Safe Harbour

by Danielle Steel

  But when they saw her the next morning, she smiled at both of them, and asked when she could go home. They moved her from critical to serious condition, and the surgeon in charge said she was doing well. No one was more relieved than Pip, except Matt. And Ophélie herself told them both to go home and get some rest. She looked pale, but she was more coherent and seemed to be in less pain. Matt said he was going to take Pip home for a while, but they promised to come back that afternoon. And on their way out of the ICU, Pip looked at him conspiratorially and asked him if he thought he should talk to her mother now, about the matter they had discussed the night before.

  “Now?” He looked startled. “Don't you think we should wait until she feels a little better? She might be more receptive if she's not in so much pain.”

  “Maybe it would be better if you talk to her when she's still a little dopey and on drugs.” Pip was willing to resort to any means to get the desired results, and he laughed at her, as they left the hospital and headed for his car.

  “Apparently you think she needs to be doped up to agree to marry me,” he said, feeling a lot more jovial than he had since Ophélie got shot. Things were starting to look a little less precarious, and the patient looked a lot better than she had. But he was still nervous and worried about her.

  “Well, it might help,” Pip said, responding to his comment about Ophélie being sedated when he proposed. “You know how stubborn she is, and she's pretty scared of getting married again. She told me so.”

  “Well, I won't shoot her at least. That ought to count for something,” he said with a grim look.

  “It might,” Pip said, and laughed.

  They went home, and Mousse was ecstatic to see them. He couldn't understand why everyone had abandoned him. Matt cooked for all three of them, and lay down for a little while. He'd been up for two nights straight. And Pip seemed in better spirits as she bustled around the house. She loved having Matt there, and he had promised to stay with her until Ophélie came home.

  They went back to the hospital later than they'd planned, and Ophélie was having a rough night. The nurse said it was expected, postsurgery, after the trauma she'd had. She was in a lot of pain, and they had sedated her pretty heavily with morphine. But her condition was moved from serious to stable in spite of it. She was making a remarkable recovery, much to everyone's amazement, and that night Matt decided to take Pip home. He told her they could both use a night in a real bed, and reluctantly she agreed. She kissed her mother goodnight before leaving her, but Ophélie was sound asleep. And by nine o'clock that night, they were home, and half an hour later Pip was in a deep sleep in her own bed, and Matt was unconscious in Ophélie's.

  Neither of them woke till morning, and they had breakfast before going to the hospital. And when they saw Ophélie, they were both immensely relieved. She had a little color in her face, and the nasogastric tube that had been bothering her had been removed. She was still listed in stable condition, and she was complaining about everything, which the nurse said was a good sign. And she smiled when she saw Matt and Pip walk in.

  “What have you two been up to?” she asked as though she had been there for a rest and not three gunshot wounds, and both of her visitors beamed at her.

  “He made French toast for breakfast, Mom. And he says he makes great pancakes.”

  “Good. Bring me some,” she said, but they both knew that she was going to be on a liquid diet for a long time, and she was still on IVs. And then she turned to Matt with a serious look. “Thank you for taking care of Pip for me.” She had no one else to ask, which they both knew. Time and circumstances, and Ted, had isolated her from a lot of people. And she had no real relatives other than Pip. “I'm sorry all this happened. It was stupid of me, I guess.” But she had loved her work with the outreach team.

  “I won't say I told you so, but you know how I feel. Jeff tells me they're not going to let volunteers do that work anymore, which seems right to me. It was a wonderful idea, but much too dangerous.”

  “I know. It sure got out of hand fast that night. I didn't even know what had hit me when I went down.” It didn't bear thinking about what could have happened to her, and they talked about it for a while, while Pip gave him meaningful looks and he tried to keep a straight face. He discussed it with her again over lunch.

  “I can't just ask her like that with you standing there.”

  “Well, you'd better do it soon,” Pip threatened him, and he laughed.

  “Why? She's not going anywhere. What's the rush?”

  “Because I want you two to get married.” Pip looked like she was going to stamp her foot.

  “What if she won't?”

  “Okay, then I'll marry you, even if you are too old. Sheeshh… I've never seen anyone so slow!” she scolded him. And the next time he went in to see her, Pip sent him in alone with a stern look.

  “I'm not promising anything,” he reminded her. “I'll see how she feels.” He hedged his bets, and didn't want to disappoint Pip any more than himself. He didn't want to push, no matter what Pip thought. He had to trust his own instincts, not those of a child of twelve, although she had the right idea and her heart was in the right place, and he loved her too.

  “You're the biggest chicken I know!” she accused him, and he laughed on the way in, and when he got to the cubicle, he found Ophélie looking peaceful and then concerned.

  “Where's Pip?”

  “Asleep on the couch in the waiting room,” he lied, feeling ridiculous, and then suddenly he wondered if Pip was right. Maybe the shooting had changed everything. Life was short, and it was real, and they loved each other. Maybe it was time to put his heart on the line to her again. It was worth the risk.

