When they got to Lance's house, Jim was still up. When they came in with their arms full of packages, he helped put them in the family room. Lance filled him in on what had happened after Kelly and Joey left.
"Dad, I almost lost her. I could feel her slipping away from me. I've never been so scared in my life."
Jim Bass stood in the doorway of his son's room as Lance got out of his blood soaked clothes. He slipped into a pair of black slacks and a red pullover. As he put on his shoes, he asked his Dad about the keys to the Spyder and was told they were on the keyholder by the garage door.
"Your Mom made some stuff up before she went to lay down. You need to eat something before you go back to the hospital. Elaine doesn't need to see you pass out from lack of food."
Lance grabbed his wallet and keys and followed his Dad to the kitchen. The smell of French Toast was still strong. Jim had Lance to sit down while he fixed him a cup of coffee and warmed up the French Toast in the microwave.
As Lance ate, he talked with his Dad and all the pent up emotions started surfacing. "Dad, why did this happen? Why did that woman have to come back into my life? Why didn't I take Elaine somewhere else tonight when I wanted too?"
"What are you talking about Son?"
"On the drive to the party, I admitted to Elaine that I wanted to take her somewhere and make mad passionate love to her all night long and never let her go. Why didn't I do it? She wouldn't be lying in a hospital bed right now and I wouldn't be nursing this shoulder."
"Son, didn't Elaine tell you that everything happens for a reason?" Lance nodded. "Then you have to look at what has happened and see what is to be learned from all this. And don't beat yourself up over not taking her away. I have a feeling she wouldn't have gone for that anyway.
Lance, you two have a special love. A love that has grown from friendship. That is the most important kind. You have a foundation to build your life together on. Sex is an important part of a relationship, but it is NOT everything. You certainly learned that from Psycho Woman. Son, be thankful for the pure and honest love that Elaine is giving you. Don't mess it up with superficial stuff and 'what ifs'."
Lance finished his toast and coffee. He thanked his Dad for fixing it and for the support.
"You give Elaine a hug for us when she wakes up. Tell her we love her and we got her room waiting for her," said Jim.
"Dad, thank you for everything." Lance grabbed the keys to the Spyder and drove it to the hospital.
Lance arrived at the hospital and headed straight for the nurses station on the floor that Elaine was to be put on. He asked if she had been brought down from recovery and they told him that they were just settling her in and that he could go in to see her as soon as the doctor came out from checking on her.
He went and stood outside the room and waited for Dr. Rent to come out. As he waited, he paced back and forth. Suddenly, the door opened and Susie walked out with a nurse and some orderlies.
She turned and smiled at Lance when she saw him standing there. Her hand went up to motion for him to wait a minute while she finished what she was doing. The nurse was given instructions for Elaine's care and she returned to the nurse's station. Susie then turned to Lance, "My goodness, you look much better than the last time I saw you young man," She looked him up and down. "I was thinking we were going to have to admit you before, as bad as you were looking."
Lance shook his head, "It's amazing what getting out of bloody clothes can do for you."
Dr. Rent motioned for Lance to come with her. He followed her to a room down the hall. It was her office. When they got inside, she asked how his shoulder was. He tried to shrug off the fact that it was killing him, but she could see the pain in his eyes.
"Go sit on the exam table and take off your sweater. We need to check and make sure everything is okay with your wound."
Lance strolled over to the table, carefully removing his sweater. "How is Elaine doing, Dr. Rent?"
"Elaine is remarkable. Her vitals are back to normal and stronger than ever," she said as she put on gloves to check his wound.
"How long will she have to be in the hospital, Dr. Rent?"
"Would you please call me Susie, I need a break here from the doc routine, I say as I remove the bandage from your wound." She laughed and so did Lance.
"Okay, Susie, how long before she can come home?"
"Where is home to be?"
"At home with me. Gwen's apartment is too small for the both of them. In fact, I'm considering having Gwen move out to the house while Elaine recovers. I'm even thinking of building a mother-in-law cottage on the back of the property for her."
"Have you kids set a date then?"
"Not yet, but I know now that I don't want to waste another moment away from her. OOWWWW! That hurt," he jerked around as Dr. Rent pulled on a stitch.
"Just as I thought, hold on, I need to clip this stitch." Susie removed the stitch that was causing the problem and then she put a new bandage on. She helped him put his sweater back on and then asked how the shoulder felt.
"Much better," he said.
"Sometimes they put too many stitches and it makes the skin pull causing pain that is not necessary."
"Thank you Dr...Susie."
