As You Wish (25 page)

With a little smile she said, “I guess God has been working out the details between us for a long time. A deeper level of love for Todd has just awakened inside me, you know?”

Both Doug and Tracy smiled.

“We know,” Tracy said.

“I feel as if God has overtaken me with something new. Something stronger and deeper than ever before. It's so real. I know Todd is the one. He is the one for me.” Even as she heard herself speaking the words, Christy ached to go back to Todd's room and declare her love to him.

“You know,” Doug said, “some of what you're feeling could be from the shock of the accident.”

Tracy swatted her husband on the arm. “Don't try to take it away from her! Christy is in love. Let her just be in love without analyzing it.” She turned to Christy and shook her head. “Men!”

“Okay, okay,” Doug said. “So it's different for everybody. I'm happy for you, Christy. Todd will be thrilled. And, sweetheart,” he said, turning to his pretty little wife, “are you going to finish the other half of your sandwich?”

Christy laughed for the first time in two days. “Some things never change. Doug, you still eat more than anyone I've ever met.”

He chomped into the turkey sandwich and said, “And I'm getting the love handles to prove it, aren't I, Trace?”

“Hardly.” Tracy shook her head. “You don't slow down long enough to let all that food find a place to stay on you.”

“Have things been really busy for you guys?” Christy asked.

Tracy nodded. “Everything is going well, though. Did you hear that we ran into Rick Doyle? He is so changed, Christy; you wouldn't even recognize him. God has . . . what was the term you used earlier? Overtaken? Yes, that's what you said. God has overtaken Rick.”

“It's awesome,” Doug said with a bite of sandwich still in his mouth.

“Katie heard from him,” Christy said. “It sounded as if he was doing great.”

“Well, God was certainly tough and patient with Rick,” Doug added. “I ought to know—Todd and I were roommates with him when we were in San Diego.”

“I remember,” Christy said.

“You don't remember half of what I remember,” Doug said. “And you don't want to.”

“He's definitely changed,” Tracy said.

“What's that phrase you were telling me, Tracy?” Doug asked. “Something you read in a book about God pursuing us?” Doug pushed aside the empty plate.

“God is the relentless lover,” Tracy said. “And we are His first love. He will never stop pursuing us because He wants us back.”

“Yeah, exactly,” Doug said. “That's how God is. That's how He was with Rick. I'm telling you, Christy, it's awesome. When Todd's better, we'll have to all get together and go to the beach or something.”

“I would love that,” Christy said.

“Are you guys ready to go back upstairs and check on Todd?” Tracy asked.

“I am,” Christy said.

They returned to room 302, and Todd opened his eyes long enough to recognize Tracy and mumble a few words to Doug. Christy held Todd's hand the whole time, and when Todd fell back to sleep, Doug asked if she was ready to go back to Rancho.

Christy hesitated. “I think I'd rather stay here. I can call
Katie and have her pick me up later. I just don't want to leave him yet.”

“Are you sure?” Doug asked.

Tracy smiled and tugged on her husband's arm. “Trust me, Christy is making the right choice.”

“Do you need some money for food?” Doug asked.

“No, I have money. Thanks. And thanks for buying lunch.”

“Anytime.” Doug gave her a strong hug. “I'm serious about our getting together as soon as Todd is ready. You let us know when a good time is for you guys.”

“We really missed you while you were in Switzerland.” Tracy gave Christy another hug good-bye. “I'm glad you're back, and I'm glad that . . .” She glanced at Todd. “I'm glad that everything is settled in your heart.”

“Me too,” Christy said.

Tracy whispered in Christy's ear, “And I'll pray that Todd wakes up all the way real soon so you can tell him what you told us.”

About half an hour after Doug and Tracy left, Todd woke up.

“Hey, you,” Christy said.

Todd's eyes were wide, staring at Christy and barely blinking.

Thrilled to have his complete attention, Christy came close and said, “Todd, I have something important to tell you.”

He looked at her peacefully, waiting.

“Todd, I love you. I love you with all my heart.”

When he didn't respond, Christy repeated her declaration. “I love you, Todd.”

Todd moved his left hand slowly. Christy thought he was going
to reach up and touch her face. Instead, he brushed his fingers across the top of the blanket. His eyes grew wider, and he flicked invisible bits of something from the blanket. His breathing became more rapid.

Christy reached over and pushed the buzzer for the nurse. “Are you okay?” Christy asked Todd.

“There are so many of them,” he mumbled. “Look out! They're coming! So many!”

The nurse stepped into the room, and Christy said, “Something's wrong.”

“Todd?” the nurse said in a loud voice. “Todd, what is it?”

He continued to flick his hand across the blanket without answering her.

“Do you see something, Todd?” the nurse asked.

“Spiders,” he muttered. “So many of them. They won't leave.”

Christy's heart began to pound fiercely.
Did the accident affect his brain? What's going on?

“Okay, Todd,” the nurse said firmly. “We'll take care of the spiders. You're hallucinating. We'll put you on a different pain medication right away.” She checked the IV bag and detached it from the metal stand.

“The medication is making him hallucinate?” Christy surmised.

“Yes, it's common. We can put him on something else that won't affect him. Don't worry. He'll be okay.”

Christy did worry. She stayed beside Todd for the rest of the afternoon. He slept soundly and didn't appear to have any more bouts with invisible spiders. By evening, Katie came to the hospital and urged Christy to return to the dorm with her to get a decent night's sleep.

“You're going to need a shower pretty soon,” Katie said, “if you don't mind my saying so. You really should sleep in your own bed tonight.”

