As You Wish (24 page)

14
Christy woke when she felt someone's hand resting heavily on her head and slowly stroking her hair. She opened her eyes, and it all came back—Todd, the accident, the hospital room.

She had fallen asleep seated in a chair with her head resting on her folded arms propped against the side of Todd's hospital bed.

“Hey, you're awake,” she said, lifting her head and seeing Todd's eyes were open. She realized she had been drooling. Quickly reaching for a tissue from the end table, she wiped her mouth. “How are you doing?” she asked.

“Hi.” His voice was hoarse.

Christy smiled and touched his arm. “Are you okay?”

“I hurt.” Todd moved only his lips and swallowed hard.

“Would you like me to call the nurse?”

Todd didn't answer. He floated back into a fuzzy sleep induced by the pain medication, which was dripping slowly into his body.

Christy waited by his side another ten minutes, but Todd was out. So she pulled herself together, washing her face and going to the hospital cafeteria. Hot tea sounded good.
She also bought an oatmeal cookie and an orange. As she peeled the orange, the fresh fruit's scent brightened the air and revived her.

Todd slept all morning, only waking three times. Katie came with Matt, Wes, two college professors, and Todd's roommate. They laid their hands on Todd and prayed for him while he slept, then they left to hurry back to class. Katie said she would let Donna know that Christy wouldn't be in to the bookstore again that day.

Uncle Bob called Todd's room twice. The second time, the ringing phone woke Todd, and he looked up just as his dad entered the room. The painful grin on Todd's face showed Christy and his dad how glad Todd was that they were there.

A bouquet of yellow roses arrived from Aunt Marti, and Todd's mom called. Christy answered the phone and then turned it over to Todd's dad. From the way the conversation went, his parents sounded as if they were friendly enough with each other. Clearly, both cared a lot for their son. Christy wished Todd had been awake so he could have talked to his mom. But he was oblivious to everything around him, including the second bouquet that arrived with a get-well balloon attached.

Dr. Johannes made his rounds at noon and gave them an update, saying the pain medication would keep Todd in this stupor for at least another day, possibly up to three days. The doctor assured them the critical stage had passed, and everything looked good. Todd was a strong, healthy young man, and his body would heal. It would just take time.

“How long do you think he'll be in the hospital?” Christy asked.

“I'd like to keep him at least a few more days,” the doctor said. “You're welcome to stay with him, of course. But don't feel that you need to.”

Christy had difficulty deciding if she should stay. She talked it over with his dad and decided she would go back to school. So she leaned over the bed, kissed Todd twice on the cheek, and whispered, “I love you. Sleep deeply. Sleep well. Dream of me.”

Todd didn't respond. She didn't expect him to. Yet she couldn't wait until his eyes were open and clear again so she could lose herself in his gaze. Then she would tell him she loved him, and he would be able to hear her and fully understand.

“Would you like to stop for some lunch before I take you back to Rancho?” Todd's dad asked.

“Sure.” Since Christy hadn't been around Todd's dad much, she welcomed the chance to know him better.

They were walking out the automatic front doors of the hospital when Christy spotted some of her and Todd's closest friends, Doug and Tracy, coming toward her, calling her name. As they greeted her with hugs, Christy began to cry again. She didn't know why.

“Everything is okay,” she told them. “The doctor thinks he's going to be all right.”

Doug enveloped Christy in one of his famous Doug hugs. “Katie called us this morning. I wish she had called last night. We would have been here in a flash. You know you always can call on us if you need anything.” Doug pulled back and gave Christy a concerned, close-up look. “How are you doing?”

“Okay. Good, actually. I'm tired, but I'm okay.” She made her tears stop, and that felt good.

Christy thought petite Tracy looked older than last time she had seen her friend. More mature. She wore small oval glasses, which complemented her heart-shaped face.

“Do you think we can see him?” Tracy asked.

“Sure,” Todd's dad said. “He's been sleeping ever since the surgery last night. Don't be surprised if he doesn't wake up or acknowledge you.” He went on to give Doug and Tracy an update on the surgery and what the doctor had told them.

