by Linda Warren
“No, Falcon,” Leah moaned. “Leave me alone. I don’t want you to see me like this.”
“Get a wet washcloth,” he ordered Eden.
He brushed back Leah’s dark hair. “Take a deep breath. I’m not going anywhere, beautiful lady. I’m in this forever.”
Leah rested against him. “She called me Mama.”
“Cool, huh?”
He lay on one side of Leah and Eden lay on the other. They turned out the lights and continued to change the washcloth on her forehead until the pain subsided. Together, as a family, they were stronger.
* * *
EARLY THE NEXT morning he stirred as the light danced through the windows. He’d made Eden go to her own bed the night before because Leah was resting comfortably. Easing away from his wife, he was careful not to wake her. She needed her rest.
He hurried to his room to shower, shave and get dressed. As he tucked his shirt into his jeans, something niggled him. Leah was limp when he’d moved away from her. But she was asleep. Still, that bothered him. He ran down the hall back into her room.
“Leah,” he said, and she didn’t respond. He said her name a little louder and still she didn’t move. Fear shot up his spine, but he tried to stay focused. He shook her and she lay like a limp doll. Oh, God!
He pulled his phone from his pocket with a shaky hand and called 9-1-1. Then he called Dr. Morris and apprised him of the situation. The doctor was already at the hospital and said he would be waiting.
“Eden,” he shouted. “Get up.”
Eden dragged in with her hair all over her face. “What?”
“I need you to remain calm.”
Eden brushed her hair from her eyes. “Calm? I’m barely awake.”
“Listen to me. We don’t have a lot of time. Your mother is not waking up and I’ve called an ambulance.”
Color drained from his daughter’s face. “W-what? No!” She ran to the bed and stroked Leah’s hair. “Mama, wake up. It’s me.”
A lump formed in Falcon’s throat. He pulled his daughter away and held her face in his hands. “I need you to remain calm. Understand?”
Tears filled Eden’s eyes as she nodded.
“Go downstairs and wake Alma so the ambulance doesn’t scare her and then open the front door for the paramedics.”
“O-okay.” Eden shot from the room as the blare of a siren echoed in the distance.
He sat by Leah and stroked her hair from her face as Eden had. “Can you hear me, beautiful lady? Wake up. Please. I have so much to tell you. You were right. I still had resentment in my heart over you leaving me, but I don’t anymore. I love you. I’m always going to love you no matter what you do or what you say. That’s a given. I hope you can hear me. Leah...”
Voices and loud footsteps echoing on the stairs stopped him. He kissed her warm lips and stood, ready to face whatever this day would hold, hoping he had that much strength.
* * *
FALCON RODE IN the ambulance with Leah. That’s when he realized he didn’t have his boots on, just his socks. That didn’t matter. The only thing that mattered was Leah.
Things happened fast once they reached the hospital. She was taken directly to the OR where Dr. Morris and his team waited. After he examined Leah, he came out to talk to Falcon.
“She’s in a coma,” the doctor said. “They’re prepping her for surgery. Dr. McNeil’s team is here and they will monitor the fetus. The anesthesiologist you spoke to is also here and getting ready. We’ve all been on alert for this and we’re prepared to do our very best.”
“Is she going to make it?”
“There are no guarantees, but we’re all highly qualified in our fields and she will get the best medical care. Go get breakfast, call your family. Do something besides sit here, because it’s going to take a while.”
“How long?”
“Three to four hours, or possibly more. We have two patients to monitor and it’s going to be a slow go. Just be patient and pray for the best.”
The doctor turned and then swung back. “This was around her neck and I wanted to give it to you personally in case it got lost.” He placed a locket and chain in Falcon’s hand.
As the doctor walked off, Falcon opened the locket and inside was a photo of him and Eden. He gazed at it in shock, so many thoughts running through his mind, but one remained true: she held them close to her heart. Always.
He stood there with the locket in his hand and felt as if his world had come to an end one more time—and this time he felt it might be for good.
Unable to deal with all the pain and guilt inside him he ran to the elevators and went down to the ground floor and out the doors. Once outside, he started to run and kept running. He wasn’t sure where he was going. He just needed the exercise to clear his mind. He ran and ran until his lungs were so tight he had to stop. Sinking onto a bench, he gulped in air.
He might lose Leah today and she wouldn’t know he’d forgiven her. That kept eating at him, but he had to pull himself together for their daughter. His cell buzzed and he pulled it out of his pocket.
“Dad, where are you? Where’s Mama?”
“I’ll be right there.” Getting up, he realized he still had on just his socks and his feet ached from running in them. He hadn’t even noticed until now.
He found Eden and Alma in the OR waiting room. Eden jumped up when she saw him.
“They said Mama was in surgery.”
“Yes. Dr. Morris is removing the tumor.”
“What about the baby?”
“They’re looking out for the baby. We just have to wait and see.”
Eden held up a rosary. “We have to pray, Dad. Alma gave me a rosary and she’s teaching me how to pray on it. I have to believe everything is going to be okay.”
When had his daughter become so grown up?
Alma held up a bag. “I brought your boots and Stetson, Mr. Cowboy.”
