by Carrie Carr
"Is there a problem, Miss Cauble? We need to prep you for surgery so we can take care of your leg." The doctor heard her arguing with the nurse, and mentally shook his head at the young woman's stubbornness. "As soon as we get you ready to go, we can give you a few minutes with your family."
She acted as if she hadn't even heard him. "I'm not going anywhere until I know how Lex is." Amanda felt tears of frustration burn her eyes and decided to change tactics. "Please? She's the most important person in the world to me, and no one will tell me anything."
"Let me see what I can find out. In the meantime, please let my nurse take care of you." He stepped away from the bed and turned back around. "Your family is waiting to see you. Let me show some of them in, and I'll be back with some information on your friend."
"Thank you, doctor." Amanda consigned herself to the nurse's ministrations, and leaned back onto the bed with a heavy sigh. Stupid leg. If it didn't hurt so darned bad, I'd search the hospital myself. I may have to, anyway.
The doctor showed Michael into the room, and Anna Leigh followed right behind her son. Jacob stayed outside with Elizabeth to make sure she wouldn't barge in and upset Amanda. The pair stood patiently inside the doorway until the nurse had finished with Amanda before they stepped forward quietly. "Hi, sweetheart." Michael combed her hair back from her face. "You sure gave us quite a scare."
Amanda wrapped her good arm around his neck, pulling her father close to her. "Oh, Daddy!" She began to cry into his neck.
"Sshh. It's okay, baby. I'm here." He sat on the bed next to her and held Amanda gently.
Anna Leigh stroked her tousled hair. "Thank the good Lord you're going to be fine, Mandy."
Amanda pulled away from her father and composed herself. "Have you heard anything about Lex? They won't tell me a thing." She smiled through her tears as her grandmother wiped her face with a handkerchief. "Thanks."
"They came and got Martha right before they told us about you," Michael supplied. "But we haven't heard any news, as of yet." He noticed his daughter's right lower leg wrapped in gauze and encased in an air splint. "They're telling us you're going to need surgery for your leg, but in time it should heal as good as new. I'm just glad you're going to be okay. From the sound of it, you got lucky. Your mother is outside. She wants to--"
"Hasn't she done enough?" Amanda asked forcefully. "We could have been killed." She stared over her father's shoulder at Anna Leigh. "I don't want to see her."
"I'll be more than happy to tell her, Mandy." Anna Leigh watched as her granddaughter's eyes began to close. "You just worry about getting better, and we'll take care of everything."
"Thanks, Gramma." Amanda fought to keep her eyes open. "Please find Lex for me," she pleaded. "I have to know--"
Michael eased her back gently. "We will, honey. I'll be back in just a minute." At his daughter's slight nod, he allowed his mother to take his place on the bed and stepped from the room.
"It's about time you got out here. I demand to see my daughter!" Elizabeth pushed by Jacob roughly, intent on barging into the room. Kevin, who had been standing quietly by, stopped her advance.
"You're not going anywhere, Mrs. Cauble." He held onto her arm and refused to let go.
Her face darkened with rage. "Get your hands off me, you filthy pervert." She glared at her husband. "Tell him to let me go, at once!"
"I'm not going to do that, Elizabeth. You're going to have to leave." Michael enjoyed watching his wife's face turn an ugly shade of purple. Maybe she'll have a stroke, and give us all a break. "Amanda doesn't want to see you, so you might as well go on back to your hotel."
"Doesn't want to see me? Of course she does. I'm her mother." She glanced up as a couple of hospital security officers walked to the group. "Gentlemen, I could use your assistance, please."
One of the guards nodded. "Yes, ma'am." He traded looks with Kevin, who slowly released his hold on the irate woman. "If you'll just come with us, we'll show you the way out."
"What? Do you have any idea who I am?" she shrieked, as the two men flanked her and began to lead her away.
"Yes, ma'am. You're someone who's dangerously close to going to jail, if you don't quiet down," the officer stated calmly. They continued down the hallway, her voice rising as she tried to talk her way out of their custody.
Morris watched them leave, an amused look on his face. "God, I wish I had a video camera." He turned his attention back to his brother-in-law. "How's Mandy?"
"She's okay. They had just sedated her when we went in, so she's a bit out of it right now," Michael reported. "Has anyone heard any word on Lex?"
