CHAPTER 9
Days had passed, and nothing had changed. Everly sat in Granny Lou’s hospital room, leaving only to shower and change – never gone more than an hour. A stroke, they said. Something came loose, a clot, or plaque, they weren’t sure. They also weren’t sure if there was any permanent damage.
Early assessments indicated weakness on her left side, but they wouldn’t know the full extent of her health until she was woke up. This time, they kept her in a medically induced coma, so they could keep her stable and rule out anything else that could possibly interfere with her recovery. She was weak, she was living with the help of a few machines, but she was alive. For now.
Gran’s waking was likely some sort of fluke and precursor to the stroke. Beck McCain had pulled every string he had, and paid big bucks to bring in any specialist they thought could help with Gran’s case and to help Everly.
Each one of those doctors, though, couldn’t explain her brief waking and the odd circumstances surrounding her now stroke. McKenzie General and Doctor Sterling had provided the highest quality care available, nothing was left overlooked or undone. It was all just a fluke. Doctor Sterling was now at McKenzie General full-time through a Cardiology Grant sponsored by none other than, Beck McCain.
A neurologist who specialized in strange neuro anomalies was joining the team as well. Also on a grant, this time sponsored by the Tayler family. Everyone forgot Dawson came from money, and had a shit ton of it stowed away. He didn’t like where it came from and didn’t use it personally, but did use it for things like this – things that would benefit others. Dr. Skye Reynolds was the best of the best and her only
patient at the moment was Louise Shaw.
Sitting in that room left Everly with a lot of time to do some soul searching. So many profound things had happened in such a short amount of time that she couldn’t help but wonder if Sam was on to something with that whole it’s a sign
thing. Despite two major medical scares, Gran was still alive and there was hope.
She was pregnant, something she never planned. There was an amazing man just waiting for her to accept him. And her friends, they loved her and Gran so much that they were doing everything in their power to build a foundation for a happily ever after. All for her.
If all of that wasn’t cupid raining his shower of all things love on her…she didn’t know what it was.
Every obstacle that landed in her path came with a resolution. Weighing the good and bad, she couldn’t see a drastic influence from the bad. Sure, Gran falling ill was bad, but look at the good that came of it. In the end, when she was well, McKenzie would have not one, but two highly sought after doctors to tend to them. That was good.
She had a rowdy group of friends who were in her business at every turn. They interfered, annoyed, and overstayed welcomes…but they were her biggest cheerleaders and loved her unconditionally despite her own conditions.
Sure she had been knocked up
, but now she was tied to the most incredible man she could have asked for. He was kind and loving, but more importantly, he was patient. There weren’t many men who would put up with the boundaries and baggage she brought to the table. But he did, and he did it with grace.
Doc brought her every meal so she wouldn’t have to leave the hospital, or Gran’s side. If he couldn’t, he arranged for someone else to do it. He didn’t force the issue, just took care of her from a distance, giving her the space she needed to sort out her demons.
There were flowers, daily, also from Doc she thought. But he didn’t say a word, about anything. She woke up some nights with a blanket over her and her head on his shoulder while he stroked her face with the back of his hand or caressed her arm. He comforted her.
There was no safer place than in his arms, and she was starting to see forever. Imagining a life without him was painful, whereas seeing a future with him felt like home. He doted on her like he needed her to breathe and if she was honest, she needed him just as much.
Life was funny that way. No matter how much you planned and stood strong in your personal convictions, it really wasn’t up to you. Destiny, fate, kismet, they were all at work and we were at their mercy. The old adage of what was meant to be would be was the real plot twist in life. Doc was her plot twist, as was the baby, and everything that she cared so deeply about. Love – plot twist – and she was trying so desperately to let go of her fears.
She rested her hand on her belly, and looked down. “You, little one, changed my world. I think we’re going to be okay. Your daddy said we were and I’ve never known him to be a liar. You think we can love him back, forever?”
