitting next to my bed on the right-hand side and someone standing on the left. I think the nurse is the one standing, she keeps moving, probably checking my fluids and stuff. The man is awfully quiet, he reminds me of Cooper. But why would Cooper be here? I look in his direction. My eyes are starting to focus now. I see eyes as blue as the summer sky. Like the ones I kept dreaming of. There’s tousled curly brown hair and a handsome face covered in a few days’ worth of beard.
“So nice. So handsome,” I say smiling, suddenly feeling funny.
“Sorry about that. The pains meds are kicking in,” Nurse Mendoza apologizes. “Now that you’re awake the pain will come. You let me know how you’re feeling okay? We don’t want the pain completely gone because pain tells your body when you’re doing too much, but we don’t want you in unbearable pain either. Okay?” she inquires. I nod my head in response.
“Cooper?” I quietly beseech.
“Yes, darlin. I’m here,” he says grabbing my hand. I look down at our clasped hands. When did we become so close? Why does this feel so familiar, so right? He must see the confusion on my face because he gently removes his hand from mine. I immediately miss his warmth. “I’m sorry,” he apologizes.
“No,” I say and reach out to grab his hand back. He willingly places his big hand back in mine and I instantly feel a little better. “The nurse said I’ve been here over a week. How long have you been here with me?” I ask curiously.
“I came to see you and Dawn the first day of the accident,” he pauses looking a little embarrassed before he continues. “I’ve been here at least once a day, ever since ” he finishes, averting his eyes.
I squeeze his hand until he looks back at me. I look straight into those gorgeous blue eyes of his and say, “Cooper, are you sweet on me?” I swear it must be the drugs talking because I’ve never been this blunt before. Are you sweet on me doesn’t even sound like something I’d say, but I just did.
I suddenly realize the seriousness of the question, regardless of how it was asked, the answer definitely matters to me. The angst I’m feeling is proof of that.
“Very,” is all he says in response. Well there it is, and now I know. What I’ll do with that information I don’t know yet. First things first.
“Where’s Dawn?” I ask suddenly. I can tell by the look on his face that it wasn’t anything close to what he expected me to say.
“I contacted your family while you were talking to Nurse Mendoza. They should be here shortly. Don’t worry, Dawn is with them,” he reassures me as if he knew what I was going to ask next.
“Thank you. For everything,” I say, closing my eyes momentarily, feeling a wave exhaustion wash over me.
“Rest,” Cooper whispers. I feel the familiar brush of his hands over my hair and I relax into his touch. “Skye, what is that song you keep singing?” he asks curiously.
“Hmmm? I was singing? I don’t know. It’s just something I do to relax. My father used to sing to me when I was a little girl. It would make all the bad things disappear. I guess when I’m overly emotional I sing to myself, hoping it will make the bad things go away,” I confess to him.
“I would hear you singing while you were in a coma. I would rush to your side thinking you were awake, but I’d soon realize you weren’t. I could never make out the words you were singing, I could only hear the melody,” he says, shaking his head sadly.
He continues to stroke my hair as I begin to fall asleep, this time not into the darkness, but into the light. I feel the gentle brush if his lips against my temple before slumber takes over me completely.
*************
“Do you think she’ll remember us?” my Mom asks.
“Of course Mom. She didn’t have any major head trauma. She was in a medically induced coma in order to heal. Remember?” I hear Summer say to our mother.
“Hey guys,” I whisper, getting their attention. My throat is parched again. My mother is next to me in an instant, holding my hand, w
ith fat tears rolling down her cheeks. “Ice chips, please,” I say to Summer, pointing at the pitcher on the table. I figure she’s the most level-headed and the least emotional person in the room and will react to my request.
Summer quickly grabs the pitcher of ice chips, which is mostly melted now. She grabs a spoon to scoop the ice chips up and places it against my lips. I wonder why Cooper didn’t use the spoon?
“How are you feeling honey,” my mom gently inquires.
“Like she was hit by a truck Mom, geesh,” Summer replies, jokingly. Mom scowls. I chuckle, making my insides ache. “What? Too soon?” Summer asks chagrined.
“Don’t make me laugh Summer. It hurts too much,” I tell her. She immediately stops smiling, looking contrite. “I wasn’t serious. I mean it does hurt, but you can make me laugh,” I console her.
