by Clay, Verna
The doctor puffed a breath and shifted his gaze to Mrs. Wakefield. "When did you say Mr. Grant's sister would arrive?"
"She's flying in from the east coast so I imagine it could be twelve hours or more."
Dr. Ching pursed his lips again, apparently pondering something, and then said to Mrs. Wakefield, "It has been my experience that a loved one is sometimes the best medicine for the ill or injured. I'm giving my permission for Ms. Sundance to visit Mr. Grant."
Sunny heaved a sigh of relief and was thankful when Suzette didn't antagonize Mrs. Wakefield by trying to get herself included on the visitors' list.
32: Vigil
Sunny's heart hammered and her breath quickened when Dr. Ching led her into ICU. She followed him past a centrally located command center and avoided the stares of the nurses and doctors. As soon as the doctor led her into Jason's space, tears stung her eyes. Machines surrounded him and multiple IVs and tubes were inserted into his body.
Dr. Ching said, "He's breathing on his own, which is very good. All his vitals are being monitored as we speak." The doctor said matter-of-factly, "His medical team is the best in the field. Please feel free to touch and talk to him. Like I said, a loved one can make a world of difference."
"Thank you, Dr. Ching."
"I have to leave for rounds, but I'll return within the hour."
Again, Sunny thanked the kindly doctor. After he left, she inhaled a shuddering breath and reached to touch Jason's shoulder. Holding back tears, she leaned close to his ear and said, "I'm here for you, Jason, and I'm not leaving until you're better. They may not let me stay overnight, but I promise I'll return every day." She gently stroked the stubble on his jaw with the back of her fingers. "I've missed you so much. Every day I find myself reliving our time together. You…you made me so happy." Quickly she added, "But I understand your reason for breaking off our relationship." She smiled sadly and confessed, "If I could break off with me to stop the reporters from dissecting my life and everyone's around me, I would too." She traced the outline of his lips with her pinky finger and then lifted her gaze to the blinking and beeping machines.
Two weeks later, Jason was still in a coma. He had been moved to a private wing where Sunny spent every day with him. He had an excellent support staff that Sunny made friends with. No one asked for her autograph and she suspected that Mrs. Wakefield had strictly forbidden it, which was a relief. Most of the reporters had left after sensationalizing her vigil in the rag mags. It seemed there was a new high profile divorce on the east coast that they couldn't resist.
Sunny had invited Suzette to stay with her in her hotel suite during Jason's hospitalization, and she had been a wonderful support. After a few days Dr. Ching had placed Suzette on the visitors' list and she told Sunny, "Even though I've been allowed to see Jason, I'm not the one he needs; you are. Of course I want to stay for him, but I also want to stay and support you."
They developed a daily routine of Sunny spending most of the day with Jason and Suzette spending an hour or so. In the evenings, back at their hotel, they would order dinner from room service, discuss any improvements or setbacks in his condition, and share bits and pieces of their lives. As unlikely as it seemed, they forged a solid friendship.
This morning Sunny awakened with a raging headache, so Suzette went in search of aspirin. Soon she drifted back to sleep and heard someone calling her name. The female voice was far away and Sunny couldn't understand what was being said. However, she knew the words were important—very important. Faintly she heard the voice say Jason's name, so she called out, "Where are you?" Now the voice spoke clearly.
"Always with you."
"I don't understand."
"Someday you will."
"I want to understand now."
"Then listen to your heart."
"How do you know Jason?"
"I know him because I know you."
"Please, stop talking in riddles."
"Life is a riddle which compels me to speak to you in one."
"I'm dreaming, aren't I?"
"Yes. But often answers come in dreams. Listen to your heart, Sunny."
Sunny jerked awake and stared at the ceiling while her pounding heart slowed. She closed her eyes, stilled her emotions, and listened. Unexpectedly, she heard words from within.
"Give him the elixir."
Sunny jumped off the couch. She didn't intend to dissect her dream or the instructions to give Jason the elixir. Sometimes a person just had to act, even when the action was crazy. She was on her way to the bathroom to shower and dress when Suzette returned.
"I got the aspirin, Sunny."
Sunny didn't mince words. "I have to go to the cabin for something. It's early so I should be back this afternoon."
Suzette, with her hand extended to give Sunny the aspirin packet, asked with incredulity, "What are you talking about? Why would you drive all the way to the cabin? You haven't lost your mind, have you?"
"It's a possibility."
Suzette dropped her hand to her side. "Then I'm coming with you."
"No. I need for you to stay with Jason. He shouldn't be alone now that his sister is gone."
"Sunny, please tell me why you're going to the cabin."
Sunny puffed a breath. "Remember when we met there and I told you about the elixir. I'm going to retrieve it."
Suzette's eyes widened and her mouth gaped. She whispered, "Do you think it will help?"
"Yes, I do. I don't know why, but I believe it's survived over a hundred years to heal Jason."
Suzette slapped her hand over her mouth.
Sunny said, "Will you trust me in this?"
With her hand still over her mouth, Suzette jerked her head up and down.
Sunny heaved a sigh, gave her friend a quick hug, and rushed to get ready.
