The entire ride felt like a nightmare to Alex, where the reality of the situation and the hope for the future merged like finger painting.
* * * * *
Forced to wait, Alex paced in front of the ER doors, constantly trying to peek around them each time they opened. She felt like a school dunce, made to wait out of sight, and it was getting on her nerves.
Both radio station and newspaper reporters snuck in and were hounding her every step plus trying to get back to see Laurel. Finally, the hospital security escorted the pack of wolves out and left Alex in peace.
“I gotta find a new job because there is no way in hell that I’m gonna subject someone else to all of this,” Alex groused to herself. She leaned against the wall to wait.
* * * * *
While Alex was wearing a path in the waiting room floor, Laurel was being treated by a doctor and a couple of nurses. They quickly examined her and agreed with the paramedic’s assessment that she was dehydrated and suffering from heat exhaustion. The IVs that were started in the ambulance were continued and treatments were given to assist.
She had regained consciousness for a moment or two in the ambulance, but didn’t have an opportunity to talk with Alex.
Once she was stable, she was taken up to a private room where one of the nurses helped her bathe and change into something that she could sleep in. Sitting on the side of the bed, she waited.
A few moments later, there was a light tap on the door and at her soft, “Come in,” it swung open and she saw Alex standing there with a hopeful look upon her face. Laurel’s eyes lit up and she held out her hand.
Without hesitation, Alex stepped in and walked over to stand next to the bed, where she carefully enfolded her love in her arms, kissing the top of her head, her hair still damp from the shower. They stood silently swaying for a few moments, Laurel listening to the steady beat of Alex’s heart under her ear, and Alex just thrilled to have the shorter woman in her arms.
After a few moments, Alex pulled away so that Laurel could sit on the side of the bed. “How are you feeling?” she softly asked.
“Better now. They’ve still got me hooked up,” motioning to the IV, “but they said that they will probably let me go home tomorrow.” Laurel watched as Alex picked up a brush from the counter and walked around the bed. She felt the bed lower as the taller woman sat behind her and started brushing out her hair. “You are coming to stay with me, right?” she turned her head slightly so that she could see Alex’s face.
“There is nowhere else I plan to be,” Alex smiled at her love. “In fact, I was planning on asking you tonight when we went to dinner if you wanted to go on vacation with me? I have already checked on your schedule with Kate for next month, but we can leave anytime.” She knew that she was rattling on, but she couldn’t stop herself.
She scooted so that she could still brush Laurel’s hair and watch her face at the same time. “I don’t know if this is the right time or not, but I think that we’ve learned that right now is the best that we’re gonna get.” She dropped the brush and reached for one of Laurel’s hands. “I’m in love with you and I would be honored if you considered making a life with me. I love you now and I’ll love you until I pass from this world, and if there is something beyond that, I will love you then.” She waited to see what Laurel’s reaction would be.
Tears formed in green eyes as Laurel bit her bottom lip before she turned slightly to open a drawer of the nightstand next to the bed. Reaching in, she drew out the sweat-stained, folded piece of paper that she had slipped in her shirt pocket in what seemed to be a lifetime ago. “I think that I loved you from the minute that we met, but I was too scared to admit it. I see our future in your eyes, and I feel your love every time that you look at me. I want a life with you and as soon as all of this is done we can go on vacation and start our new beginning.” She handed the note to Alex.
Letting go of Laurel’s hand, she carefully unfolded the paper to see the doodling and the declaration of love that was written in her blood. Raising her eyes up to Laurel’s, Alex whispered, “No more wasted time. You will never doubt the way that I feel about you.” She leaned forward and softly pressed her lips against the older woman’s.
Before Laurel could respond, there was a light tap on the door and it slowly opened. A nurse walked in with a tray of food and some tea. “Sorry for the interruption, ladies, but we need to get Laurel’s strength up if she wants to leave tomorrow...” the nurse grinned, “and it looks like she might need it for something else too.”
Laurel blushed as Alex softly coughed. The nurse looked at the IV before turning towards the door. “My name is Dulia and I believe that there’s enough food there for the both of you. An easy chair is on its way up should you choose to stay the night, Ms. James. We remember your interview with the Burnwash family last year. We’ll take good care of you two,” she smiled and left the room.
Still blushing, Laurel glanced at the taller woman. “I do believe that we just got served,” she giggled.
“In more ways than one,” Alex agreed as she swiftly finished brushing out Laurel’s hair before making sure that she was comfortably situated in bed and bringing over the tray table with their meal.
While they ate, Laurel asked what had happened after Dawn had kidnapped her. Alex thought for a moment and then told her about Emma and everything that had transpired, except the part about Dawn killing herself. She wasn’t sure how she was going to explain that to her and when Laurel asked, she answered, “Would you mind if we talked about that once you’re home?”
Nodding her head, Laurel was more than relieved to hear that. She didn’t want to think about her ex-lover being in jail just because they had ended things badly. Laurel had tried to keep things amicable, but Dawn had refused to let go and this was now the result.
As they were eating, the recliner was brought up so that Alex could stay the night. Laurel weakly argued that she didn’t have to stay, but both women knew that Alex wasn’t going anywhere without the older woman by her side.