Startled, she placed both hands on her stomach and smiled. A very subtle hiccup of a flutter could be felt in her lower abdomen. She sat up straight, as quiet as can be, reminding herself to breathe. Another flutter. Her smile turned to a joyful giggle and she quickly grabbed her cellphone that was on the table next to her and sent Doc a quick text.
Come to Gran’s room – hurry. –E
Only a few minutes passed before Carly rushed in, Doc only seconds behind her in his scrubs, rubber gloves still on, and out of breath. He must’ve run the whole way. When Carly saw Everly’s hands on her belly, and the tear stained smile, she grinned and backed out of the room.
“What is it?” he questioned, looking from Lou and her monitors to Everly. “What hurts? Are you okay? Jesus, Ev…talk to me!”
In a very calm and sweet tone she waved him closer. “Come here.”
She placed his hand on her stomach next to hers and she giggled. “Do you feel it? Can you feel her?”
“Wait, what? He’s moving?” The weight of the world fell from Doc’s shoulders and an overwhelming sense of joy took over.
They sat in silence for a few moments while she giggled intermittently, and he sat with a goofy smile.
“Can you feel her at all, Doc? All of those little…blips
?”
“No, I can’t. And why do you keep calling him a her?”
“I guess I just thought it was a her? I don’t know…it just came out!” she joked.
“Well, it’s probably still a little early for me to feel him. That’s the special part of this that’s just between the two of you.” He smiled.
“Him? So, you think boy?”
He laughed. “I guess we both just unknowingly decided what we want him or her to be.”
“I’d be happy with either one,” she whispered.
“Well that’s good because you’re definitely getting one or the other,” Doc teased.
“I was just talking to…uhhh…the baby
.”
“You were? What were you two talking about?” he asked, seeing the sentiment in her eyes.
“I was telling her…err…him…the baby
about forever.” Her eyes filled with emotion. “I’m so sorry Mason. I was so scared, am so scared, that I let it decide everything for me.”
He pulled her close and held her, placing kisses on her forehead. “Shhh, it’s okay, baby. I know this hasn’t been easy for you, but you can trust me with everything. I won’t let anything hurt you, or us.”
A subtle sob escaped her as she felt every word he said, and believed it. “Promise me Doc. Promise me you’ll never let anything happen like you said.”
With his forehead to hers he whispered, “I promise, baby. You are my everything. I would’ve waited forever for you and now that I have you…nothing gets in our way. Okay?”
His emotion erupted in a long sultry kiss that he wouldn’t let break free.
“Come home with me, Ev. You can get a good night’s sleep and a decent meal for a change. You need this.”
She was reluctant to go, turning to look at Gran. She hesitated to say anything.
“C’mon babe, it’s just to sleep, eat, and shower. We’re only minutes away and you know they will call immediately should something change. Carly is here, Gran is in good hands. Doctor Reynolds is weaning her meds anyway so she can wake up, you need to be rested for that. You can do this, Ev.”
With a little hesitation, she nodded her head and stood to give Gran a kiss goodbye before walking out the door with Doc…to go home.
Evening turned to night and Blake found himself at the hospital to put a nagging feeling to rest. The words Nurse Carly exchanged with Doc in the corridor were haunting him and he needed resolve. He exited the elevator on Lou’s floor, and rounded the corner to the nurse’s station that tended to Lou.
He played the conversation over and over in his mind, trying to identify the man Carly had mistaken as Everly’s uncle or grandfather. The man with the harmonica who visited only at night and often. Granny had old roots in this town, and old friends too. People like Jed Baker from the bakery, and Chappy the ranch hand out at Morgan’s ranch were old friends, but neither met the description and Carly knew both of them. They also came during the day, during regular visiting hours, and neither played harmonica.
A grey haired man in a cowboy hat, at the other end of the long hall, caught Blake’s attention. He had a swagger that aged him and a certain limp that marked his pace. Blake didn’t recognize the man from his back and assumed he was a patient’s visitor.
