As You Wish (22 page)

The doctor checked the chart one more time before nodding. “Yes, he's still sedated, of course, so he won't know
you're there. But, yes. You can go see him. No more than two visitors, okay?”

Dr. Johannes turned to go and then came back and added in a low voice, looking over the top of his glasses at Todd's dad. “His face is pretty swollen from the impact of the crash. He has a black eye, and they haven't cleaned the blood out of his hair yet. I wanted to tell so you'd know he really is better off than he looks.”

Bryan Spencer nodded. Then he turned to Christy and gave her a tentative look. “Would you like to go with me?”

Christy wasn't sure if she was being included because he was hesitant to see Todd by himself or because he knew how much it meant for her to see Todd right away. Christy instinctively linked her arm in his and walked down the hall to the hospital elevator. Bryan's arm was trembling. She knew they needed each other to be strong for what they were about to face.

The nurse on duty in the recovery room led them to where Todd lay on his back with a white sheet covering most of his body. Both arms were on top of the sheet, and several tubes were connected to his right arm. A soft, fluorescent light above the bed flickered on his face, revealing the black eye and swollen mouth as well as the ugly black stitches in his hands, just as Dr. Johannes had described them. Todd wore what looked like a paper shower cap on his head. Christy could see the dark bloodstains in his hair showing through. It took everything within her not to burst into tears at the sight.

“Hey, son,” Bryan Spencer's deep voice spoke over Todd. “It's Dad.” His voice quavered. He moved closer and touched Todd gently on his left shoulder. It seemed to be about the only part of Todd's body that wasn't bloodied or
stitched up or connected to some tube. “The doctor says you're doing good, son. You rest, okay?”

Todd didn't respond.

“Christy's here. She wants to talk to you.” He stepped back and let Christy move in next to the bed.

All she could hear were the beeping, ticking, humming sounds of the machines as Todd lay motionless beneath the dull light that kept flickering. Christy wanted to take Todd in her arms and hold him. Her sense of mercy overwhelmed her to the point she had no more tears.

Reaching for his left hand, Christy carefully lifted it. She noticed four places where a series of stitches threaded his skin together. His hand felt cool and heavy. She gently gave it a squeeze. There was no response.

“Todd,” she whispered, leaning close, “I'm here with your dad.” She raised her voice a little. “We've all been praying for you, Todd. The doctor says you're doing well. They said they would know more after you get some sleep. So don't worry about trying to talk to us. Just sleep, Todd.”

Christy drew his heavy hand to her lips and kissed the back of it in between the black suture thread they had used to sew him up after pulling out the shards of windshield glass.

“I have a lot to tell you when you wake up, Todd, so get lots of sleep, okay?” Christy kissed his hand again. She turned to Todd's dad, who stood behind her, pressing his lips together.

“Do you think it would be okay if I stayed here with him?” Christy asked.

“I don't know the hospital rules. Would you like me to ask?”

Christy nodded. “If you need to get back home tonight, I can stay. I'd like to stay.”

Mr. Spencer slipped around the other side of the sliding white curtain. Christy could hear him talking to the nurse. She was saying that they prefer not to have people wait in the recovery area, since the space is so limited and the patients often become ill when the anesthesia wears off. She said they would be better off in the waiting room, and when Todd was transferred to a room, the staff would let them know.

Christy kissed Todd tenderly on his swollen cheek and said she would see him later. Joining Todd's dad, she returned to the waiting room, where the two of them reported to the others. After hearing the news, Matt and most of the students left. They told Christy to keep them updated. Katie and Uncle Bob had gone to buy drinks for everyone. That left Christy's parents, Todd's dad, and Christy's brother, David.

“Is he unconscious?” David asked, sidling up to Christy while their parents talked with Todd's dad.

“I don't think so. The anesthesia will wear off soon, and I would guess that by morning he will be able to talk to you.”

“Did you tell him? About what I did? About how we prayed?” David asked.

“Not yet. Would you like me to tell him or do you want to tell him when he's awake?”

“I heard Dad say that we're going to go now since we can't do anything. I guess you better tell Todd.”

“Okay.” Christy smiled at her brother. “I'll tell him. And, David?”

He stopped and let Christy put her arms around him and
hug him. “I'm really happy for you.” She kissed David on the cheek and said softly in his ear, “You made the most important decision of your life today, and I'm so glad I got to be with you when you did.”

He looked like he was dying to wipe her kiss off his cheek but was trying hard to be mature about all this. “Thanks,” he said awkwardly.

Then, because Christy felt as if she had made the biggest mistake of her life by not leaving class and running to find Todd to tell him that she loved him, she said, “I love you, David.” She decided right then and there that she would never pass up the opportunity to tell the really important people in her life that she loved them.

When her parents were ready to leave, Christy said, “I love you, Mom,” and kissed her on the cheek.

“I love you, Dad.” Christy hugged him, and he kissed the top of her head.

“Call us in the morning,” Dad said. “And if you need anything, or if there's any change, we'll come right back.”

“Okay. Thanks, Dad.”

“Try to sleep,” Mom said.

Katie and Uncle Bob arrived with several cans of soda pop. “Where did everybody go?” Katie asked.

“Home,” Christy said. “You can go, too, if you want. I'm going to stay.”

“I'll stay with you,” Katie offered.

“Are you staying, Bryan?” Uncle Bob asked Todd's dad.

He nodded and took one of the cans of pop that Katie had placed on the coffee table in the waiting room. “At least until he comes out of the anesthesia. If you need to go, Bob, I can make other arrangements to get home.”

