Of Body And Soul (17 page)

"No," Andrea whispered. "No."

Disappointed, Hansen placed the lunch tray in front of her. "It's only been three days. It'll come."

Andrea gingerly nodded her head.

There was a gentle knock and the door swung open. A pretty redhead with green eyes walked in. She wore a smile the sun would light up for. She had a great figure, and the forest green wool dress fit her like a silk stocking. She had happy eyes and soft full lips.

"Emily?"

She nodded and her face broke out in a smile of delight. "Andrea! You look great considering what you've been through." Emily bent down and kissed her. "Do you remember me?"

Nothing
about the woman aroused the slightest recall. "Sorry to say, I don't. But," Andrea seized on a brilliant hope, "now that you're here . . . ."

Kurt walked in just as she and Emily were getting acquainted. "Andrea, I have a couple of people who want to see you."

Behind Kurt stood a middle-aged man and a boy in his late teens. The man had a full face, long nose, wide mouth, and the shaggiest eyebrows she’d ever seen. He had to weigh about two hundred pounds, but without an ounce of fat. When he made eye contact with Andrea, his face brightened like a child seeing snow for the first time. The young boy had on a baseball cap worn backwards, a gold looped earring in his right ear, and jeans which were so wide and baggy that the slightest movement could send them falling around his ankles.

"Hi, Ms. Purcell."

"Hi." Andrea returned their greetings, looking to Kurt for some explanation.

"Andrea, I like you to meet Jake Frankowiak and TJ, Terry Jones. If it weren’t for them, you wouldn't be here today. They performed
CPR on you. They saved your life.”

Andrea choked back the tears
which flooded her eyes. "What can I say?"

"No need to say anything. I
’m happy I could help, but I know I couldn't have done it without TJ here," he said modestly and turned to bring Terry closer.

Terry walked over to the bed and took Andrea's hand. "No,
thank you,” he muttered. “You've changed my life. I never knew I could be of such importance to someone."

Andrea's tears flowed freely now. When she looked at all the others, they too let the tears flow.

"Can you tell me what happened?" She looked to them for an explanation. She needed to know if she was to blame.

The trucker lowered his head and walked over to the bed. "Are you sure you want to know right now?"

"Yes, I do." She looked from Terry to Jake, a plea in her eyes.

"Well,
by late Friday afternoon the snow had accumulated to about six inches. It was the flesh-cutting kind of snow and the roads were greasy. You were comin' around a bend going about thirty miles an hour. I was comin' in the opposite direction goin' about the same speed. I didn't take my eyes off the road but one second. My windshield had fogged up and I needed to get a towel off the seat. When I looked up, you were there, right in front of me. I couldn't stop. I hit you head on. I couldn't believe you didn't see me comin'."

She blinked and the muscles in her neck tightened. She closed her eyes in order to visualize the scene. Then suddenly it became real, a flash sharper and more frightening than anything
her imagination had called up; moments of anger and then terror, leaving her trembling and sick to her stomach. "The only things I can remember are bright lights and the smell of burning rubber and gas. I also remember being angry. I guess," she choked, "that was before I saw the lights."

"Well, Ma'am, I tried to stop
when I saw you, but the ice . . . . there was so much ice under the fresh snow."                                                     

"By the loo
ks of you, you weren't hurt. Were there any other people involved?"             

"Sorry to say, yes. But
all with minor injuries."

Andrea signed with relief. "I have a lot to be grateful for. How in the world can I ever repay you both for what you've done? You saved my life. I'm going to make sure the proper people are i
nformed of your heroism," she said and smiled at them.

"Oh don't worry about that," TJ said, as he unfolded the Sante Fe News.

The headlines read, "Artist Saved by Trucker and Rapper."

Under the heading was a picture of someone lying on a mound of snow next to something that resembled a car. Two people knelt by her. Jake was leaning over her
while TJ was pumping her chest. The photographer captured TJ as he looked directly into the camera lens.
Fear has the same look, as pain does,
she thought.

"Is that us?"

"Sure is, Ma'am," they answered in unison.             

Jake was the first to speak.
"Next week, the Sheriff's Department is holding a ceremony to commend TJ here, and me, for what we done," he said, his gaze falling to rest deep within her shining eyes.

Andrea felt his eyes penetrate her being.
They had saved her life, and were a part of her now and she knew. No matter what, this man and boy would be a part of her life forever.

"I have
some good news," Kurt announced. "Dr. Reynolds said you'll be able to leave in another day or two. He feels you're progressing nicely and can recuperate at Grayson's."

"Do you think it'll
be possible for us to see you after you're released?"              

"Of course it would be, TJ. I'll be recuperating at La Wyndemere de Taos. My friend is the proprietress and she has set aside a suite for me. Do you know where it's located?"

He nodded. "Then we'll see you in a couple of weeks. We'll give you time to get some strength back before we come and see you, won't we Jake?" He turned to Jake for confirmation.

"Wouldn't miss it for nothin
’. Well Ma'am, I gotta get back to work. Take care of yourself. He leaned down. "May I?"

"You'd better," she said, and he kissed her cheek.

Andrea looked at TJ. "Aren't you going to give me a kiss?"

TJ's face turned scarlet as he bent down and kissed Andrea.

"Thank you,” she whispered in his ear. “ I owe you my life."

CHAPTER FORTY

Emily stayed after eve
ry one had left, and pulled up a chair next to the bed.                            

Andrea
watched Emily’s every movement, the way she walked, the way her eyes smiled, and the way she frowned. Andrea’s face flickered for an instant with a look of remembrance.

"Andrea. What is it? Do you remember me?”
.

