His father rolled his eyes good-naturedly and gave James a warm smile. “She loves you very much,” Marc said simply, “and you won’t find a better woman. You’ll make each other happy.”
The body spasmed again. Still there was no response on the medical instruments. After several unsuccessful attempts at resuscitation, one of the doctors stood upright and wiped his wrist across his brow. “That’s it.” He looked up at the large wall clock and said, “I’m calling it. Time of death 1:42pm.”
Marc grinned with a smile identical to his youngest son and gave him a small nudge. “That’s your cue,” he chuckled.
James threw his arms around his father in a quick hug. “I love you, Da. Will I see you again?”
He nodded and said, “I love you too, Seamus, and I’m never far away. Now go.”
Beep…………………….beep………….……and the medical team scrambled into action as one by one the machines sprang back to life.
****
Just under an hour later, one of the surgeons came out to speak with the family. He was immediately mobbed with questions and held his hands up for silence. “We’ve got him stabilized. We were able to remove the bullet - it didn’t hit any major organs but still made quite a mess. He lost a lot of blood and one lung is partially collapsed.” He paused to take a breath and gave the family a tentative smile. “We thought we had lost him once, but he’s a real fighter. Right now, we’re cautiously optimistic about his chances. We’ll know more in twenty-four hours.”
Beth choked back a sob, the relief evident in her voice. “How long before we can see him?”
A nurse came out and whispered something to the doctor, who nodded. “As soon as he gets to ICU. He’s heavily sedated, so I advise keeping your visits short. We’ll let you know when he’s being moved.”
The doctor turned to leave, but Beth put her hand on his arm. “Thank you, Doctor, from all of us,” she beamed. He smiled before disappearing through the doors marked Authorized Personnel Only.
Standing a respectful distance from the family, Aaron jumped when a large hand clamped down firmly on his shoulder. “Let’s take a walk, you and me,” Ian murmured. In the confusion of everyone talking at once, the two men slipped out unnoticed. They headed down the hall and into another waiting room that held very few people, most of whom were watching CNN on the flat screen TV. His face an inscrutable mask, Ian guided him to the hard chairs lined up on the opposite wall and indicated he should sit with a curt gesture. Aaron took a deep breath and braced himself.
Ian slumped down into the chair next to him, resting his forearms on his knees. After a long moment he finally spoke, his voice quiet. “You know I blame you personally for the condition my brother is in now. You’ve been riding him hard for years, not caring about the damage you were doing and not mindful of the damage he was doing to himself. Your karma is going to catch up to you without any help from me, though; you’ll have to square that account on your own.”
Aaron opened his mouth but closed it again when Ian held up his hand for silence. “I’m thinking maybe I’ve been too hard on you,” he sighed. “You’re not a bad man, just a greedy one.” With a shrug, he gestured towards the doorway. “Now that woman in the next room loves Seamus and he loves her, and we both know she had nothing to do with any of this. What are you going to do to fix this problem with everyone thinking she broke the band up?”
The older man blinked twice in deep thought. “I can call a press conference, tell everyone the truth,” he nodded with resignation. “I’ve decided to retire; I just don’t think I want to do this anymore.” He put a tentative hand on Ian’s arm and said, “I can’t tell you how sorry I am that it came down to this, Ian. This has all been just…” he faltered as he shook his head and stopped speaking altogether.
Ian patted his hand and gave him a wry smile. “I’m sorry I jacked you up against the wall like that. Tensions running a little high, I suppose. Still, it’s no excuse. I’m sorry–for everything.”
Aaron smiled back at him, a genuine one filled with relief. “No hard feelings, Ian. I remember your temper and how much you love your brother.” He chuckled before adding softly, “I could have made you great, you know.”
“Seamus is the one that wanted it and you got it for him. He’s the star, not me,” Ian said, a small smile curving his lips. He stood and stretched. “I’m after finding some coffee. How ‘bout you?” Rising to his feet, Aaron nodded and the two men walked back together under the white flag of truce.
