All I'll Ever Ask (The Greatest Love Book 1) (3 page)

It was after midnight when Ben made it back home and settled down to call Camille’s assistant. He pulled out the slip of paper that Paige had given him and dialed the number to Karen Locke.

“Hello.” A sleepy voice answered.

“May I speak to Ms. Karen Locke?” Ben tried to maintain a crisp voice but it felt like a knot had formed in his throat.

“This is Karen. Who’s speaking?”

Ben cleared his throat. “This is Benjamin Adams. I was out tonight with Camille, Paige Richards, and Kevin Michelson, and I regret to inform you Ms. James was hit by an automobile tonight.” Ben heard Karen gasp.

“OH MY GOD! IS SHE OKAY? IS PAIGE WITH HER NOW? DID YOU REACH MR. JAMES?”

“Karen, I am praying Camille will be okay. Paige is spending the night with her. They’re at the Downtown Trauma Center. Mr. James, Camille’s father lives overseas correct?”

“Yes, he lives overseas and must be notified immediately. He is the only biological family she has.”

“I’m sorry Karen, Paige only gave me your information.”

“That’s fine umm... Benjamin, thanks for calling me. I will notify Mr. James, he would be upset if he heard the news from a stranger. I need someone to tell me Camille is going to be ok!”

Ben did not want to repeat what the doctor and nurse said over the phone, but he had to answer Karen. He tried doing so as calmly and encouraging as possible. “Camille needs our prayers Ms. Locke, she took a nasty fall and has suffered a concussion. The medical staff won’t know more until she awakens.”

Karen let out another gasp and his heart broke for her. He had known Camille for a week and felt such a strong connection. Why on earth would he deliver this news to her assistant, who by Camille’s own admittance was a close friend?

“Karen are you going to be okay?”

Karen struggled to speak but finally said, “Yes, Yes, I will be. Camille is strong and stubborn. She will make it through this.”

Ben hoped Karen was right.  “That is the right spirit to have I am agreeing with you on Camille making a complete recovery. Karen, Paige also wanted me to remind you that Camille had an early morning meeting tomorrow or later today considering the time. Will you or another employee be able to handle the client?”

“Yes she does, but I can handle that.”

“Okay, that’s great. Paige is staying with Camille tonight. Camille’s room number is 318. Hopefully, I will be speaking to you soon with better news.”

“Thank you so much for calling me Benjamin. It sounds like Camille had a date with a nice gentleman.”

“I try to be Karen. Get some rest and we will stay in touch.”

Benjamin disconnected the call and exhaled. He thought about calling Paige but if she was sleep he did not want to disturb her. Just as that thought left his mind his phone buzzed with Kevin’s pic.

“What’s the word man?”

“You will not believe this Ben. Paige just called me and said Camille woke up but was having problems speaking. Paige went to get the nurse, when they returned to the room Camille had a seizure and lost consciousness.” Kevin paused trying to gather his emotions and continued, “They say she is in a coma now and has been taken for some scans and may need another surgery. I’m headed back to the hospital, to be with Paige.”

Ben’s heart beat rapidly against his chest, as he saw flashbacks of another love. One who was being worked on by Emergency Respondents, trying to shock life back into a beautiful, dying women. Not again he thought. “Kevin I’m on my way!”

