"I'm your grandmother, Lucky. I'm your grandmother, Lena."
"That's impossible," Lucky whispered. "She died when my father was still a child."
"I know it seems impossible to you right now, but I am your grandmother. I wish I had time to give you the proof you need, but I don't. There isn't much time left for you, Lucky. You have to go back. You have too many people counting on you."
"What do you mean?"
Lena approached Lucky, and said, "You just have to believe that there are things that you haven't experienced yet. There is more to life than what you see every day. Just trust me when I tell you that your life right now is more important than even you can imagine. Without you, the life that is planned out cannot take place. It will be you who sets the future into motion."
"I still don't understand," Lucky said. He was so confused about talking to a dead woman, yet he believed her. For some reason he felt he could trust her completely.
"Lucky, I shouldn't be saying this because you are not supposed to know anything about the future, but you are going to be very important in someone's life in the future. That person will not have a life unless you live."
"You mean that I'm dying?"
"Not if you leave now. Please, Lucky, this isn't your time. One day, when it is your time, we will meet again."
Lucky still didn't understand, but saw the urgency in her eyes and immediately turned around, the light fading behind him.
Nikolas had arrived at the hospital with Lesley shortly after Lucky had gone in for surgery. He rushed over to his mother and gave her a hug, allowing her to cry on his shoulder. Once Laura calmed down, he released his hold on her and stepped back slightly. "How is he?"
"We don't know anything yet. He was just rushed into surgery and we haven't heard anything since," Laura said.
Nikolas just looked away, hoping he wouldn't collapse under the fear of losing his brother because he knew he had to be strong for everyone else right now. He looked over at Elizabeth who was standing against the wall with Lulu. He walked over to them to see if he could help them in any way.
Lesley stayed with her daughter and tried to comfort her. She then looked over to Luke and saw him sitting on the couch, separated from everyone else in the hospital. "Have you talked to him?"
"No. He doesn't want to, I guess. He blames himself for all of this. Mom, I don't know what I will do if I lose Lucky. It was bad enough losing my husband, but I never imagined that I would be here now in fear of losing my son also."
Lesley took Laura into her arms and whispered, "You won't, honey. He's too strong and has too much to live for. He just got married. How many newlyweds do you know who wouldn't fight with everything they've got to be able to go on their honeymoon?"
Laura smiled slightly and said, "Thanks for always knowing what to say. I think there's a young woman over there who can probably use those words more than me right now."
"And there's a man over there who could really use his wife right now," Lesley said, as she walked over to the group Elizabeth.
Laura knew she had to go to Luke. She had to take the chance no matter what kind of reaction she might get from him. She walked over slowly and sat down in a chair next to him, waiting for him to acknowledge her.
Luke had closed his eyes and kept them shut, not wanting to open them up and see everyone around him. The only person he wanted to see right now was his son, alive and well, giving the doctors hell here. But he knew that wouldn't happen for a while, if it happened at all. He heard someone approaching him and could tell it was Laura. He still hadn't forgotten exactly how she sounded when she walked. It was one of the small things he loved about her. It was graceful, yet not so much so that it seemed fake. It was a completely natural walk, one that told him she didn't want to impress anyone, yet she couldn't help her nature of gracefulness.
When he heard her sit down, he waited a minute before speaking, his eyes closed the entire time. "Is there any news yet, Laura?" Luke asked quietly.
"Not yet," she answered just as quietly.
Luke could hear the nervousness in her voice and could immediately sense that part of it was due to him, not only her son. He hated putting her through this. It was never his intention in hurting her all over again.
Laura looked at him and he looked like he was in so much pain. She understood part of it. She was feeling some of that pain herself, but she wasn't carrying the guilt that he felt he deserved. "It's not your fault, Luke," she said, hoping that maybe her words would sink in.
Luke opened his eyes slowly, the tears slowly rolling down his face. He looked at Laura, a look of a man defeated, and asked, "How can you say this isn't my fault?"
"How can you take on the guilt of a careless driver? You weren't the one driving that car," she said. She hated seeing him like this.
"If I wasn't there, Lucky wouldn't have been outside. He SHOULDN'T have been outside. It's because of me that he was out there, in the middle of the street... a target for that driver."
"Luke..." Laura began, but didn't know what else to say. She was trying hard to make a connection with him, but he refused to do the same. He was cutting that connection off. Something that came so easily to them a long time ago seemed impossible now.
A few hours later, the surgery was done, and Monica came out to talk to the family. As soon as she stepped outside, everyone gathered around her except for Luke. He stood up, but remained in the background.
"The surgery went as well as we expected," Monica said.
"What does that mean?" Elizabeth asked.
"There were a lot of complications, and we almost lost him, but he looks like he should pull through this. He's going to be asleep for a while, but we're going to move him into ICU and you'll be able to sit with him if you'd like. All I ask is that only one person go in at a time right now."
They all nodded and Monica led the way to ICU to wait for Lucky. Bobbie noticed her brother wasn't following, and turned back to talk to him. "Why aren't you coming?" she asked him.
"All I needed to know was that he was going to live. He doesn't need me right now," Luke responded.
"What do you mean he doesn't need you?" Bobbie asked angrily. "That man in there has been waiting for you to come home for 5 years now and you're going to say that he doesn't need you? Where is the man that I used to know as my brother?"
"He's right here, Barbara Jean, standing before you. Sorry if you don't like what you see, but this is who I am."
"No, Luke. My brother is not the type of man to hide. He's not the type of man who puts his family last."
"Who says I'm putting them last? I'm doing what's best for them," Luke said, the frustration building inside of him.
"What's best for them? You have no idea of what's best for them has caused for 5 years now."
"I know that my son didn't have to live every day of his life filled with anger at the sight of me. I didn't want that for him. I never wanted him to know exactly what anger and hatred can lead a man to do."
"Well, big brother, I guess you got your wish. Your son isn't angry and he isn't filled with hate. No, instead he became completely lost and overcome with guilt for the rest of his teenage years. If it wasn't for Elizabeth, I don't know if he would ever have recovered."
"What do you mean?" Luke whispered.
"I mean that instead of helping your son, you ended up breaking him when you left. His greatest desire for the past 5 years now has been to have you return. That's all he's ever wanted for Christmas... all he ever wishes for on his birthday. If you leave him now without seeing him again, you're worse than our father was. At least he never pretended to love us."
Bobbie was almost in tears as she left Luke with his thoughts. 'Have I turned into the man I tried not to become?' he asked himself, as he watched his sister leave.
