by Laura Scott
There was a slight pause. “Please.”
“Okay, pizza it is.” She smiled at Derek in the rearview mirror. “I thought you were asleep.”
“No, just resting.”
Belatedly, she remembered the prescription for pain medication. “I should stop at the pharmacy first, so we can get your prescription filled.”
“No need. The doc gave me a few samples. I should be fine until tomorrow.”
She wasn’t surprised Gabe had given him some free meds, since he’d mentioned Derek’s lack of health insurance. She wondered if Derek had enough money to get the prescription filled.
There was a pizza place in town that sold pre-made cheese pizzas for five bucks each. She bought two and then headed home.
Her townhouse was on the outskirts of town, overlooking the lake. The place had been partially destroyed by a kitchen fire, and the former owners, who lived in Illinois, had sold it to her at a steep discount. Julie was hoping she could eventually fix it up and either rent out the one half for a little additional income or potentially sell it, depending on what happened with the real estate market.
After almost two years, though, she wasn’t nearly as far along on the remodeling as she’d hoped to be. Partially because sinks, commodes, counters, and cabinets cost far more than she ever would have imagined. And she’d also have to pay someone to help her install the new items, which would cut deeply into her meager savings.
She’d spent most of the first year making her side more livable and had only recently started on the other side.
“Here we are,” she said brightly, as she pulled into the driveway of the unoccupied side of the townhouse. The layouts of the two townhouses were mirror images of each other. In the back, there were patio doors from both kitchens leading out to a cement slab, where she had some secondhand patio furniture. “Lexi, will you carry the pizzas while I help your dad?”
The girl wordlessly took the boxes she gently placed in her arms, while Derek tried to maneuver his way out of the backseat on his own.
“Stubborn man,” she muttered half under her breath as she went around to the passenger side to give a helping hand. “Let me help,” she advised. “If you pass out on me, I’ll never get you inside by myself.”
“I won’t pass out,” he said, his voice low and raw with pain and determination.
She didn’t bother to point out the obvious, that he might not have much choice in the matter. She ducked her head inside the car and hooked her left arm beneath his right armpit. “Grab on to the car frame with your good arm,” she directed. “On the count of three, we’re going to swing you out. Ready?” He nodded, and she braced herself with her right arm on the car the best she could, as well. “One, two, three!”
They both pulled, hauling him to his feet. Derek groaned, sagging against the car as if his legs wouldn’t hold him up. She held on to him, pressing him back against the car, hoping he wouldn’t fall.
“Are you all right?” she asked, glancing up at his face, which was disconcertingly close.
“Yes.” His voice sounded weak, thready. “Give me...a...minute.”
“Take as much time as you need.” He was too big, too heavy for her to do much else. She needed him to be able to get into the house under his own power. She glanced over at Lexi, who was staring at them both with her wide eyes. “Are you hungry, Lexi? Because I sure am, and that pizza smells really good.”
Derek opened his eyes and straightened, as she suspected he would the moment she mentioned Lexi. Derek’s strength when it came to his daughter was nothing short of amazing. “I’m hungry, too,” he said in a forced tone. “Let’s get settled inside so we can eat.”
Once she ascertained he was actually supporting his own weight, she slowly moved away. She went around and opened the front door, using her key. She flipped on the living room lights, wincing a little at how awful the walls looked. In some areas, the blackened drywall was still in place, and in others, the drywall had been stripped away, revealing bare studs and electrical wires. She held the door open for Lexi and Derek.
“I told you it was under construction,” she said defensively when he glanced around curiously.
“It’s fine,” he said gruffly. “Are there beds, or are we sleeping on the floor?”
She was impressed he’d even considered sleeping on the floor, considering his cracked ribs. “There are twin beds in the first bedroom, but I’ll have to run over to get sheets. I’ll pick up some paper plates and napkins, too. The water still works in the bathrooms but not in the kitchen. I’ll turn up the hot water heater for you. And there isn’t a stove or fridge.” She knew it was ridiculous, but she felt bad she didn’t have more to offer him. She was almost tempted to give him her side, but even though he was injured, he was a stranger. And besides, she could just as easily provide them some meals without giving up her personal space.
