by Red Phoenix
Dr. Hessen nodded toward the door. “Nurse Abby, could you take Mrs. Davis to the children’s wing?”
The nurse smiled. “Of course.”
Brie looked at the doctor questioningly.
“I believe there’s something you should see,” Dr. Hessen told her.
Abby led Brie to another wing of the hospital where the walls were painted with bright colored animals.
Pointing through the small window of a hospital door, the nurse shared, “That little girl was found with your husband’s arms wrapped around her. At first it was assumed they were related. From what I was told, he saved her life. I don’t know the details, but the first-responders might.”
Brie stood silently looking through the window. The little girl lying in the bed was probably no older than six. A woman, most likely the mother, was hovering over her constantly wiping away her tears as she smiled down at the child.
Brie understood the woman’s relief at being given a second chance with her daughter. It gave Brie comfort and a sense of pride to know that Sir had protected this child as the last possible act of his life.
“Thank you, Abby.”
“Dr. Hessen felt it was important that you know.”
Abby guided Brie back to Sir’s room. Brie entered alone and approached him slowly, overwhelmed with visions of both Tono’s father and Sir’s own mother as they lay dying in hospital beds.
That would not be Sir’s fate!
She leaned over and lightly laid her ear on his chest to listen to his heart beat. It was the only thing she could hold on to—that steady, unending heartbeat of the man she loved with every ounce of her being.
Brie took his hand and held it tightly. When standing became too much, she pulled over a chair and sat down, grasping his hand again. The beeping of the heart monitor her only communication with Sir.
Eventually Abby came in and informed her, “Your friends are asking for you.”
Brie glanced at the clock, realizing just how many hours had passed. “They’re still here?” Brie looked back at Sir and shook her head. “Please tell them they can go home now. I’ll be fine.”
Abby chuckled. “The older gentleman warned me you would say that. He told me to insist you come out to meet with them.”
Brie normally was not one to disobey a respected Dom, but she refused again. “Please tell them Sir is stable and I need to remain by his side.”
Abby replied almost apologetically, “He told me to bring up the baby if you refused.”
Brie sighed, but conceded that Captain had won the battle of wills. She kissed Sir’s hand. “Captain is being stubborn, but I won’t be long.”
Brie followed the nurse out and met Captain and Candy just outside the doors of the ICU.
Candy instantly gave Brie a hug. Brie welcomed the energy Candy passed on through that simple connection.
“Have you had anything to drink since coming here, Mrs. Davis?” Captain asked.
She shook her head. “No, but that’s not what’s important right now.”
“Staying hydrated is important, especially when you’re with child,” he corrected.
Brie felt her ire rise.
Captain read it on her face and advised her, “While stubbornness can be a noble characteristic, Mrs. Davis, it isn’t when it affects your health or the health of the child you carry.”
Brie found it ironic that he was calling her stubborn. “There’s no need to worry about me. Sir is the only one we should be focusing on. You said that yourself.”
Candy replied kindly, “We both agree that caring for him is important, Brie, but Captain’s right that you need to take care of yourself.” She took Brie’s hand. “So we’re going to get you something to eat and drink.”
“I’m not thirsty or hungry,” Brie insisted.
Captain asked with a knowing look, “What did you eat for dinner?”
Brie sighed, knowing her answer would displease him. “Popcorn.”
“Don’t forget that baby needs you even more than Sir Davis does,” he insisted with a hint of compassion in his voice.
Brie wanted to disagree, but the concerned look in his eyes kept her silent. She looked back at the doors of the ICU as she was led away.
I’m coming right back, Sir, she silently promised.
Captain was not satisfied with what the hospital cafeteria had to offer and took them to an offsite café. He wouldn’t even let Brie order, getting her a large salad with plenty of chicken, a glass of milk, and an additional glass of water.
She looked at the large salad bowl and laughed. “There is no way I can eat all this.”