Jacob shook his head. "Charlie was looking for Travis earlier, but he didn't have any information for us."
"Well, we'd better find out soon. Amanda's refusing to go into surgery until she finds out something. Knowing my daughter, she'll do just that. She's driving the nurses nuts."
"Sounds like our girl," Jacob chuckled. "Let's go see what we can find out, so she'll let the doctors do their work."
LEX BECAME AWARE of a touch on her arm. "Amanda?" she croaked, her throat dry. She tried to open her eyes and panicked when she couldn't see. "Amanda?"
"Ssssh, honey. Everything's fine. Just stay quiet." Martha leaned forward and brushed her fingertips against Lex's cheek. The fever she had been fighting all week was back at full strength.
"Martha?" Lex whispered, turning her head slightly. She tried again to open her eyes. "Where's Amanda?" A cool touch at her lips caused her to open her mouth slightly, as the housekeeper gave her a chip of ice.
Martha continued to feed Lex tiny bites of ice. "Shhh. Save your strength. Amanda's going to be just fine. Her leg was broken in the accident, so they've got her in surgery right now taking care of it."
The injured woman tried to sit up. "Surgery? I've got to--"
"You've got to lie back and take it easy. Anna Leigh has already arranged for you two to share a room, once Amanda's out of recovery." She chuckled and shook her head. "Let me tell you, Lexie. That girl of yours is a spitfire."
"What did she do?" Lex asked. Memories of the accident flooded her mind. She was having trouble breathing through her nose, and remembered it had been smashed in the wreck. God, I hate broken noses. Her head felt as if it were about to explode, and she knew it would be a little while before the swelling around her eyes went down enough for her to see. Could have been a lot worse, though. "How badly was Amanda hurt?"
Martha pulled the hospital bedding around Lex's chest. "Just the broken leg and a bruised arm. They were trying to get her ready to go into surgery, but she threw a fit and refused to let the nurses anywhere near her."
"Why?"
"She was worried about you, sweetheart. No one told her where you were, or how you were doing. I'm afraid she gave the staff a hard time." Martha brushed her fingers against Lex's cheek again. "How are you feeling? You had us all a bit worried." She used her free hand to brush the tears away from her own face.
Lex tried to shift around on the bed. "Hurts like hell, Martha." She lay motionless and listened. "What's wrong? Why are you crying?" She searched with her right hand until she felt the housekeeper's arm. "Don't cry. I'm okay, see?" Lex started coughing, bringing renewed pain to her aching shoulder and head. "Damn."
Martha pushed the call button on the bed. "Take it easy. I'll get the nurse in here to give you something for the pain."
"No. Not 'til I can see Amanda." Lex frowned. "Or can at least hear her," she amended hoarsely. She let her head fall lightly against her pillow. "Thanks for being here."
"No place else I'd be. Now you stay still, and we'll wait for Amanda together."
"Yeah." Lex felt sleep pulling at her. "Wake me when they bring her in?"
Martha swallowed the ache at seeing Lex so vulnerable. "I sure will. Rest for now." She continued to stroke the pale cheek with her fingertips.
"'kay. Thanks, Mada. Love you." The last words were barely a whisper, as Lex dozed off.
"I love you
too, my precious girl." Martha leaned over and kissed the warm cheek and sat back to wait.
Chapter Seventeen
AMANDA WOKE SLOWLY. The first thing she saw was her grandmother's concerned face. She smiled weakly at her. "Hi." Her voiced sounded scratchy, and she welcomed the small cup of water and straw Anna Leigh held out to her. After taking a few tentative sips, Amanda gave her a stronger smile. "Thanks."
"You're welcome, honey." Anna Leigh couldn't keep her hands at rest. Her nerves were on edge. She fussed a bit with the blanket, straightening and brushing off the same area several times. She had chased her son and husband from the room earlier, asking them to go get something to eat. Morris and Kevin promised to take care of the two men and return shortly with lunch for her as well.
"Gramma?"
Anna Leigh looked into the eyes were so much like her own. "I'm sorry, Mandy. Do you need more water? How about another blanket? Maybe I can--" One of her nervous hands was clasped gently.
