by Unknown
“Can I call you tomorrow” the low, and husky voice on the other end slowly asked.
She smiled and hummed a ‘yes.’ “You better call me tomorrow. Bye.”
When she hung up the phone, she made a giddy jumping motion. She finally met someone – and it was someone who had some muscle and backbone – a former Navy Seal. She learned what Seal meant that night – Sea, Air, And Land. More importantly to her, she learned all about him.
She slipped into her PJ’s and got into bed. Her heart was racing with both love, and lust. She wanted him in every way – to be his friend, girlfriend, and even wanted to have sex with him.
All of a sudden, she thought again about her husband. It had been weeks since she left him in the hospital. Even though she left him, she wished him well and didn’t want him to suffer. She didn’t think it would be good to keep going back to the hospital to visit him, though. She moved on and decided to stay the course – stay the new course.
She closed her eyes and dozed off. She knew that tomorrow would come, but didn’t know what it would bring. She calculated that based on her awesome day that she had today, tomorrow would be just as awesome and fun.
***
He opened his eyes and shot them around the room. Left, right, up, and down. He didn’t recognize the floor, ceiling, or the scene outside of the window. He found himself in a hospital bed, with cheap, scrubs wrapped around him. “Umm… Hello?”
A nurse excitedly jogged into the room and saw him moving about. She clapped her hands in excitement and took just one, small jump. “You’re awake. Yay! I’m so excited for you!”
Before he said anything else, he first had to figure out where the hell he was, and what was going on. “Where am I. What happened?”
The slightly heavy, brunette nurse walked over to him and gently held his hand. “You’re in the hospital. You were involved in a very bad car accident. For the last eleven months, you’ve been in a coma.”
He heard the nurse’s words, but they didn’t really sink in. He wanted to just get up, and get back to work. “Well, alright. Thank you for taking care of me. If you could just tell me where my car is, I’ll get going.”
The nurse released his hand and used her palms as barriers to hold him in bed. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on a minute. You haven’t walked in almost a year. We’ve got a long way to go before we get to that point.”
He pulled off his bed sheet and spotted his legs – or, what was left of them. “Holy hell! What happened to my legs? I’m all skin and bones.”
The nurse covered him up gently and reclaimed his hand. She held it softly, because she was worried she might hurt him if she grabbed it too hard. “Your muscles are gone, because you’ve had only therapeutic movements for the last eleven months.”
He tightly rammed his eyelids together as he closed his eyes. “Good Lord. Okay, call my wife and have her come down to help me.”
The nurse stayed in place, and didn’t move her lips, or elicit any sound. She turned her head to the side and moved her eyes away from him.
He saw what she was doing, but couldn’t quite understand it. “What?”
She made eye contact with him again, and spoke very slowly, and very softly. “I haven’t seen your wife in many months. I will make sure that I call her though, okay?”
He partly closed his right eye and huffed out of anger. “What do you mean you haven’t seen her in months? Do you normally work nights, or something?”
She didn’t say anything else, and realized that she probably went too far when she mentioned that she hadn’t seen his wife in months. She released his hand and pointed to a partially visible, nursing station out of the door. “I’ll go outside and call her, okay?”
Chapter 5
She rolled over and laid down on her stomach in the bed. The 800 thread-count, Egyptian cotton sheets felt really good against her skin. She looked over at her snoozing hot hunk and kissed him on the ear. She gave him a playful nibble and whispered into his eardrum. “Sweetie? Can you let the dog out? I’m a little tired. Well, it is actually your fault that I’m so exhausted.”
He rolled over and put a pillow on his head. He was pretty tired as well. It was a rude response – given that he didn’t even speak to her, or make eye contact with her. He just stayed in place and kept the pillow over his head.
She groaned and flung off her sheets quickly. She gave him a major spank on his bare butt. It was her ‘punishment penalty.’ She asked him to do something nice, and he refused.
She sometimes had trouble remembering that erotic, provocative behavior didn’t always pay out. It would sometimes work, and would sometimes fail. Just like anything in life, that would bring both joy and frustration – depending on how the play panned out.
She leashed their adorably cute English Bulldog – named ‘Lady’ – and put her outside on the dog run. She both loved and hated the dog. She loved Lady because she was adorable, kind, and lovable. She hated Lady because she drooled, farted, and slobbered all over the place. She didn’t have allergy problems, but it was still nasty.
She went to the kitchen table, and picked up her new, Apple 6 iphone. There was a missed call from ‘Compassionate Care Hospital.’
She took a few seconds and stared at the phone. Usually, they would call about questions about her husband’s health, legal issues, or other relevant information. She was both annoyed and curious. She happily reserved judgment, as she recalled that the divorce was pending, and would be resolved soon.
She picked up the phone and hit just one key – the personal cellphone of the attending nurse. In past months, she had called so often and had so many delays and issues getting through, that the nurse very kindly provided a cellphone for her to call. “Hello?”
She cleared her throat before she spoke. “Hey Alice, its Jennifer. I got a message that you guys called?”
Alice stayed quiet because she wasn’t sure how much Jennifer knew, or even what she should tell her. “One second.”