  “I'm sorry I've put everyone through this,” she said, looking guilty. “I never thought this would happen,” she said, looking tired. She still had a long way to go, and the doctor said it would be a long recovery, which was hardly surprising, given the damage the bullets had done. But it could have been a lot worse, and nearly was.

  “I was always afraid it would happen,” Matt said honestly.

  “I know you were. You were right,” she said, as he took her hand. He was standing next to her, and stroking her hair.

  “I'm right about a lot of things sometimes, and wrong about others.”

  “You haven't been wrong about much,” she said, looking up at him gratefully, which was comforting to hear.

  “I'm glad you think so.”

  “Thank God Pip picked you up on the beach,” she said, and they both laughed.

  “As I recall, you weren't too thrilled about that.”

  “I thought you were a child molester,” she said breezily. “Wrong again.” She smiled at him and closed her eyes, and then opened them again and looked at him. She seemed surprisingly at peace, given all she'd been through. She was a very brave woman, and he loved her with all his heart.

  “And what do you think now?” he asked softly.

  “About you? That you're the best friend I ever had… and I love you …” she added cautiously, looking into his eyes. “Very much, in fact.” More than she ever knew. He was almost more than she deserved, or so she thought, particularly after all the trouble she had caused Pip, him, and herself. It had been a hell of a jolt for all of them.

  “I love you too, Ophélie …” He was afraid to ask her, and then thought of Pip berating him again, and the thought of it made him smile and drove him on. “Do you love me enough to marry me?” he asked her, and she looked up at him, shocked.

  “Did you just say what I think you said, or is it the drugs?”

  “Could be both. What did it sound like to you?”

  Tears filled her eyes as she looked at him, and she was still scared, but not as much as she had been. She had nearly lost everything when she got shot. How much more could she lose? And she had everything to gain with him.

  “It sounds good to me,” she said in a whisper, and a tear rolled down her cheek. “Just don't die on me. P
lease, Matt…I couldn't go through that again…”

  “I won't,” he said as he bent down to kiss her. “Not for a long time at least. And I'd appreciate it if you'd make an effort not to get shot again. I'm not the one who nearly died here,” and then he added seriously, “…I would die if I lost you, Ophélie…I love you so damn much…”

  “Me too,” she said, and then he kissed her, and as he did, the nurse appeared, and told them he had to leave again, their time was up. ICU patients couldn't have visitors for longer than five minutes, ten at the most, but it had been long enough to find out what they both needed to know.

  “Is it official, then?” he asked her, before he left. “Will you marry me?” He wanted to hear it from her lips.

  “Yes, I will,” she said softly but meant every word of it. She was ready. And it was time.

  “Can I tell Pip?” he asked as the nurse waved him toward the door.

  “Yes, you can,” she said, smiling from ear to ear as he left, and she looked up at the nurse with a grin. “I'm engaged.”

  “I thought you were married,” she said, looking surprised.

  “I am… but I'm not… well, I was…I almost am…I will be,” she explained. She was giddy, she was so excited. All it had taken was getting shot three times to figure it out. A small price to pay.

  “Congratulations,” the nurse said, and took her temperature, just as Matt walked back into the waiting room, and Pip stared at him to try and figure out what he'd done.

  “Did you chicken out?” she accused him with a worried look, and he shook his head, trying to conceal his excitement from her so he wouldn't give it away.

  “No, I didn't.”

  Her eyes opened wide. “Did you ask her?”

  “Yes, I did.”

  Pip could hardly contain herself and neither could he. “What did she say?” She was holding her breath, as he smiled and put his arms around her. She was almost his.

  “She said yes,” he said, with tears in his eyes again. It had been a very emotional day.

  “She did? OhmyGod! Wow!! We're going to marry you! OhmyGod! Matt!” She put her arms around him, and he swung her around the room. “You did it! You did it!”

  “We did it! Thank you for the idea, and the courage, and the kick in the pants. If you hadn't pushed me, I probably would have waited another year.”

  “Maybe it was a good thing she got shot, sort of, well… you know …” Pip said thoughtfully.

  “No, I don't know. And if she ever does something like that again, I'm going to kill her myself.”

  “Me too,” Pip agreed, as they sat side by side together, partners in crime. Everything had worked out exactly as planned, thanks to Pip. All they had to do now was pick a date.

  27

  OPHÉLIE WAS IN THE HOSPITAL FOR THREE WEEKS. AND Matt stayed at the house with Pip for the entire time. She went back to school after her mother had been in the hospital for a week, but she went to visit her every afternoon. Matt spent the mornings in the hospital with Ophélie, then picked Pip up at school, and would bring her to see her mother in the hospital after school. They settled into a routine for nearly three weeks. And when she came home, Matt carried Ophélie upstairs to her room. She had to take it easy for another six weeks.

  They had saved the lung and repaired her stomach, and they said the intestines wouldn't be a problem. She could manage with one ovary, and even have more babies if she wanted to, and the appendix was gone for good. She had been unbelievably lucky, and Louise Anderson from the Center had come to apologize to her for letting her put herself at risk. But Ophélie reminded her repeatedly that it was what she had wanted to do. It had been her choice. But there were going to be no more volunteers on the outreach team, which was just as well, although Ophélie had loved working with them. And she promised to come back to work at the Center itself in a few months, if Matt agreed. He had a say in it now, and he was no longer sure. He thought she should stay home with Pip, and him.

