Lightning Strikes Twice

by Erik Schubach

  A while later I awoke and my mind was much clearer now and the voices and dozens of lines of thought started up again. I was acutely aware of the heat in my right hand and a weight on my stomach. I looked down and smiled fondly. Mia was sound asleep in a chair beside my hospital bed with her head on me. I grinned at the hair in her mouth.

  I just took in her warmth. Everything came rushing back. Oh shit. I remembered it all. My shame and… did I have a heart attack? I remembered some of my mom’s papers that laid out how sudden and severe stress can induce a heart attack in an otherwise healthy person. Oh Gawd, I was one of those statistics now.

  I don’t know how I’ll be able to face Mia again, but I don’t know how I could escape her laying in a hospital bed like this. Then her words before I lost consciousness last night crystallized like she had just spoken the words. She… she’s in love with me? But… there was no shame in her voice. I still felt like I was betraying Vee for secretly loving them from afar.

  But she had said it. I played it over and over in my head. Then I realized I couldn’t feel the pressure on my stomach anymore. I glanced down just to have my eyes and soul captured by those sparkling emerald eyes of hers. She was smiling broadly. She said cutely, “Hey girl.”

  I blushed and looked down. “Hey.”

  Her eyes narrowed a bit and her smile faded a bit as she said hoarsely, “Don’t you ever do that to me again, you understand? I thought I had lost you! I-I can’t ever go through that again.” Her eyes were brimming with tears.

  My shame doubled and I dropped my eyes. “I’m sorry Mia. I just… Vee… you were…”

  She placed her fingers over my lips to stop me. “Vickster, slow down, breathe, you’re in ‘incomplete sentence’ mode.” Then she removed her hand and added, “We’ll talk seriously about this, but not now. Not until we get you home.”

  I closed my eyes and nodded. A reprieve. I didn’t think I could face her like that, laying in that hospital bed. My mind drifted to the memory of seeing her in a similar hospital bed after she had shielded me with her own body, from a beating from some bigots with a bat were subjecting me to. When I woke up in the hospital and they told me what happened, it broke my heart when I walked into her room to see her bandaged and bruised.

  We had matching casts. I opened my eyes and looked over at my cast and almost snorted, it was pink like the one I got back then. Hey, don’t judge I like pink. I was sort of a girly girl back then. Whatever, I’m still sort of a girly girl.

  I looked up to meet Mia’s gaze again. She nudged her eyes toward the cast and I squinted at it. This brought a giggle from her lips that did naughty things to me. Her hand was suddenly in front of my face, holding my reading glasses out for me.

  I looked at the cast and didn’t see anything. Then I scrunched up my nose at her and twisted my aching arm. Damn my hand hurts. And there on the underside, copied right down to my writing was a duplicate of the message I had written on her cast back then in a plethora of little hearts. “‘Get better soon Vic, the ‘lez-migos’ miss you! Mia Jacobs,” followed by a bunch of Xs and Os. I think I actually snorted. Fine, I know I snorted, I don’t need to play it back.

  I grinned and rolled my eyes at her and she had a cute imperious look on her face as she said, “Payback wench.”

  I got quiet suddenly and looked at her pleadingly. “I really am sorry Mia.”

  Before she could say anything, there was a knocking at my door accompanied by my father’s deep baritone saying “Knock knock.” I looked over to see him and mom standing at the door. I couldn’t stop a smile. They joined us at the side of the bed. Mia relinquished my hand so mom could grab it, she had tears brimming in her eyes and my shame returned again.

  Dad looked at Mia and rested a hand on her shoulder. “You look exhausted, you should have gone home last night.” Mia just shook her head and dad smiled down at her then said, “They are only allowing her two visitors at a time. Why don’t you go out and fill the others in and get something to eat?”

  Mia nodded with a sad smile and started toward the door but then stopped and turned back toward me with that look on her face that meant she had a million thoughts going through her head, then she ran the three steps back to me and kissed my forehead softly and then she ran out of the room.

  My parents visited with me for a few minutes, ignoring the fact that I was in a hospital bed. Then finally mom asked, “You’re aware of your condition? How much did Mia tell you?”