33: On a Mission
Sunny parked in front of Jason's house and trekked to the cabin. Although it was a winter day the frost had already melted, so she jogged most of the way and only paused when she reached the narrow entrance to the property. Her heart expanded as she scanned the humble home. Once it had been teeming with family members, but now it stood as quiet testament to the past. Inhaling deeply, she started forward, hoping the front door wasn't padlocked. She saw a padlock, but it was unlocked. Somehow, she wasn't surprised.
The door creaked a little when she pushed it open. Once inside she again paused and filled her senses with the intangible essence of family. For fleeting moments she envisioned Tana preparing breakfast for her husband, two step-children, and baby. She envisioned Tana's Apache family entering the property and calling a greeting. She saw Tana and family rushing out the front door and everyone hugging and talking at once.
Sunny sighed and opened her eyes. Her mission was to retrieve the elixir. Opening the cabinet she reached for the precious jar and held it to her breast. Into the room she whispered, "Thank you, Tana." She inhaled the sudden fragrance of flowers that mixed with the cabin's scent of seasoned logs, and her parting words were, "Goodbye, family."
With the jar safely tucked into her purse, she raced back along the path to her car. On her way out of town she decided to make a quick stop at Bell Rock Motel to update Angelica. Her friend was sweeping the flagstone walkway outside the office and smiled broadly when she saw Sunny.
"Hello, dear girl. It seems like forever since we last saw each other," Angelica called as Sunny stepped from her car. Her smile faded. "Something's wrong. Do you want to talk about it?"
Sunny couldn't stop her tears.
Angelica leaned the broom against the wall of the motel and hurried to embrace her.
Sunny dropped her head onto Angelica's shoulder and sobbed. "Jason's in the hospital. He was in a car accident and he's been in a coma for two weeks. Please pray for him."
Angelica patted her back, "I certainly will, dear heart."
Sunny leaned back, wiped her eyes, and said, "You may think this is crazy, but I went to the cabin to retrieve the elixir. I'm-I'm go
ing to give it to him." When Angelica's expression didn't change to one of incredulity, she continued, "I can't explain it, but something in me says it's what I must do."
Angelica's wrinkled face broke into a smile. "I learned long ago that you must do what your heart whispers. Between our prayers and the elixir, I have a feeling Jason is going to be just fine. Trust in yourself, Sunny."
Sunny smiled through her tears. It was encouraging to hear something positive after two weeks of discouragement. She said, "Thank you, Angelica. I hope you know your parents gave you the perfect name. You are an angel."
Angelica smiled sweetly and replied, "And never forget that my spirit is always with you."
34: Wait
Rather than return to her hotel Sunny drove directly to the hospital. She entered through the emergency room just in case there were any persistent reporters. The triage nurse buzzed her through the double doors as soon as she saw her.
Following the now familiar hallways she navigated to the stairwell and climbed to the top floor. The elevator would be too busy to chance someone recognizing her.
Her heart pounded as she approached the nurse's station. Before she was past it, the head nurse glanced up from her computer. "Welcome back, Sunny. There's been no change in Jason's condition. Is everything okay? We missed seeing you this morning. Suzette left about fifteen minutes ago."
"Everything's fine. I had an errand to run." She continued past the station to Jason's room. Once inside, she closed the door and set her purse on the bedside table and quickly retrieved the elixir. Keeping her back to the door she considered the best way to administer it. She knew Jason had a swallow reflex because the nurses often tested him for it. She decided that a tiny amount poured into a spoon and dripped into the side of his mouth would be best. Now she just had to get the jar open. She grabbed the rusted lid and twisted. It didn't budge. She tried several more times until her arms went weak. Sitting in the chair beside Jason's bed she placed the jar between her knees for leverage and tried again. Nothing. She lowered her head and sighed. Did she need to purchase one of those gadgets that opened jars? Probably.
The rattle of trays in the hallway distracted her and she got an idea. Putting the elixir back in her purse, she cracked the door and watched aides delivering dinner trays to patients' rooms. When the hallway was clear she darted to the food cart and grabbed some flatware wrapped in a napkin.
Back in Jason's room she retrieved the jar, sat down and again placed it between her knees. She lightly tapped the lid with the handle of a knife to loosen it. She twisted the lid, but it remained firm. She repeated the process three more times with no success. Leaning back in her chair she fought tears of frustration. Finally, she decided to give it one more try before calling Suzette and asking her to go buy a jar opener. She tapped the lid, placed a napkin over it to keep her hand from slipping, and twisted with all of her strength. As she fought a hundred years of rust, she whispered, "Help me, Tana."
The lid moved and Sunny gasped. With renewed vigor she twisted again and it moved a fraction more. Gradually the lid loosened until finally it turned freely. With bated breath, she lifted it and stared down at stones immersed in water. Now she needed to work quickly before someone entered the room.
Setting the jar on the bedside table she grabbed the spoon she'd swiped from the dinner tray and dipped it into the elixir. Carefully lifting Jason's head, she spooned a drop into the corner of his mouth. Most of it ran down his chin. She dipped another drop, this time getting it inside his mouth. She thought she saw him swallow, but she wasn't sure.
