Part 39
Time slipped by with Stormy sitting vigilantly by AJ’s side. She had refused to leave and the doctors hadn’t pushed the issue. She slept in a chair by his bed, his hand in hers. She gave him sponge baths and shaved his mustache and beard for him. She told him what the doctors were saying and what was going on in the news. She read him the get-well cards that the fans sent daily and the cards from the flowers that arrived by the truckload. But most of all, she told him repeatedly just how much she loved him. No amount of coercion by Ricky or Denise could get Stormy to leave AJ’s side.
Denise began to worry about Stormy. In the days that she had been by AJ’s side, Stormy had also refused to eat. The color in her cheeks disappeared and dark circles appeared under her eyes. Denise tried to talk to her and she even enlisted Ricky’s help but it was futile. She considered asking the doctor to ban Stormy until she ate and got a good night’s sleep but she knew it would only upset AJ when he woke. She was at her wit’s end until Howie arrived.
“I am so glad to see you,” greeted Denise with a tired hug.
“I’d have been here sooner but I couldn’t get a flight. What’s wrong? Has AJ taken a turn for the worse?”
“No, Alex is doing much better. It’s Stormy. She hasn’t left his side since he came out of surgery and she won’t eat.”
“Have you tried talking to her?”
“Her brother and I have both tried. Howie, please, would you try?”
“I don’t know how much good I’m going to be…”
“You’re Alex’s best friend. That will mean a lot to her.”
“I’ll give it a shot.”
Entering the room, Howie spotted Stormy by the bed, her head beside AJ and her hand on his stomach. Gently, he put his hand on her shoulder to wake her.
“Hey,” he whispered. “How long have you been asleep?”
Sleepily, she replied, “I’m not sure.”
“Have you had anything to eat?” Howie knew the answer but he wanted to see what she would say.
Stormy shook her head ‘no’.
“Why don’t you come with me and let’s get something together?”
Stormy shook her head again. “I can’t leave him, Howie. He’s here because of me.”
Seeing the guilt in her eyes, Howie quickly realized that she was punishing herself for all this. He knelt beside her taking her hand in his. “Look at me, Stormy.” When she turned her tear-filled eyes to him, he went on, “You did NOT cause this and NO one blames you for it.”
The tears once more fell at will as she said, “I have to take care of him.”
“You have to take care of yourself first, sweetheart. You won’t be any good to him if you’re too weak from not eating. Come with me to the cafeteria and I’ll buy us some dinner.”
In a small, child-like voice, “What if he wakes up?”
“Denise is right outside and she can sit with him. I’m sure she’ll call us if he wakes up.” Seeing that she was starting to cave in, he added, “I promise, we won’t stay long.”
Stormy gave in but before she left, she leaned to AJ and placed a soft kiss on his forehead brushing his hair back. “I’ll be back, Alex. I’m just gonna go with Howie to get something to eat.”
Putting his hand on her lower back, Howie led Stormy out of the room. They stopped long enough to tell Denise where they were going and then headed to the cafeteria.
On the elevator, Stormy rested her head on Howie’s shoulder and he pulled her closer. The only sound was the music, easy-listening music from a local station. It all would have been fine except as they started to step off the elevator, I Swear, their song, began to play. Stormy lost her fight to control her emotions and would have collapsed right there if it hadn’t been for Howie’s arm being around her.
Scooping her up, Howie carried her to an empty lounge directly across from the cafeteria. He held her close to his chest and rocked her in an effort to calm her.
Sniffling, Stormy sobbed, “If…if I’d…” hiccup…”never come to Orlando, he wouldn’t….be here.”
“You’re right, he wouldn’t. He’d be in LA stuck in a destructive relationship. He’d be with someone who only wants him for his name to further her career and enables his addictions.”
“At least…he wouldn’t be fighting for his life.”
“No, he’d be destroying it. He’s told you about the times he Oded and the drugs that were laced with something he didn’t know about. Besides, Denise said he was better. You are so good for AJ. He WANTS to do the right thing, to have stability in his life. He wants to have a meaningful relationship. When he falls for a girl, he gives her everything and he is definitely in love with you. Now, you don’t want him to wake up and find you wasting away to nothing, do you?”
“No,” she whispered.
“We need to get you a good, hot meal but I guess the hospital cafeteria will have to do,” said Howie straight-faced.
Stormy giggled as she wiped her tears.
Smiling, “That’s better. Okay, a good, hot meal; a shower and some clean clothes, and a good night’s sleep and when AJ wakes, he’ll see the girl he fell in love with.”
“Howie, I’m not leaving him.”
“Okay. We’ll check with the nurses for a shower….”
“And Denise brought me some clothes when she went to the house to get Alex’s stuff.”
“That’s cool. A good night’s sleep…I’ll get a cot or an extra bed moved into AJ’s room and I’ll stay with you tonight. That way, if AJ wakes, I can wake you.”
“Howie, thank you.”
“No thanks necessary. You and AJ would do the same for me.”
“You wouldn’t be stupid enough to take a bullet.”
“If it meant protecting the woman I love…sure I would.” Howie studied Stormy for a minute, then asked, “Are you mad at him for protecting you?”
Stormy tucked her head, embarrassed that yes, she was a little angry with AJ, a man who loved her so much that he risked his life to protect her. “A little. Not because he wanted to protect me but that he could have been killed. Howie, I saw the x-ray and how close the bullet came to his heart.”
“But he survived, Stormy. That’s what is important. If we dwelt on the ‘what ifs’, we’d go crazy. Let it go and be happy that you two have a chance to love each other….for a very long time if AJ has anything to say about it.”
Stormy relaxed in Howie’s arms drained from all the pent-up emotions and their release. She was relieved to have him there for her and understood why he and Alex were best friends. “You came to see Alex and you’ve spending all your time with me.”
“That’s okay. Not every day I get to hold a beautiful lady in my arms like this and make her tears go away,” smiled Howie. “Besides, what kind of friend would I be if I didn’t look out for my best friend’s lady? Let’s go get something to eat. I’m starved.”
Stormy’s stomach growled about that time causing them both to laugh.
“I guess I am too,” said Stormy as they stood together. As Howie took her hand, she asked, “How long are you here for?”
“Over night. I have to go to Nashville tomorrow and won’t be back until late Tuesday or early Wednesday,” offered Howie as they headed to the cafeteria. “The other guys will be here then too.”
The two continued to talk over a late-night dinner in the hospital cafeteria and then headed back to do the other things Howie had mentioned. He stayed with her just as he promised and watched over his two friends as they slept through the night.
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