Wild Montana Nights (26 page)

“I will. Oh, and Tater called. He pulled the car out of the ravine

today. He hauled it back to his shop until we tell him what to do about it. He has her things locked up when we want to come get them.”

“How ‘bout I go by and pick up her stuff. I’ll look at the car when

I get there to see how bad it is,” Randall suggested.

“Sounds like a plan to me.” Marcus grabbed his coat and hat and

headed out the door. Randall settled down for a long night.

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Chapter Fifteen

Each day, Darla improved. She graduated from moving her

fingers to lightly squeezing their hands to tell them how she was and that she understood them. Marcus just couldn’t understand why she

didn’t wake up when she was obviously aware of things around her.

He and Randall continued to trade off times so each of them had time

with her. It wasn’t exactly quality time since they could only stay

fifteen minutes or so each time. Marcus continued to ask every day

when they would move her to a room. He got the same answer each

time. “When she wakes up enough she’s able to cough.”

One day, Marcus was putting cream on her lips so they wouldn’t

dry out and crack when she actually moaned and turned her head. She

didn’t open her eyes, but she did move her hand off the bed for a few seconds.

Marcus smiled as big as the state of Texas. He couldn’t wait to tell

Randall. He’d hate that he missed it.

“That’s real good, Darla. You keep it up and you’ll be up and

bitching at us in no time.” He straightened the covers then leaned over and kissed her. “I’ll be back soon. Randall will be here next time.

Show him a good time, baby.”

He wondered what she would think of that. No doubt she was

seething at him where ever she was in there. He stopped by the

nurse’s desk and let them know her progress. He was on a first name

basis with most of the nurses now. They flirted with him and Randall, knowing that it would go nowhere.

“Physical therapy started yesterday, and she doesn’t seem to be

stiff anywhere yet, they said,” the nurse smiled.

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“Great,” he told her. “I’ll tell Randall. He’ll be here at the next

visiting hour.”

“Durn, that’s after my shift is over,” she pouted. “I always miss

him.”

“Careful, I’ll think you like him more than me.”

Marcus whistled all the way to the truck. She would be okay. He

and Randall would will her to be. Now he needed to concentrate on

business.

He and Randall were running themselves ragged taking care of

ranch business and coming to visit Darla at least twice a day. They

had been lucky so far and the weather had stayed cold but clear. That could change at any minute. He would need to be caught up so he

could stay with Darla while Randall took care of the ranch business.

He wouldn’t like not being able to see her, but it couldn’t be helped.

Marcus pulled into the drive and noticed fresh tracks. Someone

was here or had been here recently. When he pulled up outside the

house, he smiled. It was their mother and one of their dads. He knew

one of the dads was with her because they never let her drive in the

snow.

He climbed out of the truck and was on the porch when the door

opened and his mom smiled, holding the door for him.

“Hey, Mom.” He hugged her. “How are you doing?”

“Doing good. How is Darla?” she asked with a look of concern

falling over her face.

“She moved her head and lifted her arm up off the bed today,” he

said proudly.

“That’s real good. Who’s with you today?”

“Jim. He’s out talking with Randall.” She pursed her lips.

“Randall is working too hard, isn’t he?”

“Yeah, I don’t think he’s slept much at all since the accident.”

“What I don’t get is why she was driving in the first place. I can’t

believe you boys let her.” His mom was fishing for the truth.

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Marcus wasn’t sure what to say, so he didn’t say anything at all.

He knew how she would react to what they had done. She would have

fussed at them and told them how disappointed she was in them. It

would hurt worse than anything she could do or say.

The sound of stomping feet could be heard on the back porch.

Randall and Jim walked through the door when he opened it for them.

Jim immediately pulled him into a bear hug and clapped him on the

back.

“Good to see you, son,” he said.

“You, too.” Marcus glanced at Randall.

Randall nodded his head and walked to the laundry room to clean

up. There were worry lines at his mouth, and his face looked haggard.

Marcus had to figure out a way to help him. As it was, he didn’t have to worry. Jim announced he was going to stay and help with the

ranch. Randall of course told him there was no need for him to.

“Son, let me help. We don’t have as much to do, and I can help

you out. That’s what parents do for their children.” Jim wrapped an

arm around their mother.

“And just how is Mom going to get home?” Randall demanded.

“Paul is going to come over in a little while and take her home

with him.” Jim tried to hide a smile, but didn’t manage it.

“Son, face it. You never grow up,” Jim said.

Finally, Randall settled down and thanked Jim for the help.

“Marcus, how was Darla?” he asked.

“She moved her hand off the bed and turned her head.” He was

proud of her and knew it showed on his face.

“That’s great!” Randall and his mom said at the same time.

They looked at each other and laughed. It was the first smile, let

alone a laugh, he’d seen from Randall since the accident. Things

would get better.

Randall pulled out of the drive to go to the hospital around a

quarter of six. Then next visiting hour was at seven fifteen. Marcus

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prayed she would move for him. He would be disappointed if she

didn’t.

* * * *

Randall arrived in the ICU waiting room at ten till seven. He

willed his heart to slow down. Right then it was pumping a thousand

miles an hour. He’d worried needlessly they would have visiting early and he would miss his chance. One of the other visitors in the room

assured him that he had plenty of time.

He watched the clock. Its hands seemed to move in slow motion.

The seconds stretched into minutes, and when seven fifteen came and

went without the announcement to let them in, he began to worry all

over again.

Finally at seven thirty a nurse came out to talk to them.

