Operation: Endurance

by Christi Snow

  Colton gave a sharp nod and Chris sprinted back into his house. Yanking the drawer open, he frantically searched for her key. “Come on. Come on,” he muttered as he shoved things around in the drawer. He knew it was in here. Finally he spotted the pink edge of her key fob, wrenched it out of the drawer, and took off at a dead run toward her house.

  When he got back, Colton was standing there knocking again. “Her car’s still here.”

  Chris tried to get her key in the lock, but his hands were still too shaky from the night before. Colton took the key out of his hand. “I got it.” He quickly disengaged all the locks, but when he went to open the door, the chain was still holding the door closed.

  “Julie,” Chris called through the gap, but she didn’t respond.

  The brothers exchanged worried glances. “We have to get in there. She’s been really sick, Colton.”

  Colton stepped back and examined the door. “Okay, I think I can kick it in. Let me get some shoes on first though.” He ran back into Chris’s house while Chris leaned his head against the door, trying to see anything inside her house. He couldn’t see her. Why wasn’t she answering the door? With the chain engaged, she had to be in there, but the idea that she was too sick to even get to the door sent a chill of fear down Chris’s spine. She had to be okay.

  Suddenly, Colton tugged on his shoulder. “Stand back, so I can do this.” It took two kicks, but finally the wood on the door jamb splintered and Chris rushed into her house.

  Swinging his head to spot her, he frantically searched through her rooms, heading toward her bedroom. His heart skipped a beat when he spotted her bare legs on the floor on the other side of her bed. She was crumpled on the floor like she’d simply collapsed. He slid to her side, feeling for a pulse. It was there, but so weak. Her skin was flaming hot, but dry to the touch. Without even checking he could hear her breath rattling in her lungs.

  “Colton,” he yelled back toward the living room, “I found her. Go grab the keys to my truck. We have to get her to the emergency room.”

  “I’m on it,” Colton called as he ran back out of the house.

  Chris leaned down over Julie. “Julie, Butterfly, can you hear me? We’re gonna take you to the ER.” He gingerly reached under her and picked her up, but there wasn’t any sign of consciousness from her at all. His own pulse pounded in his ears as panic threatened to overwhelm him. She had to be okay. He pulled her tightly to his chest willing her to be okay.

  He strode out the front door and Colton was there with a handful of wallets, keys, and shoes.

  Colton’s eyes darted to Julie’s pale still form in Chris’s arms before he ran in front of Chris to open the passenger door of the truck for him.

  As Chris settled into the truck seat, he studied her translucent skin. She had a grey cast to her pallor, which scared him to death. Cradled in his arms, she felt and looked way too fragile to him. He brushed her hair off her forehead and brushed a kiss across it. She was so damn hot. Her fever was way too high.

  Colton started the truck, but they weren’t moving fast enough. “Hurry, Colt.”

  “I know, but it won’t do her any good if we get in a wreck on the way.”

  Chris pulled her to his chest. This may be the last time he got to hold her like this. Panic surged through him. “Hang on, Butterfly. Just hang on. We’re gonna be there soon. You just have to hang on. You can’t leave me. I need you. Please, hang on, Julie.” He was rambling, but he needed something to sink into her subconscious. She needed to know that he needed her. He knew that she’d been in a really dark place lately and the thought that she might not have something to live for wasn’t acceptable. She needed to come back to him. He needed her to come back to him.

  Without warning, she tensed up and a rattling cough shook her entire body.

  Colton cast a worried look at them and pursed his lips. “That doesn’t sound good.”

  Chris stayed focused on Julie. “Butterfly, can you hear me?”

  Her eyes fluttered open, but they were glazed with fever and she looked right through him. “Stay with me, Julie. We’re taking you to the hospital.”

  She shuddered. “No, not the hospital. Aaron’s dead.”

  Chris’s heart broke as she sobbed quietly, her breaths coming as shallow gasps. “Shh, it’s okay, Butterfly. It’s going to be okay.”

  For a moment she stilled and seemed to recognize him as her eyes met his. Her hand reached up to touch his face. “Chris?”

