Chapter 1: Can't Get You Off My Mind
Soft spring days couldn't get any better, the sun was shining through a clear,
cloudless sky, and the bold yet beautiful red and orange tulips glistened in the
sun as the mornings dew dripped elegantly down onto the rough surface of the
dirt below. The red breasted robin was gaily singing in the old oak tree over
shadowing a small section of Sheridan's garden where the bleeding heart grew.
There was nothing she liked better, than to just sit out side on a beautiful
spring morning drinking coffee and watch the beauty of nature's miracles as she
excepted from the world around her before she left for work. But that came to an
abrupt end as a gun blast sounded and the frightened robin flew away.
Luis sighed as he picked up the silver-framed picture of his loving wife dressed
in a purple skirt and a white tube top sitting on his lager oak desk. He longed
to hold her, but he had a task at hand, work, as much as he'd rather be doing
something else. He had been working on a special case, endlessly for three weeks
and was nearing the end; the long late nights at the office drinking nothing but
coffee to keep him awake were almost over and then he could work on his surprise
for Sheridan. He couldn't believe how understanding and generous she was. Every
day he was falling even more in love with her, which he didn't think, was
humanly possible.
Sheridan never ceased to amaze him. Luis often found himself
day dreaming about his gorgeous wife, but who couldn't? She found new ways each
and every day to surprise him, she drove him wild.
~*~
"Oh, and don't forget a couple of those," Luis said to Jim, the young clerk
behind the counter as he pointed to a group of brilliant yellow daffodils
sitting in a black container in the refrigerator behind the counter. It was
becoming a daily routine, after work he would pick up a bunch of flowers and
take them home for Sheridan. Even though she liked simple things such a single
rose. "What did I ever do to deserve her?" Luis couldn't help but think to
himself again.
"Luis? Luis?" The Jim slightly nudged Luis, instantly snapping him out of his
trance. "Luis? Is that all for today? You know, I think that you're in earlier
that usual. Is this going to become a new habit?"
"Oh, yes thank you," He said, "My extra work is about to pay off," Luis still
had a big grin on his face just thinking of thinking of her made him smile. Then
he reached into his back pocket to pull out a crisp ten-dollar bill from his
black leather wallet. Luis took the beautiful bouquet of flowers and headed for
the door. "Keep the change Jim."
"Will I see you tomorrow Luis? Oh and could you please tell Sheridan I'll come
over later to check out the garden?"
"You can count on it Jim!" Luis couldn't help but laugh. Jim knew his routine.
Jim was a kid from the youth center, whom Sheridan had helped to find a job at
the local Harmony flower shop. They shared a love for nature, and flowers, they
were good friends and Jim had even helped plant Sheridan's garden full of
snapdragons, violets and other tropical flowers. Luis knew that Sheridan
cherished her garden, and made sure to help her while she and Jim added new
experimental flowers in to it. He would often find himself at the garden center
picking up tools, soil or fertilizer.
No sooner has Luis steeped out of the frosted glass doors of the little flower
shop, did he bump into his best friend Hank.
"You better watch where your going officer, you could have hurt me, or someone
else for that matter," Hank joked.
Luis apologized and kept walking, with out raising his head to see who it was,
he was in a hurry to get home early to surprise Sheridan.
"Luis!" Hank yelled after him in surprise.
"Hank! I'm sorry I'm in a rush," he paused "Is that really you? You're back?
When? Where have you been for the last six months? I bet Sam must be happy to
see you and the girls…"
"Slow down! No, I just got into town I'm on my way over now, what's your hurry?"
He asked with curiosity, "late for a date?"
"Na, I need to get home to my wife," Luis said forgetting that Hank didn't know
about that yet.
"Wife? What wife? You're married, and you didn't tell me?"
"Well it's not like you've been around Hank, or easy to get a hold of for that
matter! We'll just have to get together for coffee and catch up, how does that
sound?"
Hank repositioned his feet uncomfortably, and didn't hear Sam sneak up from
behind. Luis couldn't help but laugh at the immaturity of Sam and the bunny ears
he was giving Hank.
"What's so funny Luis, is there someone behind me or some thing?" Hank said
sarcastically.
"Yea I would have to say so," Sam spoke as he came around to face Hank.