“We have a new patient, so we are trying to get him settled before

we can let you in. I’m sorry you are having to wait, but it shouldn’t be more than another twenty or thirty minutes.” Everyone groaned, but

no one fussed at the nurse. Randall drew in a deep breath and let it

out. Then he located his chair and relaxed as much as he could until

they let him in to visit with Darla.

Unfortunately, it gave him time to think. So far he’d avoided

thinking overly much by working himself into exhaustion. Now he

had nothing to do but think. Every detail of Darla swirled in his head.

How she laughed, how she smiled. When she was amused but didn’t

want them to know it, she bit her lower lip and looked up.

Thoughts of her ample breasts and rounded ass broke into his

thoughts. With the erotic pictures came the devastating knowledge

that what they had done by going behind her back had put her there in the hospital in that ICU bed.

“Sir? Sir?” A timid voice broke into his memories.

“Huh?”

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“They just called for visitors. I thought you would want to know.”

The young woman smiled at him.

“Yes, thanks. I was thinking too hard I guess.” He stood up and

hurried to the door that separated him from his Darla.

When he entered her room, he noticed there was a little more

room than before. One of the machines had been removed. He took

that as a good sign. A beep, beep, beep echoed in the small enclosed

space. He knew from questioning the nurse it was her heart monitor

and as long as it was steady and at least fifty beats a minute, they were happy with it. Hers showed sixty-two at the moment.

She lay on the stark white sheets looking pale and beautiful

despite the bandages on her head and at her shoulder. He was almost

afraid to approach the bed now. What if she didn’t respond to him?

Maybe Marcus had dreamed it in the first place. Shaking that thought

off, he carefully grasped her hand with his and squeezed.

“Hey, baby. It’s Randall. I missed you today. Marcus said you

were doing better today. Can you squeeze my hand for me?” He

waited anxiously for some small movement. Her hand remained limp

in his.

Randall closed his eyes in disappointment. Instead of giving up,

he bent over and kissed her on the lips. Then he whispered how much

he loved her in her ear.

“I love you more than I love that ranch, Darla. Please come back

to us. We are so sorry we lied to you. That’s what it was, a lie. Please forgive us, baby.”

The noises of the ICU filtered in through the door. Nurses talked

and visitors visited. Still, she didn’t acknowledge him. It hurt. He took her hand again and ran his thumb over her knuckles and talked to her

about anything and everything.

“Mom and the Dads are at the ranch right now. They want to meet

you. They can’t come back here though, so you have to get well so

you can move to a room,” he said.

Frustration got the better of him.

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“Dammit, Darla, do something. Let me know you’re in there.

You’ve had long enough to rest. It’s time to get up now.” As soon as

he said it, he regretted it.

But her hand moved in his. She closed it loosely around his. He

didn’t move, afraid if he did, it would all be a dream. It was one he didn’t want to wake up from at the minute. She turned her head

toward him and opened her mouth just wide enough her tongue could

wet her lips. Randall nearly yelled out loud. Instead, he squeezed her hand back and raced out the door to find a nurse. He grabbed the first one he came to.

“She’s licking her lips. I think she is thirsty. Can I give her

something?”

“She can’t have anything until she wakes up, but you can rub

some ice chips across her lips and she can lick the water off.”

Randall nodded a little too quickly and hurried in the direction the

nurse pointed to get some ice. He filled a small cup with it then

returned to find Darla quiet once again. He didn’t let it upset him.

Instead, he took a small chunk of ice and rubbed it across her lips.

Immediately, her tongue came out and licked it away. Joy filled his

heart. He couldn’t wait to tell everyone.

Over and over again he wet her lips until she turned her head

away. She’d had enough, he decided. He set the plastic cup on the

bedside table and dabbed at her lips with a napkin to remove the drops that she didn’t lick away.

“You did so good, baby. I’m proud of you.”

“Sir? Visiting hours are over now.” A nurse slipped her head in

the door and indicated the time on the clock on the wall across from

the bed.

“I’ll be right out,” he assured her.

She nodded and backed out of the room.

Randall leaned over Darla and kissed her on the lips and on the tip

of her nose.

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“I love you, Darla. You rest now. Marcus will be here in the

morning,” he told her.

She made a slight humming noise. He had to lean in close to her

lips to hear, but it was something. She was going to get better now.

He figured it was only a matter of time before she woke up to rain all sorts of hell down on them. His good mood lasted all the way home.

When he pulled into the drive at close to nine-thirty, he noticed

that Jim’s truck was still there. True to his word, he was staying to help them. Now that Darla was responding, he was relieved to have

the help. Marcus met him at the door.

“How is she?” Marcus demanded as soon as Randall walked in.

“She licked her lips, so I asked the nurse if we could give her

some water or something.” Randall filled him in on how he wet her

lips with the ice chips and squeezed his hand.

“I told you. She’s getting better. She’ll be awake in no time,

now,” Marcus said.

Randall smiled past his brother at Jim. The big man smiled back

and headed back toward the living room.

“Do you think she knows us, Randall?” Marcus asked.

“Yeah, I do. She made a noise when I told her you would be there

in the morning,” he told his brother.

“What are we going to do if she doesn’t remember us when she

wakes up?”

“For one thing, we’re going to tell her the truth. Maybe not all at

one time, but I’m not making that mistake again. It almost cost us her life. Not to mention the baby.”

“Any news on the baby?” Marcus followed Randall into the

kitchen.

He poured a glass of milk, hoping it would help settle his

stomach. There had been too many events lately. He figured he had

the beginnings of an ulcer brewing in his gut.