Summer smiles a little. “Always trying to make everyone else feel better, even when you’re hurting. I want to be just like you when I grow up,” Summer comments.
“Where’s Dawn?” I suddenly ask noting her absence.
“Grandma Rose isn’t feeling so well today so Dawn stayed behind with her. They both send their love,” Mom informs me.
“I call bullshit,” Summer says vehemently. “Dawn’s been moping around feeling sorry for herself ever since the accident. She feels guilty and she didn’t want to face you today Skye. She told people some pretty nasty things about you before the accident and now she’s having a hard time living with herself,” Summer angrily exclaims.
“Summer! That wasn’t for you to say!” Mom admonishes.
“I’m sorry Mom. I’m just so angry. Dawn has always been the spoiled, selfish brat of this family. She has no care for anyone but herself. Skye risked her own life to save Dawn and Dawn can’t put on her big girl panties, come down the hospital to tell Skye, thank you and that she’s sorry for what she did? I can’t accept that and Skye shouldn’t have to!” Summer yells.
Summer is crying now. I hardly ever see her cry. She really is distraught and I’m not totally clear on what they’re talking about. Dawn, is ashamed to come see me? She said awful things about me before the accident? Why? What have I ever done besides love, my sisters?
Summer wipes a few tears from her cheeks as she walks up to my bedside. “I’m sorry Skye, I need to go get some fresh air. I’ll be back in a little while, okay?” she tells me, kissing me on the cheek and hurriedly leaves the room.
My mother is standing there silently gazing out of the window of my room. I know there’s no point in asking her what’s going on, she’ll just protect Dawn like she always does. I feel a headache starting in my temples. My breathing starts to become shallow as tightness in my chest forms.
“Ma’am could you please step out of the room while I check on Skye?” an unfamiliar nurse addresses my mother. Mom just nods and quietly leaves the room. She never even noticed that I’m having difficulty breathing.
“Shhhh, everything’s going to be alright,” the nurse promises me. “It’s not the injuries Skye. You’re having a panic attack. Try to calm yourself. Take deep slow breaths,” she calmly instructs me. I think of my father and how if he were here right now he could make me feel better. I feel myself start to calm down and I take a deep steady breath slowly exhaling. “That’s right sweetheart. You’re doing it,” the nurse encourages me. She places her hand over mine and what little anxiety was left completely disappears.
I look up at the nurse and see familiar kind blue eyes and a bright white smile set in an elderly woman’s face topped with dyed red hair. The only thing different about her is that she’s wearing scrubs with fat little cherubs instead of a less than attractive Christmas sweater. “Margie?” I ask amazed. She nods and smiles. My nurse is the same woman who asked me to sing to her on the plane when I was coming to Acorn Grove.
“I’m glad you’re here,” I tell her. “I had wanted to thank you for helping me that day, but you were gone before I got the chance.”
“I didn’t do anything. It was all you,” she says kindly.
“I don’t think so,” I sigh sadly. “I try to do the right thing, be a good person. I want to be the kind of daughter that my father would be proud of but I can’t seem to do anything right. My sister hates me. My Mom won’t tell me anything. My other sister Summer is the only one truly on my side. I feel like no one truly sees me,” I finish lamely. “I don’t know what I’m trying to say. I guess I feel like the girl that got left behind.”
“Oh sweetie, it’s not you. It sounds to me like some of your family members are the ones that need working on,” she states as a matter of fact. “Now, if I’m not mistaken, there is someone who’s trying to see you. And by that I mean, trying to see who you really are. He wants to know what makes Skye tick. Don’t look at me like your confused,” Margie laughs. “The handsome Sherriff with the curly hair and killer blue eyes, that comes to visit you every day. I think he’s interested in the real Skye Williams.”
“I barely know him,” I say, blushing.
“So? Get to know him. You have a beautiful heart. If you want to be seen, don’t be afraid to show how beautiful you truly are. Some will hate you, but some will love you. It’s the ones that love you that matter,” she imparts her words of wisdom to me. I do feel a little better because of them.
“Thank you,” I tell her.
