Beautiful Dreamer

by Melissa Brayden

  Elizabeth pulled the truck alongside the two other civilian vehicles. Two men and a woman stood nearby with a white dog, who whined quietly off to the side. They must have been the volunteers, but no one Devyn recognized. The trio who’d found the car nodded to them. Devyn blinked back, fear holding her hostage. Farther down she saw the emergency lights flashing. Two police cars and a fire truck. She walked toward them automatically, but Elizabeth caught her by the arm.

  “We need to wait here,” she said quietly in Devyn’s ear.

  “No. Let go. I need to go to her.”

  “Not yet,” Elizabeth said, holding on as Devyn pulled against her.

  Then Devyn understood. Elizabeth didn’t want her to see Jill’s body, to have that image forever burned into her memory.

  “You need to let them work. Can you do that?”

  Devyn stopped resisting as the reality of it all hit her like a freight train. She moved right past terror to hysteria, shoving her fingers into her hair. She whined or hummed quietly, not a sound she had any control over. These were crucial moments, and she had a sinking feeling that her life was about to be changed forever. She looked helplessly at Elizabeth for a lifeline, but the darkness in her expression communicated so much, none of it good.

  Behind her there was the wail of a siren approaching. She turned in time to see the ambulance pull off the road. The sob she heard tear through the early evening air was one she recognized as her own. She felt for the hood of the car and found it, using it to keep herself steady. She was shivering but felt the warmth of Elizabeth’s arms around her and sank back, letting them hold her more fully. If they’d run the siren, there was still hope. They didn’t run the siren if it was too late. With Elizabeth’s arms still offering support, she watched as the EMTs exited the back of the ambulance in a hurry and raced past them to the scene she could only glimpse through the trees. In a hurry, she reiterated to herself. Devyn squinted through the wash of tears. Her heart jackhammered. The wind rustled. How could it rustle so normally in a moment that was anything but? Who’d allowed that?

  “Hold steady. Maybe that’s a good sign,” Elizabeth said quietly in her ear. She didn’t want to get Devyn’s hopes up. She’d used the word maybe to shield her. Devyn wanted to run down the short hill to the car and see for herself, yet she was too afraid of what she’d find, what she’d see. Instead, she carefully reminded herself to breathe, focusing all of her attention on doing just that until shouting erupted from the scene. There were several voices, and each one muffled the other. What were they shouting about, damn it? She craned her neck and Elizabeth released her. Her skin prickled uncomfortably and time seemed to have stopped moving forward.

  “She’s alive!” a male voice shouted up to them.

  Devyn dropped to the ground and was left sitting there in a pile of moss. She held her head in her hands and cried tears of relief and gratitude. She held her eyes closed and thanked any and all higher powers. Jill was all she had left, and she was still with them. She’d worry about the rest later. For now, her world didn’t have to end, and that felt like everything. When she opened her eyes, she was face-to-face with the white dog she’d seen earlier, who promptly dragged its tongue across her cheek. She was too numb to react. When the dog continued to lick her, someone pulled it away.

  “Yours?” she heard a voice ask.

  “Nah. Was alongside the road when we stopped. She’s the reason we did. That dog was some sort of beacon. Led us straight down to the car.”

  She made note of the words but couldn’t quite make sense of them in this moment.

  “Hey.” Devyn blinked at the quiet voice as someone raised her chin. It was Elizabeth and her soft green eyes offering her a reassuring smile. “We found her,” she said quietly, and wiped away Devyn’s tears. “We have her.”

  Devyn nodded and squeezed Elizabeth’s hands. She tried to speak, but her voice wasn’t there. She swallowed in an attempt to find words. She tried again, meeting Elizabeth’s gaze. “Thank you.” In response, Elizabeth’s palm found her cheek, and it was the most comforting touch she’d ever encountered and it happened in the midst of the most impactful event of her life. She felt her limbs return to her, and the blood slowly came back to her face. With gathered strength, she stood next to Elizabeth, ready to face whatever lay ahead.