“You’re not leaving until it is all gone, Mrs. Davis,” Captain stated firmly.
Brie sighed, feeling like a child. She hated every minute she was away from Sir, but knew Captain would not relent, so she started scarfing it down. The more she consumed, however, the more she realized how much she’d needed to eat. By the time she was done, she looked at Captain feeling foolish.
“Thank you, Captain. I…” She patted her belly. “We needed that.”
“Of course you did. It’s important that you remember that in the weeks ah—.”
“No,” Brie interrupted. “Sir will wake up any minute, I’m sure of it. Several times I swore he was about to open his eyes.” She couldn’t help smiling when she told them, “That’s why I can’t stay here long, I need to get back. I have to be the first person he sees when he wakes up.”
Captain put his hand on hers. “I understand, Mrs. Davis, but you cannot forsake your health in your desire to be there for your Master.”
Brie smiled as she stood up and promised solemnly, “I will make a sincere effort, Captain.” She gave Candy a quick hug. “Please go home and get rest yourselves.” She added before racing out the door, “Thank you both. I’ll be calling you soon with good news.”
“God willing,” Captain answered.
Brie felt energized when she headed back into the hospital, certain Sir would awaken upon her return.
She quickly realized nothing had changed when she entered his room. It was silent except for the contestant beeping of the heart monitor. However, she didn’t let it discourage her. Brie stood next to the bed, taking his hand again. “I’m back, Sir, just like I promised.” She glanced at the heart monitor hoping to see a change, some indication that he’d heard her—that he knew she was there.
It remained steady and unchanging.
“That’s okay,” she assured him, grabbing the chair to sit closer. “You just need a little more time to heal.”
The Reynolds came to the room not long after.
“How’s he doing, Brie?” Mr. Reynolds asked, his voice heavy with concern. He walked up to stand beside her next to the bed.
“He’s suffered a bad head injury and is in a coma. As you can see, he has broken bones too. They have him on a breathing tube, but will take that out when he wakes up.”
“When do they think that will be, dear?” Judy asked.
“The doctor can’t say.”
Mr. Reynolds wrapped his arm around Brie. “He’s a fighter.”
She nodded. “I know he is.”
“Is there anything we can do for you?” Judy asked, moving to the other side of Brie to add her hug and support.
“No, not really. We just have to wait and pray.”
“Have you called Master Anderson?” Mr. Reynolds asked. “I’m certain the Training Center staff would want to know what’s happened.”
“I haven’t called anyone. Candy took care of contacting you and my parents.”
“Then let me help you with that,” Judy offered. “Who would you like me to call?”
Brie handed her the phone. “Just our closest friends.”
When Judy looked unsure, Mr. Reynolds told his wife, “I can help with that.”
“Thank you both,” Brie murmured, looking down at Sir. “I really don’t have the heart to talk to anyone right now.”
Mr. Reynolds squeezed he
r tighter. “Quite understandable. You need to concentrate on Thane, and we’ll take care of the rest.”
She turned and buried her head on his shoulder. “I almost lost him…”
Mr. Reynolds held her even tighter. “Thane’s a fighter, Brie. He’ll survive this.”
Brie looked back at Sir again. “He hasn’t moved this entire time. No change, nothing.”
Mr. Reynolds turned to face her. “I remember when Thane was a boy. We were all together at the lake one summer, Judy, myself, Ruth, Alonzo, and Thane. Being an adventurous boy of ten, he decided to jump in the water—Thane has always had an affinity for water. Anyway, he somehow got trapped by old baling wire that had been discarded years ago.
“God only knows how long he was down there before Alonzo noticed he hadn’t come up for air. He dived in, and I followed. It took both of us to untangle Thane, but by the time we got him to the surface he’d stopped breathing.”
Mr. Reynolds took a ragged breath. “I will never forget the fear when I realized Thane was gone. Luckily, Judy knew CPR. She kept pumping his chest and didn’t stop until he coughed up water.”
