by Elicia Hyder
“You’ve been really quiet the whole way back,” he said. “Is everything OK?”
She hooked her thumbs in the belt loops of her blue jean shorts and smiled. “Yeah, I’m just tired and probably still a little hungover.”
He reached out to her. “Well, come here.” He pulled her into his arms. She took a deep breath. He smelled like cool cologne and sunshine.
She looked up at him. “Thank you, Marcus.” The corners of his mouth tipped up into a smile. “Thank you for everything you’ve always done for me,” she added.
He looked stunned for a moment and then finally cracked a smile. “You don’t have cancer or something do you?”
She laughed. “No. I’m just feeling really loved.”
He pulled her close again. “Well, you are.” He kissed her on the top of the head. After a long while, he released her. “I’d better see you in the next couple of days. No sneaking back to Tennessee without saying goodbye like you sometimes do,” he said, pointing at her.
She laughed. “I promise.”
He opened his door and climbed into the seat. She started toward the house, but then stopped and looked back at him before he closed his door. “Marcus?”
He held the door open and looked out at her. “Yeah?”
She opened her mouth to speak but couldn’t find the words. “Nothing. Never mind. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
He looked at her sideways for a second, then laughed. “OK. Later,” he said and shut his door.
Journey went inside and sat on her bed in silence for a long time. She absentmindedly twisted David’s ring around her thumb. Finally, she pulled it off and looked it over. My best friend, Forever, she read on the inside of the band.
“What are you doing?” she asked out loud.
Immediately, she pushed herself off the bed, grabbed her keys, and bolted out the front door.
Marcus’s new house was only about five miles away from her parents’ home. The light was on inside when she pulled into his empty driveway and parked her car in front of his garage. With one last deep breath, she wrenched her door open, crossed his yard, and took his front porch steps two at a time till she reached the door. She almost hesitated but pressed the doorbell anyway. A moment later, the door opened and he was standing before her.
He looked at her and then around the yard in confusion. “Journey? What are you doing here?”
She looked up, breathing hard, with sweat beaded on her forehead. “I’m complicating our friendship.”
She grabbed his shirt and kissed him.
· · ·
It took a moment for Marcus’s brain to catch up with what was happening. One minute he was checking his voicemail, and the next, Journey was molded against his body with her mouth fiercely on his. He moved his hands up her body to her bare arms that held him still.
Yes, this is really happening, he decided.
He pulled back and studied her golden eyes for a moment. She looked absolutely terrified and absolutely desperate for him at the same time. Her fingernails scraped the back of his neck. Her lips were parted, waiting for him to say or do something… anything.
A million thoughts raced through his mind.
In one swift motion, he closed the door and pressed her back against it. His fingers tangled in her hair as he tasted her lips again. This moment had been his favorite fantasy for years, and he couldn’t get close enough fast enough.
He lifted her off the floor, and she tightened her legs around his waist making it easier for him to walk, carry her, and toss her shirt across the room all at once. The moment that he laid her down onto his bed, he knew it was exactly where he wanted her to be for the rest of his life.
10
The Magic Wand
Journey returned to Nashville as she had planned, though Marcus tried his best to talk her out of going. She had made a commitment to Elena’s office for a summer internship, and she had a lease on an apartment that she didn’t want to break. And, as much as she was enjoying being with Marcus, she didn’t want to jinx it by moving too fast. He understood, but he certainly wasn’t happy about it. She promised that at the end of the summer they would reevaluate her living situation, and she would seriously consider moving back to Emerson. In the meantime, he visited whenever he had time off.
On Friday morning, Journey’s cell phone rang as she walked out of her apartment. It was Marcus. “Hey,” she answered.
“Hey,” he said. “I just wanted to tell you good morning before work.”
She smiled. “Thanks. I’m headed there now.”
“I’ll be on my way tomorrow by three o’clock,” he said as she got in her car.
Her eyes widened. “You’re getting off early?”
“Yeah. I switched my shift so I could get on the road earlier,” he said.
She started her engine and backed out of her space. “I can’t wait to see you,” she told him.
“Me too,” he said. “Have you made any fun plans for us this weekend?”
“Yes,” she replied. “But it’s a secret. You’ll just have to wait and see.”
“Does it involve me getting to see you naked?” he asked.
She laughed as she waited at the light to exit her apartment complex. “I’m sure you will find a way to work that into my plans.”
“Well, make sure we aren’t too busy,” he said. “I have a surprise of my own.”
She was wondering if he was making a sex reference when the traffic light turned green. “I can only imagine…” she began just when the front fender from another car slammed through her passenger’s side door.
· · ·
The line went dead in Marcus’s hand. Having heard the sound of clashing metal a few times in his reckless driving youth, his heart began to pound. He dialed her number again. It went straight to voicemail. “Hey, it’s Journey. I’m probably digging around trying to find my phone…”
He shouted a few obscenities and dialed her again to no avail. He pulled his truck over to the side of the road and called Elena. She answered on the fourth ring. “Hello?”
“Elena, hey it’s Marcus,” he said, trying to slow his breathing.
“Hey, what’s up?” she asked.
