A Love for all Ages (Crockett County Trilogy Book 1) (3 page)

She figures normal activity to her brain is a good thing
smiling Stephanie raises into a sitting positon as Dr. Coup starts
writing on her chart, “How much longer will I need to stay here?”
Hoping to leave soon just not sure how with no vehicle; she still
needs a timeframe, in order to make plans.

“I will order the tests and let you know when I get the
results.
Should only be a few more days before you can go home”
with that being said, Dr. Coup walks out the door, the click of it
closing brings an end to her questions.

The rest of her day was busy with phone calls and more lists.
It seemed after each call ended she had several more to make to
clarify the information.
The easiest conversation was the one with
her employer, Michael Watts. His concern was genuine. Telling
Stephanie to keep him posted and letting her know if she needed
anything to contact him.
Thinking about work, she was grateful
with her career choice.
Being a book cover artist and illustrator for
a major publishing company allows her the freedom to work from
home and even with her injuries; she would be able to do her job.
Having missed several days of work has put her behind schedule a
bit but it was nothing she wasn’t able to handle.
Picking up her
paper and pen again she marks off Michael’s name and added new
computer, in bold letters.
Then as an afterthought puts a question
mark behind it; she really needs to find out about her car and her
belongings.

During the afternoon and early evening the nurses would
come in to check vitals, the meals were delivered and eaten.
Stephanie figured going without food for three days had her eating
everything on her plate.
Rest and food was good for healing.

Feeling tired, she decides it is time to stop the thinking, and
try to get the rest she knows her body and mind needs.
Adjusting
the pillows and getting more comfortable on the bed, she tries to
sleep.
Doing the mind relaxing exercises from her yoga classes she
drifts off to a dreamless sleep.

Opening her eyes Stephanie sees the sun shining through the
window announcing its morning; she smiles realizing she slept
through the night.
Stretching she discovers her ribs feel better,
still tender but not quite as sore.
Deciding when the nurse comes
for her vital check she will ask when the catheter will be removed;
she needs a shower.
Bathing in a sink is not going to happen again,
knowing she is awake, alert, and mobile; she concludes she can go
to the restroom without aid.

The sound of the door opening has Stephanie hoping it is a
certain someone.
Disappointment hits her hard.
Now why was
that?
Frowning as she doesn’t recognize the young man in
uniform walking in.
He looks about her age, blonde hair, styled
short in a military cut; his eyes are brown, a very unusual shade.
The face of the man standing before her is nice looking, in the beach
boy type. His lips she noticed are smiling at her. Trying to keep
an open mind, Stephanie returns his smile.

“Ms. Tuney, I am Deputy Johnny Kageson, I need you to sign
a couple of reports so we can get your car processed”, he states this
while he lifts the brief case placing it by her feet on the bed.

The mention of her car has her attention.
“Where is my
car? I need my belongings.
All my personal items are in it.”
Stephanie pauses giving the Deputy time to respond.
Sitting
calmly she lays her right hand over the cast on her left.

Johnny stops pulling the papers from the brief case he
straightens, looking her in the eyes as he replies, “Right now it’s in
the police compound.
It needs to go to the junk yard.
Your car is
not drivable, it is totaled. I thought Sheriff Chase informed you?”
His brows are pulled down in a frown.

Shaking her head, “No, we discussed the accident, but I
didn’t think to ask about my car until the Sheriff left.
It was much
later and I didn’t want to bother him at home, for all I knew he
could be spending time with his wife and family.” Closing her eyes
briefly she cannot believe she asked the personal question about
the Sheriff.
Maybe the Deputy wouldn’t catch the reference.
Trying to act casual she sits calmly waiting for the Deputy to
respond.

The smile growing on Johnny’s lips confirms to Stephanie he
didn’t miss the question.
“Oh, Sheriff Chase isn’t married, he
doesn’t even have a girlfriend right now”, laughing he continues.
“Our good Sheriff Chase spends his evening when not on duty, with
his parents.
He is a real party animal.”
With that said he turns
back to the papers.
Picking the pile of papers off the bed, he walks
to her side then pulls the bed tray closer, “I need to go over these
with you; the first and second one is for the release of your car, the
third one deal with the cost of the tow truck and it allows us to bill
your insurance company.”

