by Tara Brent
“Anemic? How the hell could that have happened?” I ask, not understanding what could cause such a condition.
“She hasn’t been eating well ever since the nasty incident with that young man, Paul. I thought it was worry causing her paleness,” Lisa says.
“I hadn’t even noticed that she wasn’t eating properly, that’s how good a partner I’ve been, Lisa,” I admit, in shame. “I’ve been so wrapped up in other stuff that I never paid any attention to Chrissy’s health.”
“We’re all to blame. Don’t be too hard on yourself. I’m her mother and should know her better than anyone, even you, but I failed her too. The doctors tell me very little about her progress. It happened yesterday morning and my neighbor, Dan, drove me to Cowichan District Hospital to see her. I haven’t been able to go back since then. I keep calling, but they say there’s no change. What does that even mean? No change from what?”
“It’s taken you two days to call me! Why didn’t you call me straight away, Lisa? No, don’t answer that one. I know, I’ve behaved like a big kid.”
“I’ve been so wrapped up in it all and I wasn’t sure of the time difference, Drew. It’s been really hard...”
I’ve done it again! Why can’t I keep my mouth shut? Now I’ve got Lisa to the point of tears at the other end of the phone.
“Lisa, it’s okay. I’m so sorry I had no right to speak to you like that. Look, it doesn’t matter. I’m on my way back as soon as we finish speaking. I’ll get my people on to it and get them to ring you with information on what’s going on. Stay with Lucas at the house, for now, and I’ll come and get you both as soon as I can. Is your nurse with you?”
“No, no. I sent her away when you left. It didn’t seem right to keep her on,” she says.
“Why?” I ask though I know it’s a stupid question. “Don’t answer that, Lisa. I’ll get Rita to contact her and get her to come to you at your home. Sit tight. We’ll sort this all out, Lisa, I promise.”
We finish our call and it’s only when I put my cell phone down that I realize Rita is standing right next to me, looking worried.
“I’m booking a private flight from Milan, you and Annie can follow if you can arrange the flights, Rita. Oh, and get that nurse to go to Chrissy’s house for Lisa, will you. As soon as I sort out my flight, I’ll call the hospital and find out what’s going on.”
My wealth buys me nothing but more frustrations when I call the hospital. They tell me very little due to patient confidentiality. I’ll get in touch with one of my P.A’s to get a private doctor to take over her care. Then I’ll have a better idea about what’s going on.
“Your car’s here, my dear,” mother calls out to me. “I’ve packed you a change of clothes so take this bag with you. Let us know as soon as you've seen Chrissy.”
“Thanks, mom, I will,” I assure her as I dash out to the car. The sooner I get going on this journey, the sooner I can be with the woman I love.
Damn my stubbornness. I’m so used to getting my own way that when Chrissy went against my better judgment, I took a sulk. There’s no other way to describe my behavior. Now she needs me and I’m not there. But, I will be soon.
Flying everywhere with a private jet isn’t usually my style. Clara would be outraged if she were here. She taught me not to flaunt my money. I’ve lived by that philosophy ever since I met Clara. Though even she might forgive me under my present circumstances. I must get to Chrissy as fast as I can, and she’s a long way away. I wish I could get to her in an instant because it’s agonizing not being with her when she needs me the most.
I’m soon in the air, flying over the Atlantic Ocean. Lisa’s words echo over and over in my head. Chrissy fell into the cold waters of the marina. Had it not been for a guy who saw it happen, and jumped in to rescue her, I might have been going home to her funeral. That thought petrifies me. Living without Chrissy in this world would be unbearable. What was I thinking when I left her?
I’ve spoken to the local police department and they tell me that the guy saw a woman waving to no one as she teetered over the edge of the marina wall. He shouted over to her but she didn’t seem to hear him. The next thing he knew, she fell into the water and he jumped in straight after her. That guy is my hero and I must seek him out to thank him for saving her life. She was unconscious when he dragged her out, and hasn’t woken up yet. I’m still waiting for my own doctors to contact me. They should be taking over her care right now as my flight gets nearer.
