Authors: Anna Kristell
When the delivery boy from the restaurant showed up with their lunch, the two mothers were able to persuade Chase to go to the lounge with them to eat.
“You can relax a little. And it’s right down the hall
. You’ll be close by if Sunny needs you.”
“
This is really good, Chase,” Laura said as she took a bite of the vegetable soup. They had each also been brought a sandwich and a dessert.
When he’d finished eating, Chase told the two women to stay and rest. “I’m going back in. I’d like to be alone with Sunny.”
“Okay, sweetheart, you go on. But please, send someone to get us if there is any change,” Laura requested.
“I will,” he replied with a smile.
When he entered the room, a male nurse he hadn’t seen before was standing next to Sunny’s bed holding a pillow in his hand.
“What are you doing?” Chase demanded.
“Just putting a pillow behind her head, sir,” the nurse replied. He looked nervous as he attempted to place the pillow under Sunny’s head.
“I’ll do it.” Chase took the pillow from the nurse’s hand.
“Yes, sir, I’ll just be going now.” He hurriedly left the room.
It was a long and tiring day for the people who loved Sunny. Chase rarely left her side. He held her hand and whispered in her ear almost continually. Only occasionally could Laura or Marty persuade him to take a break.
“The doctor said to watch and wait but for how long?” Chase looked at his mother for guidance.
“I don’t know, he didn’t really say, did he?”
“I wonder if Dr. Rose is here yet?”
“Laura went downstairs to wait for him. I’m sure she
’ll bring him up to see you and Sunny as soon as he gets here.”
Connie the nurse assigned to Sunny for the afternoon shift came in and introduced herself. “I’m Connie
. If you need anything, just let me know. I’ll be back to check her vitals in just a little while.”
“Thank you
,” Chase said absently.
“Can I get you anything? Perhaps a cup of coffee, I can get some from our staff lounge. I guarantee it
’ll be better than what you’ve been getting out of the machines.”
“That would be wonderful. You can bring us both a cup if you don’t mind. Black is fine
,” Marty told her.
“Coming right up
.” She placed a hand on Chase’s shoulder. “You’ve got to keep your strength up.”
After Connie had gone to get the coffee, Marty told her son, “Chase, you’ve got to pull yourself together here. I’ve never seen you like this…even when Brittney…”
“Mom, you have no idea what I’m feeling right now. The pain I felt when Brittney died is nothing, compared to the way I’m feeling now, sitting here watching my precious Sunny in this bed. A million thoughts are swirling in my head, what if…she never wakes up, what if…she wakes up but has no memory…what if she can’t remember our life together…and what if…God forbid…I never get to tell her what she means to me.”
“I know you love her more than life itself
. I know she’s the one, true, love of your life. But you can’t think this way. You have to have faith. And I do have an idea of what you are feeling…I loved and lost your dad.”
Connie had returned with the coffee. Chase gratefully accepted it
and took a sip of the hot, steaming liquid. “You’re right, Connie, it’s better than the coffee in the machines.”
“Well, anytime you want another cup, you just let me know.”
“Thanks,” Marty said as she took the cup Connie offered her.
“I think I’ll call Emma at the restaurant and tell her to include a big pot of coffee for us
, from now on, in their deliveries to us,” Chase said as he reached for his phone.
“Now that sounds like a plan, since it may be another long night for us.”
A few minutes later, Laura came in. “Chase, Dr. Rose is here. He’s spoken to the nurses and he’d like to see you outside, before he comes in to see Sunny. He’s been able to answer some of my questions, so ask him whatever you’d like.”
“Thank you, Laura. Here, take my chair. She’d probably like to hear her Mama’s voice
, instead of mine, for a while.”
***
*
When he’d closed the door softly behind him, Laura looked at Marty sadly
. “I just don’t know what to say to him to snap him out of it…”
“He loves her so deeply
. I’ve been trying to tell him, he has to have faith she’ll wake up. He went to the chapel at four this morning to pray.”
“That poor boy…and those poor babies at home…to have to go through this
, after what happened to their mama. They’re so attached to Sunny now. We all saw that on Christmas Eve.”
“Laura, I don’t know if you picked up on it, but Chase’s first marriage was no bed of roses. Brit was a good mother and she tried to be a good wife
. Chase wasn’t in love with her. Truth be known, she probably wasn’t really in love with him, either. The situation between your daughter and my son is quite different. They love each other deeply. If anything were to happen…I don’t think my son would survive it.”
“
We’ll just have to make sure nothing happens to my Sunny Jo.” Laura patted her daughter’s hand and spoke softly to her, “Sunny Jo, you need to wake up, Honey, so your handsome husband can get some sleep.”
Marty laughed
. “Laura, it’s no wonder Sunny has been such a breath of fresh air to this family, she’s just like her mother.”
“Thank you, Marty. You know
, when Sunny told me she and Chase were getting married, I have to admit, I was concerned. After all, he’s older and has two children. Sunny had suffered a heartbreak when her fiancé broke up with her. She’d only had the one boyfriend, Scott, and I feared she was acting on impulse. But when I arrived in Florida for the wedding, I only had to look at the two of them together, to realize my daughter had made a wise choice. Chase is wonderful. It’s obvious he adores her. And I can see, her feelings for him run much deeper than any she felt for Scott.”
“Yes,
it’s quite obvious, isn’t it? You don’t know how happy I am they found each other. The staff loves her, and so do the children. She has to wake up, Laura.” Marty wiped her eyes with a tissue.
Chase stepped back into the room. “Would you two mind letting Dr. Rose come in? You need a break anyway. Mrs. Rose is in the lounge.”