“This is perfect,” Derek said as he made his way down the hall to the closest bedroom. He went straight toward the side of the bed and eased his weight on the edge of the mattress. It was as if he’d read her mind when he continued, “I can’t thank you enough for providing us a place to sleep.”
She flashed a small smile, trying to convince herself she was not making the same mistakes she’d made with Andrew, as she took the pizza boxes from Lexi and set them on the small bedside table between the two beds. “I’ll be right back,” she promised.
Out in the kitchen, she opened the patio doors and went over to her side of the townhouse. She didn’t bother to lock her patio doors as there was hardly any crime in Crystal Lake.
She found two sets of sheets, two lightweight blankets, and a couple of spare pillows in her linen closet. Back in the kitchen, her heart jumped into her throat when she found Lexi standing there, staring at her.
“Did you come to help?” she asked, even though she knew by now not to expect an answer. “Here, you can carry the paper plates, paper cups, and napkins, okay?”
Lexi obediently took the items and then went back out through the patio doors to return to the side where her father waited. Julie followed more slowly, stepping carefully since she couldn’t see very well around the bundle of bedding in her arms.
While Derek stood up, she quickly made the beds, working as fast as possible so he could sit back down. He didn’t eat much, but Lexi devoured her pizza, betraying the depth of her hunger.
Derek’s face was pale, and she suspected he was staying upright by sheer stubborn will. Chatting with Lexi, Julie cleaned up the napkins and paper plates and then picked up the leftover pizza. “I’ll keep this in my fridge. If you need anything, I’m right next door, okay?” The nurse in her didn’t want to leave, and suddenly she was worried about Lexi. “Maybe Lexi should stay with me?” she offered.
Lexi moved closer to her father, and Derek put his arm around her shoulders. “We’ll be just fine, won’t we, Lexi?”
“All right,” she agreed, knowing that rest would likely help Derek more than anything else. “Take your medicine, okay?”
“I already did. Thank you,” Derek said again.
She nodded and slipped out of the townhouse through the patio doors in the demolished kitchen, leaving father and daughter alone.
The hour wasn’t all that late, just nine fifteen, but she was exhausted, so she didn’t waste any time heading to bed. When a strange sound woke her up, she gasped and peered through the darkness. It took a moment to realize the small face peering at her belonged to Lexi.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Help my daddy,” Lexi said, her gaze intense. “Please, help my daddy!”
Chapter Three
Derek groaned under his breath and pulled himself across the hallway floor, beads of sweat rolling freely down his face, burning his eyes.
The plank-wood floor had plenty of splintered edges, but he ignored the minor irritation. He knew he’d frightened Lexi, and his mission right now was to get back into the bedroom, where he could possibly use the bed
frame as leverage to get back up.
Get up, soldier! Now! No excuses! You’re a soldier, so you’d better start acting like one!
Derek used his legs and his good arm to propel his body across the floor, inch by agonizing inch, finally crossing the threshold into the bedroom. The fire was back in his chest, worse than before, and he suspected that he’d inadvertently displaced the catheter they’d stuck in his chest to re-inflate his lung.
“Lexi?” he called out, unsure where his daughter had gone. “I’m here and I’m fine. I’m going to get into bed, now, see?”
Actually, he couldn’t see a thing through the red haze of pain that shrouded his vision.
He grasped the lower bed frame and tried to figure out how to pull himself upright. He closed his eyes, thinking it would be easier to stay on the floor. He’d ask Lexi to give him a pillow, and he’d be fine until morning.
“Derek, are you okay?”
He recognized that soft, female voice. Julie. The nurse. He forced his eyelids open.
Nothing worse than feeling helpless, especially when he realized Lexi had woken her up. Because of him.