How could I have been so blind? She needed me to be strong, not selfish and stubborn. I’m so annoyed with myself. It's a miracle how such a wonderful woman can love a man like me. There I go again, turning this around to me, me, and me.
Chrissy, baby, hang on in there, I’m coming...
Chapter 42
Am I Dreaming
I wake up wondering where the hell I am. I’m lying in a bed in a strange room. My head is heavy as if I’ve been drugged and my body feels weak. Despite the unfamiliar surroundings, I don’t feel frightened but I am puzzled.
Where’s Lucas, and mom, and...and Drew, and Annie, and Rita? I don’t understand where I am. I can hear echoey sounds through the partially open door of the room I'm in. Telephones ring out there and voices are talking. I’m not alone then? There are people out there. From the disinfectant smell, I’d say I’m in a hospital. But, how did I get here? Why am I here? What’s wrong with me?
A young woman with blonde hair tied back in a ponytail enters my room. By her uniform, I'd guess she's a nurse and she smiles at me.
“Ah, you’re awake then, Christine?” She says, using my full name and then telling me hers. “My name be Mary Anne.”
No one ever calls me by my full name and it feels impersonal. Should I tell her off? She has a kind face as she smiles at me and comes over to help me sit up.
“Let’s plump up yer pillows, shall we,” she suggests. “Try and make ye more comfortable. You've been dragged through the bushes and back again, ye have.”
I try to speak but my throat feels harsh and dry and all I manage is a strange sort of croak.
“What’s that ye be sayin’?” She asks. “Keep trying to talk, it’ll come.”
I detect an Irish accent to her kind voice. She does a good job of getting me comfortable. Then to my surprise, she takes a seat in a chair next to the bed.
“Where am I?” I manage to croak.
“Ah, yer be in the hospital, Christine, that’s where ye be,” she answers and takes a hold of my hand. “And ye have a cold hand too, let's get ye warmed up with another blanket, shall we?” she smiles.
“Why am I here?” I ask, not wanting her to leave me alone again.
“The doctor will explain everythin’ to ye but ye passed out on Cowichan marina, so ye did. I don’t be knowin’ all the details but I do know that ye be on the mend now.”
I nod my appreciation but I don’t seem to have any memory of coming here. Had she not mentioned Cowichan marina I’d have thought I was in a different country with her broad Irish accent. At least my mind is still working as I assess her in my thoughts. She’s young enough to be a student nurse, most likely on an exchange or something like that. So I'm not in some foreign lands and if this is the main hospital, I'm not far from home either.
“Ye took a plunge in the waters, so ye did,” she continues. “A very brave man rescued ye and resuscitated ye. But here ye are now, and all’s well.”
Wow! I have no memory of any of that.
“Did I die?” I ask.
“Well, he said ye’d stopped breathing, so he did. But, ye don’t need to be worryin’ yerself now, Christine. You’ve pulled through the worse of it, so ye have. Now let me go get that blanket and some hearty soup. Ye could do with something warm inside ye, don’t ye think?”
I nod in agreement. The thought of a warm liquid going down my dry throat sounds very inviting.
As I lay there while the nurse disappears, my memory comes in bits. Not the event the nurse mentioned, but
I recall me and Drew. Suddenly I have a heavy feeling in my guts. I recall that Drew and I had fallen out. Oh no! I wish Drew was here with me. I miss him so much that my heart aches for him. Can your heart actually ache? Well, I’m confirming that it can because that’s what I'm feeling. An ache in my chest as I pine for Drew to be with me.
The rest of the day is a blur. In my confusion, I insist on going home. I demand my cell phone, which Mary Anne reluctantly hands over to me. The fact that it might not work doesn't occur to me. The nurse assures me that a doctor will be coming to explain everything to me and I must be patient. I nod in agreement but say nothing. While she’s out of the room, I phone for a cab with a recall button on my phone. At least I’m remembering some basic stuff, such as we moved back into my house. I must see Lucas and mom. Goodness knows what state they’ll be in. That’s why I have to go home.
