Frame by Frame

by CJ Murphy

  “Oh, Valkyrie, what have you done now?” Amanda Magnusson held her hand to her mouth.

  “I went a few rounds with a stretch of pavement,” Val droned, “and it’s Val.”

  “I carried you inside me for nine months, I’ll call you anything I damn well please.” Amanda’s voice rose as her face grew hard, her lips pursed in a frown. She narrowed her eyes. “Valkyrie, I didn’t come here to fight. When I heard you were hurt, I jumped on the next flight and flew across the country. The last time I did that…” She stopped, digging through her purse. She withdrew a bottle of pills, shook a few out, and pulled a small bottle of water from her bag.

  Val watched as Amanda’s hand trembled as she took the pills. Her mother was visibly struggling to get her emotions under control, which was out of character for the normally composed journalist. Val let her head drop back to the pillow. “I was coming home from Germany, I know. It’s okay, Mother, I’m not dying. I’m simply missing another body part,” She hadn’t considered the full ramifications of her new injuries. She’d survived worse in Iraq.

  “You and that damn motorcycle.”

  Val had a death grip on Laurel’s hand and the monitors around her began to scream. Val looked closely at her mother. Their features almost mirrored down the straight lines of their nose and jaw line. Hell, she looks like she just walked off of Rodeo Drive not eight hours on a plane. She stood at the side of Val’s bed, her hair and makeup flawless, impeccably dressed in tailored charcoal pants, a pale blue blouse, and a dark blue velvet blazer over top.

  “Mother, if this is your way of making me feel better, then you can get back on the damn plane right now.”

  Standing, Laurel cleared her throat. “Mrs. Magnusson, my name is Laurel Stemple. I’m a friend. I’m sorry to meet you under these circumstances.”

  Amanda turned to Laurel, reaching for Laurel’s hand. Laurel was forced to release Val’s to shake the one in front of her. The loss of the physical connection disoriented Val. A second later, the perfunctory greeting was complete and her hand found its way back into Val’s. Her anxiety settled. The two women looked like they were sizing each other up in a battle of wills.

  There was a long pause before Amanda broke her gaze and spoke. “May I have a few minutes with Valkyrie please?”

  “Sure.” Laurel looked down at Val, pulling her hand to her lips and kissing the scraped knuckles. She released her hand. “I’ll be outside.”

  Val missed the contact and braced herself for the brewing storm. “It’s okay. If she was going to eat me, she’d have done it when I was a child,” Val joked, though it fell flat in the room.

  ***

  After Laurel skirted around Amanda, she walked past the nurse’s desk. The nurses were busy looking at monitors spitting out vitals of their charges. Shaking her head, she offered an apologetic look to one of them, knowing they were going to have to deal with the effects Val’s mother was going to have on both her attitude and her well-being. Val’s visceral reaction to being told her mother was coming, coupled with the brief exchange, didn’t bode well for future interactions.

  The nurse offered a knowing look of sympathy, briefly resting a hand on her forearm. “Mother-in-law?”

  Laurel chuckled and shook her head at silver-haired nurse. Watching her pick up a box of files, she saw the woman’s bicep muscle bulge. Maybe she can put Amanda in a headlock. “Val’s mother. I’m not sure they’re that close. I’ll be outside if she needs me.”

  “Go get some coffee, honey, you look like you could use it. She’s out of danger. If we can keep our patient from having a stroke, she’s going to be fine.”

  “Thank you,” Laurel looked at her gold name badge with hospital logo, “Myra. I’ll be back in a bit.”

  Laurel pushed through the doors to see Beth sitting in the small waiting room. “Come on, I could use some air. God, if Gram treated me like that I’d be devastated. She could have died.”

  Beth looked at her. “You need more than air. You look exhausted. We’re getting something to eat, too. Ree is tucked in over at the hotel. You haven’t eaten since lunch today. If I remember right, that was a sandwich.”

  “I know. I haven’t felt like eating. I’m not sure if I can eat with Cruella in there with Val.”

  “I take it the reunion didn’t go well?”

