by CJ Murphy
Still trying to stifle her laughter, Laurel shook the outstretched hand. “I’m Laurel.”
“Hi, nice to finally meet you.” Jo pointed to Liz. “And my wife is wrong about one thing. I don’t need to one up this jackass. I’ll always be a step in front and above. Taught her everything she knows.”
Laurel did laugh this time and let Liz hold the chair while she helped Val from the Jeep. Val hopped on one foot until she could turn enough to sit down, sweat pouring down her pale face. Laurel was sure she was trying to hide how much pain she was in. Laurel turned a quick glance to Liz, her eyes wide, hoping Liz would see her concern.
Liz spoke up. “How about we get everyone inside? I imagine the car ride hasn’t been easy on someone involved in an accident as bad as yours.”
Val looked at Liz then closed her eyes. “That’d be great. Thanks.”
Jo led the way into the house. “The house should make it easy on her. Everything is universally accessible. There’s a small elevator back here that allows access to any of the three floors. The bottom floor is our living area and the bedrooms are on the second. The top floor is my studio and workshop.”
Laurel was relieved that the house was set up to handle someone with mobility issues. “Let’s get you settled down for a while.” Laurel leaned down to look at Val. “You’re white as a sheet. Are you going to be sick, or is it the pain?”
“Just the pain.” Val peered up at her friends. “Hey, Liz, got a place I can rest? The trip took more out of me than I thought it would.”
“Excellent idea.” Liz led them through the gorgeous house. Wide plank floors gave the house a warm solid feeling. Rich burgundy and gold accents played in the wainscot and crown moldings. Pictures of Liz and Jo at the beach lined the walls. The house had been lovingly restored. Stepping into the elevator, Laurel pulled Val’s chair toward her. She placed her hand on Val’s shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. Val leaned her head back and rested it on her arm, eyes closed.
Laurel settled back against the elevator wall, holding back tears that threatened to spill out. She felt a hand squeeze hers and looked down to see Liz’s slender fingers curled around her own. She watched as Liz mouthed, “it will be okay.” Laurel nodded to acknowledge she understood. Liz led them to a large room with muted earth tones and a four-poster bed. She turned on a small lamp on the bedside table and pulled down the bedcovers.
Val cleared her throat and quietly said, “I need to go to the bathroom first.”
Laurel pushed her into the spacious bathroom equipped with handicap grab bars, locked the wheelchair, and went around to the front. “How do you want to get up?”
Val considered her options. “I think if we butterfly our hands together and you lean back, I can use this arm to pull up without straining the bum one.”
“Ok.” Laurel reached out her left hand and Val slipped her clammy one in hers. With a little effort, they had Val standing.
“I can take it from here. Thanks.”
Laurel exited to give Val privacy and walked back into the hall where Liz was standing.
Liz reached out and lightly grasped her forearm. “Are you ok?”
Laurel pulled her hair up off her neck, trying to cool down. “I will be, when she is.”
Liz shook her head.
Laurel rubbed her neck, trying to relieve some of the tension that settled there. After a few minutes, Val called out and Laurel returned to the bathroom and shook her head seeing Val already seated in her wheelchair. They made it to the side of the bed and they repeated the earlier procedure. Laurel put her other arm around Val’s waist to steady her and Val nearly sank into her arms. They pivoted, and Laurel helped Val sit and then lie down. Val’s face was completely white. Rivulets of sweat rolled down the side of her skin and she collapsed with a sigh. Laurel went one step further and pulled off Val’s boot for her.
Liz turned the wide slatted blind so only a small amount of light filtered into the room. “Laurel, your room is right next to this one, unless you two want to share.” Grinning, Liz headed for the door. “I’ll see you later. I’ve got a patient that’ll be here in twenty minutes. If you two need anything, yell at Jo. If she can’t help, she’ll get me. Val, doctor’s orders, get some rest.”
Val softened as she looked at her friend, her eyes slowly closing. “No choice, Doc. Thanks for putting us up.”
“Val, you’re family. Laurel, that means you, too. Anyone who can put up with her has to be good people. See you later.”