“Don't think twice about it,” Bob said. “I'm happy to
stay. I'd like to.” He put his arm around Christy and gave her a sideways hug. “I don't get to see my favorite niece enough these days. I'll take any excuse I can.”

Christy wrapped both her arms around her kindhearted uncle and said, “I love you, Uncle Bob. Have I ever told you that? I don't know if I ever have. I love you.”

Tears welled up in Bob's eyes. “I love you, too, honey.”

Christy didn't know if she imagined it, but Bob's body seemed to flinch when he looked up. Christy followed his gaze and then heard a familiar voice. Then she knew why Uncle Bob had flinched.

“But I am a relative,” Christy heard the voice stating emphatically. “I don't understand why I'm not able to see Todd Spencer immediately.” No one had as much of an edge to her voice as Aunt Marti did when she was pushing her agenda to the limit.

Christy took off in step with Uncle Bob, and the two of them headed for the front reception desk, leaving Katie alone with Todd's dad. But the two of them followed right behind.

Christy thought she was prepared to face her flamboyant aunt. The hair or the clothes wouldn't shock Christy. Not even Marti's lie about being Todd's relative was a surprise. Marti was a woman who got what she wanted, even if she had to rewrite the rules.

But what Christy wasn't prepared for was the huge man with the copper-colored skin and flowing white hair who towered over Marti as if he were her self-appointed guardian angel.

“Hello, Marti.” Bob stood his ground less than a yard away from her.

“Robert?” She looked surprised to see him there.

“Who's that?” Katie whispered under her breath as she stepped up next to Christy.

Christy knew the answer, but she kept her lips sealed. After all, a promise was a promise. It would be up to her very startled aunt Martha to introduce Cheyenne to the rest of them.

13
I came as soon as I heard the message on the voice mail.” Marti flew to Bob's side and kissed the air next to his ear. She gave Christy the same treatment and then took her by the arms. “How is Todd? Is he going to make it? I was a wreck all the way here.”

“The doctor says it looks promising,” Todd's dad said. “I'm Bryan Spencer, Todd's father. I don't think we've met.”

“Marti,” she said, shaking hands. “And don't you look just like Todd! I'm so delighted to meet you.” With her left hand Marti made a funny flipping gesture as if shooing away a troublesome gnat.

Christy watched Cheyenne. He stayed back, his expression perplexed. He didn't seem to understand why Marti was signaling for him to leave in her unsubtle way. At that moment, Marti's “aura” wasn't in harmony with anyone else's in the room.

“Hi,” Katie said openly to Cheyenne. She waved at him and smiled as if he were just too shy to join them.

That was the only invitation Cheyenne needed to step forward.

“This is my pottery instructor,” Marti explained quickly. “I had a class this afternoon, and I was so shaken by the news of Todd that Cheyenne graciously offered to drive me here.”

Cheyenne turned to Bob, and the two of them nodded formally, as if they had met before.

“Todd is still in the recovery room,” Uncle Bob said with a calm, even meter to his words. “They're going to let us know when we can see him, but it might be a while. If you'd like to go home, I'll be glad to call you with an update once we know something.”

“Are all of you staying?” Marti's words were crisp.

“Yes,” Bob answered, still sounding controlled.

It seemed that Christy's poor aunt didn't know what to do.

“Has everyone eaten?” Marti asked. Again the words were staccato. The familiar tactic almost made Christy smile. This was the approach to solving problems that Marti and Christy's mother both had learned back on the farm.

Christy had recognized it in herself that night in The Java Jungle when Matt said he had just arrived from Wisconsin. Her first thought was to feed him. Now she realized her aunt could play the role of sophisticated Newport Beach socialite or go completely organic—as was her current state—and play the role of Mother Earth's personal shopper. But the truth was, deep down, Marti was a farm girl from Wisconsin. For some reason, that insight doused Christy with pity for her aunt.

Katie answered for all four of them. “No, we haven't eaten. We bought some drinks out of the machine a few minutes ago, but we didn't want to be away from the waiting room too long.”

“Then I'll get food for everyone,” Marti announced. “Any allergies or special diets?”

When no one responded, she quickly said, “Good. I'll be back in no time.” Turning on her heel, she marched out of the building. Cheyenne nodded at Christy and the others as a farewell gesture before following after Marti and her long, swishing hair.

“Someone better call the laboratory,” Katie muttered after they had left the building.

“Why?” Christy asked.

“We need to tell them that their attempt to genetically clone a male calendar model has failed. The escaped mutant is chasing your aunt.”

Christy kept herself from smiling at Katie's comment. After all, Marti was her aunt. And Christy's uncle was still standing next to her. She knew that once a person was treated with disrespect, it made it easy for others to jump in and do the same.

The four of them returned to the waiting area. More than an hour later Cheyenne came striding in with several plastic boxes filled with wonderful-smelling Italian food.

“Marti isn't feeling well,” Cheyenne said. “I'm going to take her home.”

None of them seemed surprised at the announcement.

They ate in silence. Christy had no idea what she was eating.

“I'm going to make a few calls,” Bryan said.

“I need some air,” Bob said after he had eaten. He left the room.

As Christy sat alone with Katie, a fearful anger began to well up inside her. For years she and Todd had driven up and down the freeways in that beat-up, old surf van. It was
a miracle they hadn't both been killed. Christy never wanted to get into another old car as long as she lived.

“Does your car have air bags on both sides?” Christy snapped at Katie.

“What?” Katie asked.

“I'm not riding in Baby Hummer with you anymore,” Christy said.

“What are you talking about?”

“Todd could have been killed! His van had no air bags!” The horror of the accident was sinking in, and Christy felt as if she was going to lose her dinner.