Authors: Tessa Dayne
“Paige…you have to be okay. You have to wake up. Dad needs you. Please…please, wake up.”
Soft beeps answered his pleas. Sighing, he placed her hand on the bed.
“Okay, Sleeping Beauty, rest, but not too long, okay?”
The door opened and
Ian turned to find his dad standing in the doorway. He smiled, and then turned back to Paige.
“Dad’s here. I should go, but I’ll be back,” he whispered.
Ian slipped from the room, his dad’s arm going round his shoulder.
“You okay?” he asked.
Ian looked over at him and shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s hard to see her like that. You sure she’s going to be okay?”
“I’m sure. C’mon. Let’s get you and your Grandmother settled at the hotel. We have a lot to talk about. And I want to call Officer Gabriel and see what he has learned about Paige’s accident.”
They met Evelyn in the hallway, and the three of them headed to the elevator.
~*~
He glanced around the ICU floor, looking for her family. No one was in sight, thankfully. Slipping through the stairwell door, he straightened his shirt, smoothing out the invisible wrinkles. He was nervous. He probably shouldn’t be here, but he had to know. Had to see her.
Easing down the hall, his shoes quiet on the linoleum, he made his way passed the nurse’s station. Craning his neck to look into the windows to the rooms, he finally found hers. He stepped closer to the door, had his hand on the doorknob and was just about to enter her room when a commanding voice from behind him stopped him.
“May I help you, Sir?”
“I…I was just going to visit….”
Darren said, stammering. The nurse had caught him and now he was in for it.
“Are you on the visitors list?” she asked.
“I have no idea,” he shrugged.
“Well, let’s go take a look, shall we?”
Darren looked nervously at Paige through the window, and then turned to follow the nurse when it appeared that she was waiting for him. He doubted he would be on the visitor’s list. Especially if Barnett had his way. Maybe, just maybe, with all the confusion, they had forgotten.
Leaning on the desk, Darren flashed the nurse a bright smile. He watched as she picked up a clipboard and flipped through some pages.
“Okay, here it is…Paige Harper. Oh…there are no restrictions,” she said. “It’s usually only family. I guess it will be okay if you go in.”
Shocked at his good fortune, Darren only smiled. He had better take advantage while he could. Hopefully, he could be in and out before anyone who knew him showed up.
~*~
William walked out of the cafeteria, a cup of coffee in hand. He hoped he had given Jonas enough time with his family. He knew the poor boy was having a tough time dealing with Paige’s accident and the loss of the baby. His mother and teenage son would do a lot to help with that grief.
His own sons had left, saying that they would set up a rotation schedule to be here when Jonas and he could not. Neither of them wanted Paige to be alone.
Stepping into the elevator, William pressed the button for the fourth floor, and ICU. God, he hated hospitals. Almost as much as Paige did. Losing Elizabeth as they did, so many years ago, had taken a toll on everyone. Especially Paige.
He hadn’t really seen it before. His grief had been too deep to realize that his daughter had been distraught. Now, when she was to become a mother herself, he saw just how much she missed her Mom. Only now, she had lost that child and didn’t know yet.
Sighing, William stepped out of the elevator. It wasn’t easy being a father some days. It wasn’t easy at all.
~*~
Between Jonas and Ian, they carried the bags into the hotel suite Evelyn and Ian would be sharing while staying in Chicago. Evelyn had been adamant. She was staying. Nothing Jonas said could budge her.
“Are you sure you won’t stay with us?” she asked Jonas for the second time.
“I’m sure, Mom. I have to go back to the cabin for most of my things, and then I will be staying with Darcy. We’ve already made the arrangements and it’s closer to the hospital.”
“I’m glad you have friends in town. And Paige’s family? How are they holding up?”
“William is taking this rather hard. I haven’t seen much of Marc or Ryan since the accident. We are all taking turns keeping vigil. None of us want her to wake up alone.”
“Well, just let us know when we can visit,” she said, taking her suit from the bag and hanging it in the closet.
“Anytime you want, Mom.”
“Dad? We know how Paige is
. You never really said how you are. Are you still leaving at the end of the month?”
Jonas sighed, raking a hand through his hair. He hadn’t thought that far ahead yet, but Ian had a point. He was supposed to leave for Spain the end of January. Filming for
El Dorado
started soon after that. He would be gone for a long time. Could he leave if Paige wasn’t out of her coma?
“Dad?” Ian questioned.
“Sorry. I was thinking. Actually, I hadn’t really thought about what happens at the end of the month. I was too stunned by the accident to actually think that far ahead.”
“Well, you had to have had some kind of plan in place,” Evelyn said, unpacking more of her things.
“We did. But now, I just don’t know….”
“We will take care of things as the time comes closer. We will just have to pray that Paige comes out of her coma by then. I am sure a change of scenery will do her good. She could travel to Spain with you.”