  “That’s an understatement. Val’s lying in a hospital bed with serious injuries. She never even asked Val how she was. She went straight into the ‘I’m disappointed in you’ routine.” Laurel emphasized the point making air quotes. “Val almost broke my fingers she was squeezing them so tight. I didn’t want to leave her, but Amanda wanted to talk to her in private.”

  Playing devil’s advocate, Beth offered another possible explanation. “Well, maybe that’s what her mother’s afraid of.”

  “What?” Laurel crossed her arms and furrowed her brow.

  “Val could’ve died from this and from what her mom said to me on the phone, this isn’t the first time. She nearly got killed in the service. Maybe she’s scared shitless and has a rather peculiar way of showing it.”

  Laurel made her way to the elevator passing by a small waiting room. The air smelled stale and artificial. She needed to get outside.

  “Believe me, if it hasn’t gotten better by the time I go back, I’m going to ask her to leave. Val needs support and time to heal. If her own damn birth family won’t give her that, then her family of choice will.” Laurel stepped over to the silver doors of the elevator and jabbed the button to take them down to the cafeteria.

  Chapter Seven

  VAL STARED AT HER mother, trying to calm her nerves by taking a few deep breaths as Liz had taught her during their sessions. It wasn’t working.

  “Can we start this again without swords at the ready, dear?” Amanda asked.

  “Mine wasn’t drawn before you came in. I didn’t get my shield up fast enough to deflect your first blow.” Val clenched her jaw and then relaxed it. She took another deep breath. “I’ll call a truce for now. Hello, Mother.” Val willed her pounding heart to quiet. It was always like this with her mother. The fact she’d refused to wear dresses, makeup, date boys, or do anything her mother had wanted kept them at odds since she was six. She had no false illusions that it would be different now.

  Amanda gestured to the chair at her side. Val nodded. Amanda moved it so she could face her and sat. “Really, how are you?”

  “I’m sore as hell and feel like I’ve been hit by a truck. However, by all accounts, it was a yellow convertible. I don’t think that mattered much. From what I’ve been told, I’ve once again escaped the clutches of my namesake. Odin will have to wait for my soul.” Sighing, she brought her hand to her throbbing head. “I’m weak, pissed off, and had no idea they’d called you. I’m sorry you found out like that. Thanks for coming, Mother. I really do appreciate it. I haven’t felt this busted up since Iraq.” Val paused, seeing the look of discreet distress in her mother as her eyes shut and her brow furrowed. “I’m sorry. I know you don’t like to talk about that.”

  “It’s more than that. I don’t like to think about how close we came to losing you, then or now.”

  “Where’s Father? Off on some European quest to raise some Viking ship from its watery grave?”

  “I don’t keep up much on your father anymore. He lives his life, and I live mine. I simply chose not to live it with him and the young college girls sharing his bed.” Amanda’s tone grew bitter. “I’d divorce him, but I prefer to write the news, not star in it myself. I won’t have my life destroyed as he tries to preserve his precious name. For now, he continues to live in an apartment near campus, and I have the house.”

  “I’m not surprised. At least you’re free to do as you please. We both know he’s a bastard, better we live on in spite of him.” Val chuckled but stopped because it caused pain in her stomach and shoulder. The pain nauseated her and she pursed her lips, breathing in through her nose to stave off the sick feeling.

  “Do
you need me to get the nurse? Is it time for your pain meds?” Amanda searched for the call button tied to the bed rail.

  Trying to breathe through the pain, Val relaxed. “No, I’ve got a pump and I can dose myself when it’s time. I have a while yet.” Val tried to center herself. “Mother, what are you doing here? I do appreciate you coming, but there isn’t anything you can do.”

  “Valkyrie.” Amanda paused.

  Val rolled her eyes but listened.

  “Whether you like it or not, I’m still your mother. You may not be able to see it, but I do care. I watched you suffer after the attack and how hard you fought to regain your independence. I flew across the country, because I was told my only child had been in a serious motorcycle accident. As a mother, that tends to pull out all the maternal stops in the hopes you might have the chance to tell your only child how grateful you are to find them still among the living. I didn’t come to clash with you, Val. I came because I love you.”