***

Several Hours Later, In Transit Systems

Karen Locke, Camille’s Executive Assistant

Karen exhaled as she gathered the signed contracts of ITS’s newest client. Camille would be proud that she closed the deal with Specific Designs. Camille had worked on the deal for weeks to bring on the up and coming retailer for household décor. Karen had no doubt that Camille was going to pull through surgery and her company was going to be just as she left it, if not better. Karen vowed within herself to not let one person or department slack in Camille’s absence. Karen and the employees of ITS, could not have asked for a better boss or friend. Camille was the catalyst behind Karen finishing her Business Degree as a 25-year-old single mother. With the Tuition Assistance from ITS, Camille made balancing her budget less challenging, by personally helping Karen financially. To add to the generosity, Camille would babysit Nikki, who was now three years old, but still in the terrible 2-year-old stage. Camille’s babysitting allowed her to complete projects and attend night classes, when the babysitter was not available. Tears swelled in Karen’s eyes thinking about what life would be like without Camille. The thought was simply too much to bear. Nikki was the product of a one-night stand with an older man. Karen loved Nikki with her entire heart but regretted her reckless action that night, with a man she did not know. She could not file for child support because she did not know his last name. He had left her in a motel room, with a note and cab fare, after their drinking. That had been her one and only time experimenting with cocaine. Karen loathed herself for trying to drown out the pain with alcohol, sex, and drugs. Grateful that her ringing phone took her out of those haunted memories, Karen was relieved it was an international call. She could now tell Mr. R.D. James about his only daughter.

****

Downtown Trauma Center

Benjamin George Adams

Benjamin and Paige now sat in the waiting room for the second hour of Camille’s surgery. The seizure had been caused by a blood clot on the brain. The operation was the only course of treatment to prevent permanent bleeding of the brain, additional clots, and ultimately brain damage. Benjamin and Paige had been to the chapel and prayed, now they waited. Ben’s mind went back to a similar scene eighteen months earlier, just a couple of floors below in the Emergency Room.

18 months earlier

Downtown Trauma Center

Benjamin George Adams (death of Lauren)

Benjamin stood with his mom, Ellen and Lauren’s mom, Carol, as they heard the somber news regarding his girlfriend of seven years. The doctor was explaining how Lauren had a heart attack due to high cholesterol and undetected diabetes. Before medical personnel could access Lauren she was gone. Ben could only hear his mom and Carol’s wails of grief and sorrow as his very own blood ran cold. Benjamin could only think of the time he had wasted. He loved Lauren, but his focus was on his career and not being rushed by anyone’s timetable. Ben thought they had plenty of time to marry and start a family and he would not be rushed. Now Lauren was gone and suddenly life had new meaning. Suddenly, he realized what he let slip away. He now understood time was precious but not promised.

Benjamin spent the next several months helping Lauren’s parents with her final affairs and settling a lawsuit against the hospital for negligence in the respondent’s care to Lauren. The income helped Lauren’s family but no amount of money could fill the void in their lives. Benjamin grew tired of going through the motions and after the 1-year anniversary of Lauren’s death he decided it was time to move from grieving to living life again. However, that was easier said than done. While dating, Benjamin found himself with one gold digger after another. What shocked him the most was that successful women were looking for men to retire them after a few dates. He did not realize that at a certain age, some women wanted to stop working and be pampered. He
did not mind doing that for the “Mrs. Right Adams.” She had to at least offer to give him one child. That was Ben’s desire and prayer now, to be given a second chance at love, family, and marriage. This time he would do it the right, and God’s way. Lauren was on birth control pills because Ben did not want to practice abstinence, so he demanded she take them. He held tremendous guilt over forcing her to wait for marriage, but not the ultimate act designed for a couple joined in matrimony. To further the insult, he wanted to wait on children when Lauren would have had them willingly, without marriage but Ben selfishly denied her of that as well. For over a year guilt consumed his every waking moment. He did not consider dating. He stayed close to his mother and Mrs. Carol as they grieved together. After a year of living in the shadows of the past, Benjamin enrolled in grief counseling at Liberty church and began the process of healing.

Benjamin recalled how on last night, he committed to putting the hurt and pain behind him. He was sulking at home alone, while nursing the one drink he had that evening. He declared within himself that he deserved love and this time he wanted it all. John Legend’s song came to his mind as he set in his home office. Ben sang the lyrics to himself:
This time I want it all… Last time I didn't know… I messed up and let you go…this time I want it all…this time I want it all.