  I shrugged and replied, “I had just woke up a minute before you arrived. She didn’t get a chance to tell me anything.” I looked at my wrapped hand and tried to flex my fingers but was only rewarded with sharp searing pain. “It isn’t good is it?”

  Dad just stroked my hair as mom spoke, part of my heart warmed, listening to mom in doctor-mode. It still saddened me that she sacrificed her career to take care of her freak daughter all those years ago. I have the best mom ever. A tiny piece of me wanted to say, “I’d so make an awesome mom.” but I knew it was just about too late for me to have a dream like that.

  She explained that I had suffered a myocardial infarction that may have damaged my heart. They won’t know for sure until my followup exams. I don’t exhibit any of the common markers that would indicate I was at risk of heart attacks so they believed it to be stress induced. My hand suffered fractures to some of my distal, intermediate, and proximal phalanges. They had to pin a couple metacarpals.

  The tissue damage wasn’t too bad though a few tendons were stressed and nicked. They won’t know if I suffered any nerve damage until they could examine me more thoroughly now that I was conscious. I suffered a hairline fracture to my skull and had a concussion; which explains my headache. There are heavy bruises across my chest from the seat belt, and I have bruising and friction burns on my face where I tried to eat my airbag like an over-sized marshmallow. Oh hey, that Stay Puff marshmallow monster from Ghost Busters could munch on it like… oh, sorry.

  After they get a chance to examine me again, they will probably want to put a twenty-four hour hold to make sure there are no complications before they release me.

  Dad shared with us that my car was totaled. Which for some reason concerned me more than my own condition. Maybe because it is one of my last reminders of happier times. From back in college with Valhalla and Mia. Then I come back home and manage not only to ruin my friendship with Mia, but destroy one of my last memories as well.

  After a couple minutes of chatting and just ignoring the elephant in the room, my parents left to give others a chance to visit. Mom kissed my forehead and dad gave me a careful hug.

  I wasn’t prepared for who walked in next. My face felt like it was going to break, my smile was so big. “Bloody hell! Candi? Leigh? Oh my god, what are you doing here?”

  Leighton stood beside the bed and Candi engulfed me in a careful hug then put on her chastising mother look as she said, “What are we doing here? Really Vicky? You call me in the middle of the bloody night and I hear you get into a wreck and you wonder why we’re here?” She cocked an eyebrow. Damn, she really wants me to answer, but what is the question? I dropped my eyes in shame and embarrassment again. If I keep this up I’m going to have to rent space in a blush world, where Candi used to rule as queen.

  I tried out an “I’m sorry?”, tilting my head and squinting an eye.

  She crossed her arms across her chest and said, “Is that a question? You’re bloody right you’re sorry you silly bird!”

  I exhaled, good, I picked the right thing. I shot her my silliest grin and she slapped my shoulder lightly. “Don’t get cheeky now lady, you haven’t earned it yet.” Then her dour expression faltered a bit as a tiny smile broke through on her lips. She rolled her eyes at her own failure and she placed a hand on my shoulder. “You gave us a scare. I’m so glad you are okay.”

  I bent my good arm up and laid my hand over hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I really am sorry Candi.”

  She nodded in thought as she said absentl
y, “I know you are hon.” Then she pursed her lips. “You were running again weren’t you?”

  I closed my eyes and nodded once. She shook her head. “You are stronger than that woman. From what I have seen, you have nothing to be running from. That Mia looks to have enough strength for both of you. She seems to be an amazing woman, and from what I have seen so far, she is over the moon for you.”

  I was a little shocked at that. I turned my full gaze to my best friend. “You… you think?”

  She shared and excited grin and bobbled her head smugly as she replied, “Quite.”

  Then she reached down into the stroller in front of Leighton and picked up a precious baby boy for me to see. I let the little guy play with my fingers as I beamed at my godson. “My god Candice, he’s beautiful.” She grinned like a proud mother should.

  We spoke for a few minutes, just catching up with their lives. Then they glanced at the clock and Leighton said, “We better let someone else visit a bit.”