  Val heard her chosen name and lowered her defenses. She looked at the woman beside her. Upon closer inspection, she could see the shadows beneath the makeup and regretted her insensitivity. “Mother, I’m sorry.” Trying to analyze her mother’s about face at this point required more energy than she had to put into it. For now, she’d accept it at face value.

  Amanda rummaged through her purse. “I brought you a peace offering. Candy cane if I remember correctly. Difficult to find given it’s not Christmas.”

  Val’s mother held up a string of small red and white lip balms. Val reached out to touch them. She looked at her mother, eyes soft now. “You remembered.”

  “You’re my daughter. There’s little I don’t remember about you, at least the parts you’ve let me see.”

  Val watched as her mother broke their eye contact, dropping her head. Maybe it’s me that needs to work on my bedside manner.

  Their attention was drawn to the door as Dr. Ellis walked into the room. She picked up the chart and read through the reports. Val watched as she underlined something on one of the papers. She turned to the nurse’s station, signaling for Myra’s attention. The nurse joined her and Dr. Ellis pointed out something on the chart. “Let’s repeat that in two hours and see if those values change. If not, I want to hang blood.”

  Val craned her neck, wondering if she needed to be concerned.

  Amanda looked up at the doctor. “What is it?”

  Dr. Ellis walked over to them, pulling up the sheet to examine the incision and looking at Val. “How’s your pain?”

  A knowing grin lifted the corner of Val’s mouth. “Tolerable with the pain pump. This is my mother, Amanda Magnusson. Ignoring her question is likely to bring out a rather unpleasant and unrelenting banshee.”

  “That may be true. You’re conscious and as a doctor, I find that after the age of thirteen, my patients prefer I talk to them and not their mother,” Dr. Ellis said, smiling back. “If you’re under the age of thirteen, then you’ve had a pretty tough few years.”

  This brought a laugh from both Val and her mother, causing Val to gasp in pain again. Amanda stroked back an unruly lock of hair from Val’s forehead. She found it strange that her mother’s touch didn’t elicit the same warm reaction that Laurel’s had doing the same thing earlier.

  Dr. Ellis nodded to Amanda but kept her gaze on Val. “Since she asked so nicely, here are the basics. Your blood counts are still lower than I’d like even after a transfusion while you were in the ER. Because you have a particularly hard to get blood type, I want to get more on hand before you might actually be in trouble.

  Val watched as Amanda raised a single eyebrow and looked at her. And in rides the heroine to save the day. I’ll be hearing about this for the rest of my life.

  Amanda turned to Dr. Ellis. “Despite her feelings to the contrary, it appears it’s fortunate that I came. We have the same blood type, and although she tends to think I’m heartless, I think I have enough to spare her a few pints.”

  “Mother.” Val shook her head. Her mother was right; they did share the same blood type. She reached out and squeezed her mother’s fingers. “Thank you.”

  Rising, Amanda smoothed the side of her hair and adjusted an earring. “As I’ve told you, Valkyrie, there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do or give for you. Care to direct me to the blood bank, Dr. Ellis?”

  Dr. Ellis looked at Amanda, a quirky grin on her face. “Yes, ma’am, step out here at the nurse’s desk with me, and we’ll make arrangements.”

  As they stepped out, Val shut her eyes and tried to take stock. I wonder where Laurel is. Has anyone let my boss know about this? I’ll have to take a leave of absence until I recover. What the hell am I going to do about Maggie May? I hope she isn’t too bad, but taking a direct hit had to do some major damage. Shit. She threw her head back into the pillow, bringing back the roaring headache that had started to abate.

  “Thinking pretty hard there, Viking, I can see the smoke rolling,” Laurel said.

  Val opened her eyes and sneered at Laurel who held a cup of steaming coffee in her hands. “You’re a cruel woman bringing that around me.”

  “Oh, you mean this delicious cup of hospital poison? Trust me, you aren’t missing anything.” Laurel took a small sip and scrunched her face up. “It’s hot, wet, and has some form of caffeine in it.”

  “Hot and wet, huh?” Val’s smile broadened as she wagged her eyebrows.

