The fragrance of the bacon wafted into the bedroom, causing Sam to stir. Her eyes felt as if they were practically glued shut, but her keen sense of smell was wide awake. She rubbed at her eyes, managed to pry them open, and looked to her left to find Chris gone. She felt his side of the bed and it had grown cool. He obviously had woken a while ago. She immediately felt bad for sleeping so late but laid there a moment longer, yawning. She must have been more out of it than she thought when they went to bed.
Sam knew she should probably get up but as her body continued to lie motionless, her brain kicked into action. Everything had changed so rapidly. Only a couple of weeks ago, Chris had taken her out of their busy life for a lovely vacation. At first everything was wonderful. They went to that incredible aquarium with all the exotic sea life that she otherwise may have never seen. They played putt putt golf and had laughed until tears threatened to come out of hiding while they played. The people she had seen walking along, the thrills in the air and all around them had been intoxicating. She had wanted to get on the enormous waterslides while they were there, but everything changed in a flash. She felt her whole life was different. In a sense, she knew that it had.
Her heart hurt for Chris. She had been blessed with an amazing husband. She knew he was worried about her and even though he hadn’t mentioned it, everything else as well. There were things that would need to be taken care of and she wouldn’t be able to go back to school for a while. Maybe for months depending on how well she recovered. Fear bombarded her about getting so far behind on her studies that she would fail. Hopefully, the college she attended would allow her to take some courses online so she could do them at home. She would need to call them on Monday. Her classes were close to finishing and her dream of becoming a chef was very close to being a reality. She loved creating delicious meals in her kitchen and dreamed of owning her own restaurant, but because of her health wasn’t sure about that dream any longer. Would she be able to handle the stress? Could she physically stand on her feet all day? At that moment, the answer to that was no.
Already feeling depression starting she decided not to think about it. She had no control over it and all she really wanted was a cup of coffee with Chris. When she thought about coffee, she realized everything she ate and drank would have to change. They would need to make a trip to the store soon and choose things that wouldn’t be drastic for her heart. Coffee and the bacon she smelled probably wouldn’t be on that list. She would have to make this day the last days she would enjoy those treats. She slowly removed herself from beneath the sheets, slid her terry cloth robe on, and shuffled into the kitchen.
When she got there the aroma was a lot stronger, with the smell of eggs and coffee mingled in. Thankfully, the soft background of the twelve-inch television on the counter covered the sound of her approach. She wanted to surprise Chris with a hug from behind.
She quietly shuffled up behind him as he poured juice into two cups. She realized he was probably going to surprise her with breakfast in bed and felt a little bad for ruining that for him. When she slid her hands along his waist he was caught off guard and spilled some of the juice on the counter.
“Oh, you minx!” he laughed at her as she tightened her grip. “I thought you were still sleeping.”
Giggling, she said, “I was, but I think it was the smell of bacon that woke me.”
“Ah, yes. The power of the bacon.”
He smiled as he turned, returned her hug, and gave her a good morning kiss.
“How are you feeling? Did you sleep good?” he asked.
Sam rested her chin on his chest and whispered, “A lot better than in the hospital, that’s for sure. I missed our bed. Plus, I think I was worn out from the trip home.”
“I agree with you on that one.”
He already had plates filled and ready to eat so he set them on the table instead of trays. They sat across from each other and almost started to eat before she thought of something important.
“Wait a second honey. I don’t know about you, but I think Someone upstairs should be thanked for this, among many other things.”
He smiled and nodded, “You know what? You’re right. Go ahead if you want.”
They both closed their eyes and held hands as Sam began.
“God, there are so many reasons I should be thanking You right now. So many. I want to start by saying thank You for keeping me alive and for getting Chris and I home safely. Thank You for getting our parents back home safely and thank You for the doctors and nurses who took care of me. Thank You for this food, Lord, and thank You for Chris. Most importantly, thank You for loving me. If You didn’t, none of this would be possible. In Your name, I pray, amen.”
“Amen,” Chris followed.
She gave Chris a smile of love and gratitude and thanked him for making breakfast, but didn’t tell him it would be a good idea to eat healthier. She decided to enjoy it instead and ate in relative silence as the television played on. She was obviously starving for something decent to eat because she devoured everything on her plate. Chris asked if she wanted seconds but she declined.
“Since I won’t be able to move around as much as I used to I’ll get fat if I’m not careful.”
“I doubt that, but if you do I’ll still love you with all of me.”
He leaned down, kissed her lightly, and started to clean up the dishes as Sam remained in her chair, watching him.
“Have you talked to your parents? I need to call mine before Momma has a conniption fit.”
Chris leaned back against the counter and answered. “Yeah, I called them a couple hours ago. They were worried because I told them I would call when we got home and I forgot.”
“Oh, okay. What time did you get up?”
“A little after seven. I thought I would get up and do a couple of things. Call them and surprise you with breakfast in bed.”
“But I messed that part up for you,” she admitted and pushed out her bottom lip into a pout.
“It’s okay, no worries. I’m glad you are up.”
Taking a long strand of hair in her fingers she stared at him. He looked tired and she felt bad for him. They didn’t fully know what the future held, but hopefully it would get better.
“I think I’m going to go take a shower,” she told him.
“Okay. Do you need any help?”
She laughed even though she knew he was asking without intimacy in the question.
“I think I can manage.”
They both snickered as he watched her walk away.
***
Sam stood in front of the mirror with a frown and looked at her stitches. Amazingly, there weren’t many. Even though the hospital said there wouldn’t be a scar, doubt hung heavily on her. It wouldn’t be long before she could have them removed.
The water in the shower was already on and the steam started to overflow from the shower doors. She slid one to the side and stepped inside, immediately grateful it was her shower and not the one in the hospital room. It felt wonderful to be in her own shower. To be home. The showers in the hospital were small and she had to keep pushing the button for the water to turn back on. That was a little aggravating, plus the pressure was better at home.
Taking her time, she soaked her hair and was applying shampoo when a dull pain shot across her chest. At first it was minimal and she tried not to worry about it, thinking it was probably still the stress and everything that had happened recently, but it didn’t stop. By the time she rinsed the shampoo from her hair her breathing began to grow heavy and fast. She could feel her pulse rising and numbness on the left side of her throat. Fear became a serious issue. She became weak and her vision turned spotty and blurry. She cried out for Chris, but her voice came out hoarse. She knew before she blacked out that he didn’t hear her.
***
Chris finished cleaning the breakfast dishes. It seemed Sam had been in the shower longer than usual. At first he didn’t think much of it. He figured she was shaving her legs and taking her time since she hadn’t been able to enjoy a good shower while in the hospital. After half an hour he called down the hall for her and when he didn’t hear her answer his worry turned into growing fear.
He walked down the carpeted hallway still nervous about how to act because he didn’t want to be overbearing. She had made him promise not to worry too much and he was going to try his hardest. Step by step as he got closer to the bathroom door his nerves became more frayed. The bad feeling in his gut grew and he found himself praying even before he reached the bathroom door. He knocked hard enough for Sam to hear him.
“Sam, are you okay in there, honey?”
She didn’t respond and his heart went from his chest to his throat. He could still hear the shower running; when he opened the door steam hit him in the face, but Sam wasn’t to be seen. Immediately, he called out to her at the same time he slid open the shower door.