“Thank you.” He sat down to put them on and his body relaxed. Leah had to be okay.
Alma went to get coffee since they hadn’t had any that morning. She brought back coffee and sweet rolls, but Falcon couldn’t eat. The thought of food turned his stomach, as did what they were doing to Leah’s head.
Time dragged. One hour faded into another and then another. He paced the hall, but nothing helped.
The sound of boots echoed loudly in the hallway. Eden ran to the door. Falcon followed her and saw all his brothers, his mother and Grandpa walking toward them.
Eden shot out of the room to meet them. She kissed Grandpa’s cheek. “Have you missed me?”
“You bet I have. Quincy won’t buy me pizza.”
“I’m not going into town every day and buying you pizza,” Quincy stated. “It’s not good for you anyway.”
“Don’t you worry. Cupcake’ll buy it for me.”
The nurses were staring at all the cowboys and Falcon motioned for them to come into the room. They squeezed in and Paxton and Phoenix had to sit on the floor, but they were there. That’s what counted, because he needed his family today. All of them.
But he had to ask, “How did y’all know?”
“Eden called early this morning,” his mother replied. “We’re not letting you go through this alone.”
“Who’s running the ranch?”
“Jericho,” Quincy answered. “And Gabe’s helping him.” Gabe was their uncle and had been raised with them. Their grandmother had died and Kate had refused to let her brother go into foster care. Gabe was a lawyer in Horseshoe.
“Jericho said not to worry about the McCrays causing trouble while everyone is away,” Egan said. “He’ll be riding the fence lines to make sure and I don’t think any of the McCrays want to come face-to-face with him in any kind of fight.”
Falco
n doubted that, too.
“Have you heard anything, son?” his mom asked.
“No, and it’s been over three hours.” He got to his feet. “I think I’ll go ask at the desk again.”
The nurse at the desk said Leah was still in surgery and Falcon grew restless. He had to hear something soon. He went back to the room and listened to Paxton and Phoenix talk about the National Finals Rodeo in Vegas that they’d participated in in early December. Their voices went right over his head.
Another hour passed and the family and Alma went to get lunch. David and Anne arrived and assured him Dr. Morris was the best surgeon and they were positive for good results. Falcon hoped that with all his heart. The family returned and the waiting went on.
Just when Falcon’s nerves were about to snap Dr. Morris stood in the doorway. Falcon was immediately on his feet.
“Could I speak to you for a moment, please?”
“Daddy...”
“Stay here,” he told Eden. “I’ll be right back.” But his stomach churned as he followed Dr. Morris into the hall. Dr. McNeil stood there waiting.
“The surgery went well,” Dr. Morris said. “I was able to resect and remove the complete tumor. I feel I got it all. We’ll do more tests and see how she does in the next few days.”
Relief surged through his body and it took a moment for him to catch his breath. Leah was alive.
“And the baby remained stable,” Dr. McNeil added. For some reason Falcon sensed a but coming really fast.
“Everything is good, then? Leah is fine and so is the baby?” And then it hit him. “Can she see?”
Dr. Morris removed his surgical cap. “Yes. Leah is in recovery and she’s awake. We’ll move her to SICU soon and you can see her there.”
He looked from one doctor to the other. “But something is wrong. I can feel it.”
“There is always a risk of complications.” Dr. Morris twisted the cap in his hand and Falcon wanted to snatch it from him because he knew something bad was coming.
“What kind of complications?”
At the doctor’s somber expression apprehension coiled through Falcon. “Leah has gone back in her mind almost eighteen years. She thinks she’s seventeen and pregnant with her daughter.”
“What?”
“I believe it’s only temporary, but it will take time for her brain to heal. I’ve seen this before and it just takes time. Trust me.”
“Trust you? My wife is stuck in limbo and you want me to trust you? I trusted you with the surgery.” Falcon’s voice rose in anger.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Rebel. I warned Leah of the risks and I warned you, too. I’m not giving up and you shouldn’t, either. Just be patient.”
“When can I see her?” His voice was as cold as the icy chills running down his back.
“My team will keep monitoring the baby,” Dr. McNeil said. “So far there are no complications there. Just stay strong.”
How strong was he supposed to be?
Chapter Fifteen
A time to pray...
Falcon took a moment to calm himself. Gulping in a deep breath, he walked into the waiting room and told his daughter and the family the disturbing news.
Eden sobbed into his chest. “Daddy, no.”
He held her. “We have to be strong for your mother. The doctor said it could be temporary. You stay here with Grandma and the uncs. I’m going to go see if they’ll let me talk to her.”
Eden wiped away tears. “I want to come, too. I want her to know that I’m there.”
“Maybe later.” He kissed her forehead. “Right now I have to find out how bad your mother is. Stay here.”
Falcon strolled from the room, glad his daughter didn’t insist. His strength was waning and he didn’t know if he could fight her on this. He asked at the desk where SICU was and made his way to the elevators. Quincy got on with him.
“There’s no need for you to come,” he told his brother.
“You don’t need to do this alone,” was Quincy’s response.
Falcon didn’t say anything else. He was too emotional to be rational.
