The Wreight Series Box Set, page 25
part #1 of Wreight Series
They discussed the virtual book tour that allowed her to be at home. She would be conducting interviews from home or Lance's bedside. After their meal, Ryan stood beside her at the valet stand. "Renee. I know you don't want to hear this, but I..." He didn't get the chance to say anything else.
Renee stopped him by putting her finger to his lips. "Lance will wake up, and everything will be fine." As her car arrived, she hugged Ryan and said goodbye.
**
At first, Darrell felt a little silly talking to Lance. As time went on, it got easier, and now he looked forward to it. Darrell told Lance about his funny conversations with his children. He read the sports pages to him, and he told him how much Renee missed him. He helped Renee with his physical therapy.
Darrell was telling him how his son, Darrell junior, kept asking him how the white dude was when Lance's machine started to beep like crazy. He pushed the button for the nurse who didn't respond over the intercom. She came rushing in. She checked the machines and called the nurses station. "Get Dr. Embry in here stat." Darrell knew that was not a good call.
When Renee passed the nurses station, she noticed that there was only the floor receptionist sitting there. As she turned the corner, she could see into Lances room. People were all around his bed. A doctor ran past her into Lances room. She froze, she couldn't move a muscle. Her phone started to ring, and she couldn't move.
Darrell could hear the phone ringing in the hallway. He rushed out to find Renee frozen and from the look on her face scared to death. He grabbed her by the arms. "It's okay. He's awake. He's awake. They're just checking him out. He just woke up!"
Lance was awake! She pushed past her brother dropping her bag in his hand. She entered his room and forced a nurse aside. Lance was sitting up against the pillows. She threw her arms around him. "Oh, baby. I'm so glad you're awake." She kissed his cheeks and his lips.
Lance's voice cracked and sounded very rough, "Who are you?" Renee's heart stopped. She stared into his beautiful blue eyes. He didn't know who she was. "I guess that was a bad joke," Lance said, smiling at Renee.
She closed her eyes for a second. "That's not funny at all. If you hadn't just woke up, I'd knock you back out." The people surrounding them all laughed as Renee kissed him again.
Darrell stood behind them listening as Dr. Embry finished his evaluation of Lance and told them that it would take Lance some time to regain all his physical functions. He said that Lance might experience some memory issues, but everything else looked fine. Once the nurses and doctors left the room, Darrell hugged Renee and told her that he'd call everyone with the news to give her time to tell Lance her big news.
Lance waited until the door was closed behind Darrell. "What big news do you have for me?" His throat was still scratchy, but the more he talked, the more his voice was starting to sound more like it belonged to him.
Renee stood next to the bed holding Lance's hand. She pressed it against her small baby bump. "I'm pregnant."
Lance was silent as he processed what he'd just heard. Renee was pregnant. He looked at his hand pressed against her stomach. He felt movement and looked up to Renee who was smiling. "We're having a baby?" Renee nodded her head. Lance felt a lot of emotions at once. He was happy, scared and filled with wonder. He didn't realize he was crying until Renee reached out to wipe the tears from his cheeks.
Renee captured his face kissing him slowly. She pulled back pressing her forehead to his. "I'm so happy to see those beautiful baby blue's, again," she sighed deeply.
Lance wanted to wrap his arms around her, but his body wouldn't cooperate. His limbs felt heavy. "I can't move my arms." He was trying not to panic, but he was afraid. What if he was paralyzed? What if he couldn't ever move his arms or legs?
Renee sat on the side of the bed and explained to him what had happened to him over the last four months. "The bullet just missed your heart. You lost a lot of blood. The bullet was very close to your spine, and the surgeons in Greenville did the best they could but couldn't get it out. They transported you here to Baylor in Dallas, and the doctors here were able to remove it. Since it was so close to your spine, they put you in a medical coma to allow you time to heal. They were afraid that if you moved suddenly, it would do more damage. When your body healed, they stopped the medication and expected you to wake up, but you didn't, you stayed in a coma."