Laurel followed her to the door. “Thank you. She’s not so bad. I’ve wrangled kittens that have given me more of a fight.” She turned back toward Val in time to see her grimace. She whispered this time, hoping Val didn’t hear. “This trip was hard, and she’s hurting more than she’s saying.”
Liz nodded and replied just as quietly, “Don’t let her push you away. She will at some point. It’s her nature.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve been expecting it, but I’m made of tougher stuff than that. Thanks for the warning, though.” Laurel squeezed Liz’s hand as she made her exit.
She returned to the bed, putting a few pillows under Val’s injured arm to support it and loosening the strap around her neck. Sitting down on the bed, her fingers brushed damp strands of thick blonde hair off Val’s pale forehead. “Need a sip of water or anything?”
Val grabbed her hand. “No, I’m fine but…”
“What? Don’t be afraid to ask. It’s what I’m here for.”
“Will you stay?”
Laurel struggled with the overwhelming desire to do just that. Her barriers she’d erected long ago were fast disappearing, as were her reasons to believe she needed them. “Val, all you have to do is ask. I’m here for you, but I don’t want to keep you awake. I want you to get some rest.”
Val nodded. “I’ll sleep, I promise. I just need something to hold on to right now.”
Laurel reached out and cupped the side of Val’s face. “Then let it be me.”
Slipping off her hiking sandals, she climbed into bed. She snuggled under the raised arm and into Val’s side, careful not to put pressure on the incision area. She put her hand on Val’s chest so she could feel the subtle changes in Val’s body. Moments later, Laurel felt the tension start to drift from it. Val’s breathing evened out, and the hand that had been caressing her, stilled.
Laurel took in the sharp citrusy cologne that hung on Val’s skin. She felt her own thoughts drifting at the rise and fall of Val’s chest. A need welled within her to hold Val closer, to protect and heal her. Her heart wanted Val in a more intimate way. In contrast, her head told her she had no business having those feelings, knowing she might not be able to offer Val a lifetime. There wasn’t even a guarantee she could offer her a few years. The demons that lived within her cells could make themselves known at any time. Could she dare to dream that she wouldn’t develop cancer? Could she allow herself to dream of a future with this tall Viking? Does Val even want someone in her life this way? The questions swirled in her mind as she drifted off, a comforting warmth and steady heartbeat beneath her cheek.
***
Val felt Laurel leave the bed as the mattress dipped and then settled. She kept her eyes closed, listening to the quiet sound of Laurel moving around the room. Hearing the door creak shut, she opened her eyes. The second Laurel’s body pulled away from her arms, she felt the loss. It was like someone snuffed out a fire on a cold winter’s day. She hasn’t been gone five minutes and I already miss her.
She remembered leaning her head against Laurel’s arm in the elevator. She’d felt both protected and grounded. She was growing to rely on Laurel more and more. The unspoken understanding was something she had with few people and none like this. It both frightened and soothed her. She tried to remember if she’d ever felt like this and for the life of her, couldn’t. She’d lived with Tess for a short time and could never remember missing her warmth like she did Laurel’s. Ever since her accident, her need for this one woman, had intensifie
d tenfold. She put her hand on the bed in the spot Laurel had just vacated. The heat from her body was cooling fast. A faint aroma of coconut and vanilla lingered. She closed her eyes and tried to reign in the desire that was fast overcoming her better judgment.
Val shifted on the bed, trying to get comfortable, and got her shoulder in an awkward position. The pain was instantaneous, a white-hot bolt shooting through her back. Shit! Val lay quiet for a few minutes, breathing deeply in through her nose and exhaling through her mouth to hold back the acid that rose in her throat. I will not throw up. I will not throw up. She smacked the bed with her good hand in frustration.
She pulled a deep breath in and tried the relaxation techniques Liz used during their sessions. Clearing her mind, she felt the anger dissipate. Pictures of things that comforted her flashed like she was watching an old-time slide show, Cool Springs front porch, Ree in the kitchen making pies, and Laurel standing on the porch, drop dead gorgeous in a tank top and a pair of cutoff jeans. Her mind settled, and the nausea passed. She was floating on a memory or maybe a dream. One way or another, she felt peace as she drifted back to sleep, content to see Laurel in any form she could.