  “You must be feeling a little better, either that or those pain meds are better than the last time I was here.” She took another sip. “Where was your mother off to on such a mission?”

  “To be the hero, of course. Apparently, my blood count’s low. If it doesn’t get better in a few hours, they want to transfuse me. We’re a perfect match for an unusual blood type, so it makes sense for her to make a direct donation.”

  “Will you be okay?” Laurel’s voice quivered.

  Val heard the tremble. Was that fear? She has enough to worry about. “Sit down.” Val pointed at the chair beside her bed. Reaching out her hand, Laurel took it. “I’m going to be fine. I’ve survived worse.”

  “I knew you’d been in Iraq. Somehow, I never knew you’d been injured that badly. Care to tell me what happened?”

  Val stared up at the ceiling, the familiar tightness settling in her chest. She was back in the desert, searing heat all around her. She shook off the dark shadows of memory trying to envelop her. “Maybe someday. Can you put more lip balm on for me? There are some new ones that Mom brought.”

  Laurel found the string of candy cane lip balms on the small bedside table. She pulled off the cap and ran the tube along Val’s lips, as if she’d done it a million times before.

  Val closed her eyes, inhaling deeply. “A bit more, please?”

  Laurel again ran the smooth waxy stick across Val’s lips. “Is it like an aroma therapy for you?”

  “Sort of. My lips have never recovered from the desert, that’s why I’m constantly applying it. My grandmother used to carry this tin of salve in her purse. The nights I’d stay over, she’d always put it on my lips before I went to sleep. If I had a bad cold, she’d rub it on my chest, too. I’ve never been able to find the tin, but I remember that it had red and white stripes on it, like a candy cane. Sweetest woman I’ve ever met. Reminds me of Ree.” Val drifted back to the present.

  “Gram used to rub Vicks salve on my chest, so I know what you mean. I want you to get some rest now. I’m going to the hotel for a few hours, but I’ll be back. I’ll leave the number where I’ll be if Cruella gets to be too much for you.” Laurel raised an eyebrow and pulled her lips back in an exaggerated smile.

  Val laughed. “Don’t let her hear you say that. She’ll put a restraining order on you.”

  “Let her try, Viking. I’m pretty sure you were fighting with the ER staff to call me and Gram. And more than a little pissed we’d contacted your mother. I think I’ve been raised with the stuff to take on the likes of her. Can you tell the nurses that you give us permission to ca
ll and check on you? Beth is going to run Gram home in the morning, and I know she’ll want to call. I swear some days, she loves you more than me.” Laurel grinned, standing to lean over the bed rail. “Get some rest, Viking, I’ll see you in the morning.” She kissed Val’s forehead, holding her cool lips to the heated skin.

  Val soaked in the contact. Her attraction to Laurel had always been strong. Now it was reaching a new level. One of a deeper connection on an elemental level. I need her. She reached up with her good arm and directed Laurel’s head down so she could look into brilliant green eyes. She cupped Laurel’s jaw and traced her cheekbone with her thumb. “Thank you for being here for me, all of you. Tell Ree and Beth I said so, too.”

  “I will.”

  “And thanks for not pushing me about Iraq right now.” Tentatively, Val gave her a gentle kiss, tender, full of emotion, and all too brief.

  Laurel kissed Val again and pulled away. “Sleep, Val, I’ll be back in the morning.”

  “Promise?”

  “Count on it.”

  “I’ll hold you to that.”

  “Please do. Now get some rest.” Laurel picked up her coffee cup. She lifted their clasped hands to her lips, kissed Val’s knuckles, and walked out of the room.

  Val felt delicate for the first time in her life. It was as if she was made of thin strands of glass. She’d survived Iraq, but she wasn’t sure she would survive the night without Laurel by her side.

  ***

  Laurel tried to be quiet as she climbed into bed beside her grandmother. She didn’t want to disturb her if she could avoid it. Beth slept on the pullout couch in the other room. After their bite to eat, Laurel had driven her over here and taken the car back to the hospital.

  Ree rolled over to face Laurel. “Our girl okay?”