"For how long?" Lance was sure that it had been some time, Renee was clearly more than a month or two along.
"Four months and two weeks." Lance squeezed his eyes shut. Renee took his hand in hers. "You're awake now. That's all that matters." She could feel Lance's anxiety.
"What happened to him?" Lance asked as he opened his eyes.
Renee sighed, "Are you sure you're ready for this?" She knew that Lance was referring to Victor.
"I need to know."
"When Victor shot you, he tossed me off his back, and I hit my head and blacked out. Joyce said that Victor was distraught over hurting me and he committed suicide."
Lance was happy that Victor could no longer hurt them. He closed his eyes again thinking of all the things that Renee may have had to endure during the few days she was held hostage.
"Lance, look at me," Renee said touching his face. "I'm right here, and I'm fine. Why don't I tell you about what I've been doing since you've been asleep?" Lance smiled. Maybe hearing something else would take his mind from the dark place it was headed. "I moved out of my apartment and into your house. I hope that's okay."
"I'm okay with that." He tried to squeeze her hand and was pleased that his body did what he wanted it too, even if it was a light squeeze. He had wanted her to move in with him before this whole Victor thing started anyway.
Renee continued, "I quit my job at Play, and I wrote a book about what happened to us." She wondered if she should tell him that Ryan was her editor. The last time his name came up in conversation, they had a fight, and that was the night that Victor kidnapped her. Maybe it was better not to mention that just yet. "It was the only way that I could afford to be here with you until you woke up."
"You've been here the whole four months?" Lance was surprised and pleased.
"Except for changing clothes, meeting with my editor and seeing my doctors, yes. When I couldn't be here with you myself, our family filled in. My brother especially."
"Darrell?" Lance raised his eyebrows. Darrell thought Renee was better off with a black man, not Lance. Darrell had hated him from the day they met. They had been trying to get along for Renee's sake, but Darrell sitting with him was a surprise.
"Yes," Darrell said from the doorway. "Why wouldn't I. You saved my sister's life. It was the least I could do." Darrell moved into the room. I think we should get you cleaned up. You're about to have a crap load of visitors. I called everyone."
Lance felt like a child as Renee and Darrell moved and shifted him about the bed. Darrell shaved his beard away and helped him brush his teeth and then left the room while Renee gave him a sponge bath. To his surprise, he remained flaccid as she touched him intimately. This concerned him, but he tried not to show it. Renee seemed to take no notice of it. She had probably grown used to seeing him this way.
An hour later Renee moved out of the room quietly as Lance was surrounded by family, his and hers. She stood in the hall and let the tears she'd been holding in, rain down her face. Renee felt gentle arms wrap around her shoulders. She held on tightly and sobbed uncontrollably for a while.
Lance was awake. She had hoped for this day, but she had been so afraid that it may never come. Renee hadn't wanted to think about the possibility of having the baby without him. She tried to stop crying, but her relief was so great that she continued to cry for several minutes. She realized it was Lance's mother gently rocking her with comfort. "It's okay, let it out," Sylvia crooned. "You never gave up hope, and now he's awake. Faith is a mighty powerful thing."
She would never admit it to anyone, but Renee had started to lose hope that Lance would come back to her. If that had been the case, she wasn't sure how she was going to go on without him. She had begged, pleaded and bargained with God to let her have Lance back. Just when she felt like it would never happen, as if God were not listening, Lance woke up. Renee finally stopped crying and pulled away from Sylvia, who handed her some tissues. "I'm sorry," Renee said as she blew her nose.
"It's okay. You've been holding it together for a long time. It was past time for you to break down a little bit." Sylvia kissed Renee's cheek. She admired Renee's commitment to Lance. "Now, why don't we go back in there before he starts to worry about you."
