The Silver Cord: The Lily Lockwood Series: Book Two

by Alison Caiola

  Lily moved closer to Robbie and gently brushed his hair from his forehead and whispered, “The silver cord is tied from my heart to yours that can never be severed. Robbie Rosen, you are the love of my life.”

  The nurse asked her to leave before they hooked Robbie up to the machine. As Lily walked out the hospital’s entrance, she texted David to let him know that she was ready for him to pick her up. Lily waited outside the hospital for almost thirty minutes. When she tried calling him, it went directly to voice mail.

  “Hey David, it’s me again. Where are you? I’m waiting for you, in front. Okay, guess I’ll see you soon.”

  Lily stood by the entrance and watched visitors enter and exit from the hospital. Some people did a double take when they recognized her. Lily smiled to herself because she actually saw a few of them shake their heads as if to dismiss the crazy notion that the famous actress was actually standing in front of them.

  After waiting an hour, Lily felt aggravated. It was unlike David to keep her waiting. A blue Saab pulled up in front of her and the driver rolled the window down. Lily was pleased to see that it was Esther.

  “Hey there. Need a ride?”

  Lily felt relieved that she didn’t have to walk or call a cab to take her back to Pfaelzer Stuben. “Actually yes, I just need a ride back to my hotel.”

  Esther unlocked the passenger door. “Climb in.”

  While Lily was buckling her seat, Esther smiled. “Do you want to come with me? I was just going to get some sushi at this fantastic little place in town. When we’re done, I’ll run you back.”

  “Perfect.”

  While driving the few minutes into Kaiserstrasse, the main street in town, Lily told Esther that they had just started Robbie on dialysis as she was leaving. Since Robbie had been moved into Intensive Care, Esther did not know how he was progressing.

  “Putting him on dialysis could be a slippery slope. His renal function has been affected, meaning his kidneys are not functioning properly. So the dialysis, while it will remove waste, will also remove the antibiotics and steroids from his system that are meant to help fight his infections. They’re going to have to bump up his dosage after dialysis. I’ll take a peek in on him tomorrow.”

  Lily was grateful she had an ally to whom she could turn, someone who could interpret all the medical jargon that was being thrown at them. Esther made a right turn onto an exceedingly narrow side street. Even though it was a two-way street, it did not seem wide enough to accommodate two cars going in opposite directions. When a car passed them, Lily held her breath.

  “Shit that was close.”

  Esther laughed, “You get used to it, believe me.”

  They turned on to the main road, lined with quaint restaurants and shops. Esther pulled up in front of the sushi restaurant and stopped behind a car that was pulling out of the space. With a few deft turns, Esther parallel parked. When Lily stepped out of the car, she noticed a man stumble out from the Irish Pub across the street. He got into his car and accelerated so fast that his tires screeched. Lily shook her head, because, in his haste, the driver almost hit a pedestrian. When the car passed by, she looked at the driver. Lily was shocked to see it was David.

  “David, it’s Lily and it’s 6:00 a.m. Where the hell are you? I’m really worried. Please, whenever you get this message call me.” Lily hung up. It was the fourth message she had left him since the night before. After she saw David drive away from the pub, she was troubled. David was in A.A.—so unless he had relapsed, why was he coming out of a bar? When she saw him stumble and witnessed the hazardous way he drove, Lily was certain that David had fallen off the wagon. She was so upset that she could hardly eat her sushi or carry on a conversation. She finally told Esther why she was distracted.

  “You know, Lily, we can’t control other people—only ourselves. If he’s been drinking, then it’s up to him to pull himself together, yet again. Just take care of yourself and of Robbie. David will have to figure out his own way.”

  Once back at her hotel, Lily knocked on David’s door. There was no answer. Lily was frightened that David could be drunk somewhere or, worse, lying in the street hurt. What if he’d gotten into an accident?

  She slept fitfully, tossing and turning, until 5:30 a.m., when she gave up and took a shower. Visiting hours weren’t for another few hours, so she decided to call the hospital to check on Robbie.