Once the meal was finished, the empty plates picked up, and Laurel was ready to go to sleep, Alex made sure that the recliner was next to the bed and was placed so that she could watch her lover sleep without turning her head.
“I’m gonna call Jennifer to have her bring us a change of clothes in the morning and ask if she knows someone who can get our cars to your house. Is there anything special you need her to bring?” Alex stood next to the bed with her phone in her hand.
Laurel looked at the woman standing next to her and answered honestly, “Everything that I need or have ever wanted is standing right where you are at this moment. I just need you.” She reached up and pulled Alex down for a kiss. She rejoiced in the emotion of what she had almost lost. Her hand slid up to gently cup Alex’s cheek before tangling in silky hair. The intensity of the kiss was slow in building as they both realized that they would not be able to do more than kiss at that moment.
Finally pulling away, Alex touched their foreheads together and whispered, “You’ll never have to know anything different ever again. Ever!”
They stared at each other, both smiling for a few heartbeats before Alex straightened up and made her phone call.
* * * * *
Alex awoke with a start. It took her a few moments to realize where she was and what was happening. Getting up off the recliner, she carefully lowered the side rail to the bed and leaned over to gently brush sweaty hair away from Laurel’s face. “Hey...it’s okay. I’m right here,” she whispered. Her other hand reached out to carefully unclasp her lover’s fisted hand. “Laurel...you’re not in the box.”
The older woman’s eyes snapped open with a yell, “NO!” before she had a chance to look around to see where she was. She heard Alex’s voice and turned her head to see a worried face and she couldn’t stop the tears that started to fall.
Dulia walked in as Laurel started sobbing, “Dawn was putting you into the coffin and shoveling dirt on you. I cou
ldn’t get her to stop.”
The nurse went to the other side of the bed to turn on the light above the bed and to check the IV as Alex answered, “She can’t hurt either one of us anymore, darlin’. There’s no reason for you to worry about that anymore.”
“What happens when she gets out of jail though? She won’t stop, I know her,” Laurel argued back.
Alex looked over at Dulia and the nurse nodded her head slightly, indicating it was safe to tell her. “Dawn won’t be bothering you anymore, I promise. She’s...dead.”
The older woman froze, looking up into Alex’s eyes and seeing the seriousness and truth in them. Alex watched Laurel’s face as she grasped what that revelation meant. “She...she really was going to leave me there to die. Some part of me didn’t believe that she would...I thought that she had finally broken down and told you.”
“No, she was never going to tell,” Alex spoke as she gently picked up Laurel’s damaged hand, cradling it in her own palm. “If she couldn’t have you, no one could.” She carefully bent down and placed a soft kiss on the bandaged hand.
Dulia placed a Band-Aid over the hole that the IV needle had left and smiled at the couple. “There you go. Do you need something to get back to sleep?” She took the now empty bag and looked at Laurel.
Laurel shook her head. “No, thank you...I think I’ll be all right.” She tightened her grip on Alex’s hand, “I’ll be just fine.”
The younger woman smiled down at Laurel while nodding her head, “We’ll be okay.”
Dulia started to walk out, but stopped at the door and motioned to Alex. Once she was standing next to the taller woman, the nurse spoke softly, “Pardon me for speaking out of turn, but I’ve seen this a lot in people that have been through a traumatic event. She needs to be held and I’ll make sure that no one comes in here until...let’s say seven thirty. Breakfast is usually served right about then and you said your friend would be here around eight or so, so that will be about right.”
Alex smiled at the nurse while nodding her head. “Thank you so much. It will help her...and I admit, it will help me too.”
The nurse patted Alex’s hand and walked out, closing the door behind her.
Turning back to the bed, Alex smiled as she walked, “Well, tonight is my lucky night.”
Tucking a stray hair behind her ear, Laurel grinned back, “And why is that exactly?”
“Because I got permission to snuggle with you,” she lifted up the sheet and slid in next to Laurel even as the older woman was scooting over to give her more room. “I don’t think that I’ve ever heard of people getting snuggling permission before. I was afraid that I was going to have to sneak in there with you.” She opened her arms and Laurel snuggled close, placing her head on Alex’s chest.
The steady beat of the younger woman’s heart was as calming as anything else Laurel had ever experienced.
Dimming the light, Alex kissed the head that was near her chin and gently enfolded her lover in her embrace. She traced idle patterns on Laurel’s back and the room was quiet for a few moments before she started to softly hum. Moments later, she felt Laurel start laughing.
“I can’t believe that you’re humming ‘Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,’” the older woman chuckled.
Alex pretended to be hurt, “It was the only tune that I could think of that might be soothing.”
Hugging the body underneath hers, Laurel smiled as she answered, “And it is, just unexpected.” She shifted slightly so that she could look at her lover’s face in the dim light. “Just listening to your voice is very soothing, and that leads me to a question.”
“Okay, what’s up?” was Alex’s response.
“The nurse mentioned an interview with the Burnwash family. Do you mind telling me who they are?” She unconsciously placed one of her legs between Alex’s.