Christy convinced Katie to stay a little longer. She was glad Katie did because, at about nine o'clock, Todd woke up and talked to both Katie and Christy, telling them how much better he felt. He even laughed a strange, hoarse kind of laugh. The nurse had warned Christy the new medication would make him a little high, and he wouldn't necessarily remember what he said or what they said to him.

Despite the nurse's admonition, Christy nestled in close to Todd and said, “Todd, I love you.”

He grinned oddly with his swollen lips and said, “Of course you do.”

Katie sympathetically pulled Christy's arm and said, “We need to go. Let him sleep. He'll be able to hear you and process your words better tomorrow. Come on, Chris.”

Reluctantly, Christy left room 302 once Todd was asleep again. She followed Katie to the parking lot. When they reached Baby Hummer, Christy stopped.

Katie seemed to read her mind. “I know it doesn't have air bags. Are you nervous about driving with me now?”

“It's not driving with you, Katie, it's getting in a car—any car—and going on the freeway.”

“I know. I had the same queasy feelings last night when I left here.”

“You did?”

Katie nodded. “I drove extra slow, and I prayed all the way.”

“Then let's do that again. You drive extra slow, and we'll both pray.” Christy buckled her seat belt. “Only don't drive so slow that you become a danger to other drivers.”

“Yes, Mother,” Katie quipped.

Christy grinned. “Have you been keeping the room clean while I was gone?”

Katie looked at Christy as if she hoped her roommate was kidding. “Yes, of course. And by the way, Dixie and Daisy are doing just fine.”

“Who?”

“Our new goldfish. I bought twins.”

Christy shook her head. After working several years at a pet store she knew goldfish didn't have twins. As many as thirty goldfish could be in a tank, and they would all look alike.

“I moved the fishbowl, so they aren't getting heated up from the afternoon sun that comes in the window.”

“Good,” Christy said.

“Guess what Matt did today?” Katie steered Baby Hummer out of the hospital parking lot.

“I have no idea.”

“He found out where they took Gus and went to salvage what he could.”

“Did he really? That was so nice of him.”

“Yeah, look in the backseat.”

Christy turned, and there, on Baby Hummer's backseat, was Todd and Christy's camp stove, still in the box, looking unharmed.

“It was under the backseat. Apparently just about everything else was demolished.”

“Todd is going to be so happy about the stove,” Christy said.

“I know. That's why I brought it with me. I was going to take it into the hospital to show him, but when I got there, I forgot to grab the stove.”

“I'll have to bring it with me tomorrow when I go to see him,” Christy said.

“Matt pulled one other thing from Gus.”

“What?”

“You'll see. It's in our room. On your bed. I even washed it.”

“Can't you tell me what it is?”

“You'll see,” Katie said.

As promised, Katie drove nice and slow all the way to school, and they arrived in the dorm parking lot without incident.

Christy hurried to their room, driven by curiosity as to what other item had been salvaged from Gus. As soon as she opened their door, Christy felt a surge of warm nostalgia and smiled at her roommate.

“Oh, Katie, I'm so glad Matt saved this. Thanks for washing it.” Christy lifted Todd's old navy blue hooded sweat shirt and pressed her face into it.

“Yeah, I thought you two needed each other tonight,” Katie said.

She was right. After Christy took a long, hot shower, she pulled on her favorite flannel boxer shorts and a T-shirt. Then, crawling into bed, she wrapped herself up in Todd's sweat shirt, pulling the hood over her head.

15
For Christy, the rest of the week was filled with trips to the hospital, meals on the run, and the understanding nods of her professors and Donna whenever Christy explained why she was leaving campus again. By Friday, Todd was ready to leave the hospital. The doctor ordered two weeks of bed rest.

After exploring all the options, everyone agreed Todd would stay at Bob and Marti's, since his dad had a business trip to Canada and Todd wouldn't receive the care he needed in his dorm room.

Matt and Katie had come to the hospital together on Thursday and offered to run the youth group programs at Riverview Heights while Todd was out of commission. Sierra was going to arrange for her friend Randy to bring his band on Sunday for a miniconcert.

On Friday, Bob and Marti arrived at the hospital together to pick up Todd. That surprised Christy. Her aunt showed up with her hair plaited into a single braid down her back and wearing conservative black pants and a simple white
shirt. It looked as if she wore a little makeup. Lipstick, for sure.

Christy was glad Cheyenne wasn't there. She wondered if Bob had insisted Todd stay in their home as a way of keeping Marti around and allowing the two of them to join efforts on a project.

A hospital attendant rolled Todd's wheelchair to the parking lot as Marti and Christy followed with the bouquets he had received. Earlier that morning Matt had brought some of Todd's clothes stuffed unceremoniously in a plastic grocery bag, which now rested on Todd's lap as they exited.

Bob had gone to pull the car up to the front. To Christy's surprise, Bob arrived in a blue Volvo station wagon. He got out, all smiles.

“How do you like her?” he asked Todd. Then grinning at Christy, Uncle Bob said, “She's not brand new, but she's sturdy. Safest car on the road, they say. I got a great deal on her.”

Christy couldn't imagine why her uncle would be so proud of his “soccer mom” car. It had a rack on the top and peeling surf logo stickers on the back window.

“The car is for you.” Marti spelled out to Christy what she obviously hadn't understood.

“For both of you,” Bob said. “I put it in both your names. You'll have to sign the papers when we get home. And you'll have to cover your own insurance after the first six months.”

Christy was stunned. She didn't know what to say.

“I got a good deal,” Bob said again, as if to convince Christy that she should be happy.

“I suggested he buy a Land Rover, but the insurance payments were ridiculous,” Marti said. “I know this isn't the
brightest and newest vehicle on the road, but when you compare it to that ridiculous death trap Todd was driving . . .”