  “Good morning, Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, how may I help you?”

  “Hello. May I please be connected to The I.C.U? Lily asked.

  “One moment, please.” Lily heard a series of clicks before the connection went through. Lily unknowingly clenched her fist when the phone rang and rang. After the fifteenth ring someone eventually picked up.

  “ I.C.U. West, Pembroke speaking, how can I help you?

  I’m calling to find out how Dr. Robert Rosen is doing. He was brought into the I.C.U yesterday.

  “Sorry, I can only give that information out to immediate family, Ma’am.”

  “This is his uh. . . fiancée,” she lied.

  “Oh excuse me, if you can give me the code, I’ll be able to let you know how he is doing,”

  “What code?”

  “When a patient is brought into the Intensive Care Unit they choose a code and give it out to the family members who have permission to receive the information.” Pembroke replied by rote.

  “He was not conscious when they brought him in, so he couldn’t choose a code.” Lily explained

  “Sorry Ma’am, then I can’t give you any information.”

  “Can you at least tell me if he has improved since yesterday?” Lily was losing patience and had to work hard at not sounding annoyed.

  “I can tell you his brother is here with him.” Pembroke said.

  “David? David is there?” Of all the places Lily could imagine David would be, it never occurred to her that he might have gone back to the hospital.

  “Yes Ma’am.”

  “Great, can you please put him on the phone?”

  “Sorry Ma’am, visitors are not permitted to use the phone.”

  To release her frustration, Lily stomped her foot. “Then can you please ask him to call Lily?”

  “I certainly can, but you should be warned that the use of cell phones is forbidden in this unit. So he may not call until he is out of the hospital building.”

  “I understand. Please ask him to call.”

  After she hung up, Lily couldn’t decide if she was relieved that David was safe, or angry that he could not be bothered to return her calls. Surely he must have listened to her many messages and could tell that she was beyond distraught. Esther was right: The only actions she could control were her own. Now that she knew her brother was safe, she lay down on the bed to rest her eyes. Within minutes, Lily drifted off to sleep. But a knock at her door startled Lily awake. She glanced at the bedside clock and was amazed that she had slept for more than two hours. When she opened the door, she saw David standing there. Lily just looked at him.

  “Aren’t you going to let me in?” he asked sheepishly

  Lily did not let him into her room, nor did she say a word to him. She simply folded her arms and stared at her brother.

  David chuckled, “Okay, I get that you’re mad, but at least let me explain myself.”

  Lily shook her head in dismay and granted David entrance into the room.

  Once inside, he tried to give his sister a hug and she fervently shrugged off his attempt.

  “You have got to be kidding me. Why didn’t you return all my calls? Do you know what you put me through—how worried I was?”

  David smiled, “I’m sorry Sis, my phone died and I spent the night in the I.C.U with Robbie.” He sat down.

  “Don’t make yourself comfortable, you’re not staying long.”

  David looked confused, “Why are you so angry? I apologized for not answering your calls.”

  “How about for keeping me standing outside the hospital waiting for almos
t an hour and—”

  David interrupted “— you’re right, I’m sorry. I just got caught up in stuff.”

  Lily stared in amazement, surprised at how easily David could lie to her. “Don’t give me that crap. I saw you. I was in town and I saw you leave the pub— you were drunk!”

  David smiled. “Ah, now I get it. You think I went on a binge.”

  “I saw you stumble outside the bar and then drive like a maniac.”

  “Sis, sit down and let me explain, it’s really not what you think. When we were in the chapel, I got all sorts of jammed up. Everything hit me at once and I needed a drink. You’re right I went to the pub.”

  Lily crossed her arms and sat back. It seemed that finally David planned to tell her the truth.

  “I got there and ordered a shot. The bartender poured it and put it in front of me. I sat looking at it for more than thirty minutes. I didn’t drink it, Sis, I left. And I tripped over something as I rushed out.” He chuckled. “And the driving—I’m not used to a clutch so I popped it, then pressed on the accelerator so it wouldn’t stall.”

