Five Hundred Miles From Friona, page 22
“Like the light hurt his eyes?” Wincing as if Brandon’s pain is my own, I make my way over to the closest bench to sit in the sunshine.
“We think so, but the best part is that he reacted. They’re going to switch up some of his medications. The doctor said that should make him more alert.” Karen pauses. I think she might be taking a sip of coffee, which reminds me that I’m thirsty and hungry. “He said Brandon still has a long way to go,” she continues. “And they’re leaving him here in the ICU to see how he does before they’ll even consider moving him to a regular room. So, it’s a day by day thing, but least it’s not hour by hour like it was.” I hear relief in Karen’s voice, like some of the weight of the last twelve days has been lifted off of her.
“I know; that’s a blessing.” And it is. I truly believe that God has been listening and has answered. Thank you, God. I look up at the bright blue sky and smile.
“Dr. Mayes came by, too,” Karen says. “She said his leg looks good, and she said she was leaving orders for the drainage tube to be removed.”
They better not hurt him. I blow out a breath I must’ve been holding. “That’s good news too. I really wish I could be there.”
“You’ll be here in two days, honey, and I bet he’ll be even better by the time you get here.”
“Karen, I know he probably won’t hear me, but would you hold the phone up to his ear so I can talk to him?”
“Sure, hold on.” She’s gone for a few seconds then I hear her voice in the background. “Brandon, Leanne wants to talk to you on the phone.” I hear a rustling noise then Karen says, “Okay, Leanne.”
“Hi, cowboy. I’m so happy that you’re doing better. I wish I could be there, but I’ll see you in two days. I’m sending you lots of hugs and kisses from College Station. I love you.”
After a long silence, Karen finally gets back on the phone. “Bless his heart, he’s so out of it,” she says sympathetically. “We’ll try that again later.”
Apparently we were both hoping that my voice would wake him up. “Okay. I need to grab something to eat before my next class, but please keep me updated. If I don’t hear from you, I’ll call you around dinnertime.”
“All right,” she says sweetly. “Have a good afternoon.”
Checking the time, I see that I still have an hour before my next class. So I go over to the dining hall and buy a bottle of water and some peanut butter cups. It’s not very healthy, but I’m justifying it as a celebration lunch. On top of that, it’s a nice day, and I want to be outside. I’ve got to soak up the sun and warm fall weather while I can.
I find another bench close to where my next class is and check my phone messages. Rachel has left three voicemail messages and sent two texts, so I call her back, hoping she’s not in class. No such luck. I have to leave her a message telling her to call back after four, when my last class ends, so I don’t miss her again.
Dean sent a text message: Very happy to hear the good news, Honey D! Eat your cobra meat & call me with details.
His message makes me laugh, but I decide to call him later, when I have more time to talk.
There are also text or e-mail messages from some friends from high school, a couple of girls from my dorm, Jake, Aaron, Rob, Cooper, Dani and Mark. I’ll include them in an e-mail blast tonight with the latest updates after I talk to Karen.
Closing my eyes, I lift my face toward the sun and lose myself in thoughts of Brandon. I can’t wait to see him and kiss him and hear his voice. Just two more days.
The next forty-eight hours are going to seem like an eternity.
Chapter Thirty-four
Brandon
I don’t know what’s going on, but whatever it is sucks. My whole body aches and my arms and legs feel too heavy to move. Every time I open my eyes, the light makes me feel like somebody is stabbing me in the head with a sharp knife.
I think I’m in a hospital, but I don’t know why. Sometimes I hear my parents’ voices. It’s like I’m dreaming. I’ve heard other voices, too. I don’t recognize them. Maybe they’re from a dream.
“Brandon, can you wake up for me?”
She sounds nice, but I don’t know that voice. Now somebody is patting my arm. I think it’s her, the voice.
“Brandon, do you think you can open your eyes?”
“Hurts my head.”
“Does your head hurt?” the voice asks.
“No, the light makes it hurt.”