****
The announcement that James had been moved from post-op to ICU came several hours later. He lay perfectly still, his chest rising and falling slowly under the blanket in the cool, dimly lit room. The oxygen mask fully encased his nose and mouth, parted slightly as if in natural sleep. Someone smoothed the hair on his brow before giving him a feathery kiss on the temple. “I love you, Seamus. I’ll be looking forward to you waking up.” Beth whispered in his ear, “I want to hear what else you plan on saying to this girl you’re so in love with.”
Beth…I love you, sweetheart. I truly do. I want to love you forever, darlin’.
She kissed his cheek then drifted away.
Dark.
Quiet.
Nothing.
A small hand took his and threaded soft fingers through it. “You scared the crap out of me, Seamus Kelly–don’t you ever do that again,” Meg scolded, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. “You’ve got a niece coming that’ll need you. Be strong, and hurry up and get better.”
I love you too, Meggie.
A hand slid up his wrist and caught it in a firm grasp. “I know you can hear me,” Ian whispered, “Everything is going to be fine. Aaron’s here - he’s going to call a press conference clearing Beth. She’s safe, Seamus, and we’ll watch over her until you get well again. We all know what you did for her.” Something warm brushed his forehead. “I love you, mo dearthair.”
I love you too, my brother, but soon as I can talk again we’re getting you switched over to decaf.
Nothing.
Nowhere.
Soft voices floated in and out. Dan’s voice, deep and reassuring. Lily’s musical voice. Male and female voices he didn’t know, talking over him like he wasn’t there.
Nothing.
A warm hand cupped his cheek as lips pressed against his forehead. “Seamus, my darling,” Moiré said, “Mama’s here. You’ll need to be waking soon; I didn’t come all this way to watch you sleep.”
Quiet.
Heather’s voice drifted in and out. A deep male voice reached him. “Seamus, it’s Sean. The doctor said you might be able to hear me. Get better, little brother. Leslie’s in the waiting room with the kids. They all said to tell you to get well soon.”
The last voice he heard came as a whisper so soft, he wondered if he heard it at all or if he just imagined it.
Seamus, it’s time to wake up, his father said.
****
For security’s sake, the hospital staff moved James to an improvised ICU room across from the nurse’s station. Armed guards were posted at the elevator and in the hallway outside the private room. In the hours that followed, the family rotated between the room and the waiting area, taking turns going out for food. Despite her exhaustion, Beth refused to leave his side. Ian brought her coffee and sandwiches while Lily provided her with a change of clothes. She pulled up a chair next to the bed and laid her head next to his inert hand, finally succumbing to fitful sleep.
Beth awoke to fingers threading themselves through her hair, rubbing the tangled tresses between thumb and forefinger. She raised her face to see James watching her through heavy lidded eyes. “I believe you promised me some ice cream,” he croaked in a voice rusty from disuse.
Tears of joy flooded her cheeks. “All you can eat,” she sobbed. She looked to his face with the oxygen tubes under his nose, then down to his chest and hands all hooked up to the different monitors and her face knotted with frustration. “I want to hug y
ou, hold you, but I’m scared to touch…oh, Seamus, I’m...”
“Sssh, love,” he whispered. He raised his hand to caress her, but the IV tubing limited his movement and he grunted in disapproval. Seeing his predicament, she leaned down to touch her forehead to his and he showered a rain of feathery kisses on her lips and cheeks. “I missed you, sweet,” he said softly. “For once, I figured it out in time to change what I saw.” A weak smile flitted across his face. “Maybe I’ll get the hang of it yet.”
“They said,” Beth hiccupped in between the tears, “that they lost you on the operating table. Did you see a bright light like you always hear about in the movies?”
“No, my darlin’,” James answered, pulling her closer. “All I saw was you.”
****
The young nurse sat in the station watching the room monitors, wondering how to best finagle her way into being asked to assist with the next scheduled rounds. It was hard to miss the imposing guards posted at each entrance, not to mention the marked resemblance of the people gathered in the waiting room. She knew who was in room 401. The door stayed closed, so she hadn’t even been able to catch a glimpse of the famous singer, although it definitely wasn’t for lack of trying.