  “Then why didn’t you call me back, right after you left? It was only 6:30 p.m.” Lily asked, still not convinced.

  “Well, little sister, I found out they run an A. A. meeting on the grounds of the hospital—building 3703—Wednesday’s at 7:00 p.m., so I rushed over. I made the meeting and after it was over, I sat and talked for a couple of hours with a few of the guys. I went to call you, but my cell was completely dead. Since I was near the hospital, I figured I’d duck in to the I.C.U. I ended up staying all night.”

  Lily felt as if a weight had lifted from her heart. “Why didn’t you tell me you wanted a drink? Why didn’t you let me know so I could’ve helped you?”

  David shook his head. “As much as I love you, you can’t help me Lily. I have to figure it out myself. It’s a process—my process. So yesterday, I figured it out. While I’m here, I’ll work the program—go to meetings.”

  Lily was visibly relieved and hugged her brother. “I’m sorry if I acted like a bitch, I was really worried about you.” She pulled back from their embrace. “Just know that whenever you need to talk or anything, I love you, I’m there for you.”

  David smiled and pulled her ponytail. “I love you, too.”

  “Now that we got that straightened out, tell me about Robbie.” Lily’s face went from relief to concern. “How’s he doing?”

  “Why don’t you get dressed, I’ll take you over, so you can see for yourself.”

  When they got to the Intensive Care Unit, David stepped back and let Lily walk in first. When she opened the door, to her surprise Robbie was sitting up in bed eating. Tears started streaming down Lily’s face. She was so astonished, she couldn’t move.

  Robbie looked up and smiled when he saw Lily standing there. His eyes never left hers. He said, almost to himself, “God, I forgot how gorgeous you are.” Startled, Lily could not move or speak. Robbie looked at his brother and they exchanged smiles. “Lil, I’ve been waiting a long time to kiss you.” Lily practically glided across the room, into Robbie’s arms.

  Chapter 35

  Lily slapped the card down on the table. “ Gin!” She stood up, raised her arms, and did her best impression of Rocky Balboa after he’d knocked out Ivan Drago. “And the crowd roared”. Lily made the sound of a roaring crowd and, with her arms still raised, danced around in a circle.

  The brothers looked at one another and, as if on cue, rolled their eyes and shook their heads.

  She looked at them, feigning innocence. “Hey, what’s with the eye-rolling, I don’t understand?

  David chuckled. “Oh I don’t know, Wyatt Earp, maybe because this is the fortieth time you’ve beaten us in last fourteen days.”

  Lily threw back her head and laughed. The sun caught her face at the perfect angle and caused Robbie’s heart to skip a beat. It was as if, at that moment in time, the sun was an enormous spotlight whose only function was to transmit Lily’s happiness to the world.

  She was overjoyed, which had nothing whatsoever to do with the game of Gin. She looked at Robbie and said a silent prayer of thanks for the way he had transformed physically and emotionally since they first arrived. Sixteen days had passed and she, David, and Robbie were seated at the same picnic table, in the courtyard of the hospital, as the couple whom she had seen kissing the first day she was there. Lily recalled how she had had to walk away from the window because watching them had almost brought her to tears. Now, looking at Robbie and knowing he was on the mend, intensified Lily’s joy. He was still in a weakened state, but he was becoming stronger every day and his doctors were optimistic that he would make a complete recovery.

  David glanced at his watch and smiled. “Well kiddies, as much as I would like a chance to win back some of my hard earned cash from Doc Holliday, I’d better get to the airport to pick up Mom.” He kissed Lily and gave his brother a hug.

  Lily looked across the table at Robbie and smiled. “Want to go for a romantic stroll?

  “You know, the leg is giving me some problems today.” He pointed to a bench on the edge of a pond, underneath a large shade tree. “If you don’t mind giving me a hand, let’s go and sit over there.”

  She stood, walked around the table, and picked up the cane that was hooked on to the arm of the empty seat next to Robbie. He pushed his chair back, took a deep breath, and stood up. The pain in his chest from the surgery was only secondary to the pain in his knee—the one that had been crushed by the sledge hammer. The doctors were convinced that he would benefit greatly from a knee replacement.

