Carpe Diem (30 page)

Jack came out to tell me that they had a healthy baby girl. I jumped from my seat and gave him a huge hug, congratulating him. He invited me back into the room to meet Bryna. I told him I needed to use the bathroom and would be right in. His excitement was contagious, but I still needed a minute to prepare.

When I walked into the room Jack was seated on the bed next to Piper. He was resting his head on hers and he was stroking her hair. They were both looking at a now-sleeping Bryna. I stood in the doorway for a few moments watching them. They were in love, and not the starry-eyed puppy love kind. You could tell that they were really in love. I knew right then that no matter my feelings, they were meant to be together and I would do everything I could to help them stay that happy.

Hour Four

Part of me hoped that the doctor would be coming out at any moment to tell us that everything went perfectly and that the surgery was already over. When the doctor did not come out with news, I could not stop my mind from remembering the day Jack found out my true feelings.

After my dad died, he left me a larger inheritance. I could have done many things with the money but I went to Jack with a plan to open our own business. When I told him my plan was to make him a 50 percent partner, he couldn’t understand why. After an hour of listening to my halfhearted reasons, he started to get pissed. He thought I was giving him a handout. Jack was a proud man and was never one to accept handouts of any kind.

Despite my attempts to convince him that it was not a handout and that his experience was worth a 50 percent partnership, he almost stormed out. I had no choice but to tell him the truth. I told him about the day I met Piper and how I instantly fell in love with her and that I let my stupidity get in the way of what could have been.

Jack was speechless. He had no idea how I had felt about Piper for all these years. He allowed me to tell him that it was never my intention to tell him how I felt about her and that my friendship with the both of them meant more to me than anything in the world. I confided in him that part of the reason I wanted to start the business with him was so that he and Piper wouldn’t have to worry about money should the business take off and do well. I wanted them to be happy.

Jack agreed to go into business with me and to never tell Piper about my feelings. I wanted everything to remain the same. I did not want anything to be weird with us so Jack agreed to never speak of it again.

Hour Five

More food. After Bryna woke, she made a small comment that her stomach was empty and Abby took that as a cue to bring more food. This time, it looks like she brought back the whole cafeteria. The smell finally gets to all of us and we are able to fill our bellies.

Hour Six

The feeling that something is going wrong is overwhelming. I don’t let my fear be seen by Bryna or anyone but it is there pulling at my insides. There should have been an update of some kind by now. A few words to let us know the surgery is going as planned with no complications. The feelings brought me back to the day Jack died.

I was in the office when I heard the crash. I looked outside and saw that it was Jack’s car. I don’t remember running outside to the car, but before I knew it, I was at his side. Blood was everywhere. I tried to open the smashed car door, but it would not budge. I ran around to the passenger side and crawled in to see if I could help him. I heard a man yell to me that an ambulance was on the way.

I remember telling Jack to hold on, that help was coming. However, I could see it in his eyes. He knew he would not make it. I was not willing to believe my best friend was going to die in front of me. I ordered him to fight, to stay alive as he was gasping for air. The minutes felt like hours. I could hear the sirens in the distance getting closer but I could see my friend slipping further and further way. His breathing was starting to slow, his eyes were starting to dim. He reached for my hand.

“Take care of them,” he whispered.

“Don’t talk like that, you are going to be just fine, just hold on.”

“Flynn, I’m not.”

“Yes you are. You can’t leave yet.”

“We had a good run.”

“And it’s not over yet, there is still more to do,” I tell him.

“You will have to do it without me,” he says, coughing.

“Jack, don’t you dare leave.”

“Flynn, it’s my time. Promise me you will take care of them.”

“Jack I’m not you, they need you.”

“I will always be with them, but now I need you to be the man in their life. I wouldn’t trust anyone else.”

“Jack, no.”

“Promise me,” he whispers even quieter.

“I promise, I will watch out for them,” I tell him as the tears start to fall from my eyes.

He smiled one last smile before closing his eyes and fading away.

I cannot help but think that I have failed Jack in some way. I promised I would take care of Piper and Bryna and here we are waiting as Piper fights for her life.

.

Hour Seven

This is going to kill me. I need to know everything is going okay. How can they leave us sitting here for seven fucking hours with no word whatsoever? The only thing keeping me from exploding is the old saying, no news is good news.

I’m pacing the room for the ten-thousandth time when Doctor Redding finally comes into the waiting room. Everyone is on their feet eager to hear how it all went.

“She did great,” she tells us.

“Thank God,” we all seem to call out in unison.

“There were no complications to Piper or to Helen. They should both recover nicely,” she continues.

“When can we see her?” I ask.