Leaning forward, she scanned the hall for a quick visual check then jerked back in her chair when the monitor for room 401 began to hum softly. The warning lights flashed and the patient’s heart rate soared just before the pulse plummeted. Acting swiftly as her training prompted, she activated the intercom to announce the code.
****
In the large waiting room, the extended Kelly family and friends were scattered about dozing, reading, or chatting quietly. Sean bounced one of the twins on his knee, admonishing the other to play quietly. When the overhead speaker delivered its frightening message, he paused in midscold. “What was that? Did anyone hear that?”
Everyone sat up to listen as the message came over the intercom again. “That’s James’s room,” Lily cried. As if on cue, a group of doctors and nurses ran past the waiting room entrance. The family followed hot on their heels, their sounds of panic and alarm mingled with curses in a variety of languages.
At the doorway of room 401 a crowd had gathered, consisting of all of the nurses from the station and several doctors. Nearly all were smiling, some even laughing outright. The distraught brothers and sisters elbowed their way through and froze at the sight within.
Having slipped off unnoticed, the fingertip pulse monitor lay forgotten. James kissed Beth slowly and deeply, brushing her cheek with his thumb. Her hand gently teased his hair, taking care not to disturb the oxygen tube tucked behind his ears. Both were oblivious to the audience they had attracted until one of the doctors cleared his throat loudly. “It would appear,” he announced with more than just a trace of amusement, “that the patient is improving.”
With a startled shriek at the unexpected interruption, Beth blushed crimson to the roots of her hair. Shameless as usual, James gave the group a wholly unrepentant grin. “What’s with all the ruckus? Can’t a fella get a moment with his girl without turning the house upside down?” As the smiling nurses advanced to hook him back up to the monitors properly, he flashed his famous smile. “Any danger of getting a bite to eat? I’m near famished.”
The room was cleared except for medical personnel while James was examined to ensure no adverse affects from the surgery. More interested in cheeseburgers than chest wounds, James was dismayed to learn that his diet was limited to clear liquids for – at the very least - the next day or so. When an eager young nurse offered to bring him a cup of broth, he gave her a resigned smile and nodded.
Once the doctors were satisfied that all was well, the family was allowed back into the room. One by one, they approached the bed and gave him a kiss, a gentle hug or touch. James looked to see his entire family gathered around the room. “Where’s Meggie?” he asked, craning his neck to see her.
“Over here,” she waved, pulling herself up from the couch. He waved her closer so that he could whisper in her ear. She frowned and said, “You’re not supposed…” then leaned in again as he whispered something else. She nodded and reached inside her purse, pulling out two of the red foil wrapped chocolates. Dropping them in his waiting hand, she waited until he had unwrapped both. He kept the foil squares and handed her back the candy, which she promptly popped into her mouth.
James slowly twisted the two wrappers together. “Lisbeth,” he called, looking around for her.
“I’m here,” she said, coming forward from where she had been lingering in the doorway. Chewing industriously, Meg moved aside to let her closer.
He patted the bed next to him. “Come talk to me, sweetheart.” Dan cleared his throat, and everyone started to move towards the door, making excuses to leave to give the lovers some privacy. “No, wait…don’t go,” James called. When everyone stopped, he gave Beth a warm smile. “I had a picture in my mind as to how I was going to say this, but things don’t always turn out like you think they should, I’ve found.”
Taking her hand in his, he gave it a meaningful squeeze. “I love you, Lisbeth Vargo, and I know this isn’t as romantic as I planned but I’m not going to wait one more minute.” He took the foil ring he had made out of the candy wrappers and slid it slowly on her finger. “Will you marry me, darlin’?”
A collective gasp went around the room. Beth’s incredulous gaze dropped to the red band adorning her finger. “That’s just temporary,” he assured her, “being as how I haven’t been able to run downstairs to the gift shop. I picked your ring out already, though – you’ll be able to see the stone from space, I’m thinkin’.”