Mary Anne brings me in a plate of scrambled eggs but I ask her if I can be alone. I eat the warm eggs with a greedy vigor, but at the same time, I open a closet door. There are some clothes in there that I recognize as mine and I quickly dress.
Opening the door a little, I pop my head out to make sure Mary Anne isn’t around. Then I sneak out of the room. My legs are a little shaky and I'm unstable but I can’t stay here. My family needs me. The corridors are busy so it’s not hard to sneak past the nurses bay. They’re all busy anyway so don’t notice me. I’m a little disoriented but I manage to find the doors out of the ward and head for an elevator.
My common sense tells me to get to the ground floor for the main entrance. As I make my way to the outer doors, the brightness of the daylight hits my eyes painfully. A man comes up to me and asks If I’m Chrissy Montgomery and I nod that I am. It turns out he’s my cab driver who's just arrived.
When I get home, my mom looks shocked to see me and insists that I go straight to my bed. Her words are a blur but I don’t argue with her. The trip home was exhausting. She pays the cabbie and I’m soon tucked up in familiar surroundings. I’m so exhausted I can’t keep my eyes open any longer. It dawns on me that I haven’t seen Lucas yet, but I can’t stay awake. None of this seems real. Am I dreaming?
Chapter 43
Chrissy’s Results
As soon as my plane lands, I'll head to the hospital in the private car I have waiting on stand by for me. I'll still have a couple of hours to travel but I've taken the fastest route I could work out.
The doctor I’ve hired to take over Chrissy’s care called at the start of my ten-hour journey. He informed me that he'd stopped the drugs that were keeping her asleep. Then, he urged me to get to the hospital as he needs to discuss the specifics with me. He can't do that until I've signed all the papers. I would have got someone to go over and sign them on my behalf to speed things up.
My stomach feels as if I've swallowed a lead weight as I'm dreading what all this can mean. Am I to lose Chrissy as I lost Clara? Please, no, I couldn’t bear it. I don’t have the time or the inclination to allow my self-pity to rule me. All I want is to get to Chrissy. I'm still writhing in guilt over what I've done. Why the hell did I do this to the people I love? I have to get us all back together again. That’s all I want now, and to hope that Chrissy will forgive my selfish ways. Trish can be a part of our family. I don’t care anymore. I only want us back together once again. I was so busy playing the alpha male that I forgot how much I love Chrissy and Lucas until I left them behind. When they were not in my life, there was a great empty void.
I get another call. This time I hear a charming female Irish accent, informing me that the caller is Chrissy's nurse. She goes on to tell me that Chrissy's waking up and she's about to eat. This gives me renewed hope that everything’s going to be okay. When I get there the first thing I’ll do is apologize for all the trouble I’ve caused. Then, I'll beg for her forgiveness. I don’t know what I'll do if she spurns me, I can’t live in this world without Chrissy a moment longer.
My mind's a blank as I embark from the plane to the car. I've had no further phone calls other than from Rita to tell me that they're on their way too. She explains that she's arranged for baggage to follow as she wants to get to Canada as fast as she can.
Finally, we arrive. The car drops me off at a typical square modern concrete building. A large sign greets me, stating that, "exceptional people give exceptional care." I hope so. Then I spot a young nurse heading towards me with a worried look on her face.
“Hi, will you be Andrew Gagnon?” She asks, and I immediately recognize the Irish lilt in her voice.
I nod the affirmative but I don’t like the look on her face. Panic floods my senses, oh god, don’t tell me I’ve lost Chrissy...
“I’ve been watching out for yer arrival. I'm to take ye straight to the consultant's room. He be waiting to speak with ye,” she informs me.
Is this good or bad, I can’t tell. I question the nurse but she stays tight-lipped, most likely to do with patient privacy, which I suppose is a good thing. Except for the worried expression on her face indicates that all is not well, not well at all.
I’m greeted by an equally worried-looking consultant. He goes on to inform me that Chrissy has walked out of the hospital. She’s not here!
“How could she find the strength to leave? You’ve only just brought her out of an induced coma?” Is my shocked reaction to his statement.