"I can't seem to put it together. I'm at a party with you and there are a lot of people there. I hear Christmas music. Its funny, I can even see what I'm wearing. An emerald green cocktail dress and I'm talking with a man, but I can't seem to pull out anything more."

Emily leaped up from her chair and gave Andrea a hug. "What you're remembering is a Christmas party I had about seven years ago."

"Was I with anyone?"

"Yes, you were. His name was Jason."

"Was?"

"Yes. You and Jason lived together for about five years."

Andrea rubbed her hand across her forehead. "How can I live wit
h someone for five years but not remember a moment of it."

"Could it be you only want to remember the happy
times? Like my Christmas party."    

She nodded her head in agreement. "I must have had some happy times with Jason. Tell me something about him
."

"Andrea, the doctor doesn't want us to plant ideas in your head. He wants you to regain your memory naturally. It'll happen.
You and I both know it will."

"Can you tell me how we met and how long we've been friends?"

"Well." She leaned closer and took Andrea's hand. "Let's see. About ten years ago, we both took classes at our community college. It just so happened. We had a class together. We became friends instantly. It was as if we had known each other forever. You insisted I join your health spa, and I insisted you join my book club. And eventually we became neighbors."

Andrea shook her head in bewilderment. "Grayson mentioned
that you were a teacher."

"Yes," she smiled. "I teach at that same community college."

"Are you married?"

"Oh yes," she beamed. "His name is Michael."

"By the look on your face you must be happy."

"I'm extremely happy, but I'll be happier when I know
you’re completely better."              

"Do you have children, Emily?"

Emily paused a moment.. "No, why do you ask?"

"I don't know. It seems we may have had some discussions about children. I don't know."

Andrea closed her eyes and rested her head against the pillow. Andrea turned away, trying to hide a thick swallow.

"I think you've had enough excitement for one day. Get some rest and I'll see you later."

“I am tired,” Andrea said.

Troubled and feeling a deep inadequacy, Emily sought out her brother.
She found him in the hospital chapel. The sun glared through the stained glassed windows, throwing sparkles of color across the white linen altar cloth. She tiptoed across the marble floor and knelt next to Kurt. His face was buried in his hands and he didn’t notice she had knelt beside him.

She touched him g
ently. “Are you okay?”

He nodded. "How’s Andrea,
” he whispered.

"Physically, she
's doing great, but mentally . . . . I don't know. I think you need to help her along."

"What on earth do you want me to do?"

"Tell her who you are. Tell her she's pregnant."

"That'
s what Dr. Reynolds advised, but I'm not ready for the confrontation. Not yet."

"Do you know, she remembers the first time you
met?"

He stared at his sister. "Then she knows who I am?"

"No. She remembers the party and also talking to a man. She said she has dreams about this person, but every time she gets ready to see his face she wakes up."

He took Emily's hand. "I'll tell her when we get to Grayson's.
”                           

“Kurt, Andrea can’t go on like this. She needs to know who she is
and what really happened.”

“I can’t
, Em.”

“You’re
a strong man. You’re good, you’re kind, and you’re in love with Andrea. The longer you wait the harder it’s going to be to tell her what happened at the hotel.”

“
The feeling I have now is not how I felt that last day we saw our father. When I pointed the gun at him . . . .” He paused. “That was rage, hatred.”

Emily took her brother in her arms and kissed him. “You were fighting not only for your life that day. You were fighting for our mother and for me.” She began to cry. “You had every right
to fire that pistol. You know that as well as I do.”

“
I never felt rage of hatred toward Andrea. I felt betrayal. I can’t take back what I said to her. The only thing I can hope for is her forgiveness.”

She stood and took her brother’s hand.
"Come on. Let's go get a cup of coffee. I'm sure Andrea will be awake shortly."

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

Emil
y had stayed for two more days. She, Kurt, and Grayson filled Andrea's days with laughter.

"I can't bear to see you leave," Andrea said,
controlling her tears.             

"I'll plan to come back during Easter recess. It's only about five weeks away. By then the cast will b
e off and we'll go dancing," Emily joked.

After Emily left
, Andrea and Dr. Reynolds continued their hourly sessions. On the day of her discharge, they were having their last session. "Andrea? Are you listening to anything I’m saying,” Dr. Reynolds said.                            

She
was totally absorbed as she watched a nurse wheel the medicine cart past her doorway.                            

"Andrea!"
Dr. Reynolds called.

For a wild moment
memories surged back at her. She saw in her mind a girl about seventeen, with light brown hair, sitting in a waiting room, not so different from the one at this hospital. She was with a man and woman. The woman looked like a young Grayson. She couldn’t see the man that well. It was a memory of sadness, of danger. Was she remembering her childhood? Suddenly it was gone. She fought to focus on it, to add to it in more detail, but nothing transpired. It was here and now and she was an adult, in a hospital in New Mexico.

For the third time
Dr. Reynolds called her. "Andrea, do you remember something?"

Andrea rubbed her eyes. "I don't know. I just don't know," she sighed.

"Once you're out of here, your thoughts will begin to collect, like a collage. Slowly the collage will begin to make sense.

"Will t
hat happen, Doctor?"

He nodded
his reassurance. "Come now, Kurt and Grayson are waiting for you to be discharged. A nurse should be here in a few minutes with a wheelchair."

"I don't want another nurse. I thought Kurt was going to come with me to La Wyndemere de Taos?"

"He is, but while the nurse is taking you down to the car, I need to go over a few details with him and Grayson."

Andrea smiled
. "When will I need to come back for another session?"             

"Why don't we give you a few
weeks at Grayson’s? Once you start painting again, you may start to remember things."