“Derek? What happened?” she asked.
She touched his shoulder, and he shoved his lame pride aside to answer. He couldn’t read the expression on her face with the hallway light on behind her. “Sneezed. Woke up on the bathroom floor.”
“You passed out?” Instantly, she dropped to her knees, bringing her face closer to his. “Did you hit your head again?”
“No.” At least he didn’t think so. The pain in his head was about the same; it was his chest that was killing him. He didn’t like being dependent on her for help. Didn’t like being dependent on anyone other than himself. “Toss me a pillow and a blanket. I’ll rest here until morning.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” she said, and he heard the distinct note of impatience in her tone. “You’re not sleeping on the floor. If I can’t help you up, I’ll call an ambulance.”
“No ambulance.” Since she was obviously going to be difficult about this, he rolled onto his injured side and grabbed on to the bed frame with his uninjured left arm. “I’ll get up.”
She muttered something under her breath that he couldn’t quite make out. It sounded like stubborn as an ox, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. She put her arm under his right armpit again. “Try just sitting first. Your legs are strong. Once we get you into a sitting position, you should be able to stand.”
Easy for her to say—her rib cage wasn’t engulfed in fire. His lungs felt like two strips of sandpaper rubbing together with every breath. But complaining didn’t get the job done, so he concentrated on pushing off the bed frame. With Julie adding her strength and supporting his injured side, he suddenly found himself sitting upright, his side pressed against the bed.
“Thanks,” he grunted, trying to catch his breath. But it was no use. That stupid catheter wasn’t keeping his lung inflated, and the last thing he wanted to do was to go back to the hospital. For sure, they’d keep him.
And he didn’t think he had the strength to leave AMA a second time.
“Rest for a minute, and then I’ll help you get up on your feet,” she said, her voice close to his ear.
He had the absurd thought that, with Julie’s support, he could do anything.
He glanced over at Lexi, who stood silently, her eyes wide and her face pale. He forced himself to smile for her benefit. “I’m proud of you, Lexi. You were smart to get help.”
His words didn’t seem to reassure his daughter, so he decided the only thing that was going to make Lexi feel better was if he could get up on his feet and back on top of the bed.
“Use the strength in your legs as much as you can,” Julie advised when she felt him shift. “I’ll give you as much leverage as I can manage.”
Considering she was all of five foot three inches on a good day and weighed, in his estimation, less than a hundred and twenty pounds, he couldn’t imagine she’d provide any leverage. Although she’d surprised him with her ability to get him out of the backseat of the car.
Maybe being close to God gave her an edge over everyone else. Right now, he’d use any advantage he could get.
He leaned against the bed frame, trying to get his legs into a good position. Between support from the bed frame and Julie’s help, he somehow managed to get his feet under him, and finally, he was up and sitting on the edge of the bed.
The pressure on his chest didn’t ease, and he struggled to breathe. Something so natural shouldn’t be so difficult.
A cold, round circle was pressed against his side, and he realized Julie had a stethoscope in her ears, listening to his chest. “Your lung is down again,” she said accusingly, as if he’d done the deed on purpose.
“I know,” was all he could manage. What did she want him to say? The sneeze had caught him off guard, and the pain had been so intense he’d dropped like a stone.
“Stay sitting upright. I’m going to try something, okay?”
He nodded, since he wasn’t in any shape to stop her anyway.
She bent down and sucked on the end of the pigtail catheter hanging out of his chest, like she was drinking a thick malt out of a straw. And suddenly, the fire eased, and he could breathe again.
“It worked,” he said in amazement. He took another breath, just to make sure his imagination hadn’t played tricks on him. “I can breathe easier.”
“There’s a valve in these catheters, which must have closed when you sneezed.” She peered down at the dressing around the catheter, no doubt looking for signs of bleeding.