“I’ll turn off the lights so it’s not so bright, and I’ll tell you when you can open your eyes, okay?”
“’Kay.” This is dumb. I just want to go to sleep.
“All right, sweetie, you can open your eyes now.”
I make myself open my eyes. I have to blink to get them to focus, but when they do, I see her. She has a ponytail, blue clothes, and a nice smile.
“Good job! Is your head hurting?”
“Not really,” I answer. “Can I have some water?”
“I can get you some ice chips. We’ll see about getting you some water tomorrow.”
“What day is that?
“Tomorrow will be Friday.”
“Today is… Are you a nurse?”
“Yes. I’m Vanessa. I’ve been taking care of you.”
Vanessa. I remember my mom yelling. “Was my mom here?”
“Your mom and dad are both here.” She pats my hand. “I’ll see if I can find them. Do you think you can stay awake for a few minutes?”
“Mm-hum.” Today is…
Chapter Thirty-five
Leanne
“I’m on my way!” I sing out to Brandon’s mother as I pull out of the dorm parking lot.
“Please drive carefully,” Karen sighs. “And I wish you wouldn’t talk on the phone while you’re driving.”
“I’m at a stoplight now, but I’ll be careful.” It’s hard not to call her “Mom” since she sounds just like mine. “How is he? Anything changed since this morning?”
“He woke up around nine, but only for about ten minutes,” she says. “He’s been asleep ever since.”
Glancing at the clock on the dash, I figure that Brandon has been asleep for the last four hours. “Well, maybe he’s resting up for me.”
“Honey, I don’t want you to expect too much and then be disappointed. He’s made some progress in the last couple of days, but he still has a long way to go. He seems to be confused, and I think that frustrates him. That’s why we haven’t told him about the accident.”
“I understand. I just can’t wait to see him.” And kiss him.
“All right, I’m hanging up because you’re driving,” she scolds, but with a smile behind her voice. “Be. Careful.”
Yes, Mom.
When she ends the call, I crank up my music, set the cruise, and settle in for the two-hour drive to Austin.
My mother calls twenty minutes later. She’s just checking on me, and I have to promise to call her when I get to the hospital. Our conversation is quick because, like Karen, she doesn’t want me to be distracted while I’m on the road.
When Dean calls, I talk to him longer, but he ends the conversation by telling me that he will be at a stock sale in Oklahoma City over the weekend and he’ll call me when he gets home on Sunday night.
By the time I get to the hospital, I’ve also had calls from Cassie, Jake, and Cooper. I didn’t talk to any of them very long because Karen and my mother have done their motherly duty by making me feel paranoid and guilty about talking on the phone while I’m driving. As I hurry across the parking lot, I call my mother to let her know I made it. The call is short again because all I can think about is getting to Brandon; everything else is on hold indefinitely. When I get to his room, Steve is sitting in the chair, flipping through a magazine. Brandon is sound asleep.
Steve gets up and hugs me. “I’m glad you made it safely,” he says, and I notice that he looks very tired, older even. Dark, puffy circles hang underneath his eyes and there’s a little more gray in his dark hair. I don’t know how he could’ve aged that much in the four days since I’ve seen him.
Quickly pulling away from Steve, I go over to Brandon, kiss his cheek, and pick up his hand to rub his fingers. This is what I did every day, for eight days straight, so I guess it has become routine. “Brandon, I’m here to see you. Can you wake up and talk to me? I missed you.”
He doesn’t move or give any indication that he’s going to wake up. The last thing I wanted was to be disappointed, but I am. I really don’t know what I was expecting, but I had pictured him awake, talking, and happy to see me. However, I am very glad to see that the bruise on his face has started to fade and his skin isn’t as pale as it was when I left. Some of the tubes are gone, but the monitors are all still hooked up, doing whatever they do.
Releasing Brandon’s hand, I turn back to Steve. “Has he been awake at all since this morning?”
Steve presses his lips together tightly and shakes his head.
“Is Karen here?”