“Are you home?”
She hesitated. “Yeah. Getting ready for work. What’s going on?”
“I need you to drive to Journey’s apartment. I’m afraid there’s been an accident,” he said, using all of his cop skills to try and remain calm.
Elena didn’t have that ability. “What?!”
He took a deep breath. “I was on the phone with her while she was driving. I heard something that sounded like a crash, and the line went dead. I can’t get her back on the phone.”
Elena was fumbling around so much Marcus knew she might drop and break her phone at any second. “I’m grabbing my shoes!” she shouted.
“Elena, I need you to calm down. The last thing we need is for you to have a wreck,” he said, forcing his words out slowly.
She was breathing into the phone. “I’ll call you back.”
The line went dead, and Marcus slammed his fist into his steering wheel.
· · ·
“Ma’am, are you OK?” Someone was shouting at Journey when she floated back to consciousness. She was in her driver’s seat holding the airbag that was deployed from the steering wheel and staring at her apartment building. Her car had been spun completely around. Sunlight glimmered off the glass shards that surrounded her. Somewhere, rubber was burning.
She blinked her eyes and focused on the red-haired man at her window. He had more freckles than God should’ve put on anyone. “I think so,” she stammered. “What happened?”
“That car ran a red light and hit you,” he said. “Sit still. We’ve already called 911.”
Journey didn’t have any choice but to sit still. The passenger’s seat was pinning her against the steering wheel. She blinked again and realized she couldn’t see—or feel—her right arm. Everything went black.
The next time she came to, she could feel hands on her. “I think she’s waking up,” someone said. “Journey! Can you hear me?”
Journey’s eyes slowly came into focus. A paramedic was kneeling beside her open door. Her neck was in a brace. She could see her sister standing behind him with her hands in the prayer position. Elena’s face lit up when their eyes met. The whole car shuddered, and a jolting pain shot through her. She cried out.
The paramedic had one hand behind her head. “Look at me, Journey,” he instructed.
She focused on his face. “What’s happening?”
“Your arm is pinned under the steering wheel and the dashboard. We are working on getting you out of there. Just stay with me,” he said.
She cried out again as more pieces of the car shifted. Desperately, she prayed to pass out again, but the black veil never came. After what seemed like an eternity, she felt her shoulder move as pain seared through her chest. “Good, good,” the paramedic said. “Try not to move. We are going to get you out.”
A team of uniformed men lifted her onto a waiting stretcher. Journey stretched out her left arm toward Elena who took hold of her hand. “I’m here,” Elena assured her.
“How bad is it?” Journey asked, feeling her entire body begin to tremble.
Elena shook her head. “Not too bad,” she said forcing a smile. Journey recognized the fear in her eyes.
They lifted the stretcher into the back of an ambulance. Pain radiated down her right side, and she could feel the pain in her arm. At least she knew it was still attached; she hadn’t been so sure that it was before. Elena climbed into the back of the ambulance with her.
“Is anyone else hurt?” Journey asked.
“The guy that hit you was taken to the hospital while they were trying to get you out, but he was talking, so I think he’s OK,” she replied.
Journey tried to nod, but her head was stabilized. She heard a phone ring, and she remembered Marcus and panicked. “Elena, you have to call Marcus. He’s probably freaking out.”
Elena squeezed her hand. “Marcus is already on his way here.”
“On his way?” Journey asked. “He has to work. Call him, and tell him I’m fine and not to come.”
Elena laughed and rolled her eyes. “Right. Your boyfriend called the police department and got the play-by-play before I even got here. He’s probably closer to the hospital than we are.” She made a sour face. “Mom and Dad are coming too.”
Journey felt tension in her chest. “How bad am I?”
The paramedic feverishly worked to insert a catheter into her good arm to start an IV. He didn’t look old enough to be an emergency worker. He finally met her gaze. “We don’t see anything life threatening,” he said and patted her left shoulder. He grimaced a little. “I can tell you that your right arm is definitely going to need some attention.”
Journey groaned with pain. “I can tell you that too.”
“Do you know if you’re allergic to any meds?”
“I’m not.”
“I’m starting you on some morphine now. They will check you out at the hospital, and then we’ll know more,” he said.
Journey’s teeth began to chatter. “I can’t stop shaking.”
“That’s normal,” he said. “It’s adrenaline.”
The shock had completely worn off by the time they reached the emergency room. Even with the morphine, Journey’s whole body was throbbing with unimaginable pain. They wheeled her inside and parked her behind a thin curtain. Nurses fluttered around taking her vital signs and asking her so many questions that her head was starting to spin.
A female in a long white coat walked in. She was in her early forties and had her brown hair pulled back in a tight bun. She adjusted her glasses and touched Journey’s good arm. “Ms. Durant, I’m Dr. Stahl. I would ask how you’re feeling, but I think I can guess that one for myself.”
“Yeah.” Tears were leaking uncontrollably from her eyes.
“We are going to start with some routine tests. I want to do a full CT scan because of the severity of the accident before we do anything else, but I’m going to go ahead and increase your morphine,” she said. “Are you allergic to any medications?”
“No,” Journey answered.