***
Laurel left Val sleeping and walked down the stairs, following the smell of something delicious. Making her way to the kitchen, she saw Liz standing at the stove stirring a large pot while Jo sat at the small dinette drinking a beer.
Laurel pointed to the beer. “God, that looks good. Wouldn’t know where another might be found, would you?”
“Praise Jesus, another beer drinker. I was afraid you were going to ask for a glass of red wine like my refined better half.” Jo wheeled over to the refrigerator, grabbed a beer, and popped it open with the underside of her wedding ring. “Here you go.”
Laurel took the cold bottle from Jo and pulled in a long drink. She looked at the bottle, an amber microbrew. She took another drink deciphering the unique flavor, nutty with caramel overtones and a hint of chocolate. It was really good.
Liz placed a hand on her hip. “Jo, please tell me you didn’t open that with your wedding ring?”
A sheepish grin escaped Jo’s lips. “I can’t help it. It’s handy.”
“Unlike that really nice opener I had installed right beside the refrigerator.” She looked at Laurel, who was smiling at them. “We’ve been married six years and twice a year it has to go in for repairs. I’m not sure there’s much left of the original band.”
Jo rolled over to where Liz was and pulled her into the chair with her. “The real ring, as Val pointed out, is in my nose and you know it.” Jo kissed her wife.
Liz pulled back from the kiss and lifted Jo’s left hand. “Yes, but this, my dear Josephina Danielle Ruston-Romano, is the one your adoring fangirls see while pretending to be in love with your art and not you. This ring tells them that you’re spoken for.”
Jo put both hands on the wheels of her chair and spun them around. “You’re the only fangirl I care about.”
They kissed again, and Laurel cleared her throat, uncomfortable. “Need me to leave so you two can burn the house down without an audience?”
“Shit!” Liz jumped out of Jo’s lap and back to the stove where she began madly stirring the pot.
Laughter filled the kitchen and Jo motioned for Laurel to sit down.
Laurel sat, her heart warming. “Val said you two were the real deal.”
“It took me long enough to convince her of that.” Jo pointed at Liz. “I chased that woman for over a year before she finally agreed to go out with me.”
Liz stared at her. “And you know why. I told you several times during that year of chasing me around the hospital, I didn’t date patients or anyone else in the military.”
“And I told you I wasn’t your patient and without the ability to stand on two legs, Uncle Sam was done with me.”
Liz shook her head and rolled her eyes. “But you were still enlisted and technically a patient at the hospital.”
Laurel loved the back and forth and listened to the married couple go through what was obviously a tired argument that in the end, both had won. They were together, and by all appearances, still madly in love. She gradually realized that Liz had asked her a question.
“Sorry, daydreaming. What did you ask?” Laurel shook her head in embarrassment.
Liz rested her hand on Laurels forearm. “You’ve had a lot on your plate helping her. I can’t imagine why you’d be distracted. I asked how’s Val doing?”
“She’s really beat up. I was scared to death we were going to lose her in those first few hours. She almost died in the emergency…” Laurel’s voice disappeared, and she trembled as the terror came rushing back. She started to cry and covered her face with her hands, embarrassed. “I’m sorry.”
Jo wheeled around, pulling one of Laurel’s hands into hers. “It’s okay. Jarhead up there is damn tough. Has she told you what she lived through in Iraq?”
Laurel wiped at the tears that fell off her chin and shook her head. “She said she would sometime, she just hasn’t been able to do it. She’s exhausted and weaker than she wants to let on. I get the feeling allowing others to help her isn’t in her nature.” Laurel took another drink of her beer and began to absent-mindedly pick at a loose corner of the label.
“No, she’s a stubborn ass.” Jo smiled fondly at some distant memory. “The day I met her, one of the docs asked me to look in on her. I’d tried to engage her a few times. She shut down. Finally, I figured the only way to get her up and moving was to piss her off.”