"What's the matter? I don't think I've ever seen you like this." Amanda had a good idea what her grandmother's problem was. "I'm okay." She studied the foot of the bed, where her right leg had been placed in traction. Still feeling groggy from the anesthesia, she grinned. "I have everything I came in here with. That's always a good thing, right?"
Anna Leigh laughed and covered her mouth with her free hand to fight back her tears. "Dear Lord, Mandy. This is not a joke. You both could have been killed."
"But we weren't." Amanda noted the linen curtain that separated off her part of the room. "Where's Lex? How is she? I need to see her." She grabbed the side rail of the bed. "Help me sit up. Please?"
The beige curtain slowly moved back, and Martha appeared. "Goodness, Amanda. You sure do raise a ruckus. How are you feeling?"
"I'm doing okay. Feeling a little groggy, though." She sighed in relief when her grandmother helped her to a near sitting position, and she could see across the dimly lit room. "Oh, Lex," she cried in her concern for the woman resting in the opposite bed.
"She's doing just fine, Amanda. I'm afraid she got a bit anxious waiting for you to come from surgery, and the nurse had to sedate her." Martha stepped over and placed a hand on Anna Leigh's shoulder, silently offering her support. "The swelling in her eyes should be down enough tomorrow so she can see again, thank goodness. I'm afraid our Lexie isn't one for feeling helpless."
"Now that's an understatement." The space between the beds appeared to be vast, and Amanda wracked her brain trying to figure out how to get her leg out of the traction it was in. "Is there any way we can be pushed closer together? I'd like to be able--"
"I'm sure something can be arranged." Martha exchanged looks with Anna Leigh. "What do you think?"
For an answer, Anna Leigh stood and slid her chair to the other side of Amanda's bed. The women worked quickly, and soon had the beds no further than a foot apart. "I'm certain the nurses will have something to say about this," Amanda's grandmother commented, "but they'll have us both to answer to if they try to move you apart." She watched as her granddaughter slowly touched the sleeping woman's arm.
"Lex," Amanda whispered, feeling relief at finally being able to make contact with her lover. She turned toward the two women standing by the foot of her bed. "Thank you, both of you." Tears pooled in her eyes. "You don't know how much this means to me."
Anna Leigh gently patted Amanda's uninjured leg. "I think we do. Why don't you try to get a little rest? Lexington will probably be sleeping for hours. The nurse was afraid she'd accidentally injure herself, so I think the sedative she gave her was a strong one."
Amanda's lips curled into a faint smile. Knowing Lex, it's probably the only way they got her to rest. A frown of concern appeared as she studied Lex. "Her face is so swollen, and she looks so pale." Her eyes pleaded with Martha. "She is going to be okay, isn't she?"
"She looks a lot worse than she is. I'd forgotten how scary a broken nose could appear. Poor child looks like a wounded raccoon."
"Maybe I'll just close my eyes for a minute," Amanda said, tilting the bed back to a more comfortable position. "I just don't want her to wake and think no one's here." She closed her eyes but kept her grip on Lex's arm.
Martha smiled at the sight. She patted Anna Leigh on the back. "Why don't we let these girls get some rest and go see how the rest of our family is doing?"
"It sounds like a wonderful idea, Martha. I'm sure they're busy harassing half the staff by now." Anna Leigh spared one final glance at her granddaughter and followed her from the room.
"WHAT DO YOU mean, it didn't work?" He sat up and rubbed his eyes. The hangover from all the alcohol he had consumed the day before was making him sick to his stomach.
"You stupid jackass! Can't you do anything right?"
"Don't be yelling at me. We almost killed ourselves for you. As it is, I'm going to have to put the truck in the shop. You told me it would be easy. Who knew the damned broad could drive so good?" Bobby went to his nightstand and grabbed the half-empty beer he had left there the night before. Taking a long swallow, he blinked and rubbed his eyes. "It's too early to argue about this, anyway."
"Quit your whining. It's after one o'clock in the afternoon. How hard is it to run someone off the damned road?"
The bleary-eyed man pulled the phone away and stuck his index finger in his ear, wiggling it around. "Not so loud, for crissakes. Jeez. Try to do a person a favor and you get yelled at."
The person at the other end of the line sighed. "Fine. I'm sorry I yelled. You told me last night you could handle her for me. You didn't even do anything to her at the dance."