  He slept in Ted's old den after Ophélie got home. He wanted to be there in case she needed him, and she was happy to have him there. She still needed help, and it made her feel secure. And Pip was thrilled.

  Their wedding plans were going forward, and they had agreed to get married in June, when Vanessa could be there too. Matt had called her in Auckland to tell her, and she was happy for him. And they told Robert when he came to the hospital to see Ophélie.

  “We're going to be a family again,” Pip told her mother with a big grin when she got home. It was obvious that Pip loved the idea, but so did Ophélie. It had taken a lot to get her there, too much probably, but she felt comfortable with their decision, and she and Matt were talking about a honeymoon in France, and maybe even taking the kids. Pip loved that idea.

  Ophélie was resting quietly on her bed one afternoon, while Matt went to get Pip in school. It was six weeks after the shooting, and she was feeling stronger, but she couldn't drive yet, and she had only been out of the house a few times. She was excited about being able to go downstairs for dinner.

  The outreach team had visited her at home several times too. She was thinking about them, when the phone rang and she answered it. The voice at the other end was familiar, but not welcome, and sounded very weak. It was Andrea, and Ophélie thought about just hanging up. But Andrea sensed that, and begged her not to before she could.

  “Please… let me just talk to you for a minute… it's important.” She sounded strange and said she'd heard about the shooting and had been horrified. “I wanted to write to you, but I was in the hospital too.” The way she sounded made Ophélie keep listening.

  “Did you have an accident?” she asked coolly, but nonetheless concerned. They had been such good friends for so many years.

  “No,” Andrea hesitated, “I'm sick.”

  “What do you mean, sick?”

  There was an endless pause. Andrea had wanted to call her for months, but she didn't dare. And she had to know. “I have cancer,” she said quietly. “They discovered it two months ago. They think I've had it for a long time. I had stomach pains for about a year, and I thought it was just nerves. It started as ovarian, supposedly, but it's in my lungs, and now my bones. It's moving pretty fast.” She sounded almost resigned, but sad. And Ophélie was shocked. No matter how angry she was at her, she didn't want this for her, and it brought tears to her eyes.

  “Have you had chemo?”

  “Yes, I'm still doing it now. I've had two surgeries, and they'll do radiation after the chemo, but I don't think…I don't think I'll make it that far,” she said honestly. “It looks pretty bad…I know you probably don't want to see me, but I need to know something… will you take Willie for me?” They were both crying by the time she asked.

  “Now?” Ophélie sounded stunned.

  “No,” she said sadly, “when I die. I don't think it's going to be too long. Maybe a few months.” Ophélie was sobbing by then. Life was so unpredictable, so unfair, so wrong. How did this happen to people? To Ted, to Chad… and now to her. Thinking about it made her all the more grateful for Matt. But she was still shaken by all that she had just heard. No matter what Andrea had done to her, she didn't deserve this, but apparently she didn't agree. “Maybe this is God's punishment for what I did to you, Ophélie. I know ‘sorry’ doesn't begin to cover it, but I am. I've had a lot of time to think about it… I'm so sorry… will you take Willie?” she asked again, and Ophélie just cried. It was all so cruel.

  “Yes, I will,” she said through her tears. All she could think of was what Matt had done for her with Pip, and she had only known him for eight months, nearly nine. She knew that Andrea had no one else, and no other choice. She was his godmother, it was right, even if he was Ted's child. It wasn't the baby's fault. “Where is he now? Has someone been helping you take care of him?”

  “I hired an au pair,” Andrea said, sounding tired again. “I want him here with me, till the end.” She spoke of it as a sure thing. It was terrible. So unbelievable. She
was forty-five years old, and her son would never know either of his parents.

  Matt walked in while Ophélie was still talking to her, and he looked puzzled. He could see that Ophélie had been crying, and he walked out of the room again. He didn't want to intrude. He assumed she would tell him about it later.

  “Is there anything I can do for you now?” Ophélie asked sadly. She didn't want to leave any bad blood between them, especially now, although she knew that it would have been hard to bridge the chasm that had formed between them.

  “I'd like to see you again,” Andrea said, sounding weak. “But I feel sick most of the time. The chemo is pretty awful.”

  “And I can't go out yet. As soon as I can, I'll come over.”

  “I'm going to have a new will drawn up, if it's okay with you, leaving Willie to you. Are you sure you can handle it, and you won't hate him for what I did?”

  “I don't hate you,” she said calmly, “I'm just sad. I was hurt.” But just listening to her, she knew she had forgiven her. And she hadn't done it alone. Ted had been part of it too. That had been the hardest part of it for her. But so much had happened since.

  “I'll stay in touch and let you know how I'm doing,” Andrea said practically. “I'll put your number on my emergency forms.” It had been there before, but after what had happened between them, she had taken it off. “And I'll give it to the au pair, in case something happens and I don't get a chance to call.”