She went into a hospital restroom and closed the door. She lowered her volume and spoke slowly, and carefully chose her words. “Has anyone spoken to you about your husband?”
Jennifer’s heart palpitated back and forth between excited, and calm. The thoughts were running like crazy in her mind. She was fairly certain that she knew what happened. “Did he pass away?”
Alice stumbled to find her words, as she tried to be frank, yet kind with what she had to say. “Well…Um…He’s…Alive. He’s alive, and just came out of his coma.”
Jennifer dropped the phone on the glass, kitchen table. It made a very slight, hardly-noticeable spidery crack in the glass as she got into a position that was as still as a stone statute.
She heard her nursing friend on the other end of the phone. “Jennifer? Are you there? Hello?”
Jennifer didn’t so much as touch the phone, before rushing outside and going for a walk in the condominium parking lot. She breathed deep, and thought deep. She had rare feelings of anxiety – which she last felt when her husband was first hospitalized.
What should she do? Should she still leave her husband? Should she stay with her new man? Did the divorce proceedings reach the point of no return? How would her new man react? Would he make demands, or would he be understanding? Was her mother one of the very few people who was right about her martial situation – ‘in sickness and in health’? What would she say to her husband? Should she feel guilty for leaving him?
Those were the panicked, impulsive type of questions that came to her mind. She sure didn’t expect this to happen. Under the best scenario, she assumed that her husband would stay in the coma. After all, he’d spent months in the coma.
‘Oh, Lord’ she barked out loudly to herself. She had to tell Matt – her new man – about the situation. She had the tough realization that she couldn’t hide it from him. If she left him, he’d obviously notice. If she didn’t leave him, he would obviously find out eventually on his own.
Even though she w
as never religious, it was time for a ‘Come to Jesus’ meeting, in which nothing but pure truth and candor would be spoken. It was only a matter of time. She just had to let it out, or she would be burdened with emotion until she either reached her grave, or until word got out.
She just didn’t know how Matt would react, or what he would say. He sometimes had a temper – but not always. Admittedly, she couldn’t think of much else that he could lose his temper over – short of an affair.
She squatted and stood in place. Her forehead and mouth grew wrinkled very deeply. She shut her eyes as tightly as she could and moaned loudly in displeasure. She had her eyes shut so tightly, that a mild pain began to slowly build on the eyelids.
When she opened her eyes, her vision was temporarily blurry and distorted. She inhaled deeply and held her breath for ten seconds, then punched it out in an exhale. “Okay…Matt…” she murmured and stood up.
She walked back into the condo and softly closed the nicely painted white, steel door. Much like with her exercise, she pushed herself to make a decision, commit to it, and reach the goal full-bore. She had to tell Matt. That was beyond negotiation.
She walked into the bedroom and he was gone, but she heard the shower mildly spraying in the background. She roughly jumped onto the queen bed and crumpled the comfy, cotton sheets beneath her. When should she tell him? How should she tell him?
She quarreled with herself for about five minutes, and then plotted a strategy. She would tell him tonight, and be as gentle as possible. She grew even more worried – because she knew that she wasn’t the soft, gentle type. She had always been direct and blunt. She would try her best, though.
***
Douglas had been growing impatient, and he wanted to know where his wife was at. “Well Alice, what did she say? Is she alright?” He angrily clenched his weak fists as he snapped his voice at her.
“She knows that you woke up from your coma. After that, the phone disconnected” she was relieved that she told the truth, but far from relieved at how Jennifer responded. She correctly suspected that someone else was in the picture.
He fanned his fingers over his head and tightly pulled back his hair from the hairline. “And, that’s it?”
“Yes” she nervously tapped her Asics-covered foot in place.
“And she never called back? Didn’t bother to say anything else? Is she seeing someone else?” he pushed the poor Alice for more answers.
She put her hands into a prayer pose and slowly eked out a reply. “From the bottom of my heart, I know there is no way she would do that to you. You’ve got a better chance of finding snowfall in Miami, than you do about her leaving you.” That, on the other hand, was a God-awful, Whopper of a lie. She deeply suspected infidelity, and was near positive it was going on.
He sighed and cracked a desperate tone through his dry, parched lips. “I want to see my wife. I want her here tonight.”
The heartbroken nurse, sad and depressed, pulled together what residual strength she had left. “I will call her again and tell her.”
***
She carefully wrapped a ring of bacon around a small, filet mignon steak. She made two of them for her boyfriend, and only one for herself. She set the grill dial on ‘L’ to cook the meat at a low temperature. She closed the lid and listened to the soft, sizzle.
Matt came out just a few minutes later and sniffed the air and relished the aroma. “Wow. That smells good. I’m glad we’re doing this instead of getting pizza tonight.”
She turned her head and smiled at him, giving him partial eye contact. She tried to change the subject to distract herself. “How are the potatoes in the house coming?”
He mischievously gave a wide view of his teeth as he cracked a large, smile. “They’re beautiful, but not as beautiful as you.”
He walked over to her and very softly began kissing her neck and rubbing his hands over her back as he held her warmly against his body. Ironically, her husband had always done the same thing when he was flirting. The only difference was that Matt had a lot more strength.