  “Yeah,” he gave her a soft smile, “it’s me. Hang on for me, okay?”

  She shuddered and closed her eyes as another cough shook her. “Love you so much.” Her voice was barely there as she seemed to drift in and out of consciousness. “Always been you. Poor Aaron. He died, but it’s only Chris. Always,” she said with a soft sigh. “But Chris died, Aaron died, Nugget died. Everyone dies, but I always loved you.” Her voice drifted off as she fell back into unconsciousness. Exhaustion and sickness had overtaken her.

  He jumped when Colton touched his right shoulder. He’d been so focused on Julie he didn’t realize they’d arrived at the emergency room.

  “Come on, Chris. They have a gurney for her.”

  Two nurses stood behind Colton, waiting to take Julie from him. He climbed out of the truck, kissed her softly on the forehead, and laid her on the gurney. While they rolled her away, he began to sink to the ground, until Colton grabbed him up.

  Oh God, she’d needed him and he hadn’t been there. She could die. Panic and helplessness reverberated through every cell in his body.

  Colton’s voice was low and cajoling, “Come on, Chris. She’s going to be okay. They’ll get her taken care of. Let’s go park the truck, you can put some shoes on, and then we can see how she’s doing.”

  Colton guided him back to the truck and into the seat. Chris leaned back against the headrest and closed his eyes, while Colton drove and parked the truck. Julie loved him.

  His stomach rolled. If he hadn’t been drunk, he could have gotten to her sooner. He didn’t have time to deal with the stupidity of his hangover. He slipped on his shoes.

  As soon as Colton put the truck in ‘park’, Chris was ready to head back into the ER, but Colton put a hand on his arm to stop him.

  “What?” Chris asked.

  “I grabbed these.” Colton pressed his cell phone and wallet into his hand, but held tight when Chris tried to take them. “Are you okay?”

  “No, and I won’t be again until they tell me she’s okay.”

  Colton shook his head, but released Chris’s arm and they rushed back into the hospital.

  The ER receptionist wouldn’t let them into her room to see Julie yet, so Chris sat in the hard chair rubbing his knee in agitation, his head pounding. “I should have been there for her. What if she dies because I didn’t answer the fucking phone?”

  Colton looked at him worriedly, but didn’t say anything. That was almost worse than empty words. Chris knew Colton wouldn’t promise anything that he couldn’t keep. Did that mean he thought she was dying too? He looked around the waiting room in frustration. “What’s taking them so long? Why aren’t they telling us anything?”

  “It hasn’t been that long. Try to relax. Julie doesn’t have any family in town does she?”

  “Her brother lives here, but he’s in Louisiana right now for his job. He’s supposed to be gone for about another month. Her sister, Rachel, lives in Oklahoma City. Do you think I should try to get hold of them?”

  “Let’s wait and see what the doctors say first. It may not be as bad as it seemed once they get her in here where they can keep an eye on her. It may be something as simple as she’s dehydrated and needs an IV.”

  Chris gave a sharp nod and looked around the waiting room again before leaning down on his palms with his elbows resting on his knees.

  “We never did get that coffee this morning. Why don’t I go see if I can find us some?”

  “Okay. Thanks, Colt.”

  Colton gave his sho
ulder a squeeze as he left the waiting room.

  They were on their second cup of coffee each when finally an older doctor came over to them, reaching out his hand. “Are you Chris Robertson?” At Chris’s nod, he continued, “I’m Dr. Andrews. Ms. Hyatt gave me permission to share her condition with you.” He looked questioningly at Colton.

  “I’m sorry. This is my brother, Colton. He helped me bring her in this morning.”

  The doctor gave a sharp nod before turning back to Chris. “Ms. Hyatt is suffering from a severe case of pneumonia. When you brought her in, her pulse oxygen levels were extremely low and her fever was extremely high. She’s also dehydrated and appears to be suffering from general exhaustion. We’re getting her admitted into ICU right now. She’s already on an IV and antibiotics so hopefully, we will see some improvement over the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours.”

  “Can I go in and see her?”