"How were we supposed to know her little girlfriend could fight so dirty? Benny's aching from last night." He almost chuckled at the memory. "I was going to go after them, but you told us to make sure nobody saw us. Stupid dykes."
"Okay, okay, just forget about it. Don't worry about them. I'll think of something else."
Bobby drained the rest of the beer. "Cool. I've gotta get the truck fixed, though. If the old man--"
"Wait, you idiot. If you take the truck in to be repaired, they'll know it was you. They'll trace you back to me. I can't afford for that to happen."
"Well, what am I supposed to do? It's not even my truck."
A long pause was followed by another heavy sigh. "Do I have to think of everything? Rent a truck for now, and just give me the bill. Once everything dies down, take the damaged truck out of town to be worked on. I'll pay for that, too. Do you think you can handle that?"
"Yeah, yeah. I got it. You don't have to get all bent out of shape."
"Don't screw this up, idiot. I've got enough things to worry about without having to baby-sit you, too."
Bobby yawned and scratched at his belly. "Yeah, right. Just don't be asking me for any more favors." He hung up the phone and shook his head. "Somebody needs to get laid. Waaay too uptight."
THE TOUCH ON her arm was so light, Lex thought she was imagining it. Struggling to see through her swollen eyes, she was gratified to see it wasn't a dream. Amanda was sleeping in the bed next to hers, and she had her fingers curled around Lex's forearm. The lights in the room were dimmed, so it was hard to see everything. Lex strained her eyes and saw Amanda's right leg raised in traction. "Oh, sweetheart. I'm so sorry."
"Mmm?" Amanda tried to roll over in her sleep, but aborted the attempt as a wave of pain flashed through her leg. "Ow." Her eyes opened and she saw her lover's pained gaze. "Lex, why didn't you wake me?" She quickly tried to scoot closer, never releasing her grip on the other woman's arm.
"I just woke up, myself." Lex blinked a few times to try to clear her vision. She struggled to a sitting position and swung her legs over the side of the bed, much to her partner's shock.
"What are you doing, Lex? You can't do that." Amanda almost hit the call button for the nurse. "You're going to hurt yourself."
There was barely enough room between the beds for Lex to stand, but she somehow managed it. "Hush," Lex whispered. "My eyes a
ren't working well, and I need to see you." Luckily, the IV was attached to her right arm so she didn't have to maneuver around it. Her bare feet hit the tile floor, and she gasped. "Damn, that's cold."
"Teach you to not listen to me."Amanda watched as Lex fought to keep the pain from showing. Her poor face. She looks like she lost the title fight. Even in the faded light she could see what the effort was costing her lover. "You should be resting."
"I would, but these beds aren't big enough." She coughed and winced, as the effort caused her head to pound. Lex settled for sitting on the edge of Amanda's bed, and used one hand to caress her face. "I'm so sorry about your leg, sweetheart. Is there anything I can get you?" She had to lean over to make out her partner's features.
"Yeah, this." Amanda wrapped her unencumbered arm around Lex's neck and pulled her face in gently for a kiss. As she had feared, she could feel the heat from Lex's body as she pulled her close. She's running a fever. She needs to lie back. How on earth am I going to get her back in her own bed?
"Ahem."
They both turned their faces toward the door. "Hi, Grandpa," Lex greeted the newcomer. She was thankful for the low lighting in the room, so he couldn't see her blush.
Travis walked further into the room. "I was going to ask you how you're doing, but I can see for myself. Is there a reason, besides the obvious one, why you're not in bed, Lexie?"
"Umm."
He waved his hands. "Never mind. I don't think I want to know." Travis turned Lex's face toward him. "Good Lord, child, your poor face."
She grabbed his hand and held it. "It looks a lot worse than it is. I'm fine."
"Uh-huh." Deciding to change tactics, Travis looked fondly at Amanda. "How are you doing? Your grandmother told me the surgery went well."
"I'm feeling good. They didn't find the problems they expected, and only put a pin in my leg as a precaution. I should be up and around in no time."
"A pin in your leg? My God, what have I done to you?" Lex whispered, and felt tears burn her eyes. "Maybe if I were a better driver, none of this would have happened. You could have been killed, and it's all my fault." Her self-recriminations were cut short by Amanda's calming touch.