They left her office and headed back to Elaine's room. "You can go in and wait for her to wake up. I'll be back to check on her after I do rounds."
Lance reached out and hugged Susie and thanked her again, for all she had done.
The sunlight was coming into her room as he let himself in. The monitors were beeping along and she looked so peaceful lying there. He pulled a big chair over by her bed and sat down so that he could look at her face and hold her hand. Even hooked up to monitors and needles in her arms, she was a vision of loveliness to him. He was so happy to have her in his life. All he wanted was for her to open those beautiful eyes of hers and smile at him. That would just make his day, his week, his year, it would make his life complete.
When he sat down in the big chair and propped his feet on the small drawer in the bedside table, he looked at Elaine's face. She looked peaceful like she was just taking a nap. He took her hand in his and made a silent vow to God to take care of her and thanked Him for returning her to him. Lance's fatigue took over his body and in no time at all, he was asleep, holding to her hand.
The day was bright and sunny, the church was filled with people and Lance waited at the altar with his best friends. He waited for the woman that would make him complete. The woman that had healed all his wounds from the past. He waited for his Elaine.
Suddenly, the music began to play, first came Dani in a beautiful lavender gown. Then came Kelly in a gown a shade darker lavender. Rickii was next in a soft purple and then Lynne in a purple gown that was breathtaking. After they were at the front of the church, the Wedding March began. On the arm of her brother Lee, Elaine looked radiant. Her gown was exquisite and she looked as though she were on a cloud. The air was filled with the fragrance of lavender roses in all different shades.
Then there was the reception. Elaine and Lance feeding each other cake and getting it all over to where they licked the cake from each other and then melted into a passionate kiss. The toasts were made and then they danced their first dance as husband and wife to Anne Murray's "Could I Have This Dance".
Next was the honeymoon. Tropical breezes and waves crashing on the shore. Beautiful moonlight shining down on two people so in love that where they were, at that moment, meant nothing at all to them. His jade eyes seemed darker with the passion that filled them and her dark brown eyes seemed to glisten with the gold streaks in them. They only wanted one thing, each other. Their kiss was deep and passionate and he picked her up and carried her to the huge satin covered round bed. There, their love would be consummated with the blessings of God and their families given earlier that day.
There was a fogginess. He could hear someone calling his name.
"Lance....Lancelot." His eyes flew open, Elaine was calling his name, her name for him. He looked at her. Did he dream it or did he wish it? Her eyes were still closed.
He laid his head on the bed and prayed for her to open her eyes. Suddenly, he felt someone touching his head. Playing with his hair. It was a familiar touch, one that he longed for. He raised his head and her hand slid down the side of his face. "Oh God, she's awake. Oh Baby, please open your eyes for me. I love you so much. Please come back to me."
A slight smile came to Elaine's face and Lance's heart nearly jumped out of his chest. He stood up and looked at her face and her eyes began to flutter.
"Come on baby, open those beautiful eyes. Look at me Sugar Bear." He leaned in to kiss her gently on the lips. When he opened his eyes again he gazed into the most incredible sight he had seen in a long time. Two beautiful gold streaked brown eyes looking at him with such love and devotion that it took his breath away. He leaned in to kiss her again and this time, she responded.
"Well, looks like our patient is feeling well enough to sneak a little nookie this morning. Can't say that I can think of a better medicine than love." Susie Rent stood in the door of Elaine's room smiling from ear to ear.
"Lance, you've got a real spit fire there. Nothing will ever keep that girl down. She's too much of a fighter."
"She's just what I need in my life, Dr. Rent," Lance said as he sat back down by Elaine's bed.
"Now didn't I tell you to call me Susie? You're just gentleman through and through. Elaine, you have yourself a keeper here, girl. You better be good to him and keep him happy," Susie joked. "How is my best patient doing this morning?"
Elaine finally spoke with a raspy voice, "Feel like I got hit by the tour bus." She tried to laugh, but it hurt. Lance had to step outside while Dr. Rent examined Elaine and checked her bandages. While he was waiting, Chris and Dani arrived to see how she was doing. They were so happy that she was finally awake.
Inside Elaine's room, Dr. Rent checked the bandages and everything seemed to be doing well. Susie talked to Elaine about all that was going on in her life. "Looks like you've caught a winner. You're a very lucky young lady. He is a sweetheart."
"I'm glad you like him Susie, because I love him more than I can say. I was so scared last night. I thought I was going to loose him. How could she do what she did? She claims to love him. She has no concept of the word."
"If you had not done what you did, he could have been seriously hurt, maybe killed. That was the most selfless thing you could have done. Does he know how lucky he is to have you?"