The ringing of his home phone, stopped Ben from singing. It was Kevin inviting him to see a stage play at the Theater. Kevin said he had the perfect young woman to rescue him from his gold digging dating, downward spiral. Ben chuckled at how accurate that assessment was. After Kevin told him a little about Camille, Ben agreed immediately and disconnected from the call. He anxiously dressed to go on the blind date, hoping it would be the start of something meaningful. He had been honest when he told Camille he went to bed with a broken heart. Kevin had often spoke highly of Camille. She seemed to have been a true friend to Paige. Their conversations over the last week had been the best of his dating life. Camille seemed to be every woman and he was ecstatic about seeing her. While standing in front of the theater with Kevin and Paige, Ben looked to his right as Kevin nudged his side and pointed to the parking lot across the street from where they stood. Ben focused his gaze on a crimson colored SUV, then saw an angel step out of it. Camille was beautiful, she looked Native American. From a distance she had an innocent, simple elegant style, which was one to behold. She wore a black dress. Her light caramel legs were firm and toned. Her shoes were high heeled. He took a deep breath and walked to meet her as she crossed the street, only a Ford Expedition beat him to it.

****

Present -Trauma Medical Center

Benjamin let go of a deep exhale. Paige adjusted in her seat to face him and took his hands in hers. “Ben, Camille is going to come through this.” Benjamin squeezed her hands and nodded in agreement.

****

Across Town - Frankie Jones

Frankie Jones threw the pillow off his head and tossed the covers off his body. Rubbing his hand down his face, he looked at the clock on his nightstand that read one-fifteen. He had sleep the entire morning. He let out a deep groan and got out of bed and headed to the bathroom. Looking in the mirror as he brushed his teeth, he sighed as he recalled how he lost control last night. He had gone out for an early dinner with friends and had too much to drink. It had been months since he hung out with the guys and three years since he fell off the wagon. With disappointment, he dropped his head, as he could not remember anything after his fifth shot of whiskey. He only accepted the invitation because, Brian Andrews, a friend from undergrad was getting married in three weeks. Frankie knew better than to tempt fate by attending a bachelor’s party. Frankie thought he would be fine. He knew he had today off from his postal carrier route to sleep in and recover, if the night ended late. What was the harm in attending? What’s done is done he thought to himself as he began to recite the serenity prayer.

God, give me grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, Courage to change the things which should be changed, And the Wisdom to distinguish the one from the other. Living one day at a time, Enjoying one moment at a time. Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace, Taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it,

Trusting that you will make all things right, if I surrender to your will,

So that I may be reasonably happy in this life, And supremely happy with you forever in the next. Amen.

Frankie turned on the shower and got in, knowing an AA meeting was first on his agenda this afternoon.

***              `

Downtown Trauma Center - Camille James

Camille eyes widened and then she suddenly closed them as it felt like the top of her skull was being pulled from her neck. She took her right bandaged hand and went to massage her head and bolted upright in the bed. “WHERE IS MY HAIR?” Camille screamed as loudly as possible but it only came out as a whisper. The machine monitoring her heart rate and blood pressure was beeping loud enough to make Camille start banging on the buttons, causing pain to shoot up her arm. A nurse came in and explained she was in recovery from brain surgery and must calm down. The nurse turned off the monitor alarms and helped Camille inhale and exhale to slow her heart rate down.

Camille, with tears streaming down her face, motioned to the part of her head that was missing hair. The nurse calmly explained the right side was shaven in order for the doctor to remove the life threating blood clots. Camille could not believe her ears. She searched her mind to recall what in the world had happened to cause her to need brain surgery.

After long minutes of thinking, she felt like she was running through a maze of memories that were not her own. Camille remembered heading downtown to the play, parking, seeing Paige, Kevin and Benjamin walking toward her. The SUV.   The hospital. What she thought was an earthquake and now opening her eyes with breath in her body. Camille inwardly gave thanks to God for keeping her and protecting her. Camille repented for caring about missing hair when the Lord had spared her life. Camille with endless tears, and a grateful heart, asked the Lord for forgiveness for her sins. She acknowledged Jesus was the Son of God, who died and now was the Risen Savior. Camille welcomed the Lord into heart and thanked him for saving her soul.