Alex took a moment to get her thoughts together before she answered, “Last year, Ralph Burnwash saved a couple of kids from a burning house. Now, that in itself was pretty newsworthy because he had been trying to become a fireman for years, but had always failed the physical. For that reason, he was suspected to have started the fire so that he could be a hero.”
“Yeah...okay, I remember that now,” Laurel realized out loud. “Didn’t the two boys end up being the ones that started the fire by playing with matches?”
Nodding her head, Alex agreed. “That’s them. They didn’t want to get in trouble so they let him take the blame, but something didn’t sit right with me—they kept changing the chain of events. I kept digging into the story and finally Robert was cleared of all charges. The kids were placed on probation for a couple of years. Ralph’s mother is a nurse here so that’s how Dulia knew who I was.”
Carefully, Laurel sat up and reached up to caress her lover’s cheek. “You’re always there for people. That’s one of the many things I love about you...you’re so kindhearted.”
Leaning her face into the caress, Alex closed her eyes for a moment, basking in the feeling before she opened them to gaze into Laurel’s eyes. “I will always be here for you. I know this sounds sappy, but I really want to start our life together. The next few days are going to be a whirlwind of activity with you having to give Detective Walters your statement and then all of the news stations wanting an interview.” She shook her head before continuing, “I just want us to get out of here and go someplace where we can relax and not worry about anyone else.”
“I want that too,” Laurel declared, “and if you can set up an interview with your station, we can get that off our list of things to do and get on with our lives.”
Grinning, Alex leaned her head down to give her lover a brief kiss. “I’ll take care of it tomorrow as soon as we get you home, but right now, you need to get back to sleep.”
“Yes, dear,” Laurel quipped as she closed her eyes.
Soon both women were sound asleep, softly breathing in unison.
* * * * *
The next morning, as the hospital prepared for a day of action, noises drifted through Alex’s consciousness as she slowly awoke. Laurel was fast asleep with her head on Alex’s right shoulder so she carefully slid out from underneath. After making sure that her lover was tucked warmly under the sheets, she made her way to the bathroom to take care of her morning needs and to brush her hair into some semblance of neatness.
Finishing up, she walked back into the room and headed for the window. Peeking out, she discovered that it was going to be a beautiful day: the sun was shining, the sky was a lovely pale blue, and clouds floated on gentle breezes.
Drawing back the drapes, she turned to look at the bed as sun bathed her lover’s face with its golden beams. Laurel started to stir and opened her eyes, smiling as she caught sight of the younger woman. “Good morning,” she drawled. “I didn’t even feel you get up.”
Grinning, Alex walked over to give her a quick, but loving kiss. “That was my plan all along. You need all the rest you can get before we go on our vacation.”
Reaching up to place her palm on Alex’s cheek, Laurel murmured, “Oh, really, and what exactly do you have planned for this vacation?”
Before the younger woman could respond, there was a light tap on the door and it was pushed opened. A young man dressed in scrubs walked in. “Good morning, ladies. My name is Chuck and I’m your nurse for the day. Breakfast will be around in about a half hour and the doctor makes his rounds at ten.”
“Is Chuck short for Charlie?” Laurel asked as she entwined her fingers with Alex’s. She didn’t want to be separated from her lover if she didn’t have to. She hated that she felt so needy, but she couldn’t help it.
“No, ma’am, my name is Chuck. I’ve had people try all my life to call me Charlie Brown and I just hate it. I’m just plain ole Chuck Blayton,” he explained as he wrote his name on the dry erase board across from the bed. “Ms. Taylor, Dulia left notes stating that you will be discharged this morning, but you’ll have to wait until the doctor releases you. By the way, you’l
l need to sneak out. Reporters and news stations are camped out front, I’m sorry to say.”
Instinctively, Alex got closer to Laurel and draped her free arm over her shoulders. “Don’t worry, we’ll figure something out.”
“Maybe I can help with that,” Detective Walters walked in with a to-go container with three cups of coffee in it and from the smell of it, Laurel assumed there was a bag full of fresh muffins.
As soon as the food and drinks were set down, Alex walked over to the detective and gave him a hug. He awkwardly returned it even as he was giving Laurel a smile. “I can never thank you enough for finding her.”
He patted her on the back and took a step back. “You did most of the hard work. You’re the one who figured out where Ms. Taylor was.”
“It’s Laurel, detective, and I know that you were just doing your job, but I bet you never thought that you would be digging a live person out of a coffin.” Laurel reached out her hand and hugged him the best that she could from the bed.
Chuck excused himself and while Detective Walters was busy setting out the food, Laurel slipped from the bed and with Alex’s help, got through her morning needs and back into bed.
Once everyone was situated and the food staff had brought in Laurel’s breakfast, they got down to eating, sharing all the offerings, and talking.
“I thought I would like to take your statement here instead of down at the station or your home. I know that for the next few weeks your lives are going to be crazy with all of the requests for interviews and all of the other things that you’re going to have to deal with,” Detective Walters explained before he took a sip of coffee.
Alex was nodding her head. “Yeah, I had to turn off my phone last night because the station and everyone else was either calling or texting me for an interview. I don’t think they will stop until you give them one,” she looked over to her lover.
A Lost Love Page 4