Brie just shook her head, having never heard the story.
“Thane talked to me about it after,” Mr. Reynolds continued. “Told me when he’d gotten tangled up in the wire he’d started to panic, but the more he struggled the more ensnared he became. Thane said there came a point when he knew he could take a deep breath and die peacefully or keep fighting to live. He chose to keep fighting, and that’s when he felt our hands on him.”
Mr. Reynolds snorted, shaking his head as he smiled to himself. “The very next day, I found him back in the water. That boy doesn’t shy away from a fight.” He squeezed Brie hard. “Thane won’t give up now. He has too much to live for.”
One of the men who had been the first to respond to the crash site requested to speak with Brie. She reluctantly left Sir’s side, wanting to thank the person who’d helped save his life.
The tall man with a decidedly Grecian look held out his hand to her. “It is an honor to meet the wife of the hero.”
“The honor is mine. How can I ever repay you for saving my husband’s life?”
“I did nothing more than to keep him still until the ambulance arrived.” Tears came to his dark eyes when he explained, “When I saw his white shirt out in the field, I realized we’d found another one. I had no idea at the time…”
“What?” she asked breathlessly, desperate to know what the man had seen.
“I thought he was alone. It wasn’t until I tried to get his vitals that I realized there was a little girl underneath him, clutched protectively in his arms.”
Brie’s bottom lip trembled as he continued.
“I naturally assumed he was the girl’s father, but after speaking to the child’s family it was clear that that was not the case.”
Brie smiled sadly, looking down at her stomach. “He will be a father—soon.”
His eyes widened in understanding. “Oh, I see.” He looked at her with compassion. “The family of the little girl is overflowing with gratitude and wanted me to ask if they could speak to you privately.”
“Me? But why?”
“Lucinda, the little girl he saved, is well enough that she’ll be leaving the hospital tomorrow. It’s a true miracle. They had hoped to thank Mr. Davis personally, but under the circumstances they would like to speak to you before they go.”
Brie looked back in the direction of Sir’s room, moved by his bravery. It was in honor of him that she agreed to leave his side to follow the man back to Lucinda’s hospital room.
The young girl was smiling when Brie entered, but as soon as she saw a stranger, the girl instantly became shy and looked away. Brie understood and took the focus off Lucinda by addressing the woman she had observed the previous day.
“Hello, I’m Brie Davis, Thane’s wife.”
The woman held out her hand to Brie, clasping it tightly. “Hello, Brie. I’m Dorothy Jefferys. These are my parents and of course this is my daughter, Lucinda.”
Brie nodded at the older couple and smiled at the shy girl.
“I can’t begin to tell you how grateful we are to your husband. Not only did he protect my baby when the plane went down, but she told me that he helped calm her even before they took off.”
“Did he?” Brie asked, touched by her words.
“Yes. Lucinda was alone on the flight headed to visit her father in Sharjah. I was sick with worry knowing my child was flying overseas by herself, but it couldn’t be helped. And then…when I heard…” Mrs. Jefferys glanced at her daughter briefly, fighting back the tears.
Lucinda looked up at her mother with concern.
Clearing her throat, Dorothy finished with a simple, “Naturally, I was distraught.”
Brie nodded, remembering her own terror the moment she realized Sir had been involved in the plane crash. “I hear you’re doing okay,” Brie said in a cheery voice, smiling at Lucinda.
The girl held up her arm, which was covered in a neon pink cast. “It’s pink.”
Her mother added, “The doctors are amazed she walked away with only a broken arm and a few scrapes.” Dorothy became emotional when she explained, “We owe it all to your husband.”
“The nice man helped me!” Lucinda piped up. “I was scared, but he told me I was brave and would be okay.”
“The paramedics informed us your husband covered Lucinda with his body when the plane went down. Miraculously, Lucinda doesn’t remember anything after the initial takeoff.”