Laurel filed that piece of information away for future use. She’d been able to gently persuade Val into doing what was needed without a great deal of fuss.
Jo gave a low whistle. “If she could have gotten ahold of me that first day, I think she’d have strangled me. Once I got her out of that bed, I knew I had her.”
“Honestly, it hasn’t taken much to get her out of bed or moving. But she’s drawn in right now. She lets me in as far as she can, I’m sure.”
“That’s a plus, and you didn’t even have to piss her off. My wife might not agree, but I’m going to tell you some of her story, at least the important parts. I want you to you know what you’re up against.”
Shaking her head, Liz said, “Don’t put words in my mouth, love. I’m a believer that everyone tells their own story in the way and time they need to. If they don’t, I help them find their way to do it. That’s my job, you know. I’ve been told I’m pretty damn good at it.”
“She’s a spitfire, isn’t she, Laurel? Trust me, I married up.” Jo pulled Liz to her and kissed her. “Let’s go outside. Val’s going to sleep for a while longer.” Jo grabbed two fresh beers and led Laurel out to a paved stone deck looking out into the back yard.
They settled in around a small table and Jo began to fill in Val’s past. “I assume you know she wrote for the Marine News, or should I say she was a photographer.” She looked to Laurel for confirmation. Laurel nodded and she continued. “Val was embedded with a group of marines who were trying to make inroads with the Iraqi’s by delivering school supplies donated by Gary Sinise’s charity, Operation Iraqi Children. The unit was delivering these school supplies as a good will gesture. They were gathered in an interior courtyard with teachers and probably fifteen kids. Some guy walked in with a suicide vest on. He detonated it in the middle of them all. Val was front and center taking pictures and lucky to survive. They had to replace her elbow and remove the lower part of her leg. She had a pretty severe concussion and still suffers migraines from the blast. I worry this latest concussion might make them worse.”
Liz joined them and sat beside Laurel with a glass of red wine.
Laurel leaned back and took it all in. She’d seen some of the scars but had no idea it had been that bad. “I guess that’s why Cruella was in such a snit after she got there.”
Jo and Liz both burst out laughing. “Oh my god, that’s hysterical. Does Val know you call her that?” Jo covered her mouth in dis
belief.
Laurel grinned sheepishly. “Yeah. Told me that if her mom knew she’d probably slap me with a restraining order.”
“When I called to talk to her in the hospital, she told me she needed more pain meds to keep from laughing too hard about it.” Liz took a sip of her wine.
Laurel glowed at the fact that Val had mentioned her to Liz when they had talked. “Oh, can I use your laundry? We picked up her duffle on the way here. She’s pretty thin on clean clothes.”
A smirk crept across Jo’s face. “She never has been much for material things other than her cameras and bike.”
“I’m learning that every day.”
Liz stood and walked back toward the patio door. “I’ll show you where it is.”
Following, Laurel said, “Then I’m going to go check on her. It’s about time for her pain meds.”
Jo’s eyes widened. “She’s actually taking them?”
“Yup, like a trooper, and the antibiotics.”
Jo grinned. “Wow, that’s progress. She tried to suffer through the last time. I was ready to put them in her mouth and pinch her nose to get her to take them. Good for you. I think she’s met her match in you, Laurel Stemple.”
Liz murmured under her breath, “And I bet it scares her to death.”
Laurel raised an eyebrow at the mumbled phrase. It might not have been something she was meant to hear, but it rang in loud and clear. Then that makes two of us.
***
Val felt a soft touch and heard a gentle voice. Slowly, she opened her eyes.
Laurel rested next to her, running a finger down her cheek. “Hey, sleepy head. It’s time for some meds. I brought your stuff in and tried to sort through what looked clean and what looked like it needed to go in the laundry. In the end, I decided they all needed a trip through.”
Val put her hand on her face and groaned. “You sorted through my dirty clothes? I’m so sorry. I’d have done that. Thank you. That’s above and beyond.”
