Without You I Have Nothing (33 page)

_{Furiously snatching
the phone from his grasp, Susie shouted into the phone, “Peter is dying damn it.
The police are with me now and I haven’t a moment to waste.”}

_{There was a long
pause before Susie continued.}

_{“I’m sorry, Jennifer.
I wish I could make this news more pleasant but I can’t. Peter’s been missing
for a week since he drove off to deliver a truck last Friday. Joe discovered
that the truck arrived at Bathurst driven by some unknown trucker, and since
then we haven’t heard from Peter since he left here on that delivery run.}

_{“Two police officers
have just arrived to tell us that he’s on life support and is dying. They’re
demanding that I go to the hospital immediately if I want to see Peter alive. I
thought you should know.”}

_{Jennifer’s reply was
enough to make Suzie erupt. Furious now, she screamed into the phone.}

_{“Don’t be so bloody
silly. He loves you and you alone, now get your ass into gear if you want to
see him before they remove him from life support.”}

_{Pausing for a moment,
she tried to re-gather her composure.}

_{“Sorry for the plain
talk. Get on a bloody plane now. Ring Joe and tell him when you’ll arrive at
Mascot, okay?  You’ve one chance and one chance only, and I’d suggest you bring
Andrew to support you as this could be very nasty.”}

_{The words Susie was
hearing from Jennifer accusing her of being Peter’s secret lover did not please
her at all. In fact she was about to explode.}

_{Susie tried to
control her anger for as long as she could, then Jennifer said something that
pushed her too far. “I will not be Peter’s play-thing or part of Peter’s
harem!”}

_{Susie lost her cool
completely. “Oh, for shit’s sake, Jennifer, wake up. Stop walking around in a
teenager’s dream world. This man loved you so much that it looks as though he
gave his life trying to save a woman he thought was you. Look, I’m sorry but I
don’t have time to argue with someone so bloody stupid, even if you are a
lawyer. He loves you Jennifer - he loves you and only you!”}

_{Red in the face Susie
continued bellowing into the phone.}

_{“He loves no one
else…  He loves YOU!  What part of that don’t you understand Jennifer?  Bugger
it Jennifer, I’m sorry I’ve no time to argue.”}

_{Calming a little, she
continued.}

_{“Come up here now or
live the rest of your life with this on your conscience. Ring Joe. I refuse to
argue with you any further and yes, I’m Susie - Peter’s nominated next-of-kin,
and my darling husband Bill is standing here beside me to take me to Peter’s
bedside - so think what you bloody will. Goodbye, Jennifer, I don’t expect to
speak with you again.”}

_{The phone call ended abruptly
as Susie slammed the receiver down. Her words, “Silly bitch, what a bloody
idiot she is!” said it all.}

_{Bill helped her into
a company car and they were soon weaving their way to the hospital following
their police escort.}

_{At the door of the
intensive care unit, the doctor who was on his way out stopped Bill and told
him that only Susie as next-of-kin could enter.}

_{Bill told Susie that
he’d wait in the car.}

_{Patiently, Susie
listened as the doctor explained what had happened, but a nurse hurrying in with
an urgent message interrupted their conversation.}

_{“Mrs. Williams,
you’re wanted on the phone. It’s Melbourne.”}

_{“Hello, Susie
Williams speaking. What?  Repeat that slowly.”  Susie listened intently.}

_{“Yes, I’m at the
hospital and - slowly, Jennifer- stop crying please. I need to understand what
you’re telling me. Yes, I can be there at any time to pick you up and perhaps
you’ll be able to achieve a miracle. Now off you go - yes, I’ll pick you up. When
do you expect to arrive?  By the time you arrive, I will have just made it to
the airport through the traffic.”  Susie’s voice had softened.}

_{She listened again.}

_{“Oh, don’t worry,
I’ll recognize you - I know you very well. Just get on a plane and bring Andrew
with you,” Susie added as an afterthought. “What?  You say he’s out on business.
Well, then, the two of us will brave this through together.”}

_{Susie returned to the
doctor.}

_{“He’s alive but no
one knows for how long.”  The doctor tried not to sound pessimistic as he
resumed the conversation. “It’s as though he’s given up on life. We have him on
life support and can keep him going for some days, but something has to be done
to bring him out of this coma and make him ‘want to live’. We’ve done
everything possible to bring him around.}

_{“The severe
concussion, the gash down one side of his face that almost took the sight of
his eye and the two broken ribs are not the problem - he’s lucky that they were
his main injuries. The explosion threw him and the body he was carrying about
50 yards.”}

_{Seeing Susie’s
querying look, the doctor continued.}

_{“He came across the
accident soon after it happened, and no-one could stop him from going to the
wreck. The police reported he was screaming a name, ‘Jennifer’, as he rushed to
the car and ripped its door off to rescue the driver. She was dead even before
he commenced carrying her away from the burning car. He was lucky and only
sustained minor burns, broken ribs, a nasty scar and severe concussion - the
overalls and welding gloves saved him.”}

_{He paused and then
returned to his main concern.}

_{“He spoke once when
he arrived up here from casualty. ‘Is Jennifer all right?’  That is exactly
what he asked the intern.}

_{“The young fool
doctor on duty told him the driver was dead and he muttered something about
‘Jennifer, I love you, wait for me.’  Then he lapsed into this coma. We can’t
arouse him.}

_{“The drugs he was
using are not helping either!”}

_{“No matter how much
we have done for Peter, at this stage we can’t do anything further to bring him
around. It’s as though he’s given up the will to live.}

_{“His injuries are not
killing him. It’s his mind shutting his body down.”}

_{“Thank you, doctor. Keep
him on life support. I’ll give permission when you are to remove him from that
support. I’m praying, though, that I may be able to prevent that ever happening.
Later today, I have to collect someone from the airport, and then I’ll be back
with the person who, I believe, will bring some sense to this great oaf.”}