Brie closed her eyes, nodding to acknowledge what Dorothy had shared, but trying her best to keep the tears at bay for the girl’s sake. Once she had her emotions in check, she looked at Lucinda again and smiled.
It was a blessing the girl couldn’t remember the horrors of the crash. Brie wondered if Sir would be equally as lucky when he awakened. How must he have felt knowing he was going to die—never to see Brie again or hold their unborn child?
Sir had faced death by helping another. It spoke volumes about the man.
“I wish there was more I could give you than a simple thank you,” Dorothy replied.
“A thank you is all my husband would have accepted,” Brie assured her.
“I made him this!” Lucinda announced, waving a picture of two stick figures. One tiny one with yellow curls and one big one with a straight line of brown on top of its head. She’d drawn a rainbow above them.
“Would you like me to give it to him?” Brie asked.
Lucinda hugged the picture to herself. “No.”
Brie chuckled at her frankness. “I bet you want to give it to him yourself, don’t you?”
The girl nodded her head vigorously.
“When he wakes up you can give him your pretty picture. I know it will make him very happy.”
The little girl gave her a self-satisfied grin.
“Is there anything we can do, Mrs. Davis? Anything at all?” Dorothy asked.
Brie thought for a moment. “Prayers for my husband would be appreciated. The doctor said prayers and time is what he needs right now.”
“I will let my church know to add him to the prayer list.”
“Thank you.”
“Is there anything we can do for you?” the grandfather asked.
Brie shook her head. “No, I have everything I need. My husband survived.”
Dorothy nodded in understanding. “We’re the lucky ones.”
“Yes, “Brie agreed sadly. “Not everyone was so fortunate.”
“Mommy, why is the lady sad?”
Brie answered for Dorothy. “I’m just sad because my husband doesn’t get to leave the hospital tomorrow like you, and he doesn’t have a pink cast.”
Lucinda stared joyfully at her cast. “Really pink.”
“The pinkiest,” Brie agreed with a smile.
Brie left the little family with a lighter heart. It made it much easier when she returned to Sir’s room and was hit by how still
he was. Focusing on the present, she spent time sharing with him about Lucinda and her family. She also spoke about his bravery and sacrifice. “I’m so proud, Sir. Even in the darkest moment, you showed the world who you really are.”
She stood up and looked down at him. Leaning in to kiss his cheek, she whispered, “Come back to me.”
Condors
In the days that followed, Brie saw absolutely no change in Sir’s condition. Dr. Hessen assured her that was a good sign. “His body is healing. Every day he doesn’t suffer from a setback is a step forward.”
Brie took the opportunity, with permission from the doctor, to fill Sir’s room with sound. She brought Alonzo’s music and played it, hoping his father’s violin would call Sir back from the abyss.
Although visitors were not allowed, many people sent cards and letters. Brie read every single one out loud, trusting Sir could hear their messages of support. To keep his mind in the present, she also read the top stories from the news.
If researchers were right that patients in comas could hear, she knew Sir would want to be kept up to date with world news. She had opened up an article from the LA Times and paused, tears coming to her eyes. “Oh Sir, there is an article about you and the little girl you saved.”
She choked up for a moment and then shared with him, “It says that churches all over LA. have picked up the plea of the Lucinda’s mother and are praying for you.” Brie put down her tablet and started to cry. “There are so many people who care about you, Sir. So many… It’s time to wake up. We all need you to open your eyes.”
She glanced at the monitor and frowned in disappointment. The rhythm of his heartbeat never changed. It didn’t matter if his father’s violin was playing or if she was holding his hand and telling him how much she loved him. Even when she snuck in their Wartenberg wheel and rolled it across his skin, it didn’t evoke a reaction—nothing did.
She had watched Abby give Sir a sponge bath on several occasions, but this time when Abby came in, Brie asked if she could do it.
Abby gave it some thought before agreeing. “Certainly, Mrs. Davis. You’ve watched me, I’m sure you know the procedure.”