“They are moving her to the ICU so we can monitor her. You will also be happy to know that we are discontinuing the propofol for the induced coma. If all else goes well, she should be awake in a few hours. We will keep you posted and let know you know when you can see her.

“Flynn, now that you know she is going to be fine you need to get some sleep,” Casey tells me.

“I’m fine. I want to wait until I can talk to her,” I inform her.

“Okay, I was trying not to say anything, but you look like shit. You need to go home, take a shower, and get some sleep. You heard the doctor, you have a few hours. Go. We will call you when she wakes up,” she insists.

I know she is right. I have been here in the same clothes since yesterday afternoon. The last thing I want is for Piper to wake up to some scruffy bum who smells like hospital food.

I
can feel the ache of my body as I start to wake. I don’t remember going to bed. The last thing I remember was the large tree branch trying to kill me. My eyelids are heavy and do not want to open. My mind is foggy. It’s hard to concentrate. My mind is drifting in and out until I hear my name.

“Piper, can you hear me?” a voice calls.

There is now a bright light flashing in my eyes.

“Hi there, welcome back to us,” a woman dressed in scrubs tells me as she put what looks like a small flashlight in her pocket.

“What? Where? Who?”

“Take your time, don’t rush it. I am Doctor Redding here at Heartland Community Hospital. You have been through quite an ordeal.”

“What happened?” I ask softly.

“You were in a car accident,” she tells me.

“Am I dead?” I ask, still confused.

“No, you are not dead. You have been asleep for a little while, though.”

“Dinner, I need you to call…” I rattle in a foggy panic.

“It’s okay, Piper, your family is here. We will explain everything to you in time, right now I want you to get some more rest,” she tells me.

“All right, but someone needs to cancel the reservations,” I mumble before closing my eyes.

“Mom, can you hear me?” I hear Bryna call.

I open my eyes slowly. When I am able to focus, I see her beautiful smiling face.

“Hi, honey. I’m sorry we didn’t get dinner. I can make a frozen pizza when we get home,” I tell her.

She lets out a small laugh through what looks like tears.

“Honey, why are you crying? I’m fine. See,” I say as I try to sit up.

A searing pain like I have never felt before courses through my abdomen, urging me to stay still.

“Maybe I will
just
lie here a while longer,” I tell her as I lie back.

“Mom, take it easy, you had major surgery.”

Surgery? What? Looking around the room, I see the tearful eyes of everyone, everyone but Flynn. What the hell happened to me? Why did I need surgery?

“What are you talking about?”

“Mom, you’ve been in a medically induced coma for a month and today you had a liver transplant,” Bryna tells me.

“What? No, I was just, I was just.” The shock takes over when I realize I can’t remember.

“Mom, it’s alright. You’re going to be fine.”

“What happened?”

“The police said you were parked on the side of the road, the other car lost control when it started to hydroplane,” Abby tells me.

“What about the other person, are they okay?”

“Yes, they are fine. But your liver was damaged and you needed a transplant,” she tells me.

My eyes start to fill with tears. The thought that I could have left my little girl here alone breaks my heart, and on the anniversary of her father’s death.

“Honey, I am so sorry,” I tell her.

“Mom, you’re going to be fine.”

“Bryna, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have…” I start.

“Mom, there is more. There was a mass on your liver. They are sending it out for testing,” she tells me.

“Cancer?” I ask.

“They haven’t said one way or the other, just that more tests were needed.”

“The thought of you being here to deal with this, all by yourself,” I say as I start to cry.

“I wasn’t. Abby and Casey have been great, and Flynn has been by my side and yours the whole time.

I look around the room again, where is Flynn, did I not see him? I look and look, no Flynn.

“Where is he?” I ask.

“I sent him home to shower. He looked and smelled like a hobo.” Abby laughs.

“He is on his way back now,” Bryna tells me, smiling.

Doctor Redding comes back to check on me and asks everyone to leave to allow me to rest some more. I kiss everyone good-bye. Each of them tells me they will check back in a few hours after they get some sleep.

My eyes close and my thoughts are running wild. A month. I’ve been asleep for a month. I have a new liver. Holy crap this is a lot to take in. I feel a tear start to escape my eye and then a warm hand wipes it away.

I open my eyes to see Flynn sitting next to me. His face doesn’t hide his exhaustion. It almost looks as if he has aged five years overnight.

“Hi,” he says softly.

“Hi.” I smile.

“You gave us quite a scare,” he tells me.

“Well, it was the only way I could get you to talk to me,” I joke.

“Piper, there are better ways to do that.” He laughs softly.

“Flynn, I am so sorry,” I start.