“No, I sent her out to get her nails done,” he says with a shy smile. “She needed the break.”
So this is where Brandon gets his sweetness. “That was nice of you.”
It’s hard enough for me to deal with Brandon’s accident, but I can’t imagine what Steve and Karen going through as parents. One child was taken from them, one child is at home without her parents, and one is lying in a hospital bed with a long road to recovery ahead of him. They deserve some kind of medal.
A thought pops into my head, and I look up at Steve. “Why don’t you take Karen out for dinner tonight, maybe see a movie, then go back to the hotel and get a good night’s sleep. I can stay with Brandon all night.”
He sighs and runs his hand through his hair. “I don’t know if Karen would go for that. She doesn’t like leaving him for very long.”
“I get that because I don’t like leaving him either, but you and Karen both need a break,” I insist, crossing my arms and telling myself not to stomp my foot. “I want to stay with Brandon tonight, and the nurses are here if he needs anything.”
His chin drops to his chest, and his eyes close as he rubs the back of his neck; he’s obviously thinking it over. After a few minutes, he looks at me and winks. “You’ll have to help me convince her.”
I bounce on my toes and quietly clap my hands. “How long has it been since you and Karen went on a date?”
“I don’t even remember,” he says. “It’s been a long time.”
“Go.”
At the same time, Steve and I turn around to look at Brandon. His eyes are closed, but he definitely said “Go”.
“You think I should take your mom on a date tonight?” Steve asks.
“Mm-hum,” Brandon replies.
I’m smiling so big that my face feels like it’s going to crack in two. I pick up his hand again, but before I can say anything, Steve says, “You’ll have to help me talk her into it. Can you do that?”
“Mm-hum,” he says again.
Steve leans closer to Brandon’s ear and whispers loudly, “Brandon, there’s a real pretty girl here to see you. Why don’t you open your eyes and say hello?”
Brandon’s eyelids flutter, but he doesn’t open his eyes. Instead, he lifts his arm over his face, hiding his eyes behind his elbow. Steve gives me a wide-eyed, surprised look. I’m so excited about Brandon moving that if I had room I’d probably do a few back flips.
“Are you hiding from us?” I ask.
“It’s too bright,” he mutters.
I remember now. Karen said they had to turn the lights out yesterday because the brightness hurt his head. “I’ll turn the lights off for you, okay?”
“’Kay.” It’s only a whisper, but at least he’s awake and talking.
Vanessa walks in just as I’m about the flip the switch. “Hi, Leanne!” She smiles, all bubbly as she pats my arm.
“Hey, Vanessa.” I return her smile. It’s impossible not to because she seems so happy.
“How ‘bout this guy?” she says, as she picks up Brandon’s chart. “He’s done great this week, right, Steve?”
“Yeah, and he just put his arm over his face,” Steve says, nodding toward Brandon.
She sets the chart down and says, “Brandon, can you lift your other arm for me?”
He doesn’t move, so she slides her hand underneath his left forearm. “Lift this one for me.”
All of us watch as he slowly raises his arm until it’s almost vertical. I’m holding my breath the whole time, hoping it’s not hurting him.
“Good job!” Vanessa cheers, as she gently helps him lower his arm back to the bed. Next, she goes to the end of the bed and folds back the sheets, exposing Brandon’s feet. “Okay, Brandon, now I want you to bend your knees for me.”
When he doesn’t move, she slides her hand behind his left knee and wiggles her fingers. “Can you bend this one?”
I alternate between watching his face, which he still has covered, and his legs. I’m afraid he can’t do it, or if he does, it will be painful. But, the cheerleader in me is dying to come out and yell for him. Go, Brandon, go! In a way, I guess I am still on the sidelines cheering for him to do something amazing. “Come on Brandon, you can do it.”
Very slowly, his feet slide up the bed, until both knees are bent and the sheets are tented. He groans as if it took everything he had, but he did it!
“Excellent job, Brandon!” Vanessa cheers again.