He agrees with me and appears as surprised as I am. Chrissy is as stubborn as they come when she wants her own way. I hope she hasn't put herself in danger. He suggests I take a seat while he discusses her results with me. I resist the urge to leave right away because I have a great need to find her. I don’t even know that I want to know about her results. But, my instincts take over and tell me to slow down. Chrissy would have gone home to Lucas. I’m sure she’ll be safe and that's what I have to believe. As soon as I’m done here, that’s where I’m heading.
Despite my need to get moving, I sit down to listen to the consultant’s report. I must confront my fears and learn the results of what’s wrong with the woman I love.
Chapter 44
Life
I know it was foolish to leave the hospital, but I needed to be with my son and my mom too. I want to be with my loved ones because I'm so disorientated right now. I’ll contact the hospital later when I'm more myself. Mom was surprised to see me but she didn’t make a fuss over what I'd done. Once I'd cuddled Lucas to reassure him that mommy was back, I headed straight to bed. No sooner had my head hit the pillow and I was fast asleep.
When I wake up, I feel better, though I’m still tired. I seem to be tired all the time these days. I'd put it all down to the traumatic experience we went through with Paul. Stress can do strange things to the body, but maybe I was wrong. I don’t know. I suppose I’ll see what the hospital has to say about any tests they’ve taken while I was there.
I put on my house gown and pop my head into the living room as I'm on my way to the kitchen. Lucas is in there watching TV and mom is busy doing her crochet. She smiles over at me but I see a look of concern in her eyes.
“Don’t worry, mom. I’ll call the hospital once I’ve had something to eat,” I tell her and she nods her silent approval.
As I’m heading into the kitchen, I hear a loud thudding at the outside door. It jolts me awake and Paul suddenly comes into my mind. I can see a dark silhouette through the glass and for a moment I freeze in panic. Paul is still very much in my head causing me moments of horror. Thankfully the panic passes and I soon get a grip on myself.
With only the slightest hesitation, I open the door and almost immediately someone embraces me in their arms. I have a sudden feeling of elation as I smell the familiar aroma of my lover. It’s Drew.
“Oh my god!” He whispers into my ear. “I’ve been such a fool.”
“Hey, ease off you’re crushing me,” I demand half-heartedly.
“Never!” He says. “I will never ever leave you alone again.”
“Drew, you’re scaring me,” I tell him. “What the he
ll’s brought this on and what are you doing here?”
He doesn’t answer me but leads me into the living area. Lucas shouts out to his daddy and runs towards him. Drew picks him up and swings him around while Lucas laughs out wildly. Drew then kneels on the floor to hug Lucas as I watch on, confused.
I see a big grin on mom’s face. Did she call him?
Finally, Lucas frees his daddy and Drew goes over to bend down and kiss mom on the forehead. She remains seated in her chair, looking very pleased with herself.
“I'm so sorry for what I did to you all,” Drew announces. “Sorry, little buddy,” he directs his apology at Lucas. “I’ll take you to Annie soon, but first I need to speak to your mommy.”
With that, he takes my arm and leads me to the kitchen.
“Can you ever forgive me?” He asks, looking so vulnerable.
I say nothing but open my arms and he comes into my embrace.
“I can forgive you for anything,” I say as we reluctantly part.
“You can have anyone you want in your life. I will never dictate rules to you, ever again. It was stupid and selfish and I can’t believe that I nearly lost you.”
He takes hold of my shoulders as we look at one another.
“I’ve been speaking with the consultant at the hospital,” he begins, now getting better control of himself.
“Oh, I was going to call them,” I tell him with a little guilt in my voice.
“Sit down, Chrissy,” he says, guiding me to the little table in our kitchen that has three hard chairs around it.
He pulls a chair up in front of me and takes hold of both my hands, putting them between his own large bulky hands.
“I’m sorry too,” I say, with a little guilt. “I didn’t mean to walk out of that place but I was so confused. I needed to know that Lucas was okay.”
“What’s done is done,” he says in a loving gentle tone. “After a long chat with your consultant, I now know the cause of your condition.”