Lance was hugged and repeatedly kissed by his family and Renee's. At some point, he noticed that she wasn't in the room. Neither was his mother. He tried to listen as everyone talked to him, but he wanted Renee. He had nearly lost her, and all he could think of was that he needed to say some things to her. He needed to apologize for the fight they had all those months ago.
When she entered the room again, her eyes were red, puffy, and her nose was rosy. She'd been crying. "I think it's time for us to leave. Lance just woke up, and we don't want to tire him out," Sylvia said as she came in behind Renee. She crossed the room and kissed the top of her son's head. "I'll come see you tomorrow."
Lance was happy to see them all, but he was also glad to see them leave. He was exhausted. He watched from his bed as Renee hugged her mother goodbye. She was the last to leave. Renee crossed the room smiling at him. "Are you hungry?"
Lance hadn't thought about it until now, but he was. "I am."
"Good, because you have slimmed down quite a bit on the liquid diet. We need to put some meat on your bones." She buzzed the nurse and waited for someone to respond.
"Yes," the female voice said.
"Can we get something to eat for the patient?" Renee asked sitting on the side of Lance's bed.
"I'll check with the doctor to see what we can order for him."
"Thanks." Renee said caressing Lance's face."
"What about you? Aren't you hungry?" Lance said turning his head to kiss her palm.
"I had lunch with my editor just before you woke up. I'm okay for now."
"Renee, I'm sorry," Lance said holding her gaze.
"For what?"
Lance grimaced, "For not trusting you, for our fight."
"Lance, it's okay. Let's just put that behind us. What we have to focus on now is getting you up and moving again." As Renee finished, an orderly entered the room with a tray.
Chapter Two
Lance was disgusted with himself. He hated that Malcolm had to put him back in his wheelchair. Lance wanted to kick something, but his body was useless to him. If it weren't for his physical therapist, he'd still be laying on the floor a few feet from where he sat now.
"It will take some time. You're doing great," Malcolm said as he placed Lance's feet on the pads of the wheelchair."
It had been nearly four weeks since he woke up and his limbs still didn't obey his commands. It was explained to him that what he was experiencing was normal, but it didn't feel normal to him. He had gained some function of his arms and legs, but he still couldn't walk more than a few feet before his body gave out on him.
The worst part of his therapy sessions was that once he got back to his room, Renee would give him a sponge bath. His body was not responsive to her touch. He felt desire for her, but he never got an erection. He would lay there with his eyes closed, not wanting to see the pity in her face.
He'd been trying to get her to let the nurse take care of him, but she said it was her job. Renee remained optimistic regarding his recovery, and it was driving him insane. How could she be so confident that everything would be okay? He could barely wipe his own ass or feed himself. Lance tried not to think about it as Malcolm wheeled him back to his room.
Renee was standing with her back to the door when Malcolm pushed him into the room. "Tell them it will be by video or not at all. I'm not leaving him, he just woke up." Lance watched as she disconnected the call and folded her arms looking out the window.
"Alright buddy, I'll see you day after tomorrow," Malcolm said as he stopped the chair by the bed.
"Yeah, yeah," Lance said not caring that he sounded grumpy.
Renee turned and came to him, kissing his forehead. "Bad day?"
"You try falling on your face like a hundred times and see how you like it," Lance snapped.
Renee ignored his surliness, "Ready to get cleaned up?" She knew that this had to be hard for him. For him everything was different. He'd been fine one day and the next, he was an invalid. The last few months didn’t exist for him.
She moved closer to him attempting to help him out of his shirt when he pushed her hand away. "I don't need you to treat me like a child." Lance glared at her. "I can clean myself up."
"Okay," Renee said not taking offense to his bad mood. She moved around the bed and sat in the chair by the window. She had discussed his recent moodiness with his doctors, and they advised her to allow him to express whatever it was he was feeling and to let him try and fail to care for himself. They said that eventually, he would do whatever it was he was attempting, or he would ask for help.