Steve pats Brandon’s shoulder. “Way to go, buddy. Your mom is going to be so proud of you.”
“We’re all proud of you!” I tell him excitedly. I haven’t been this happy or this hopeful in what seems like forever.
“We’re going to do that again in a couple of hours,” Vanessa says. “And if you keep doing a good job, we’ll see about letting you get up.”
Brandon slides his feet down the bed, lowering his legs, which he then stretches. His lips barely turn up at the corners, but he’s obviously smiling. Then he raises his left arm again, and when it’s back on the bed, he removes his right arm from his face and leaves it lying across his chest. As I watch, his eyelids squeeze tightly shut, and it hits me that he might have permanent vision problems. I feel my forehead scrunch as I try to erase that thought from my head. No negative thoughts. He’s already making progress, and he’s going to be fine.
“Chicken fried steak,” he mumbles.
Grinning ear to ear, Vanessa pats his wrist. “Maybe you can have some food in a day or two, hon. We’ll have to ask Dr. Weiss what he thinks. Okay?”
Brandon doesn’t answer, and I think he has fallen asleep. Poor baby has probably worn himself out. Vanessa says she’ll be back again before her shift is over and makes her exit.
Steve says he’ll be back in a minute and leaves the room, too. I pull the chair up next to Brandon’s bed and hold his hand. “I love you so much, and I’m so proud of you.” I sit, watching him sleep, until Steve comes back with a cup of coffee for himself and a Dr. Pepper for me. “Thanks, that’s a nice surprise,” I tell him as he hands me the cup.
“Has he done anything since I left?” Steve asks, taking a sip of his coffee.
I shake my head. “He’s just been sleeping, but I’m so proud of him for moving his arms and legs.”
“So am I,” he says, “but Karen will be disappointed when she finds out she missed it.”
“Missed what?” Karen says as she strolls through the sliding door. She comes around the bed and puts her arm around my shoulders, giving me a squeeze.
“Your son moved both arms and both legs and told Vanessa he wanted chicken fried steak,” Steve answers.
She glances at me then back at Steve. “Are you kidding?”
Steve chuckles. “I’m not kidding. He did it, right Leanne?”
I stand up and give her a full hug. “Yep, all by himself.”
Releasing me, she goes over to Brandon and kisses his cheek. “Mama will get you a chicken fried steak as soon as they’ll let you have one.”
Brandon is zonked out, but the three of us are all smiles as we stand there waiting for his next trick. Finally, I clear my throat and say, “Karen, Steve and I were talking earlier, and I want to spend the night here with Brandon.”
When Steve doesn’t say anything, I tilt my head and motion toward her with my eyes, prompting him to ask her about going out for dinner.
“Oh yeah, Leanne and Brandon think you and I should go on a date tonight,” he says.
Karen glances at me then back at Steve. “They do?”
“We do,” I tell her, using a toned-down version of my assertive voice. “Steve was saying that you didn’t like leaving Brandon for very long, and that’s when he woke up and said, ‘Go’. So this is your chance to get out of here for a while and relax a little.”
“I guess we could,” Karen says apprehensively. After a few seconds, she looks at Steve again. “Okay, but where are we going?”
“I don’t have a clue,” Steve says, grinning. “I know there are some good restaurants here, but I don’t what they are or where they are.”
Karen’s eyes seem to brighten. “Well, we can’t go anywhere dressy; I don’t have anything to wear.”
Steve drapes his arm across her shoulders. “Honey, you never have anything to wear, but you always manage to look great.”
“Okay then,” I begin with a smile and a “move along” wave. “Go have fun. I’ll be here for Brandon, and I’ll call you if we need anything.”
“All right, if you’re sure,” Karen says.
“I’m absolutely positive, Karen,” I reply, glancing at Brandon. “I’ve got this.”
Three hours later, Brandon is still asleep, and I’m completely caught up on homework. So, I decide to do something I’ve wanted to do for months. I curl up in the chair with my Kindle and lose myself in a steamy romance.