She bent out her forearm and pushed him away with her elbow. “Alright, alright. Stop it. I have to cook this food.”
He let her go and made a puckering motion at her. He partly relaxed part of the smile in his face. “Of course. I love a nice meal. I won’t interrupt you further.”
He turned around and slowly walked back into the condo. She flipped over the filet mignon, and let it sizzle for a few more minutes. Other than the nice smell of the meat, there was nothing else that she liked at all. It was all emotional and bad. Very bad.
She flopped the steaks onto a ceramic dish and walked into the tidy condo.
The dinner was one of the best she had in a while – which was her plan. She wanted to get food in his stomach – delicious food – and then break the news while his appetite was satisfied.
The potatoes were soft, lump free, and mixed partly with sour cream, and whole milk. Topped off with butter and gravy, they were amazingly delicious.
Then there were the carrots – baked in part honey, part butter, and part oil. They were sprinkled with just a little bit of salt and pepper – just a hint.
Finally, there was Matt. To her, he looked as good as the vegetables and meat, but he wasn’t edible – at least not from a physical standpoint. She sure did eat his romance and charm, though. She had been doing that for weeks, and she loved every minute of it – until now.
Matt took his silver, shiny fork and pressed it against the filet mignon. The steak broke apart and separated easily into a smaller chunk. “This steak is so tender, I don’t even need a knife to cut it. Wow!”
He ate both steaks, a plate full of mashed potatoes, and carrots. When he was finished, he pushed his plate away and padded his muscular, thick stomach. “Ah. What a meal. Thank you so much!”
He looked over at Jennifer, who was still and stone faced. It was obvious as day that something was on her mind. He poked his head forward and waited for her to say something – which she didn’t. “What’s wrong?”
She told herself to just let the proverbial brown matter hit the fan. It was time for truth, and only truth. “Douglas woke up from his coma today.”
Matt was totally clueless about what that meant to her, because he just assumed that she had already decided to move on, no matter what. He moaned approvingly and stuck out his cheek muscles with a smile. “Well, that’s terrific. Good for him. How is he feeling?”
For the first time in her lifetime memory, she began to cry. It wasn’t just a little misting or discomfort. It was full-force. The tears streamed out and she whimpered hastily.
“Uh…” he didn’t know how to react. He wasn’t the soft, emotional guy that could conquer sensitivity and bring joy. He watched her cry. He really tried to comfort her though. He held her hand and rubbed it softly.
She sprung herself up off the thick, wooden dining room chair, and ran into the bedroom. She slammed the door closed, and pulled out her iphone. There were two missed calls from the hospital, and one voice mail. She paused, and thought…
***
He sat up in the bed, and wiggled his hips to try and get into a comfortable position. After arguing and fighting with the nurses – he got a cup of coffee. They didn’t want to give it to him, because they were afraid it would keep him up late.
That was a non-issue for him, though. His wife never let him down – not one time. He told the nurse that he wanted to see his wife today, and the nurse called her. It was a done deal. Even if he was tired and had trouble concentrating, seeing his wife would be worth it. It just would.
The clock accurately kept tabs on the time. It went from 9:45 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., and then 11:10 p.m. The coffee only had a minimal effect. He was tired as hell. The battle to stay awake felt like a battle that could be expected between two territorial grizzly bears.
He took a deep, and stern look at the clock, just barely keeping his eyes open. It said it was 12:08 a.m. He moaned and panted.
His wife had finally let him down, after all these years. She let him down when he was badly injured, hospitalized, and needed her the most. Her loyalty and faithfulness was shattered. He put so much faith and trust in her, that he felt betrayed by a dark source of evil.
He closed his teary, bloodshot eyes and wondered how he could go on, and why she wouldn’t stand by him. He tried and tried to stay awake. But couldn’t do it anymore. ‘What difference does it make if you stay awake, if she’s not coming?’ he told himself harshly.
He closed his eyes and trailed off into dreamland. He didn’t remember anything that he dreamed about, but he didn’t care. He cared only about reality. He cared about what his life would bring him, and whether his wife would be with him.
When he woke up the next day, there was a shocking, familiar face that was staring into his eyes. It was a woman – a really bulky and muscular woman. Otherwise, she looked like shit. Her eyes were bloodshot, she didn’t have makeup on, and her clothes were heavily wrinkled. She smelled like ass, because of a lack of deodorant. Her face was tired, dirty, and pale. It looked like it caught on fire and someone tried to put it out with a fork.
He looked at her. She looked at him. They both smiled at the same time. He spoke first, which was a bit unusual because he was usually the quiet, submissive one. “I really missed you. I love you so much.”
She kissed him very softly on the lips and smiled back at him. With tears in her eyes, she affirmed the same strong love for him. “I love you too. I’m so happy you’re alive.”
A tall muscle-head walked in the room. It was Matt. He was carrying a dozen roses and a small box of chocolate. He placed them on the hospital table in the room. “My name is Matt. I’ve heard so much about you.”
Douglas watched him put down the chocolate and shuffled his gaze back onto Matt. “Thanks for the gift. Are you a friend or something?”