  * * *

  Devyn’s right leg bounced as if it had a mind of its own as they made their way back to town. Night fell around them, little by little. People would be making dinner, calling their kids inside for the day, or wondering what was on television. How odd to imagine regular activities in the midst of their crisis. She took comfort, however, in the knowledge that Jill wouldn’t be out there alone in the darkness tonight. They had her. It had taken more than half an hour to free her from the crumpled metal. Devyn had only glimpsed Jill from afar. Pale and bruised and who knew what else? The ambulance had left ahead of them with its siren on, barreling toward the hospital at a high rate of speed. She stared up at the sky and prayed they’d gotten there in time.

  Elizabeth made a right on Loveline Street, which would lead them to the hospital that serviced not only Dreamer’s Bay but the four other neighboring small towns. While it wasn’t enormous, the facility was up to date and staffed with a team of well-respected physicians. She knew because she’d spent her time on the plane researching the place just in case they needed it.

  “I’ll drop you here and park the truck,” Elizabeth said. “Are you okay to go in on your own?”

  Devyn nodded. “I’ll be fine. Thank you.” She exited the truck but glanced back. She’d been in town a day, yet it already felt like she and Elizabeth had been through so much together. She blinked in amazement. How odd the way trauma brought people together, acting as a shortcut for their relationship, which now felt so much older than just a few hours. Elizabeth had been her person through all of this, and because of her and her search teams, they’d found Jill.

  She made it to the hospital reception desk, placed her bag on top of the counter, and took a deep breath. This wasn’t the time to be nervous or jittery, this was a key moment where she needed to remain in control. “I’m Devyn Winters and I’m here for my sister, Jill. She was brought in within the hour.”

  The woman nodded as if they’d been expecting her. “Emergency room is down the hall. Check in with the nurses’ station and take a seat. They’ll update you when they can.”

  More waiting. Devyn wasn’t sure that was going to go well for her.

  Ten minutes later, Elizabeth appeared with two cups of coffee and took the seat beside her. She didn’t have to stay. She’d done her part, pitched in, and now that Jill was in the hands of the medical professionals, Elizabeth could easily slip back to her own life with a job well done. Yet she seemed to be settling in.

  Devyn glanced at her phone to find messages from her staff, checking in on Jill. There were also messages from her assistants Sheldon and Karen. None from friends, because she didn’t really maintain any. She ignored the messages and stole another glance at Elizabeth, who hadn’t read a magazine or picked up an electronic device. Instead, she sat there, peacefully waiting.

  “You don’t have to wait,” Devyn finally said.

  “Oh.” Elizabeth seemed surprised. “Do you want me to leave? I don’t want to make you uncomfortable and can—”

  “I’m not uncomfortable, but it’s getting late.” Devyn looked to the exit. “I imagine you have a life to get back to. People waiting on you. A husband.”

  “Nope, and I’d like to see how she is,” Elizabeth said and seemed to return to her own thoughts. What an interesting human being she was. What Devyn could recall of Elizabeth from high school was scarce, but the memories mainly surrounded clubs, fund-raisers, and maybe the student council? She wasn’t sure, but Elizabeth was probably on it. She’d been a go-getter, though. Not shy about answering questions in class either, to the snickering of Devyn’s friends on the cheerleading squad. An academic herself, she didn’t participate
, but she didn’t put a stop to it either. Guilt gathered in her stomach, just a little too late.

  At the one-hour mark, a blond male doctor in blue scrubs found them in the waiting room and took a seat in the empty chair across from them. “She’s hanging in there,” he said to both Devyn and Elizabeth. “You’re her sister?” Devyn nodded. “Nice to meet you. I’m Dr. Collette. I work in emergency.”

  “Nice to meet you,” she said, obligatorily.

  Dr. Collette continued with a frown. “Unfortunately, I can’t give you too many specifics just yet. We’re still assessing the extent of her injuries from the accident and exposure. Once we do that, we’ll come up with a plan for treatment.”

  She rubbed her wrist. “But she’s okay? That’s the part I need to know.”