_{Quietly, for hours,
she sat beside the body in the bed and held Peter’s clammy hand. She was aghast
at how pale and wan Peter looked, lying there hooked up to drips and machines. Although
distressed by the sight of Peter all trussed up on drips, the steady blip,
blip, blip of the heart monitor seemed to re-assure her.}

_{The nurse on duty
looked surprised when Susie suddenly looked at her watch and rushed away
towards the elevators. She could see Susie run down the corridor, anxiously
stalking back and forth outside the elevators' doors. To any passer-by, it was
obvious she was waiting for transport down to the car park.}

_{Susie collected
Jennifer’s car and slowly worked her way through the heavy traffic. Two hours
later, she was at the airport, still waiting for Jennifer to appear.}

_{The arrivals’ board
showed all the Melbourne plane had landed, so by Susie’s reckoning, the
passengers should be out with their luggage any moment.}

_{Pacing backwards and
forwards Susie was apprehensive. She knew she would have a big task persuading
Jennifer that her relationship with Peter was nothing more than that of a mother
and son. ‘Some mother I am,’ but Susie’s thoughts were interrupted as she caught
sight of Jennifer.}

_{“Give me your
luggage, Jennifer. Here are your keys. You’re driving because I took the
liberty of bringing your car across to pick you up.”}

_{“Peter?  How’s
Peter?  What happened?  Tell me he’s not dying. Please tell me what’s
happening.”}

_{Jennifer wasn’t
interested in anything but news of her love. Intently she listened while Susie
explained her relationship with Peter. Jennifer found it difficult to comprehend
how Susie came to be next-of-kin.}

_{“Me?  In love with
Peter?  Me - who’s pregnant, thanks to Peter.”  Susie suddenly realized what
she had said as the car almost ran off the road.}

<sub>“No, that’s wrong. I’m
pregnant with my dear husband’s baby - thanks to Peter. When Bill left the
Navy, Peter managed to get him a position with the BMW Dealer next door to
Peter’s workshop. That meant we could support a child and give it a secure home
- a thing we couldn’t do before.”</sub>

_{“Now I have some home
truths for you, Jennifer!  I’m Peter’s next-of-kin because of you and your
‘someone special’. Peter was driving to Bathurst that fateful night and he was
going to commit suicide, as he believed he’d lost you to that ‘someone special’.
He had death firmly fixed in his mind so I travelled with him to save him from
himself.}

_{“As a mother would
hold a child, I held him close to me on that Saturday night, when the drugs
he’d used to assist him to drive those long hours made him hallucinate. I
compelled him to look at the ‘someone special’ problem another way, and I drove
back with him in that loaded truck to keep him safe by prattling incessantly
just to keep his mind away from his ‘so-called’ problems.}

_{“Believe me - I think
I almost went mad with the noise and the heat of that trip. Not something I
want to repeat.”}

_{Jennifer pulled into
a service station and turned to Susie.}

_{“Are you telling me
you and Peter are not lovers?  Are you really trying to make me believe that
Peter means nothing to you?”}

_{Laughing, Susie
patted Jennifer’s hand as it clutched the steering wheel.}

_{“My dear, Peter means
a great deal to me as a very good friend and ‘adopted son’. However, Jennifer,
he has eyes and heart only for you. I mean nothing to him as a lover, although
I regard him with a great amount of ‘motherly affection’ especially as he saved
me from a rape. He’s always been a most considerate gentleman with me.”}

_{She turned to
Jennifer and looked at her with a direct gaze.}

_{“You, my girl, are
the luckiest person I know - that is, if you do the right thing today and bring
him back to a state where he wants to live.”}

_{Jennifer leant across
and kissed Susie on the cheek.}

_{“Thank you, Susie. Thank
you. I was in a hell of my own making and now you’ve dragged me out.”}

_{Susie smiled. “Get
this car moving. We have a lot to do yet.”}

_{Arriving at the
hospital, Susie walked with Jennifer to the Intensive Care Unit and introduced
her to the nurses. Knowing Peter’s recovery was completely dependent upon
Jennifer, Susie gave her a hug as she pushed her toward the door and turned to
leave.}

_{“Ring me if you need
me. I’m sure you are exactly the medicine he needs. We will all be praying for
your success.”}

_{In the peace of the
Intensive Care Ward, Peter remained comatose. His mind was a bottomless well
where he lay immersed in a velvety darkness. It was peaceful lying there, so
warm and comfortable. Through the gloom, he could see his mother and father
reaching out to him.}

_{Cutting across his
thoughts came the words “He’s alive but we can’t bring him around.”}

_{A woman’s voice
carried an authority, which Peter couldn’t place. “We’ve done everything
possible, yet we can’t get him out of his coma.”}

_{Peter’s thoughts
wandered. ‘That woman is talking about someone and I wonder who it is. Why is
that woman talking and who is she?  Just go away and leave me in peace. The
black mist is so pleasant and secure.’}

_{“We had trouble
identifying him. His wallet was burnt in the heat of the explosion.”  That same
voice rambled on.}

_{Peter was not
interested in her conversation. He heard a soft sob.}

_{“There, there.”}

_{‘If that damn woman
doesn’t stop talking, I will scream.’  Peter was aware of this thought making
its way into his semi-consciousness, through the peace and quiet he longed for
in his blackness.}

_{“Were you close?”}

_{“We were, but we had
an argument when I got jealous over a phantom nothing.”}

_{Peter knew that voice.
‘Where have I heard that strange hoarseness before?  Yet the voice is hard to
identify, as the sounds seemed to be interspersed with tears.’}

_{“Well, he’s been
lying there like that for over a week now.”}