“Sure, honey, come on Laura, let’s take a walk to the chapel. We’ll take Mrs. Rose with us.”
Laura got up and touched Chase’s hand. “Keep your faith, Chase. She loves you too much to give up.”
****
They both spoke to Dr. Rose on their way out. When they’d gone, the doctor walked to Sunny’s bedside. He checked her pupils and her pulse. “Chase, her pulse is good, strong.”
Connie came in to take Sunny’s vitals. “I hear you’re a retired doc from Clinton. Welcome.”
“
I am, but I’m also a family friend. Sunny is like a daughter to my wife and myself.”
When Connie had finished, she handed the chart to Dr. Rose. He scanned the results of her blood pressure and heart rate and said, “Chase, everything looks good here. I’ll speak to Dr. Jessup when he makes his rounds and see what else he can tell me.”
“Thank you so much, Doc.”
“Chase, let’s take a walk. You need to get some fresh air. The nurses will call us if they need us.”
“Okay.” Chase leaned over and kissed Sunny’s cheek. “Baby, I’ll be right back. I’m just going for a walk with Dr. Rose. I love you.”
“Chase, why don’t you go home for a few hours, shower, nap, see the kids?” Mrs. Rose suggested gently
the next morning. “I know you don’t want to leave her, but your mother and Laura will be back soon.”
“She’s right,
son. After Dr. Jessup comes in, you go home. We’ll go to our hotel for few hours. Marty and Laura can hold down the fort.”
“I do need to check on the kids, they
’re probably sick with worry by now.”
Laura and Marty returned, refreshed, and both of them heartily agreed
, Chase needed a break.
“How are the kids?” he asked.
“They’re all right, considering. You can tell they’re frightened, but Alma and George have been keeping them occupied. Alma kept them out of school the past few days, but thinks they should go back tomorrow. She called their teachers and explained the situation.”
After Dr. Jessup’s visit, Chase
went home. Driving his mother’s car, he pulled into the driveway. Seeing Sunny’s car still parked where she had left it, he laid his head on the steering wheel and sobbed. Calming himself down before going inside to face Ali and Brice, he walked around the house a few times before going in through the kitchen door.
“Chase, oh, honey, sit down and have a cup of coffee. I just made a fresh pot.” Alma began mothering him immediately. She poured a cup of coffee for him and one for herself
. She sat down with him.
“What’s happening?”
she asked, eager for news.
“Her vitals are good, but
she’s still not awake,” he said as he took a sip of the strong, black coffee.
“Oh, honey, I’m so sorry. What does the doctor say?”
“Watch and wait…that’s all we can do at this point.”
George walked in
. Seeing Chase, he went to him and patted him on the shoulder. “Hang in there, Chase, she’s a fighter.”
“I hope you’re right. Where are Ali and Brice?”
“Playing a game in the den, go on in, they’ll be happy to see you.”
Chase
went to find his children. Entering the room quietly, he said, “Hey you guys, got a hug for your dad?”
“Daddy
, we missed you. Is Mama with you?” Ali ran to her dad for a bear hug.
“Daddy
, I want Mama.” Brice’s eyes filled with tears as Chase scooped him up in his arms and held him close.
He sat down with Brice on his lap. He pulled Ali down beside him and hugged her close to him
. He said, “Your mama is at the hospital. She’s resting right now. She fell and hurt her arm, and her head. The doctors and nurses are taking really good care of her.”
“Can we see her?” Ali asked.
“Not just yet, Princess Ali. Maybe later, when she feels better, I’ll take you to see her.”
“Does she miss us?” Brice asked sadly.
“She misses you guys like crazy.”
He sat with them for
a while longer, playing games and reading to them. When Alma came in to get them for lunch, Chase told them that he was going to take a nap. “I’ll go back to check on your mama when I wake up. I’ll tell her you love her.”
After he was finally able to catch a few good hours of uninterrupted sleep, he showered, shaved
, and dressed. He kissed the children, telling them to behave for Alma and George. He mentioned to Alma if Alice wanted to come up from Florida to help out with the kids, he’d arrange for her flight. He gave her carte blanche to call and invite her.
“She’s been calling several times a day
, to find out what is going on, so I’m sure she’ll be on the first flight you can book her on.”
“I’ll have Lisa, my secretary, get right on that, I need to check in with her anyway.” He dialed Lisa’s extension and filled her in.
“Things are all right here, Mr. Dupont. I’ll call you if anything comes up. I’ll take care of Alice’s flight plans right away. Should I call her with the details, or you?”
“Go ahead and call her directly. I’ll let her know to expect your call.”
“Alma, please let Alice know, Lisa will call her with the flight information,” he said when he hung up the phone.
“I’ve already spoken to her. S
he’s packing as we speak.”
“What would I do without all of you?”
“You won’t ever have to find out… now get back to our Sunny girl before she wakes up and you’re not there.”
“If only
she would.” He hugged Alms, waved goodbye, and rushed to the car.
When he arrived back at the hospital, he learned there had been no change.
On the third day, in the early afternoon, Chase was dozing with his head on Sunny’s stomach, holding her hand.
“Cha
se…” a whispered sound came from Sunny’s throat.
He immediately raised his head and looked into the blue eyes of the woman he adored. “
Baby…you’re awake.” He leaned over to kiss her.
“What happened to my arm?”
Chase glanced over at Laura who’d been reading a book. She was already on her feet and on her way out the door to summon a nurse.
“
Baby, you fell in the woods. Do you remember anything?”
“Vaguely, I remember lunch with Brenda then walking to my bench. I must have been on my way back. Did I trip?”
“We don’t know, precious, when we realized you were missing, George and I went to the woods to look for you. When we found you, you were unconscious.”