“Are you, or could you be, pregnant?”
Journey didn’t think so. “Anything is possible, I guess.”
“OK,” Dr. Stahl said. “I’m going to let Nina, your nurse, draw some blood, and then we’ll get you up to radiology. Can you tell me about your pain?”
“I’m really sore all over, but my right arm…” Journey’s voice trailed off.
The doctor nodded. “Oh, it’s broken. I don’t need a machine to tell me that. You have an open compound fracture that is going to require surgery. We’ve got it packed and stabilized right now. Are you especially hurting anywhere else?”
“My head,” Journey replied.
Again, the doctor nodded. “You definitely hit your head. They tell me you lost consciousness a couple of times.” The doctor gently touched Journey’s skull. “Is it just pain or do you feel pressure?”
“Just pain, I think.”
“How is your vision? Is it blurry at all?”
“No,” Journey answered.
“What about dizziness? Confusion? Or difficulty thinking?”
“No,” Journey said while the doctor flashed a light in her eyes.
Dr. Stahl nodded. “I think it’s probably just a mild concussion, but like I said, we will do a full CT scan and rule out anything major.”
“Thank you,” Journey told her.
The doctor winked an eye and left the room.
While the nurse was drawing blood, Elena’s phone rang. “It’s Marcus.”
“Can you hold it to my ear?” Journey asked.
Elena answered the call. “Hey Marcus. Hang on. She wants to talk to you.” Elena held the phone to Journey’s ear.
“Hey,” Journey said.
“Oh my god,” he panted.
“I’m sorry. I know I scared the hell out of you.”
“Are you freaking kidding? You’re apologizing? I’m just so glad to hear your voice. How are you? What’s going on?”
“I hurt so bad,” she softly cried.
He groaned. “I’m so sorry.”
“But I’m not dying, and they gave me morphine. My arm is definitely broken, and I hit my head. They are doing a bunch of tests, and I’m going to have to have surgery. Please slow down on the road. I know you’re flying down the interstate right now,” she said.
“Ehh,” he said. “Ninety-eight isn’t too bad.”
“Marcus,” she scolded.
“I’ll probably be there in about three and a half hours,” he said. “I’m so glad you’re OK. I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
A few minutes after she said goodbye to Marcus, the doctor returned with the nurse who was holding a couple of IV bags. “Well, slight change of plans,” Dr. Stahl said, walking to the edge of the bed. “There’s no easy way to say this but… your pregnancy test came back positive.”
If Journey hadn’t been lying down, she would have fainted. “What?”
“Seriously?” Elena asked.
The doctor nodded. “Looks like it. So, before we do anything, I want to get an O.B. down here to check you out. Then we can decide what to do from there. In the meantime, I’m going to give you morphine because it’s good for you and relatively safe for your baby.”
The words ‘your baby’ hung in the air like hot, damp laundry.
The doctor held up her hands as if to cheer. “Surprise!” she said awkwardly. She gently pinched Journey’s toe. “Try not to freak out too much.”
Another female doctor came in a little while later and introduced herself as Dr. Woods. She was younger and prettier than Dr. Stahl. She had a kind face. “I’m an obstetrician,” she explained. “I hear this is a big day for you.”
“Understatement of a lifetime,” Jo
urney said.
Dr. Woods sympathetically patted her hand. “I've had patients find out in worse ways.” She smiled. “Do you remember the first day of your last period?”
Journey thought for a second. “I got pregnant on the night of May 27th.” She and Marcus had gotten a little carried away that first night together and didn’t bother with protection.
The doctor and Elena laughed.
Dr. Woods made some notes on the clipboard she was holding. She thought for a few minutes. “It’s still going to be really early to try and see anything on an ultrasound. So, I’m not going to waste time with that before they address your obvious injuries. Do you know if you had any trauma to your pelvis or abdomen?” Dr. Woods lifted her shirt and pressed around gently on her midsection.
“I don’t think so,” Journey said. “My right knee hurts like hell, but that’s the closest to my stomach.”
The doctor pulled Journey’s shirt back down. “I don’t see anything alarming. With your injuries, you don’t have any option but to have surgery. You have a big risk for infection right now. With it being so early on in the pregnancy, we will just have to wait and see. I won’t lie; the trauma might terminate the pregnancy, if it hasn’t already. Or, your baby might be perfectly fine in there.” She squeezed Journey’s hand. “We just need to wait. I’ll schedule an ultrasound post-op and tell radiology to take the necessary precautions while they do the CT scan.”
“OK,” Journey said. “But the medicine…”
“The morphine is fine. At this point the stress on your body from the pain would probably be worse on the fetus,” she said.
Journey suddenly realized how instantly concerned she was.
She looked at her sister. “Don’t tell Marcus. I don’t want him to know until after the surgery.”
· · ·
Marcus had been making the 336 mile trip to Nashville from Emerson for the two and a half years Journey lived there—and every weekend in a row for the past month—but he had never made it there in less than four hours. He arrived in time to wait out the last half hour of Journey’s four hour surgery. He and Elena were waiting in the patient room, where they would move her after clearing her from the recovery room, when her parents walked in.