“Well, that settles it, no more sneezing for me,” he said in an attempt to lighten the mood. He reached out a hand toward his daughter, who came over to huddle next to him. He hugged her reassuringly. “I’m fine, Lexi. Thanks to Julie, I’m going to be just fine.”
Julie stared at him, clearly exasperated. “I suppose I’d be wasting my breath if I encouraged you to go back to the hospital.”
For a moment, he almost felt guilty for disappointing her. “Yes, because there’s no need to go back. I’m fine now. Thanks for your help. Again.”
“Stop thanking me,” she said suddenly, scrubbing her hands over her face. “This is my fault. I should have offered you my place to spend the night. I should have thought about the drywall dust making you sneeze.”
The way she was beating herself up over something she couldn’t control was ridiculous. “Don’t, Julie. You’ve gone out of your way to offer us a place to stay. I’m very grateful. Besides, it probably wasn’t the drywall dust that made me sneeze. I have allergies.” A small stretch of the truth. He was only allergic to cats, and even though he hadn’t seen any, it didn’t mean she didn’t have one tucked away somewhere.
She stared at him for a few minutes, as if she didn’t believe in his allergies for one minute, before she finally turned away. “I’ll get you another dose of pain medicine, and then you really need to try and get some rest.”
“What time is it?” he asked when she brought over two pills and a glass of water. He didn’t think he was due for more pain meds yet.
“One thirty in the morning. And don’t worry, you can take the medication every four hours.”
He gratefully swallowed the pills and then kissed the top of Lexi’s head before easing himself down on the bed. “Okay, baby-doll, it’s time to get some sleep.”
Lexi obediently climbed into her twin bed but lay on her side, right near the edge, facing him. Her eyes were wide open, almost as if she were afraid to fall asleep.
His heart squeezed in his chest. His poor daughter had been through so much. He wanted desperately to give Lexi the solid foundation of love and support she needed.
That she deserved.
“Goodnight, Lexi. Goodnight, Derek,” Julie said as she headed back out to the hall.
Before Derek could answer, he was shocked and stunned beyond words to hear his daughter reply in a soft voice, “Goodnight, Julie.”
___________
The next morning, Julie crawled out of bed far later than normal, thankful that she had the next three days off work.
Remembering her overnight guests staying next door spurred her into action. Derek hadn’t eaten much pizza last night; he was undoubtedly hungry.
After she showered and dressed, she headed into the kitchen to prepare breakfast. Cooking for guests seemed strange. Not that Derek was really a guest. He was more like a patient.
Best to remember that fact. The sooner he felt better, the sooner he and Lexi would be on their way.
She needed to keep her distance from Derek and Lexi. Getting emotionally involved would only result in feeling hurt when it was time for them to move on. Yet she couldn’t deny that Lexi’s soft goodnight had touched her deep in her heart, the effect lingering long after she’d returned to her side of the townhouse.
Lexi reminded her of Amelia, even though the two girls were as different as night and day. Lexi was far too quiet, although maybe the trauma of being in a crash, on top of having her father injured, had been too much for the little girl to handle.
The summer heat was already making the interior of her kitchen stuffy, even with the open windows, so she made sure every ceiling fan was on to help circulate the air. By mid afternoon, she might have to use the air conditioner, although she’d rather not.
As she cooked a big batch of scrambled eggs, she wondered about Lexi’s mother. Not once during their brief stay in the ER, or last night for that matter, did the little girl ask for her mother. Only her father.
Had Derek tragically lost his wife? Or were they divorced? Either option must have been a while ago, or surely Lexi would have called out for her mother when she arrived in the trauma bay.
She plunked the toast into the toaster then turned back to check the eggs and nearly shrieked when she saw Lexi hovering near the patio doors.
Obviously she’d been so preoccupied with thoughts of Derek that she hadn’t heard the child come in.
Putting a hand over her racing heart, she forced a smile. “Good morning, Lexi. I’m cooking breakfast for you and your dad. Do you like scrambled eggs? If not, I have Cheerios and milk.”