At the nurse’s desk in SICU he asked to see his wife.
“I’m sorry, sir. You can only see her during visiting hours,” he was told.
That’s when his calm snapped. “I want to see my wife now!”
The tone of his voice shocked the nurse, who just stared up at him with wide eyes. He didn’t know what would’ve happened if Dr. Morris hadn’t walked up.
“I got it, Janice,” he said to the nurse, and motioned for Falcon to follow him. Quincy waited at the nurse’s desk.
Leah was in one of the rooms that circled a big nurses’ station. He went inside with Dr. Morris and froze at the sight of his wife. Leah lay in the bed very pale and still. A bandage was wrapped around her head and secured under her chin. They’d shaved her head. Tubes seemed to be everywhere, as did monitors. One of the monitors was for the baby, and Falcon could see the heartbeat. All the anger left him at the tiny miracle. He stepped closer to the bed as two nurses checked the monitors.
Leah’s skin was almost white and her eyes looked as if she had two black eyes, indicating she’d been through a tremendous ordeal. His breath caught in his throat and he tried to breathe normally.
Dr. Morris was on the other side of the bed. “Leah, can you hear me?”
Leah moved her head from side to side, as if trying to wake up.
“Someone is here to see you,” Dr. Morris added.
Leah’s eyelashes fluttered and then her eyes opened and focused on Falcon. She smiled slightly.
“O-oh...Mr. Rebel.”
Mr. Rebel. Leah never called him that and for a moment he was lost for words.
Dr. Morris indicated for him to say something.
He swallowed. “How are you?”
“Fine.” Her voice was low, but he heard it. “Is Falcon with you?”
Then it dawned on him. Leah thought he was John Rebel, his father. It took a moment for him to gather his thoughts and he had no idea how to respond. Dr. Morris motioned him out of the room. He took one last look at his wife and followed.
Outside in the hall, he raked a hand through his hair and looked at Dr. Morris. “She’s not any better. She thinks I’m my dad. How am I supposed to handle this?”
“I’ve studied the brain extensively but it still holds many mysteries to doctors. I could spout a lot of medical terms and theories to you, but simply Leah has gone back in her mind to a happier time. That’s where she can function right now. I promise you, just give her brain time to heal and you’ll have her back, but it’s going to take a lot of patience. In the meantime, the baby is doing well and Dr. McNeil and her team will continue to make sure the baby has the best chance possible.”
“What am I supposed to tell my daughter? Leah doesn’t even know who she is now. She doesn’t know who I am. That’s horrific to us. We just got her back.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Rebel, but rest assured Leah will get the best possible care. Please, please be patient.”
“I don’t have much choice.”
“Your visits will help to stimulate her brain, so it would help to talk to her.”
“She doesn’t know who I am.”
Dr. Morris touched Falcon’s shoulder. “It doesn’t matter who she thinks you are. She needs to talk to someone she’s familiar with.”
“I’m so frustrated right now I don’t know if I can.”
“You will. From the little I know about you, Mr. Rebel, you’re not giving up.”
No, a Rebel never gave up, Falcon thought as he made his way to Quincy.
“Would you like me to stay for a while?” Quincy asked.
“No, Eden and I have to figure out a way to deal with
this. And you need to run Rebel Ranch while I’m away because I’m not sure when I’ll be returning.”
“Okay, but if you need anything, you know my number.”
“Thanks, brother. Right now I need a miracle for Leah, me, Eden and the baby.”
* * *
THE NEXT FEW days were some of the hardest of Falcon’s life—right up there with the days after his dad had died. He took one day at a time and did his best. Every day he and Eden went to the hospital. It was extremely difficult, because Eden wasn’t allowed to see her mother. It was difficult for him, too. Leah got better with each day, but she still thought she was seventeen years old and pregnant.
He wanted Eden to return to the ranch. There was nothing she could do at the hospital and it was two days before Christmas. After much discussion and tears, Quincy came to Houston to pick her up.
One day turned into another and nothing changed, except Leah was moved to a regular room. He had several meetings with Dr. Morris. Nothing changed there, either. Leah was having trouble walking and a therapist was working with her. The doctor only suggested patience and that was starting to get on Falcon’s nerves.
The new year arrived, one week soon became two, and it was getting close to Eden’s eighteenth birthday. Leah showed no signs of regaining her memory. Each visit with her was pure torture. She continued to think of him as John Rebel. She never questioned why his father was visiting her and not Falcon. And she never questioned the bandage on her head. Or why she was in the hospital. Or the therapist. She just went through the motions. Dr. Morris asked that he not upset her with questions. So he didn’t.
He walked into her room, as he did every day, and she said the same thing. “Hi, Mr. Rebel. Is Falcon with you?” Some days it varied, but it was basically the same response.
Today she was sitting in a chair, staring out the window. All her tubes and monitors had been removed. Her color was much better and he knew her health was improving. It was her mind that was locked in the past and he began to despair of that ever changing.
“No, he isn’t,” he replied.
“That’s okay. I know he’s working hard to prepare us a home.”
He always went along with everything she said. “Yes, he’s very busy.”