Jonas stared at his Mother. From her lips to God’s ears.
~*~
William headed down the hallway toward the nurse’s station. Looking up, he found a new nurse on duty.
“Afternoon. I’m here to see my daughter.”
“She’s been resting comfortably,” she replied.
William nodded. He had hoped there would be some kind of change and yet, he knew it was too early. The doctor’s had warned them that it would be at least a week or more.
Slipping in to her room, he pulled a chair over to her bedside. “Hey, sweetheart. You had a visitor earlier. Jonas’s son was here. Broke my heart to see the pain in that young man’s face. He must love you an awful lot. And Jonas’s mother was here as well. It’s good that they
came. Jonas needs them.”
He sat there for a moment, wondering if she could actually hear him or not. The doctor had said that there was evidence that coma patients could hear things around them, voices and conversations, and hear them clearly.
“Speaking of Jonas, he’s not looking very well. I doubt he slept much at all last night after they brought you up here. I hope his mother makes him take care of himself. I doubt very much he would listen to me.”
“Your brothers were here. They have decided to divide their time here. They don’t want you to be alone. They are good men. They’ve always looked out for you. I know they tease you sometimes, but it’s in good nature.”
A sound at the door caused William to turn around. Standing there was Marcus, a sheepish smile on his face.
“Speak of the devil. Marcus is here. Be right back,” he said, kissing her cheek.
Standing, he crossed the small room and hugged his oldest tightly. Pulling away, he smiled weakly.
“Any news?” Marcus asked, wishing he could hear that there was.
“No. But we all knew that going in. Why don’t you sit with her for a while? I want to check on Jonas and his family. Make sure they got settled in okay.”
“I was surprised that they arrived so quickly.”
“I guess they have some money. Either way, I am glad they are here. Jonas needs the support. He has us, but having his mother and son must be really comforting.”
“Go call him. I will sit with Joanie for a bit.”
“She’s going to get you for calling her that,” William chuckled.
“Yeah, well she has to wake up first. Then I will gladly take any punishment she wants to dish out.”
William laughed, walking away. If the boys teased her beyond measure, perhaps she would get frustrated enough to wake up. Anything was possible.
~*~
Darren stood beside his car, his cell phone pressed to his ear. Waiting for the other end to pick up, he recalled what he had seen while in Paige’s room. Her stomach was quite flat; she had lost the baby.
“Hello?”
“Natalie? It’s Darren.”
“Darren? What do you want?”
Darren rolled his eyes. She was still pissed off at him. They had gotten into a huge fight the day Paige had kicked him out and they had broken up. Didn’t leave him with much, but that was why he was calling.
“I wanted to know if you were still pissed off at me.”
“You think I’m not? Damn it Darren, we’ve gone over this before. I am not doing this with you again. You can’t have your cake and eat it too.”
“I’m not with Paige anymore. I’ve told you that.”
“We
ll, you’re not with me either. I guess you’re on your own. It was fun while it lasted, Darren, but it’s over. Don’t call me again.”
Darren cussed as the dial tone buzzed in his ear. Well, that didn’t go over well. Unless he wanted to go back to living in squalor, he had better figure out a way to get himself some cash fast.
~*~
Jonas crossed the lobby of the hotel, juggling his cell phone, a piece of paper and a pen. He listened to William on the other end, giving him directions to the cabin. Half his belongings were there and if he wanted them, he had to go get them. Scribbling the directions down, Jonas wished he had paid closer attention when Paige had driven up there.
“Are you sure you can find it? One of us could go with you,” William offered.
“I’ll be fine. Besides, you need to be here with Paige while I’m gone. I won’t be there long. Just overnight. I want to make sure everything is taken care of.”
“You’re going to need the number for Sam and Margie. They will take care of everything for you. You still got that pen and paper?”
“Yes, Sir. Go ahead.”
“It’s 555-3892. Just remind them who you are. You’ll have no troubles. If you get lost on the way up there, just call Sam. He’ll help you out.”
“Thank you. When you see Paige again, will you kiss her for me?”
“I sure will, Son. And I will tell her you love her. Will your
family be coming by?”
“I think Mom would like to see her, if that’s all right.”
“Send her along. I know Paige would love the company. The doctor says she can hear everything going on around her. Maybe if we make it interesting enough, she’ll wake up.”
Jonas tried to smile. “Maybe you’re right. I will tell my mother to head over after dinner.”
“Be careful driving up there in the dark. They’re calling for more snow tonight.”
“I will.”
Jonas ended the call, feeling a little better about having to make the drive to the cabin. He hadn’t wanted to go. He had wanted to spend his every waking moment with Paige. His mother had talked him into going. She said he needed his things and that Paige would be well looked after.