Johnny (Connelly Cousins #2) (17 page)

“Lina?” Johnny’s eyes were pleading.

“Stacey’s in a coma. They performed the operation today, the bastards!  They weren’t supposed to do it until the day after tomorrow!” Lina’s voice rose as she fought against the hysteria that threatened to paralyze her. She had to be strong. Stacey needed her.

Kyle wrapped a jacket around her shoulders. He was already dressed and ready to go. “Come on, I’ll drive.”

Traffic was light, but the thirty minute drive seemed to take forever. Thank goodness Kyle kept his cool. Lina was ready to rip everyone’s heads off unless they told her where to find Stacey. Thankfully, the staff had been alerted she was coming and notified Dr. Hamilton, who appeared at the front desk within minutes of their arrival.

“Ms. McCullough?  I’m Dr. Hamilton. Will you come with me, please?” With only a cursory glance at Kyle and Johnny, she turned and pushed her way through a set of double doors, with Lina close behind.

“What’s going on? Where’s Stacey? Is she going to be all right?” Lina fired the questions at Dr. Hamilton’s back as she skipped to keep up.

“May I ask what your relationship is to Stacey?”

“I’m her best friend,” Lina said firmly.

“What about Stacey’s family?”

“Her mother lives out in Denver, but they’re not close.”

Dr. Hamilton nodded briskly. “I was afraid of something like that. Stacey specifically asked that only you be notified, Mrs. McCullough. It’s a rather unusual situation.”

“I don’t know how much you know, but Stacey volunteered for an experimental procedure. It’s quite complicated, but the bottom line is that we were attempting to implant cutting-edge biochips into her lower spine, as well as strategic areas around the sciatic and femoral nerves, hoping to initiate spontaneous regeneration of the damaged areas or, at the very least, restore some control and mobility through charged impulses.”

“Something like that, but more advanced. The idea is to help the body heal itself by stimulating existing damaged cells and ideally, encourage repair and new cell growth.”

That sounded exactly like the kind of medical miracle Stacey had been hoping for. They entered an elevator and Dr. Hamilton pressed the button for the seventh floor.

“The surgery went well. Unfortunately, as we were closing up, Stacey started seizing on the table.”

“Oh, God.” The world spun around her. Kyle’s strong arm about her waist was the only thing keeping her upright.

“We were able to stabilize her, but attempts to wake her from the anesthesia have been unsuccessful.”

They walked out into a wide, stark white corridor, the strong smell of antiseptic in the air. The sign on the wall opposite the elevators had arrows pointing to Surgical Intensive Care Unit (to the left) and its associated waiting area (to the right). The ICU consisted of a central nurse’s station and a semi-circle of individual units separated by floor to ceiling walls of plexiglass, allowing the nurses to keep an eye on patients at all times. Only two of the units were currently occupied. It was impossible to tell which one was Stacey.

“Only one visitor at a time, I’m afraid,” Dr. Hamilton told them. “You gentlemen will have to wait in there.” She pointed toward the waiting room. “And you - ” she placed her hand on Lina’s shoulder “- will come with me. You’ll need to put on a surgical gown and mask while you’re in with her, hospital rules.”

Dr. Hamilton grabbed a set of disposable scrubs from a cart and handed them to Lina. “You are a close friend of Stacey’s?”

“We were roommates in college, more like sisters really. After the accident, well, things changed. But then she flew out to see me last week, and it’s like we were never apart...” Lina flushed. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I’m telling you all this.”

“It’s all right,” Dr. Hamilton said soothingly. “I understand this must come as a shock. Stacey did not tell you about the operation?”

“No.”

When Lina was covered sufficiently, Dr. Hamilton led her to Stacey. Horrific images of the last time Lina had done this were filling her mind, but this time was different. Stacey was not bruised or battered, she looked perfectly normal, except for the machines and the various connections.

Stacey looked so tiny in that bed, surrounded by all of that equipment. Her dark reddish-brown hair, braided for the surgery, was a shock of color against the whiteness of her face. Her eyes were closed, her face peaceful.
She looks just like a fairy princess, waiting for her prince to wake her with a kiss.