Her jaw dropped open and she blinked at him with the rounded eyes of a shocked baby owl. He reached up and gently closed her mouth with one finger. “I don’t intend to go through one more minute of my life without telling you how much I love you, how much you mean to me, and how very much I need you. All the time, darlin’, not just stolen days here and there. I need to have you to come home to.”
She narrowed her eyes. “I love you too, Seamus,” she said carefully. “You mean more to me than life itself and I need you more than I’ve ever needed anything, but I don’t understand the come home to part. Just what leads you to believe I’ll let you out of my sight that long?” she snapped.
He frowned. “So what you’re telling me is that no matter where I go, you’re going too? Every cold hotel bed I crawl into–you’re already going to be in there making it all warm and taking up most of it? Making those funny little purring noises whenever I …Sorry, Ma,” he added contritely, realizing that he had just admitted–in front of his entire family, no less–to sharing a bed with Beth without benefit of marriage, something his old-fashioned mother was already in deep denial over.
“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” Beth said, raising her chin a notch. “I mean, you’re lumpy and everything...”
“Lumpy?” he cried indignantly.
“Lumpy. And you snore like a bull alligator. You can look that up on YouTube when you get out.” He opened his mouth to protest again, but she cut him off. “Don’t interrupt–rude,” she said, lifting her hand to silence him. “But I would still rather sleep on you than on that ridiculously soft mattress you have.” Over her shoulder, she added “Sorry, Mrs. Kelly.”
“Mom,” Moiré corrected helpfully.
“Mom,” Beth amended with a smile.
James and Beth glared at each other for a long tense moment until he finally spoke. “How much did you get for my underwear on Ebay?” he demanded.
Her mouth curved into a sweet smile. “Enough to buy a wedding dress.”
“So you’ll marry me, then.”
She sighed. “I suppose so.”
“Fine.”
“Fine.”
James looked deeply into Beth’s eyes and said, “Do you remember the song with no ending?” When she nodded, he said, “I heard it while I was…out. I know how it ends now.” He began to sing very softly:
My promise to cherish and adore, through worries, woe or untold strife
From this moment now and evermore, I give to thee, my bonny wife
Both smiles were brilliant as he lifted his hands and pulled Beth to him, once again yanking the monitor off his fingertip. “Well, don’t just sit there - kiss me and seal the promise, darlin’.” Glancing behind her to his gaping family, he winked and grinned. “Right, now–off you go.”
As she leaned forward to happily comply with his request, the visitors backed out of the room without a sound. No one spoke until they were gathered back in the waiting room. It was Heather who finally said aloud what all were thinking. “I believe,” she said slowly, “that was the oddest damn proposal I’ve ever heard.”
23
The parade started early that morning with eager nurses appearing one by one, each trying to cajole James into getting up and walking for the first time after his surgery. “It’s only been a few days,” he had smiled at the last star struck young nurse. “I’m still weak as a wee kitten, ye understand.”
The door to the room swung open slowly like a saloon door in a spaghetti western. The mocha-skinned nurse stood with hands braced on ample hips, the soft padding belying the solid muscle underneath. Dark chocolate brown eyes met wary green ones in open challenge.
“Ah, shit, now you’ve done it,” Ian muttered under his breath as he rose to leave. James shot him a look that said sit down and shut up, so Ian flopped back down on the couch and waited for the fireworks to begin.
“Mr. Kelly, my name is Mrs. Watson. I’m from the Physical Therapy unit,” she said in a voice that commanded full attention. Without waiting for acknowledgement or invitation she pushed the door closed behind her, pulled up a chair beside the bed and sat down with a heavy sigh.
“It seems we’ve got us a problem,” she began in a deep Southern drawl. “You’ve got to get up out this bed and walk.”
“I told the other nurses and I’ll tell you too–it hurts to move; therefore, I’m not moving,” James said in what he thought was a perfectly reasonable tone. “Surely you wouldn’t want me hurtin’ myself, would you, darlin’?”
The Gypsy Ribbon Page 29