“Wait a second, why would you bill for the tow, wouldn’t
that be the towing company responsibility?
And I can’t release my
car to the junk yard, I have to get my things out of it, my insurance
agent is going to need to see the car, take pictures, do estimates,
and all the other things an agent does”, knowing she was sounding
hysterical, but couldn’t help the feeling of panic as it was spreading
through her whole body stopping to settle in her chest.
Her
rationality is gone; closing her eyes Stephanie takes several deep
breathes as she tries to reach the calm core in her mind.

“Hold on Ms. Tuney, I need you to relax and I will explain.
I
really thought Sheriff Chase would have told you all this”,
awkwardly he pats her good hand.
“Now just relax and listen”, he
stops patting her hand as he crosses his arms across his chest, his in
charge stance.
“Your car has been photographed and the photos
faxed to your agent, all your belongings are at your place, the paper
work for the towing from the accident site and to the junk yard will
be paid by your insurance, all you have to do is sign, Sheriff Chase
did all the forms for you.
I ran your license, the report showed
your insurance information; Sheriff Chase had Karen from dispatch
call and get the rest of the information, then the Sheriff completed
the forms needed, all but your signature, which is why I am here
now. ” He uses his foot to move the bed tray closer to Stephanie
making it easier for her to sign the paperwork.

Once she signs all the forms, Johnny slips them in his brief
case and says his goodbyes. Short and to the point, well almost to
the point, had a little side bar of personal facts about the good
Sheriff Chase.
All and all, Johnny feels he has learned a lot in the
short time he was with Miss Stephanie Tuney.
Smiling all the way
to his police cruiser Johnny figures he will have fun watching the
beautiful Stephanie pursue Sheriff Chase.

Several hours later, Stephanie finally returned to her room,
feeling as if every test had been done to her, her ribs hurt worse
since all the holding of deep breaths and she has a headache.
The
only good thing about this is the fact now the tests are all done she
can have the catheter removed.
And not a minute too soon; now
she just has to wait for the nurse to come in to do the procedure.
Lying back on the bed she waits as each minute slowing click by. Oh,
how she hates the waiting.
The feeling of time standing still,
knowing the nurses are busy and will come when they have time
doesn’t help at all.

After what seems like forever the door opens and Nurse
Marty comes in smiling, “Are you ready Ms. Tuney to have your
catheter taken out?”
She walked to the right side of the bed and
put on her gloves then gets the other items needed to start the
process for removal.

Laughing, “I am so ready, have been ready since yesterday
when I woke up.” Stephanie lies back on the bed she lifts her legs
and holds her breath as told.
Within minutes the wonderful Nurse
Marty is done and Stephanie releases her breath.

Gathering up all her supplies Nurse Marty says, “So what did
Deputy Johnny want?
He wasn’t here very long.” Not looking at
Stephanie, Marty keeps busy; she doesn’t want anyone to guess her
interest in Johnny.
She has had a crush on him since high school.
He was two years head of her in school but that didn’t stop her from
her childish dreams about them falling in love and living happily ever
after.
Even now when she sees him, her stomach gets butterflies.

“He brought some papers for me to sign; I have been
concerned about my car and my belongings.”
Stephanie glances
over and sees Marty holding her bottom lip between her teeth.
That’s a surprise she would bet that Nurse Marty likes Deputy
Johnny.
“So any idea when I will be leaving this place?
Everyone
has been great, but I really need to start moving in and get back to
work.”
Stephanie was never one to pry but would listen if Marty
wanted to talk, she adds, “Please call me Stephanie, I hate being
called Miss Tuney, makes me feel old.” finishing with a soft laugh.

Looking over at Stephanie, wanting to confide but not sure
she can Marty decided it is best to get back to business, “The doctor
will be in soon, he was waiting for the test results, the lab just sent
them up, Doctor Coup will review them.
Then he will come in and
talk to you in a little while.”
Turning Marty walks to the door with
her tray of supplies, balancing the tray with one hand she looks over
her shoulder, “I guess if I get burnt out on nursing I can become a
waitress”, then opens the door and walks out.