“Were you both leaving now?” Doug asked. He was as tall as Todd's dad, but his face still held the little-boy look he always had. His short, sandy blond hair stuck straight up in front, accentuating the mischievous look.

“We were about to eat some lunch, and then I was taking Christy back to Rancho.”

“We can take her,” Tracy said, reaching for Christy's arm and pulling her close. “Do you mind, Christy? I'd love to spend a little time with you, if you don't have to hurry back.”

Christy looked at Todd's dad. She was too tired to form an opinion on anything. “Would that be okay?”

“Of course. Here's my cell phone number. Would you call me if there's any change? I plan to come back tomorrow afternoon and stay awhile.”

Christy nodded and took his business card. “Thanks.”

Bryan Spencer smiled appreciatively at Christy. “No, thank you, Christy. You're an exceptional woman. Everything Todd told me about you is true.” He leaned over and kissed her soundly on the cheek. “Call if you need me for anything at all.”

“I will,” Christy promised.

Tracy, Doug, and Christy returned to Todd's room. He
was sleeping, as his dad had predicted. Tracy cried quiet tears when she saw his swollen, black-and-blue face.

Doug suggested they pray, and so they did, joining hands with Christy holding Todd's left hand and Doug resting his hand on Todd's right shoulder. When Doug said, “Amen,” Christy whispered, “As you wish.” She liked those words being her secret message of surrender to the Lord.

They stood close to the bed, talking softly, until the nurse came in and said she needed to take Todd's temperature and adjust his medication.

“Why don't we wait in the cafeteria?” Doug suggested. “I could use some food.”

“I wish Todd at least knew we were here.” Tracy looked longingly at him.

“We can come back,” Christy suggested.

They found an empty table at the cafeteria and talked like the old friends they were, catching up on what had happened since they had seen one another. Christy found herself telling Doug and Tracy that she had come to some conclusions about Todd. Both Doug and Tracy leaned forward, as if they had been waiting as long as Todd to hear what Christy was going to say.

With a self-conscious little shrug, Christy said, “I love him. I love Todd. I haven't told him yet—at least, he hasn't heard me say it—but I know without a doubt I love him.”

A charming giggle escaped Tracy's lips. Doug leaned back with a satisfied look on his face and nodded. “It's about time.”

Christy gave him a look that said, “Well, thanks a lot!”

“It's just that Todd has been sure of his love for you for so long,” Doug said. “I know he never wanted to rush you. This will be good. This will change his life.”

“Change his life?” Christy asked.

Doug and Tracy glanced at each other in a way that indicated they both held a few of Todd's confidences. Apparently they were confidences Christy didn't hold yet.

“Should I ask what you two are thinking right now? You look as if you can read each other's minds.”

“We can,” they said in unison.

All three of them laughed.

Tracy took off her glasses and placed them on the table next to her half-finished turkey sandwich. “Christy, you probably know this already, but Todd has been in love with you for a long time.”

Christy had hoped that, but her insecurities had caused her to doubt it many times.

“A long time,” Doug said. “I didn't know that until after Tracy and I were married. Todd was over at our apartment one night, and we were talking about when you and I were going out while Todd was in Spain. He asked Tracy if that had been hard on her.”

Christy gave her friend a sympathetic glance. Looking back, Christy wished she hadn't caused Tracy any pain by going out with Doug when Tracy was so intently interested in him.

“I told Todd that, back then, we didn't know for sure we were supposed to be together,” Tracy said. “Neither Doug nor I was ready to make a commitment. I mean, I was hoping, praying, and thinking things might work out for us one day, but I didn't know for certain.”

“And that's when Todd told us that he knew,” Doug said. A grin grew on his boyish face. “He said he knew you were the one for him from that first day when we met on the beach. Do you remember, Christy?”

Christy buried her face in her hands. “How could I forget? I was only fourteen years old, and this wave scooped me up and tossed me at your feet all wrapped in seaweed.”