"Long
time no see brother." Sam grabbed Hank and pulled him into a headlock, "did you
really think that you'd get away that easily, I don't think so!"
"I hate to interrupt this little love fest, but I've got to be going, besides I
think you two have a lot of catching up to do!"
"Oh that's right Luis, you're like a love sick puppy! This is your night off, I
wouldn't want to keep you away from Sheridan any longer that I have too," Sam
Joked.
"Lucky man," Hank said in shock. "So he did marry Sheridan" Hank said to
himself, "that little weasel!"
~*~
Luis's new 4 by 4 truck still smelt of oranges, a nice sweet gentle smell of the
new, clean carpet and seating. He took pride in his truck; Sheridan had gotten
it for him for his wedding present from her. It took him a long time to figure
out how she could afford it. Luis having a cop instinked had to find out, though
he never told her that he knew because he knew that she took pride in it.
He
knew that she had traded in her own car, as well as some of her mother's
cherished coin collection to get it for him, and she had not once said a word
about it. She kept telling him, only when he asked, that her car was still in
the shop because they found something else to fix.
Luis turned off the truck and pulled his keys out of the ignition and walked up
to the front door to their new house. Luis loved coming home every day to the
site of her, and he looked forward to it every day for the rest of his life.
~*~
A sharp jolt of pain shot through Sheridan as she woke up. "Oh boy," She sighed.
Slowly and painfully she picked herself off the cement and clenched her stomach
with one hand and her right side with the other. Walking aimlessly into the
house making her way into the living room. Seconds later she heard the door
open. And it grabbed her attention.
"Oh good your home Luis, I have a really bad stomach ache," Sheridan said as she
removed her hands from her stomach and her side. "I'm a little dizzy too," she
said as she dropped to the wooden floor below her.
To Be Continued...
Chapter 2:
Chapter 2: For Always You'll Be
Kay was admiring Sheridan's front garden. It was a peaceful place to sit on the
front porch of she mothers bed and breakfast, and spread out on the wooden
swinging bench her father had built. She love to examine the intricate flowers
that Sheridan and Jim had spent hours planting. It looked as if it was a mini
rain forest, with all the beautiful birds and insects it attracted.
After
spending hours hard at work, Kay thought Sheridan deserved recognition for the
wonderful gardens she had planted and maintained. She admired Sheridan, she and
Luis were such a cute couple, and they would have been lost with out each other,
any one could tell just by looking at them that they were meant to be. Kay's
trains of thoughts were quickly interrupted by the terrible screams coming from
the house across the street. Instantly without a second thought she ran across
the street and through the already opened door.
"Luis, what's wrong?" Kay stepped a little further into their house as the
scream still rang through her ear, "Luis, it's Kay, do you need help?" she
offered.
But still with no reply she turned the corner and walked in to the
living room, she knew that something had to be wrong. To her horror she saw
Luis's face dripping with tears. Kay looked down to see a motionless Sheridan
down on the floor in Luis's arms. As she took a second to look further she
spotted the blood soaked shirt that Sheridan was wearing. She could see the
paralyzed panic, fear and confusion in his eyes, as she was confused herself.
"Luis, have you called 911?" She questioned. But Luis could only shake his head
he was too distraught to answer.
"Okay, stay here with Sheridan and I'll call my
dad, okay?" she asked. But couldn't wait for his response and Kay franticly ran
into the kitchen to grab the purple cordless phone hanging on the wall and
dialed her fathers number with her clumsy fingers, but some how she managed to
dial the five digit number.
"Hello, Chief Sam Bennett here?" He said as he answered the phone, as usually
did.
"Dad," Kay cried.
He motioned to his brother Hank that it would only take a moment, and gave him a
wink. "Kay? You know that this number is for emergency use only…"
"I know dad," She interrupted him some what abruptly, "but…"
"I already know dear, Hanks back in town, I'm talking to him right now, isn't
that gre…"
"No dad! Its Sheridan…"
~*~
Siting in the blue chairs of the emergencies waiting room was taking an
emotional toll on Luis, as he was always on the edge of his chair, starring at
the sliding doors that separated the front entrance from the emergency operating
rooms waiting for information on his wife. He sat motionless; hoping and praying
that she would be all right. He couldn't imagine his life with out her, he
needed her.