The two hours Stephanie waits for the doctor she watches
television as she adds to her lists.
The daytime soaps didn’t
interest her but reruns of a crime series was good background noise.
She always liked watching these types of shows with her brother;
this was good memories of times they shared.
Continuing her list
of things to do or needed to do was getting longer.
Having talked
to her car insurance agent, she could pick up a car when she needed
it; the rental company had told her she would have one waiting
when she was released from the hospital.
Now she needed the
doctor to come in and tell her she could go home.
When she could
go to her Great Aunt Della’s place, hoping it would be her home
soon.

Hearing a noise outside her door, Stephanie stares at it,
trying to use mind control to get the doctor to walk in.
Jumping
when the door opens she stares at the doctor, with a small smile on
her lips she resolves that maybe there is something to mind control.

Doctor Coup walks to the bed and lays her chart on bed tray
as he lifts her right wrist to checks her vitals.
“I hear you have
been up and walking.
How are your ribs?
Have you been dizzy?”
He places her hand back down in her lap. He picks up her chart
writes something and then put it back on the table.

Stephanie wants him to release her, but knowing she had to
be truthful told him, “My ribs are still really sore, but I haven’t been
dizzy, however my head hurts when the medicine wears off.”
She
smiles as she continues, “Guess that is what happens when you’re in
a wreck and roll your car.”
Before the doctor can comment she
adds, “I know I am lucky to be alive, and the wreck is nothing to
laugh about, but I am feeling better, and don’t want to dwell on the
"what if’s?”
Stephanie had learned at an early age to go with the
flow, change what you can; accept what you can’t.

Standing beside her bed watching Stephanie, Doctor Coup
thinks about her ordeal, dealing with this all alone.
Knowing no
one had contacted the hospital to check on her, no one had sent
flowers or called her.
She is a beautiful woman it is hard to believe
she is all alone with no boyfriend or even close friends.
“You are
doing well; seem to be right on schedule for recovering from your
injuries.”
Figuring he needs to reassure her.
“Your test results
are all good.
The concern for brain damage is nil.
Your brain
shows normal activity.” He continues to explain, “The swelling was
caused by blunt force trauma we figure you hit your head on the
steering wheel.
The bump on your head will go down and the
bruise will fade.
It just takes time.
Your ribs are healing well too,
you will need to keep them taped for a couple more weeks, and the
cast on your wrist will need to stay on for six weeks.
I figure your
headaches will get less as time goes by, I will order a higher dose for
the pain.”
Not liking her going home with no one to help her, but
also knowing she will be well enough to be released soon he adds,
“You will need to take it easy a couple more days, you had a severe
head injury.”

Seeing him pick up her chart as he finished speaking,
Stephanie knows the good doctor is done, and about to walk out the
door, however, she has a question.
“So Doc, when will I be
released?”
She smiled to show him she was feeling better.

Dr. Coup turns his attention back to Stephanie, seeing she is
waiting for him to answer, knowing she wasn’t going to like it when
he tells her, “You will need to stay a few more days.
I want all the
swelling to be gone before you leave.
If you go home and you’re
alone you could become dizzy and fall, doing damage again.”
As
he explains, he sees the light dim in her eyes.
to do this to her, but he knew this was best.

Hating to be the one
“A few more days will
not be bad, I will do another set of CT scans tomorrow, if they come
back with normal brain activity, and the MRI shows the swelling is

Signing Stephanie knows Doctor Coup is right, but doesn’t
like the fact.
She lays back on her pillows as he walks out the door.
Two more days she has to stay, closing her eyes she wonders if she
can convince the Sheriff to sneak in her computer.

After the dinner tray was picked up, or supper as she was
told, she turned the television off and sat quietly doing her yoga
relaxation mediations.
The sounds around her fade in the
background as she commands her body to relax; allowing the
sensation of peace to flow through her body and mind.
She knows
time, rest and medicine is what the doctor ordered, time and
medicine is out of her control, the doctor controls both; but the rest
that is something she has control over.
She had learned years ago
no matter the situation through yoga she could make herself relax
both her body and mind.