When entering Lou’s room, Blake was met by that odd smell again. It was something of a smoldering ash, with a hint of pine and something he couldn’t quite put his finger on. It reminded him of campfire smoke and fresh cut Christmas trees, but he was lost on the rest of what lingered.
“Hey Blake!” Carly said from behind.
“Do you smell that?” he asked.
Carly tilted her head and stared for a moment with a puzzled look on her face, “Isss, that a joke?”
“Why does everyone keep asking that? I don’t get it.”
“Smell. Did you smell that…it’s a joke to get people to smell the air after you…you know.”
“No, I obviously don’t know,” he said, puzzled now himself.
“You know, when you…pass…gas. You ask if anyone can smell that and then they smell…it.”
“That’s disgusting,” he deadpanned.
She laughed. “It is, but people think it’s funny. So what do you smell?”
“That,” Blake motioned to the room while sniffing. “I’ve smelled it several times now. Its woodsy.”
“I suppose. I do smell that off and on. I just assumed it was the flowers or something.”
“There’s more flowers too. How often do those arrive?”
“Oh, Lou Shaw is a popular one – quite the fan club! Those flowers come in at all hours it seems. I can’t keep up!”
With arms half crossed and a wide stance, Blake rubbed his chin trying to piece together what he had, but there wasn’t a big picture forming at all. He was no closer to relieving the itch that told him something was off.
“I heard you talking to Doc about an old guy, you thought it was a relative? Plays a harmonica?”
“Oh, yes! We rather enjoy the late night serenades at the nurse’s station – sometimes it’s just too quiet at night. Don’t know his name. Haven’t met him yet, but he’s friendly enough. He drops off goodies from Baker’s for the nurse’s every now and again.”
“Hmmm, when is the last time you saw him?”
“Oh, he was just here a bit ago, you probably just missed him.”
Blake was at attention, ready to dart, he asked, “Cowboy hat?”
“Yep! That’s him!”
Blake burst from the room, running in the direction he had seen the man. The only way off the floor was through the elevator Blake came in on and the stairs next to it, or down the glass corridor to an elevator in another wing of the hospital – that’s the direction the old man had gone. Blake looked all around, up and down the corridor and couldn’t find the guy.
Doubling back, he realized that there was one more way to the elevator he had come from in the cardiac unit. The old man could have looped around the entire floor and taken the main elevator, but why. Why would he take a long route around when he could have caught it from only feet away, coming from Lou’s room when he left?
Those hairs on the back of his neck were standing tall, indicating something was off in their little community and maybe in their family. He didn’t take kindly to strangers in his town, especially when they were getting too close to his people. Who was the old man and how’d he know Blake was coming?
Catching up with Carly, he offered her his business card, “Hey, if you happen to see the old guy again, give me a holler. No one will know it was you.”
“Sure. Uh, is everything okay? Shouldn’t I just call security if he’s not supposed to be here?”
“I need to find out who he is before we know if he isn’t supposed to be here.”
“Good point.” She dropped her head a bit. “You all are lucky, ya know. To have each other – you all take care of each other. I admire that.”
There was a sadness in her voice that struck him. He didn’t know much about her other than she came from the city, lived alone, and worked a lot. He’d have to remember to pass that on to the ladies. It sounded like Carly could use some friends.
He smiled at her, “Yeah, they’re all really good people.”
Before leaving, Blake went back to Lou’s room to check on her and say goodbye. After all, they said she could hear them. He wasn’t expecting to find anyone in there, visiting with Lou at such a late hour though.
“Jessie? What are you doing here?” He would be lying if he said he wasn’t happy to see her. As ornery as she was, and as big a pain in the ass she was, her face looking back at him gave him comfort.
“Same thing you are.”
“Which is?”
“I know you can feel it. Something isn’t quite right, is it? Can you smell that?”
Jessie Clarke was the thorn in his side that brought a smile to his face. That’s my girl,
he thought.