  The doctor gave a sharp nod. “She’s asking for you, but you need to let her rest. Don’t get her worked up. The effects of the medicine on top of her physical condition mean she’s going to sleep a lot. Don’t let it worry you. They should have her in her room in about fifteen minutes. There’s a waiting room in the ICU. You can wait there and I’ll send someone out to get you when they’re ready for you.”

  “She’s going to be okay, right?” He needed that reassurance.

  The doctor’s wrinkled face became guarded. “She’s young and overall healthy. There’s no reason for her condition to worsen, but we’ll know more within the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours.”

  For some reason, that tiny reassurance didn’t reassure him at all. Every time he got even the slightest glimmer of hope, it was snatched away. That couldn’t happen with Julie. Not again. Somehow she needed to know that he was nearby and that he needed her to live. She couldn’t die.

  * * *

  Twenty-four hours later and things hadn’t improved any. If anything, Julie was getting worse. She hadn’t awoken since they’d admitted her. Chris knew that for a fact because he hadn’t left her side. He’d pulled his chair right up beside her bed so he could hold her hand, the one that didn’t have the IV in it. Her dark, inky lashes feathered over her pale cheekbones. He knew the moment that he left, she’d slip away from him and he couldn’t allow that to happen.

  He lived in fear that the nurses were going to kick him out, but so far, they had left him alone. Maybe out of respect for Julie since she was on staff at this hospital, or maybe just because his desperation over the situation showed. He didn’t really care why, as long as they let him continue to stay.

  Colton and Penelope had both been in and out, urging him to go home and sleep, but he couldn’t do that. Something in his eyes must have shown that because they didn’t push too hard, just continued to place food and coffee into his hands at regular intervals.

  Her every breath seemed to be a struggle, the rise and fall of her chest uneven, the rattle in her lungs terrifying. He looked over her beautiful pale face, almost the same color as the sheet, but the sheet actually looked healthier. The grey cast to her skin tone hadn’t dissipated and that scared him. She lay there so still. Always so active, the stillness scared him the most of all.

  He would give up use of his leg just to see those hazel eyes open and focused on him again. She’d said that she loved him on the way to the hospital. Had she always loved him? And what about Aaron? Knowing where her mindset had been since Aaron died, he was really scared that she’d just give up.

  He stood and leaned to press his lips to the top of her head, taking in her essence of jasmine and pear. Even with all the aromas of medicine and disinfectants around, she still smelled like Julie. That tiny tidbit gave him the smallest morsel of hope. “You need to come back to me,” he whispered in her ear. “I need you here, Butterfly. Please, please, just wake up for me.”

  The door opened, but he didn’t turn to see who it was. Honestly, he didn’t really care.

  “Chris.” Colton’s rough voice carried over the hush of the room.

  He didn’t look at him. He just kept watching Julie’s face for some sign of life.

  “Chris,” he said, sterner now. “You won’t do her any good if you get sick, too. You need to get out of here for a little bit. Go home, take a shower, and take a short nap. I’ll stay with her. If there’s any change, I’ll call you and you can be back here in ten minutes.”

  Finally, Chris looked at him. “I can’t. I wasn’t there when she needed me. I can’t leave her now. If I do, she may give up.” His voice cracked with emotion, but he didn’t care. “She can’t give up.”

  Chapter 19Julie took another photo of the old stone house, framing it perfectly so the rising sun reflected off the ridges of the white stone. The building was so beautiful. At least one hundred and fifty years old, it had an age and patina that builders just couldn’t replicate today. Add in the setting and she’d pretty much found Nirvana here.

  She glanced up at the sky. The property was filled with huge, old cottonwood trees and bits of fluff floated around in the morning air reflecting the sunlight. If it wasn’t for the balmy temperature, she could have been convinced it was snowing. The perfection of it made her spin in a circle, soaking in the heat of the morning sun. She smiled as the hem of her dress twirled and danced around the tops of her knees.

  The morning dew dampened her bare feet as she explored the old yard. She raised her camera, framing the tire swing within the photo of the house in the background. As she clicked the shutter, a man stepped out of the front door. She gasped and dropped the camera to the ground in shock.