“Stacey wouldn’t want this,” she said through teary eyes, remembering the last time she had said the words. Dr. Hamilton pushed a small chair against the bed, away from the largest cluster of machinery, inviting Lina to sit down.

“She signed a DNR and a paper specifying that ‘no heroic actions’ be taken should her systems start to fail. But none of these machines are keeping her alive. They’re just monitoring her. Her heartbeat is strong and she’s breathing on her own.”

Lina breathed a sigh of relief.

“Can I hold her hand?” she asked, afraid to do anything for fear of setting off an alarm or knocking something loose.

“Yes, of course,” the doctor said kindly. “It might help.”

The small device in Dr. Hamilton’s pocket buzzed. She pulled it out and glanced quickly at the screen; her expression gave nothing away.

“Excuse me, I’m wanted down in the lab. You may stay with her for a while if you wish. Press the blue call button if you need anything. I suggest you try talking to her.”

“But she’s unconscious.”

“That doesn’t mean she can’t hear you.” Dr. Hamilton paused at the oversized entrance to the room. “Ms. McCullough?” Lina turned her face to meet her gaze. “I realize it’s none of my business, but are the two gentlemen with you friends of Stacey’s as well?”

“One of them is my husband. The other is my brother, Johnny. He’s the one with the blonde hair, like mine. He... cares for Stacey.” Dr. Hamilton nodded, turning to go.

“Dr. Hamilton, you have to know, we had no idea she was doing this.” Tears filled her eyes. “None of us wanted her to risk herself like this.”

Elena Hamilton nodded. Her expression was even sadder than before. “Maybe that’s why she felt it better not to tell you beforehand.”

The doctor hesitated one last time. “As long as she remains stable, we’ll be moving Stacey to a more comfortable room in the next few hours. I think it would be good if she had somebody with her as much as possible.”

* * *

S
tacey was relocated to a room that was much nicer than the high-tech room in the SICU. It had big windows that let in lots of light, and was painted in cream and a soft pastel yellow. She’d been disconnected from nearly all the machines. Only a small monitor and an I.V. remained, slowly dripping sustenance into her pale, still form.

Johnny leaned down and kissed Stacey lightly on the forehead before pulling a chair up to the bed and taking her hand in his. It looked so small and frail in his big, calloused one. He hadn’t noticed how small it was before.

“Hey there, hellcat,” he whispered softly. “I’ve missed you.” Lifting her hand to his lips, he placed gentle kisses on each finger, one by one. “Such pretty hands. So soft. I want to feel them holding on to me again.”

“She’s responding to you.”

Johnny hadn’t realized Dr. Hamilton was still in the room. He followed her gaze to the monitor above the back of Stacey’s bed. Luminescent green lines forming peaks and valleys. As he watched, they gradually flattened out.

“Say something else,” Dr. Hamilton urged with guarded excitement.

“I’m right here with you, baby, and just so you know, I’m not going anywhere until you look me in the eyes and tell me you don’t want me here.” He watched as the lines started bisecting again. Dr. Hamilton was grinning.

“This is a good sign,” she told him. “A very good sign.”

Dr. Hamilton made a quick check of her vitals, looking pleased with the results. “Looks like you might be the best medicine for her, Mr. Connelly. Shall I have a cot brought in for you?”

Johnny was surprised. He’d expected to have to fight tooth and nail and stay with her, because there was no way in hell he was going to leave. “Yes, that would be great, thanks.”

“If you need help, the call button is right there.” She pointed to an oval-shaped, blue device that hung from the side of the bed. “This room’s got a full bath, so a shower and shave occasionally would not be out of the question.” Her face was passive but her eyes twinkled. “We can arrange to have meals sent up, too, if you’d like.”

“Hear that Stacey?  Looks like you’re stuck with me, baby.”

Dr. Hamilton left, and Johnny sat there for a long time, tracing little patterns on her hand, willing any and all strength he had into her as he searched for the words he hoped she’d hear.

“I’m sorry I left you alone at the cabin, Stace. Something just snapped in me when you suggested...  well, that’s not important. What’s important is that I’m here now, and I’m not going anywhere.”