She pulled out her tablet and pretended to read a book, but she silently watched him as he removed his shirt and shoes. He struggled with his pants and underwear. It took a while and a bit of maneuvering, but he got himself undressed. Renee could tell that he was exhausted by the time he was naked. He sat in the wheelchair breathing hard and sweating. Renee wanted to get up and go to him, but she remained in her spot. She wouldn't help until he asked her to.
Lance felt like an ass, but he wanted things to be like they were before he was shot. He wanted to be a man. Lance unlocked the wheels of his chair and rolled himself into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. His arms were shaking with the effort by the time he shut the door. He knew that he should try to stand and shower, but Lance was so wiped out from his session that he rolled the chair into the stall and showered in the chair.
It took him what seemed like an eternity, but he washed every inch of his body without help. After a brief rest, he opened the door and wheeled himself back to the bed. Renee still sat in her chair, but she had apparently laid out clean underwear and pajamas for him. He sighed. He knew he couldn't get dressed and back in the bed without help. "Will you help me, please?"
Renee didn't hesitate. She put away her device and moved around the bed. Working together it didn't take long. After he was dressed, she helped him get back into bed. He grabbed her hand as she moved away from him. "Why don't you go home and sleep in a bed? I know that you can't be comfortable sleeping on that pull-out thing," he said pointing to the chair, bed thing in the corner.
It wasn't comfortable, but Renee had been sleeping there for more than five months, she had gotten used to it. It was where he was, and to her, that's all that mattered. "I like being close to you."
"I'm not going to disappear in the middle of the night. Go home. I'll be here in the morning. Think of the baby. I'm sure you two will sleep better at home."
Renee took a deep breath. It was the look in his eyes that made her agree to go home. He was worried about her and the baby, she could see it clearly. "Okay." She kissed Lance, and by the time she packed her things away, he was snoring softly.
**
Renee thought she would sleep well at home in a nice comfortable bed, she was wrong. Every time she closed her eyes she saw Victor's face or Lance's body bleeding on the floor of that house. She had jolted awake again, heart pounding in her chest, and sweat running down her face. Renee glanced around the room, taking a deep breath. She was at home. She was safe, and so was Lance.
Now that Lance was awake she was having fewer nightmares, but the hadn't gone completely away. She was sure that over time she would be able to forget Victor and all he'd put them through. She was tired, and she was trying to hide it.
Renee pushed the covers off, sitting on the side of the bed. She knew she wasn't going back to sleep. Renee hadn't slept well since the first time she woke up in the hospital after she was rescued. The nightmare started out much like what had happened, she was about to lock the door of her apartment when a hand covered her mouth, and she fought to get free. Then Renee woke and was tied up and afraid. After that, she would see Lance bleeding and unconscious.
Most of the time the dream was the same. Other times she would be alone in the dark trying to find Lance. Renee would be stumbling around with her hands out calling his name over and over. She could hear him talking, but she could never find him. Renee always woke up in a cold sweat with her heart pounding as if it were about to explode from her chest.
She got up and straightened the covers before going into the bathroom. Renee blinked at the bright light when she flipped the light switch. Once her eyes had adjusted, Renee took a long look at herself in the mirror. Her skin looked pale, she had dark circles under her eyes, and for a woman in her seventh month of pregnancy, Renee's baby bump was small.
Her family and friends hadn't noticed the tired look on her face because Renee hid it with make-up and if they had, no one said anything to her about it. She didn't want them to be concerned for her. She would be fine. Her doctor said the baby was healthy, that everything was progressing normally, but Renee looked tired and worn out and that couldn't be good for the baby. She placed her hand on her protruding belly. "I'm doing the best I can to take care of all of us," She told her child. Renee smiled at the response she received as the baby shifted inside her.
Since Renee wasn't going back to sleep, she may as well get some work done. She received lots of letters from people all over. Since she had finished the book, she spent her time replying to their messages when Renee wasn't working on the next book she was writing.