  “Aaron?” He stood on the porch looking just like she remembered, his tall, muscular form dressed in casual jeans and an oxford shirt rolled up at the sleeves. She could see the veins of his forearms from here. His glasses were perched on his nose and that dark lock of hair that she’d always loved fell carelessly over his forehead. How was he here? How was this possible?

  She didn’t know, but she had so much she needed to tell him. She needed him to know how sorry she was. She ran up to the porch, but then skidded to a stop three feet away from him. She lifted a hand to touch him, but couldn’t. What if this was just another dream? The tears welled in her eyes and she didn’t have to move the last little bit toward him. He did it for her as he wrapped her up in a hug.

  “Shhh, it’s okay. Don’t cry, Julie. Please, no more crying over me.”

  She could feel his arms around her and it was just too much. She began to sob in earnest, savoring the heat from his chest, the pure alive throb of his heartbeat. Finally, she was cried out and she looked up at him in shock. “How is this possible?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know. It just is. We live here.”

  She hadn’t really paid attention before, but now she looked around. “Where is here? You died, right? Am I dead now, too?”

  He pulled her down to sit beside him on the porch swing and shook his head. “No, you aren’t dead. It’s not your time yet, but Julie, you can’t keep on like this. You need to let me go. This is the way it was supposed to be.”

  She began to shake her head. “No, you never would have died if you hadn’t known me.”

  “Julie, my dying was out of your hands. My death was fate. That would never have changed, but because of you, I was able to die knowing what it meant to love and be loved.”

  The tears welled up in her eyes again, but he took her face and held it so that she was looking into his eyes.

  “Julie, honey, you have to stop blaming yourself for this. I know you loved Chris and there’s nothing wrong with that. I’m just thankful for the few months we had together. They were the happiest of my entire life and I died a happy man. You did that.”

  “But how can you even think that way? I never gave you all of my love. You deserved so much better than the little bit I gave you.” Her voice clogged with tears.

  He kissed her forehead. “Honey, our lives progressed the way they were supposed to. Your love was
perfect for me and because of it I’ve received the best gift anyone could ever give.”

  At that moment, a sweet tiny voice tinkled out of the trees. “Uncle Aaron, I found the flowers.”

  Aaron’s eyes brightened with joy and a brilliant smile lit up his face. Julie turned to the newcomer, a sweet little toddler with dark hair and a long white dress, wet at the hem from the dew. She carried a handful of bedraggled daisies. She looked up and smiled at Aaron as she began to timidly climb the steps to the porch. Julie was enchanted by her dimples until she got a look at the brilliant sapphire blue eyes that were so familiar.

  Chills swept over her and she glanced over at Aaron. He watched her carefully before turning back to the little girl. “Come here, darling. I want you to meet someone.”

  Julie rose out of the porch swing, not sure if her legs were going to hold her as she crouched in front of the little girl who smiled shyly at her.

  Aaron crouched down with her and grabbed the little girl’s grubby hand and set it within Julie’s. A zing of recognition flooded her, but she didn’t dare trust it. Her eyes filled with tears.

  “Julie, this is Nalia.”

  “Nalia?” she asked.

  “Well, I couldn’t very well keep calling her Nugget, could I?”

  Shock reverberated through her system and her knees completely gave out. She collapsed to the wooden boards of the porch, unable to tear her eyes off her little girl.

  The little girl whispered to him, “Is she okay?”

  “Yeah, baby girl, she’s gonna be just fine. She’s just surprised to meet you today. Why don’t you go pick some more flowers and then we’ll come push you on the tire swing, okay?”

  “Okay.” The little girl skipped off happily, looking the very picture of innocence and health.

  Julie turned her stunned gaze to Aaron. “How? How is this possible? How is she here with you? Oh my God, where are we?”

  “Calm down Julie. It’s okay. I don’t know all the answers. It just is. What is this place? For me, it’s Heaven. I’ve been entrusted with your little girl and we have a wonderful life here, even if it’s the afterlife. You’ve given that to me. You gave her to me. I don’t know how it all works. All I’ve been told is that somehow our connection and your love for me brought her to my world. No, your love for me wasn’t the same as what you feel for Chris, but that doesn’t make it any less real or powerful.”