He paused and took a deep breath. “I fucked up. You caught me off-guard, you know? I mean, I knew you were something special from the first time I laid eyes on you, but it took me walking away to realize just how special. I’m not a romantic guy, and I’m not good with pretty words, but I know what I felt with you wasn’t like anything I’ve ever felt with anyone else. I was kind of hoping that you felt the same way, because I want more. More mornings, waking up with you in my arms. More nights, making love to you. More time to discover everything about you. Just... more.”

The monitor hummed quietly in the background. Muted pages and beeps sounded from out in the hallway. Someone laughed. Someone coughed. It seemed impossible that life could be continuing just outside the doors when his was suspended along with the fate of the woman that had touched his soul.

“Come back to me, Stacey, any way you can. I’ll be here, waiting.”

T
rue to his word, Johnny barely left Stacey’s room for the next week. Convinced she was in good hands, Lina returned home with Kyle, though they made the five-hour round trip every other evening. Stacey’s condition continued to improve, though she had yet to regain consciousness.

It was at the end of the second week that Dr. Hamilton walked into Stacey’s room looking visibly shaken. Johnny had become quite accustomed to her cautious but steadfast optimism; seeing that expression sent icy shivers of foreboding through him.

“Johnny? Can I speak with you for a moment?” Her voice was calm, even, betraying nothing.

Johnny rose slowly. “You got some good news for me, Doc?” There were dark circles under his bloodshot eyes; stubble graced his jawline. “Because that’s all I care to hear right about now.”

“Well, that depends.”

Johnny ran his hand through his hair. Conditionally good was better than definitely bad. “Okay. Shoot.”

“It’s clear to me that you care very deeply for Stacey. Your sister led me to believe that you may have been involved intimately.”

Johnny’s face hardened. “No offense, Doc, but I really can’t see how that’s any of your business.”

Dr. Hamilton drew a deep breath. “It is my business, Johnny, because recent tests show that Stacey is pregnant. Normally I would not disclose such information, but this is an unusual situation.”

Johnny felt his blood run cold while a nauseating buzz sounded in his ears. He swallowed hard and blurted. “We used protection.”

“Abstinence is the only truly effective birth control.” She frowned. “Perhaps I’ve assumed too much...” 

“You haven’t,” Johnny said firmly, running a hand through his hair again. “She wasn’t with anyone else. You’re sure about the pregnancy?”

“Yes. We ran second and third tests to confirm.”

Johnny put a hand to the wall to steady himself as the room began to spin wildly around him. He was vaguely aware of Dr. Hamilton and an orderly guiding him to a chair.

“The baby?”

“It’s too soon to tell. But I thought you should know.”

Johnny fought to breathe; he felt as if his chest was being crushed. He looked at Stacey lying in the bed, looking so peaceful, like a beautiful angel. His gaze automatically went to her belly, where he now knew a child, his child, grew within. He placed his big hand over her abdomen, needing some connection with their baby. Then he lay his head next to it, and prayed.

If Johnny had been attentive before, he became doubly so. Among other things, he had taken it upon himself to become her unofficial physical therapist. He spent hours every day massaging her legs and arms. Dr. Hamilton approved of his efforts, and told him often how beneficial such hands-on care was. Nevertheless, she cautioned him about expecting too much. Until Stacey regained consciousness, they wouldn’t know if the operation had been a success, though early stimulation tests showed promise.

When Johnny wasn’t exercising her limbs or reading to her, he was telling her stories. Stories about anything and everything, because the sound of his voice had a definite effect on her. She also reacted to his touch, so he made it a point to hold her hand and stroke her hair often.

He was making little circles with his thumbs under the arch of her foot, regaling her with funny stories of some of the pranks he and Michael used to pull on Lina when they were kids, when he felt it. A tiny, almost imperceptible movement against his hand. Stunned, he ran his thumb along her arch and felt it again. Then he picked up her other foot and repeated the process, obtaining the same results. Excitedly, he pushed the call button.

“Page Dr. Hamilton,” he said when the nurse entered a minute later.

By that afternoon, a steady stream of curious doctors made its way through Stacey’s room. Johnny stayed by her side as much as possible, holding her hand or simply touching her shoulder, whispering into her ear, telling her how proud he was of her and explaining everything that was happening. She stayed calm as long as he did, but whenever one of the staff asked him to step away she became clearly agitated. Soon they all learned to work around him.