  He nodded. “For now. It’s clear she has significant trauma to that left leg, and the rest of her is pretty banged up. Her vitals gave us a scare for a while there, but with some fluids, she’s rebounding. We’ll know more in a few hours.”

  “But she’s gonna pull through? Beyond everything else, she’s going to live, right? That’s the part I need to understand.” Devyn held her breath as she waited for his response.

  He smiled hesitantly, and she noticed the lines under his eyes that marred his otherwise good looks. Must have been a long day. “She’s stable, and that’s a very good thing.” It was noncommittal, but still encouraging. She felt the pain in her chest recede slightly. She would take that tiny bit of encouragement and hold on to it with all she had. They’d build on it little by little until all was right with the world again.

  Devyn thanked the doctor, whose name she’d forgotten to memorize, and then watched in surprise as Elizabeth stood and wrapped her arms around his neck for a quick squeeze.

  “You know him?” she asked, once they were alone.

  Elizabeth gestured to the swinging door with her chin. “That’s Dr. Dan Collette. Married to my best friend, KC. He’s a great guy and an even better doctor. Jill’s in the best hands now.”

  “I remember KC.” Devyn sat up taller as the untouched memories from years ago drifted back. “She played volleyball, and we cheered for a few of the games. She was good.”

  Elizabeth nodded. “She still plays on the rec team. We’re currently in the off-season.”

  “Good for her.”

  Their conversation trailed off and Devyn sipped the now cold coffee as a fluorescent bulb flickered in the overhead light across the room. She’d missed the window for hot coffee. Didn’t matter.

  “I’ll freshen it up,” Elizabeth said, reaching for Devyn’s still full cardboard cup.

  “No, no, no.” Devyn scooped it up first and took Elizabeth’s, too. “You don’t have to do that. You’ve been helpful enough and can pass the baton. I’ll get us both fresh cups.” She headed from the waiting room and then turned back, feeling the need to ask the question that tugged. “Was I ever mean to you in high school?” Lord knew she’d had her awful moments that she very much wanted to distance herself from now. She hadn’t been the happiest, which mostly stemmed from self-doubt and realizing she wasn’t like her friends, boy crazy and planning their future dream weddings.

  Elizabeth shook her head and Devyn exhaled. Thank God. “We just existed in different social stratospheres. Everyone wanted to be you. Not a lot of people noticed me.”

  “I’m sorry I didn’t more. You’re a good person. You’ve proven that today.” Devyn wasn’t warm and fuzzy. She didn’t claim to be and she didn’t try for it. But Elizabeth and her selfless efforts since she arrived not only made a difference to Devyn, who’d felt supported and taken care of, but likely saved Jill’s life. She would never know how to thank Elizabeth for that. She’d start by being the one to get the damn coffee.

  Chapter Five

  The animal shelter was closed for the night when Elizabeth drove past on her way home to Whippoorwill Way. She stared at the building, hidden behind a grouping of live oaks, and noticed the warm light coming from what she knew to be the administrative offices. If that light was on, it was likely Greta Martin was inside finishing up some paperwork. Elizabeth occasionally volunteered at the shelter and knew Greta’s workload—it never seemed to end.

  She was exhausted, emotionally drained, and should really just go home. She’d sat with Devyn for a couple more hours until they moved Jill to a room in ICU with a comfortable recliner for Devyn.

  Somehow Elizabeth couldn’t drive away from the shelter. Not until she knew more.

  Making a last-minute left turn into the shelter’s small parking lot, she sighed. She’d only stay a moment, find out what she could, and then leave. She grabbed the bottle of Crown and two plastic cups from her stash in the truck. She didn’t love the stuff, but she knew Greta did.

  Greta squinted at her through the window of the locked door, which prompted Elizabeth to stop knocking on it. She held up the bottle and cups, which earned her a grin.

  “Well, to what do I owe the pleasure?” Greta asked, swinging open the door.