  He put his arm around Lily’s shoulder and using his cane for additional support, he walked slowly with her toward the bench.

  “You know you’re luckier than most girls.”

  “Oh yeah, and why is that?”

  “You get to see what it’s going to be like in fifty years, when you have to help me get around this way, all the time.” He teased.

  Even though he was poking fun at himself, her heart leapt when he spoke of the future. Because, finally after all they’d been through, they had a chance to have one—together.

  “Well just remember I’ll be old and wrinkled then and constantly complaining that the kids and grandkids never visit.” Lily teased.

  Caught by surprise and visualizing the scenario, Robbie laughed. Lily looked up at him and smiled. Robbie’s laughter was music to her ears.

  They arrived at the bench and sat down under the tree. A delicate breeze whispered softly through the leaves. Lily looked up at the sky, then faced Robbie. “It doesn’t get much better than this.”

  Robbie put his hands on either side of her face and gazed into her eyes. A surge of love for the beautiful woman next to him sent electric shockwaves through his body. He gently kissed her forehead, then slowly kissed both cheeks. Their lips met and finally their tongues found one another. The years of yearning and heartache collided together.

  She wrapped her arms around Robbie, holding him closer than she had ever held anyone. Finally, she leaned back and tilted her head as she looked into his eyes.

  Tears filled Robbie’s eyes. “That’s it!” He pointed his finger. “That look— do you know how often I thought of that look when I was…away?” He wiped his eyes.

  She leaned in and kissed him again. “You are the bravest person I know.”

  An odd look crossed Robbie’s face as he turned his attention away, feigning interest in a bird perched on a limb in a nearby tree. The bird squawked three times before flying into the pond. Robbie sighed deeply, turned his attention back to Lily, and took her hand in his.

  “You know a lot has happened in the past two years.” He closed his eyes and shook his head. When he reopened them, he leaned in to Lily and softly said, “Some things were really terrible. But I’ve spoken to the doctors here, and I’m going to get through it, I know. I have to.

  Other things, I’m not proud of. . .” He thought of the decision he had made to commi
t suicide.

  “We don’t have to talk about it, now. Lily interrupted. “I want you to know I’m here for you whenever you’re ready to talk. And there will be no judgment, ever.”

  “Thank you.” He realized, when his brother told him about the events that had led up to his capture, what an amazing woman Lily had become. She was stronger than most. He couldn’t imagine anyone risking their life to save his, as Lily had done. If it wasn’t for her, he would still have been a hostage— or worse. The thought that Lily Lockwood—whom fans knew her only as a great actress and trendsetting fashionista—almost singlehandedly, through her resources and sheer will, commandeered his rescue. It was mindboggling to think that the whole undertaking had escalated into a C.I.A. Mission and Navy SEAL rescue.

  When David filled Robbie in on their visit to the MSF compound and the conversation they had while they were there, Robbie understood it was important for him to talk with Lily about Chloe. This way, Lily would never have to question Robbie’s feelings.

  “David told me about your visit to MSF,” Robbie said and Lily moved around uncomfortably.

  “I know what Chloe said to you. Look. I’m not proud of the fact that the type of relationship she and I had was totally physical. I never told her I loved her and I was clear with her about my feelings for you.” His eyes narrowed and his face became flushed. “And it was an absolute lie that I was planning to bring her home to meet my folks. And I certainly never planned for her to live with me in New York.”

  Robbie took Lily’s hand in his, “I was wrong because I knew she had feelings for me, that I didn’t have for her. Yet I continued sleeping with her.”

  Lily put her hand on his cheek. “It doesn’t matter now, Robbie, I promise you. We have a chance at a new beginning—a new life—and nothing will come between us. I refuse to let that happen.”

  She looked so sincere and so sure of herself that Robbie couldn’t help but smile.

  “And, you didn’t get upset that I hadn’t been forthcoming about my pregnancy.” Lily said.