"We're both lucky. I can't imagine my life without him in it. When can I get out of here?"
"You mean you don't like our elegant accommodations?" Susie gave a wave of her arm as she cracked up laughing.
"I just want to be with Lance and my friends."
"Would it make it easier if we put you in a suite where your friends can visit?"
"Could you, that would really be great, but still, when am I going to be able to go home?"
"If all goes well, I hope to release you in a few days."
"Oh Susie, please let me go as soon as you can. I've got things to plan."
Susie looked at Elaine with a quizzical look on her face. "What have you got to plan?"
"My wedding."
Dr. Rent made arrangements for Elaine to be put in a suite and as she left the room, she let Lance know that he could go back in.
Lance, Chris and Dani went into Elaine's room and they were delighted at the sight that greeted them. Elaine was sitting up in bed with the help of the elevated bed. The minute her eyes met Lance's, Elaine grinned from ear to ear and held out her hand to him. When he reached the bed, she pulled him to her and gave him a kiss that almost knocked his socks off.
"Where did that come from?" he asked bewildered.
"Straight from Heaven," she said very seriously. Lance looked into her eyes and there was something there that had not been there before. "Baby, I was so afraid I was gonna lose you. I felt you slip away from me."
"I know," said Elaine calmly, "and that's when you got up and called everyone to pray together." She looked deep into his eyes as if to convey the real meaning of those words.
Lance was dumbfounded. How did she know what he had done when he felt her going away from him? "Baby, how did you know that I got people together to pray?" Chris and Dani were just as amazed.
Elaine touched Lance's cheek as she spoke, "sweetheart, I did leave you for a while. I had to go and be renewed. God wasn't ready for me yet, but, He wanted me to be prepared for a struggle that is ahead. It will be evil I have to fight and He wanted me to be prepared."
"The only evil I can think of is Vivica, and she is locked away, thank God."
"I don't know, but I need to keep myself prepared, so when you come back to see me, will you bring me my Bible?"
"Sure Baby, I'll bring it back tonight, now how did you know about us praying for you?" Elaine proceeded to tell them all what had happened and she glowed as she told of her time in the light.
Elaine was moved to her suite before Lance left to go home to check on things and to gather things that Elaine needed. They had made a list together and he was going to have to stop and get a notebook for her for a special project she said they would discuss later that evening. She asked him to make sure the rest of the guys and their significant others were there and Stacy and Ford, too.
Lance reluctantly left to go home to clean up and pack the things that she was going to need. She promised she would rest until he returned. With this promise sealed with a kiss and a few more kisses, he left. He drove her car, that she didn't even have a chance to drive yet, home in a thoughtful and pensive mood. "Dear Lord, what more can we endure? How much more do we have to deal with to be together?"
When Lance got home, his Mom made him go up and rest for a while. When he woke up, he could smell that she was fixing something to eat. For the first time since everything had happened, he felt hungry. He went down to the kitchen and joined his family there. Stacy and Ford were setting the table. "Hey, you guys do a good job, you're hired," he laughed.
Stacy came over and gave her brother a hug and kiss, "How's my little brother?"
"I'm doing much better now that Elaine is awake. By the way, she wants you and Ford at the hospital tonight along with everyone else. Some big pow wow, I guess."
Lance and his family ate dinner and he filled them in on the state of things. His Mom and Dad told him to tell her they would see her the next day. This day was for them. He gathered the bag of things that Elaine wanted and suddenly remembered her Bible. He went to his room and found her carry bag that she kept it in. When he pulled it out, some papers fell out. There were doodles of his name. Lance written in bubble letters and all different ways.
One was a prayer list from several years ago. He was at the top of her list with notes. 'Lance is so lost and down. That creature from hell has totally destroyed him. I overheard the guys talking about what she had done to him. How could she possibly love him? She has no idea what love is. Oh Lord, help me to help him. I love him so much. But he'll never love me. I'm just Sissy, but I will love him until the day I die. Father you know my deepest desire, I leave it in Your hands.'
She had loved him even then. How could she have loved him then, he was so unlovable? He was so broken then. He wondered just how much she knew about what happened. He wondered if he should tell her everything. How could they start a life together without honesty between them?
Meanwhile back at the hospital, Elaine was resting, but not calmly. Her sleep was plagued with visions of Vivica shouting her venomous remarks at the party. Trying to make Lance leave Elaine and go with Vivica. He didn't even want to get close enough to her to get the gun away from her, that's how scared he was of her. She finally woke up and wondered what all did Vivica do to him?