  “I was driving past and thought maybe you’d like a nightcap.” Elizabeth smiled her most friendly smile and walked past Greta. The normally boisterous shelter was now mostly quiet. Once the lights went off, the dogs seemed to settle in with the giant dog biscuits Greta tossed into each run.

  “I’m always up for a nip,” Greta said. She closed the door behind Elizabeth and followed her to the small office behind the reception desk that was overrun with papers, photos, and a variety of knickknacks. Maybe too many. Elizabeth turned to face her friend, who appeared tired. Greta was a good fifteen years older than Elizabeth and her shoulder-length brown hair was newly streaked with gray. Elizabeth thought she wore it well.

  “Did you hear the latest about Jill Winters?”

  “Everyone’s heard. Such a blessing she was found in time.” She accepted the plastic cup from Elizabeth, and they took a moment to toast. “You did good, Liz.”

  “Not all me. The search team never would have found the car without pulling over for that white dog. She’s the reason Jill’s okay.” She glanced behind her, projecting that an idea had just occurred to her. “Oh, hey. Did they bring her here?” Yep, nonchalant. That was her.

  Greta tossed back the rest of her whiskey and turned to her antiquated laptop, the screen attached to the keyboard with the aid of a little bit of blue duct tape. “They did. Sweet girl, too.” She pulled up her intake form and turned the laptop to face Elizabeth. A photo of the dog she’d seen at the accident site lit up the top right corner of the screen. Her heart squeezed.

  “Would you look at that.” Elizabeth would just swear the dog was smiling at the camera. She had the kindest eyes that seemed to say, “Hello, want to cuddle with me?”

  “No microchip. No collar. The little girl’s pretty thin. I’m thinking she’s been on her own for a while.” Greta swung the laptop back around. “I have her pegged at maybe four or five years old. Probably a Lab mix, though she’s smaller than a Lab. Why? You in the market for a best friend?”

  “No,” Elizabeth said automatically, then took a sip of whiskey. “I mean, I wasn’t.”

  A pause as they stared at each other. Greta smiled a knowing smile and grabbed her keys. “Why don’t we just say hello? Can’t hurt to introduce the two of you.”

  Elizabeth shrugged. “Yeah, okay. Hello couldn’t hurt. She’s a hero, right? She deserves a little attention.”

  “And she loves it.”

  Elizabeth followed Greta through the locked door to the dog wing and down the short hallway of indoor/outdoor dog runs, waving and allowing the dogs they passed to lick her hand through the metal mesh gates. The wing was now alive and loud again.

  “Sorry to wake you all,” Elizabeth said, out of an innate need to be polite. After all, this was their quiet time she was invading.

  At the end of the hallway, Greta paused at the last run and turned on the small night-light above. “Hey there, precious girl. I brought you a visitor,” she said. The dog stoo
d from her blue dog bed and walked toward them, tail wagging slowly. Elizabeth smiled. So did the dog. “Why don’t you go inside?” Elizabeth hesitated, but when Greta opened the door to the run, she slipped through.

  “Hi, there,” she said, and instinctually took a seat on the concrete floor. The dog slowly approached and climbed directly into her lap, taking up the entire thing, and curled into a ball. Elizabeth’s heart swelled and melted as she stroked the soft fur of the dog’s neck.

  “I think that means she likes you,” Greta said with a laugh.

  “I like her, too,” Elizabeth admitted, reluctantly. She really hadn’t planned on anything like this. Maybe she should get a hold of herself and slow down and think. Yes, thinking was generally a good idea.

  Greta shook her head at the pair of them. “I think you’re in trouble now.”

  She covered her eyes with one hand. “Greta, what am I doing here right now?”

  “I think something larger than you might be responsible.”

  “Maybe,” Elizabeth said, and then frowned. “I don’t like thinking about her out there all on her own.”

  Greta leaned against the wall outside the run. “I imagine she didn’t like it much either.” She paused. “Something about this one, though. She’s special.”

  “She is, isn’t she?” Elizabeth said. The dog looked up at her and sighed, her whole body going slack, as if she realized that she could finally relax.