  They gave me hugs and then left. A minute later I was looking down in shame again as Abbey and Sammie walked in. Abbey’s eyes were welling with tears. She pulled me into a tight hug. “Ow, ow, ow!”

  She let go quickly. “Oh, I’m so sorry!”

  I shook my head with a small smile and replied, “It’s okay. Just a little tender here.”

  Then she slapped my shoulder in reprimand. “What the hell were you thinking? I can’t… I can’t lose another mom.”

  I stopped breathing. I looked at her, she looked scared and angry. I reached out and grabbed her hand. “I’m sorry baby. I just… I didn’t… I…”

  She just shook her head at me as a smile played at the corners of her mouth. Then she said forcefully, “You and mom need to talk if I have to sit on both of you until you do. Understand?”

  I couldn’t stop the smile on my face as I capitulated. “Yes ma’am. You have no idea how much you just sounded like Vee just then.”

  This caused her to blush. She moved to the head of the bed and ran her fingers through my hair as Sammi gave me a timid hug and added with the timing of the comic gods that she got from her adoptive mother, Kim, “What she said.”

  We all chuckled a little and I grabbed Samantha’s hand and looked between the girls. “Okay, I promise. I love you two like my own I hope you know.”

  Their eyes were a little watery as they nodded and Abbey spoke, “That feeling goes both ways G-mom. You better know that…”

  Mia came walking in and we all smiled at each other. The girls gave me smiles and started out the room when the doctor and a nurse came in. The girls scooted away twice as fast as Mia stood back while the doctor introduced himself.

  He was a gangly scarecrow of a man with a kind face that was weathered with worry lines that stood out on his dark African American features. If I were to see him out in the world, I would have called him grandfatherly. His bass voice was soothing as he said, “Ms. Davenport, good to see you awake.” He smiled a little. “You had us a tad worried for a bit. I’m Dr. Neil Havermore. Let’s take a look at you. I’ll make this as quick as possible. Did you need to use the bathroom or anything before we begin?”

  I looked at him as I realized I really had to go. “I can get up?”

  He nodded. “We actually encourage it.”

  I started to try to sit up and my chest ached more than my head and hand. Mia was magically by my side helping me slide out of bed. She looped my IV line onto the rolling IV tree and she helped me hobble to the room’s bathroom. Gawd, I felt like a git… I mean a fool. It was like I was three gadzillion years old the way I shuffled to prevent the stabbing pains.

  Then she stood by the door as I made my way in and she asked, “Need any help?”

  I winked at her. “No, but thanks. I’ve been peeing most of my natural life and I’m pretty much a professional now. I could join the peeing Olympics or something. Oh! I would so make an awesome athlete!”

  She just rolled her eyes cutely and closed the door on me in response. I just said through the door, “You’re just jealous.”

  She didn’t miss a beat as she shot back, “You got me, that’s it, jealous of your bodily functions.”

  I just grinned at her playfulness and did my thing, in slow motion. I felt almost helpless, every way I moved something hurt or ached. It was nothing less than I deserved though. I looked at my left arm wondering how long my hand would be wrapped or if I’d have full use of it. If it weren’t for the fact I was in a hospital gown, it would have been hard to do this all one handed. Zippers would be especially hard.

  I washed my one hand the best I could without the other one to help then made my way back out. Mia hadn’t moved an inch. She took my elbow again and led me back to the bed. The doctor and nurse took me from her and assisted me back into the bed.

  Then the doc looked over at Mia and she nodded and started walking out. I blurted out, “Can she stay? Please?”

  The doc looked between us then said, “Not a problem.” Then Mia smiled in thanks and stood out of the way where I could see her smiling but worried face.

  There were lots of poking prodding, blood pressure-ing, questioning, and looking under bandages. They did some sort of ultrasound on my chest, the doc took a long time looking at my heart. Satisfied with that, he moved over to my left hand and unwrapped one of Frankenstein’s creations.

  Three of my fingers were splinted and there were stitches and bruises everywhere. Some mangled looking areas with swelling I was informed would fade that’s where they had to pin my bones. He was all pokey with a pokey device I shall call Torture-Device-One. It hurt.