“Oh, you’re welcome dear. Now I’ve got to be going, but I’ll be seeing you,” she says over her shoulder as she walks out the door. I’m glad she was here to help me through that. I’ve never had a panic attack before. I think all of this is stressing me out.
I take a look around my hospital room for the first time. There’s an empty hospital bed next to mine. My bed is the one closest to the window and this side of the room is full of flowers, stuffed animals, and balloons. I wonder who could have sent all of this? I don’t know that many people in town.
I hear a soft knock on the door and look to see Jon Dark Star walking in. “Hey. I heard you were awake. I hope you don’t mind that I took it upon myself to stop by for a visit. As you can see I’m on duty so I can’t stay for long,” he says pointing to his uniform.
“All visitors are welcome here,” I say with a smile. I’m actually happy to see Jon, for some reason I feel comfortable with him.
Jon walks over and makes himself at home on the left side of my bed. I guess he feels comfortable with me too. “I brought you this,” he says pulling a floppy stuffed-reindeer from behind his back. I take it from him and hug it to my chest.
“You’re looking better. Your eyes are no longer swollen shut. The bruising around them is still dark but that should be turning greenish like Dawn’s soon and before you know it no more black eyes,” he says cheerily.
“I have two black eyes?” I ask reaching up to touch my face. Jon looks mortified. I guess he thought I already knew my condition. I feel a metal splint across the bridge of my nose. I guess I broke it. Probably on that merciless steering wheel. I know I got the black eyes from my face slamming into that wheel of death. I shudder at the memory.
“Don’t worry, you’re still beautiful,” Jon says reassuringly, mistaking my shiver for one of worry about my looks. I could care less. I’m not that vain. Jon takes my hand and brings it to his lips kissing my knuckles.
“I’m just happy to be alive,” I say honestly.
“And we’re happy you’re alive too,” Cooper says, walking into the room with a popsicle in his hand. I see him take notice if Jon still holding my hand to his lips. My eyes hone in on the popsicle.
“Is that for me?” I ask excitedly. I haven’t eaten in a week and I’ve only had ice chips today. That thing looks like heaven on a stick.
“Yep. I checked with your nurse and she said you could have it,” Cooper says eyeing my hand still in Jon’s meaningfully. I quickly snatch it out of Jon’s grasp and reach for the icy treat like a little kid. Cooper smiles. He pulls off the wrapper and puts it in my greedy little hand. I immediately stick it in my mouth.
“You’re a fucking genius,” I hear Jon whisper to Cooper. My eyes pop open to see Cooper scowl and look like he wants to take the popsicle away from me or sock Jon. I personally vote for socking Jon.
“No! Mine,” I say pouting like a two-year-old. “This is the best thing I’ve had in a long time. I see you smiling Jon, get your mind out of the gutter. I need this like I need my next breath. If you can’t let me enjoy this without being a pervert Jon, you can leave. Cooper, you stay,” I say commandingly.
“Yes, Ma’am,” Cooper says quietly with a twinkle in his eyes.
“I’ll be good,” Jon promises, properly chastised.
I promptly ignore them both and commence to devouring my popsicle. Just as I’m sucking the stick clean Nurse Mendoza walks in.
“Where’s Margie?” I inquire.
“Huh? Sorry sweetie, it's shift change. You’re stuck with me for the next twelve hours,” she says apologetically. “Okay gentleman I’m going to have to ask you to leave. It’s time for Ms. Williams’ bath,” Nurse Mendoza announces. I see Jon’s face light up and something I can’t read crosses over Cooper’s features.
“Don’t even think about it,” Nurse Mendoza warns, waving her index finger back and forth, coming to my defense. “None of that hanky-panky on my watch,” she says clicking her tongue. I actually laugh and so does Cooper.
“Don’t you have to get back to work anyway Jon?” Cooper prompts him.
“Yes, sir,” Jon replies sarcastically but gets up from the bed. “Feel better Skye. I’ll be by again later,” he says before leaving. Cooper waves to me and walks into the hall behind Jon. I’m guessing he’s not leaving the hospital completely because he didn’t touch the tip of his hat in farewell like he normally does. I smile to myself. It’s funny that I know that about him already.
“Nurse Mendoza? Can you tell me about all of my injuries? No one has told me exactly what’s wrong with me,” I ask her.