Not a sound filled the waiting room, except for the ticking of the clock hanging
on the wall.
The seconds that crept past felt like and eternity for Luis, it was
just killing him not knowing what was happening in that room with his beloved
wife. She had to be alright, he kept telling himself, she just had to be, he
couldn't live without her, oh gosh how he hated the man who had shot her, who
ever they were, they would never get away with it, never.
Slowing the room filled with familiar faces, there to support Luis, and pray for
Sheridan. Almost everyone that they knew came except for Julian came, who
refused to come and support his sister. No one knew exactly what had happened to
Sheridan, other than the obvious that she had been shot.
It was a trying time
for Luis and he was to isolated in his own thoughts and prayers for anyone to
talk to him, to ask questions, even the doctors had a hard time getting medical
information.
An eternity went by before Luis saw the sliding doors open, and Dr. Eve Russell
walked through, down the red carpet leading to the waiting room. A solemn, yet
relieved look crossed her face as she asked to talk with Luis alone.
"Luis, Sheridan is in a coma, but she and the baby are stable for right now,"
Eve could see a look of confusion from Luis.
"Baby? What baby? You… you mean…"
"Yes Luis, you're going to have a baby. You didn't know?"
He knew he had just heard from Eve, but it took a couple of minutes to process
through his mind, he was going be a father!
"I'm going to be a father! He yelled!" he was so happy, "but what about
Sheridan, Eve, is she going to be okay?"
"We think there's hope for a full recovery. Although she could be in a comma for
a while, there's really know way of knowing.
We'll have to run some more tests
though as well as a CAT scan, but don't worry about that yet. Go home and get
some rest she's fine, I think Kay said that she would stay"
"Eve, when can I see her?"
"Tomorrow Luis, go home and get some rest, it's not going to do Sheridan any
good, if she wakes up to see you like this. Come back tomorrow to see her."
v
~*~ Months Later ~*~
Sheridan opened her eyes in shear panic, she didn't know were she was. Looking
around the room she saw flowers, cards and balloons. Sheridan looked at the
calendar and read October. Still in a state of confusion, she sat up and swung
her feet off the edge of the bed. Was she was in a hospital? What for? Sheridan
looked down at her stomach, and saw her large belly, which confused her even
more.
"Luis?" she screamed as she started to hyper ventilate, "Luis?"
Kay rose her read from the book she was reading. She was confused, was she
finally awake? "Sheridan? Oh Sheridan," she rose to her feet. "It's me, Kay."
"Kay? Wear's Luis?"
"Hold on, I'll go get him, boy will he ever be happy to see you, wait, that
might be an understatement…"
"Just get him please!"
Luis ran into her room as fast as his legs could take him, nearly knocking down
a couple of nurses on the way. "Sheridan," he cried, "am I ever glad to see you
awake!" He could barley believe that after months of praying, she had finally
come back to him. Luis was so happy to see her, his heart almost stopped as he
walked into her room, seeing her awake for the first time in months.
"What? What are you talking about Luis, why am I in a hospital, and why do I
look like a balloon?" she started to hyper ventilate again.
Luis ran over to hold her, "It's okay baby, I'll tell you everything, I'm never
going to let you go, not ever," he pulled away to kiss her forehead, "Everything
will be alright, you'll see!"
~*~
"Push Sheridan, push" Eve coaxed her.
"I can't" she screamed.
"I can see the head! Come on Sheridan, one more big push."
"I don't think that my hand can handle that Eve," Luis joked.
"Come on Sheridan, you can do it."
"Ahhhhhhh" she screamed. Once more, for the hundredth time that day.
"Oh look at that, Sheridan, you've got yourself a baby girl!" Eve said after a
couple of more pushes.
Eve cleaned the crying baby up a little and wrapped her up in a pink blanket,
then handed her gently to Luis.
"Look at that, she already dad's girl," Eve cooed. It was the cutest baby she
had ever delivered.
"Ya I think we might just have to keep her, I'm hooked, she looks just like her
mom."
"Violet," Sheridan said as she held her baby for the first time, " I want to
name her Violet."
~*~
"I'll love you for always, for always you'll be my darling baby, my Violet and
me," Luis recited to his little baby girl as he rocked her to sleep.
THE END