  When he was all done he cleaned the sutures and then re-wrapped the hand and said, “That’s looking good. There may be some nerve damage but so far it looks good, we’ll know more as you heal.” I nodded, scared for the first time that I may have done some irreparable damage to myself.

  Mia was now by my side asking, “Wh-what do I need to know about caring f-f-for her when I get her home?” I blushed. Why the hell was I blushing, oh yeah, my angel wanted to take care of me.

  He smiled at her and placed a huge hand on her shoulder. “We’ll have detailed instructions for you when she is discharged tomorrow.” She nodded at him and looked down at me.

  The doctor excused himself and the nurse followed. There was a light knocking at the door and we looked over to see Missy with a concerned look on her face. She looked at Mia. “Hey spaz, think I can have a minute with blondie?”

  Mia stopped stroking my hair and just nodded then left the room, looking back at me the whole way. Missy snagged her hand and gave it a little squeeze with a smile on her way out, then she shut the door. She turned to me and started toward the bed and the smile was replaced with something dangerous. “What did I tell you about hurting Mia?” There was dead silence for a long moment as she stepped beside the bed and glared down at me. I flinched back a little like I had been slapped. Then she pointed at me. “You damn well better fix this Vicky, or I fucking quit.”

  I was just nodding, trying to find my voice. Then she softened and placed a hand on my cheek. “And get your hyper-ass better. I hate seeing you like this, it brings back… memories… best left unremembered.”

  I nodded again, then feebly offered, “I’m sorry Missy, I was weak, I panicked.”

  She met my gaze with a sly smirk, “You got bigger balls than that. You three lez-migos were an unstoppable force in school. So woman up and do the right thing, don’t go soft now.”

  Then she leaned down and kissed my forehead and simply walked off saying over her shoulder as she opened the door, “Don’t make me have to come back here.”

  Can I just say that scary lady is scary? I was glad that she was Mia’s friend and from the feeling I get from her, my friend too.

  Mia was back in the room like a lightning bolt, in her chair, holding my hand. We put the news on the television and just sat in comfortable silence, our fingers laced. I had to almost have her dragged out of the room to get somet
hing to eat when my breakfast came if you can call this stuff they feed you at the hospital, breakfast. It took the girls to coax her away and that just made me smile.

  We didn’t really talk about why I ran the rest of the day, anytime I started to steer the subject she would shoot me a hard glance. She promised me we would talk, but AFTER I was home, right then I was to concentrate on recovery.

  I had visitors all day that just made me smile. Skylar had smuggled in a doughnut for me. Chocolate with sprinkles! Abbey sat and read with me a while. June shared that Robin Hartford’s art was coming into high demand now that she was out of college and had more time to dedicate to her art. I smiled even wider at the revelation that the girls knew her and that the woman was blind and creating such insightful pieces of art.

  Mia refused to go home and sat vigil in the chair beside me she had claimed for her own. For some reason, the hospital staff didn’t kick her out after visiting hours, and I woke up again with her sleeping in a chair with her head on my belly. My heart hurt. Was it because of my concussion or because I couldn’t imagine loving a person any more than I loved this wonderful woman.

  After being cleared, I was discharged into the care of the green-eyed imp. It was almost comical how many people we had in tow through the hospital. Mia, the girls and Candi loaded me up in Mia’s vehicle and we made our way… home.

  Chapter 15 – Recovery

  The moment I stepped foot in the lake house, I was remanded to bed rest for another twenty-four hours just like the doctor recommended, to my protestations. If it wasn’t Mia sitting on me and keeping me in her bed, it was Candi or the girls.

  Then over the next few days, as I was convalescing at home, a schedule was worked out for doctor followup appointments and physical therapy for my hand. Besides the antibiotics, I had to take some blood thinner medication for my heart until the doctors were satisfied.

  I so desperately wanted to talk to Mia about everything. I think I was finally ready to admit to everything. I was so very tired of hiding and my accident just showed me how much I was hurting. It was easier said than done as it seemed like the accident and the reason for it were taboo subjects. Everyone would change the subject or tell me that I needed to recover before any serious discussions took place.