Replacing the lid she secreted the jar back into her purse, along with the spoon. She would wait an hour and then administer more elixir. She had no idea how much would be appropriate. All she had to go on was her intuition and the dictates of her heart.
Five days later Sunny was still spooning tiny drops of elixir several times a day into Jason's mouth. So far, none of his medical team had caught on to what she was doing. She kept telling herself that healing was a gradual process, but every passing day with no improvement filled her heart with discouragement. Was she doing Jason more harm than good? Her heart told her no.
Once again Sunny checked the corridor for medical staff. Finding it empty, she lifted the jar from her purse, dipped a small amount of the precious liquid into a spoon, raised Jason's head slightly, and slipped it between his lips. There was a barely perceptible swallowing motion. Replacing the jar in her purse, she leaned forward to kiss his cheek and whisper words of love.
35: Fog
The fog surrounding Jason lifted a little more. He didn't know how long he had been wandering, but it felt like a long time. The farther he continued along a path that seemed familiar, the more the haze dissipated. When he reached a lovely cabin with children playing in the yard, the day was crystal gone. He counted the children—six—then noted an oddity; three were dressed in pioneer clothing and three in modern attire. He shifted his gaze to the porch where an elderly woman sat in a rocking chair smiling at the children. She seemed vaguely familiar. A noise from the tree line caught his attention and he shifted his gaze to see a man and woman, also in pioneer clothing, walk hand-in-hand into the open. They waved at the woman on the porch and the pioneer children ran toward them, laughing. The smallest child was about three and held the hands of a boy and girl of perhaps twelve, on either side of her. There was so much love in the greeting between the adults and children it brought tears to Jason's eyes. He swiped his eyes and returned his attention to the children dressed in modern clothing. The older ones, also a boy and girl, appeared to be the same age as the pioneer children. The youngest, a girl, was also around three. They had stopped playing and were watching the reunion at the tree line. After a moment they turned toward the old woman on the porch. Jason couldn't see their faces, but the woman stopped rocking and pointed at him. Her aged face broke into a huge smile that he recognized. Jason didn't understand why she was pointing toward him, but when the children turned around and smiled at him, he felt a kick to his gut. Suddenly, they began running toward him. Unexpectedly, the former fog returned and he couldn't breathe.
Sunny had fallen asleep in the chair beside Jason, but she jerked awake when she heard him gasping. He was struggling to breathe. She screamed, "No!" and pushed the emergency button, which activated the intercom. She shouted, "He can't breathe!" A voice on the other end said, "The emergency response team is on the way. Try to stay calm."
Within seconds the door flew open and a team of medical staff rushed inside. One of the nurses grabbed Sunny's arm and pulled her toward the door. "You have to wait outside, Sunny." she calmly ordered.
"I can't leave him!" Sunny cried.
The nurse ignored her outburst and physically pulled her from the room. "You'll only be in the way. Please let us do our job."
Tears streamed down Sunny's cheeks and she croaked, "It's my fault."
The nurse's voice gentled. "You're not to blame for any of this."
Sunny sobbed, "You don't understand." She heard the nurse asking someone to escort her to the waiting room then she felt an arm encircle her shoulders. She didn't resist. All she could think about was how she had followed her heart by giving Jason the elixir, and now he was possibly dying because of it.
In the waiting room she sat hunched over with her hands covering her face. The nurse's aide who had escorted her was speaking softly, but Sunny couldn't focus on the words. The aide finally quieted and she heard a door open and close. She lifted her head. She was alone.
For a long time she stared at the wall in front of her, then she began to pace.
36: Pronouncement
Dr. Ching entered the waiting room, his face inscrutable.
Sunny jumped to her feet and rushed toward him. "How is he?"
The doctor suddenly smiled and touched her shoulder. He's awake and stable. There appears to be no brain damage. He was able to answer all our questions. We've taken him to x-ray for a cat scan of his brain. He should be ba
ck in his room within the hour."
Sunny had to ask the question foremost in her mind. "Why did he start gasping for breath?"
"Sometimes when a person has been comatose for a long time, waking can trigger something akin to a panic attack. My guess is that's what happened to Jason." He shook his head. "Frankly, his condition was so deteriorated I doubted he would ever regain consciousness. I haven't seen many miracles in my career, but this is one of them."
Sunny hugged the doctor. "From the bottom of my heart I thank you. When can I see him?"
Dr. Ching returned her hug. "I'll let the nurses know you're allowed in his room as soon as he's back and his vitals are recorded." The doctor patted Sunny's back and then reached for the doorknob behind him. "I'll talk to you later, but right now, I think there's something you should see."
Sunny frowned and followed Dr. Ching from the waiting room into the hallway. She was shocked when one clap was followed by another and then another from a gathering of nurses and medical staff.
At a loss for words, she just stared mutely at them. Then she placed a hand over her heart and said, "Thank you for your awesome care of the man I love."
Two hours later, Sunny paused outside Jason's door. She had already called Suzette to give her the good news and Suzette's response had been, "The elixir saved him, Sunny. I just know it. Wait until you tell him."
"I'm not sure I'm going to tell him."
Suzette was silent for a second and then burst out, "For the love of God, why not?"