Doug chuckled. “Then Todd and I taught you how to ride a body board.”

Christy looked up. “You both were so nice to me. I'll never forget that day.”

“Todd won't ever forget it, either,” Tracy said. “He told us he knew then and there that you were the one for him. The one woman he would love for the rest of his life.”

“You're kidding,” Christy said. She had heard Todd make comments to that effect before, but she had thought he was teasing. She looked at Doug and then at Tracy to make sure they weren't teasing her. They both looked serious.

“I'm sorry,” Christy said, “that is just weird. How could he know something like that when he was . . . how old was he? Sixteen? That's crazy.”

“See?” Tracy said. “That's the same thing I said when Todd told us, but Doug got upset with me.”

“I wasn't upset with you.”

“You told me I shouldn't judge another person's feelings and call them crazy. You said that right in front of Todd.”

“What did Todd say?” Christy asked.

“He didn't say much of anything. He didn't defend himself or act embarrassed. He just seemed real matter-of-fact about how he felt.” Tracy looked at Doug again before saying, “Todd said he knew he loved you and he didn't have to do anything to prove it. To anyone.”

Christy let Tracy's words sink in. She knew she had liked Todd when she had first met him. She had spent plenty of hours dreaming about him and dreaming about what it would be like to end up with him. But love? Forever, true
love? No, Christy couldn't say she knew Todd was the one for her until last Saturday during their crazy dune buggy ride.

“You know what?” Tracy said. “I don't think we should have told you all this. This is really personal. It's between you and Todd.”

“It's also between Todd and you two,” Christy said. “I mean, he told all this to you guys, so he must have trusted you with his thoughts and feelings about me. I don't mind you telling me. It's good, actually, because it helps me to know he started out thinking I was special to him.”

“Special?” Doug echoed. “Christy, you were it. You
are
it. No other girls have ever been in his life. It was always you.”

“Only you,” Tracy agreed.

Christy couldn't believe how quickly the tears found their familiar trail down her face. She never imagined that Todd had chosen to commit his heart to her all those years ago or that he never had wavered from that decision.

“I wish I weren't so bad at making decisions,” Christy said between tears. “Why did it take me so long to open my heart to Todd? Why did I ever go out with any other guys?”

“Oh, Chris, don't feel that way,” Tracy said. She placed her hand on Christy's shoulder.

“Yeah,” Doug agreed. “Speaking as one of the other guys you went out with, I'd like to think you don't regret that time in your life.”

Christy quickly sobered. “I don't, Doug. Your friendship and what I learned while we were spending time together were extremely valuable.”

“And fun,” Doug added. “Don't forget fun. We had some great times.”

Tracy said, “What you went through to come to the conclusion
that you really love Todd is normal. That's what I was telling Todd that night at our apartment. Maybe it's different for women. I thought I loved Doug, but I wasn't positive until we were in England. Do you remember when I asked to be taken off your team? That was because it hit me so hard that I was in love with him, I couldn't be around him. Especially when I knew he didn't feel that way about me.”

“I know,” Christy said. “But that's why I feel so bad. I'm thinking of how much I hurt Todd when he was sure about me, but I wasn't sure about him.”

“Don't worry about Todd,” Doug said. “He's tough. Tough and patient. It's good that you didn't know before, Christy. I think going to Switzerland was a great choice for you. If you and Todd had decided a year ago or even five years ago that you couldn't live without each other, you both would have missed out on so many important experiences. It's all God's timing. There can't be any regrets.”

Christy knew Doug was right. It was God's timing. The verse from Song of Solomon about “not arousing nor awakening love until it so desires” was a hidden blessing in her life. Apparently, God now pleased to awaken love fully within Christy.

She composed herself and remembered something Dr. Mitchell had talked about in class on Monday when she had felt compelled to leave and find Todd. He had said something about blessings coming upon you and overtaking you because you obey the Lord's voice. Christy knew she had no reason to regret the way things had gone.