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Elizabeth woke up to a throbbing headache and a pain in her leg like none she had felt before. She had no idea where she was and there was this annoying beeping in the periphery. She tried to remember something, anything about where she was. The last thing she remembered was dancing with Lucky, feeling herself in his arms and his lips on hers. She realized with a jolt of fear that Lucky was no where to be seen and that she was not in their room above Kelly’s. She heard a swooshing sound and turned her head towards the noise.
Bobbie was surprised to see the girl awake. “Oh good, you are awake. How are you feeling?” Liz hadn’t realized until the moment she tried to speak, but her mouth felt like it was stuffed with cotton balls. She swallowed hard and said, “my head hurts and I can’t move my leg without major pain. What happened? Where is Lucky?” Bobbie smiled at the girl. She looked so small on the gurney, but she could tell that with a little rest she would be just fine. Bobbie decided to take the easy question first and deal with the harder one later. “Lucky is outside chomping at the bit to get in here,” Bobbie paused and took the girls hand then continued, “your Grandmother is also waiting. She really needs to see you Liz, please don’t turn her away. Not now.”
Liz felt a stab of anxiety at Bobbie’s tone. “What are you talking about? What happened and why does Gram need me?” When Bobbie only stared at her Liz yelled “Tell me! I want to know.” Bobbie sighed heavily and sat on a stool along side Liz’s bed. “I don’t know where to start, but I guess the beginning is as good a place as any.” On a sigh Bobbie continued, “Elizabeth, there was an explosion at the school this morning. You were injured when a bookcase fell on top of you while you were taking your exam. You have a broken leg and a mild concussion.” Bobbie paused allowing Liz to absorb this news before she got to the worst of it.
Liz smiled and said “Well that explains the pain. When can I see Lucky?” Liz stopped noting Bobbie’s expression. “What is it? There’s something else I know there is. What is it? Bobbie, please tell me.” Liz looked so fragile and Bobbie knew she was about to deal a crushing blow a girl she had seen put through so much pain in recent months. “Liz, I don’t know how to tell you this. Sarah,” Bobbie had to pause to gain control of her emotions, “Sarah was killed when the bomb went off.”
Liz stared at Bobbie in shock and then screamed. “NOOOOOO!!!!” Bobbie bent towards the girl and wrapped her arms around her.
Chapter 29
Lucky was pacing the waiting area of the emergency room. He could not believe what had happened. Bobbie had just gone into check on Liz again but the last report was that she was still unconscious. Monica was sitting across the room with Audrey who was in denial about the days events. Lucky looked at her as she was talking to Monica about what wonderful granddaughters she was blessed with and how when Liz woke up they would all go home and be a family again. Lucky couldn’t watch without his eyes filling. He knew that things would never be the same for any of them. Right now he was concentrating on Liz’s recovery. He had to see her. He had to know that she was still alive. Just then the doors flew open and Jason Morgan entered.
“Lucky, I tried to reach you before you got to the school. My guard found her and moved to bookcase off of her. He came to me only after he found an EMT and brought me up to date on the situation. He left only when she was in good hands to avoid unwanted questions. How is she doing?” Jason was genuinely concerned, but as normal his face revealed nothing of what he was feeling. He could see that the kid was in turmoil. “They found him, they found they guy that did it, it was our English teacher.” Lucky looked distraught. “I want him to pay for what he did, Jason I want you to make sure he pays.” Jason looked at Lucky with great sympathy. “Right now you have to let Mac handle it. If they have a solid case he will go to prison for a very, very long time. I couldn’t think of a more fitting punishment, they hate rapists in prison and usually make them pay in kind.”
Lucky looked seriously at Jason, “I want your word that if something goes wrong, you will handle it. I don’t want that man to ever breath on breath of free air. I want him in prison or dead.” Lucky had been so calm when he said it that Jason knew he would take matters into his own hands if he didn’t agree. Jason knew that the girl needed him and would not take that chance. “You have my word.” Jason stuck out his hand and Lucky took it.
Bobbie came into the waiting area and approached Audrey. She wanted to go to Lucky first, but he wasn’t family and hospital policy dictated that she go to the family members first. She cleared her throat and said, “Elizabeth is awake. Audrey, I told her about Sarah. She isn’t taking it well. She wants to see Lucky.” Audrey, still in denial replied, “Fine, then I want to take both of my granddaughters home.” Bobbie didn’t know how to respond, “Audrey…you know that is not possible.” Audrey responded in a fit of rage grabbing Bobbie by the stethoscope and screamed “I don’t care what you say, I am still your boss and I will take both of them home with me.” Monica stood up and pried Audrey away from Bobbie with and apologetic look. “Come on Audrey,” Monica cajoled as she led her away. She was going to have to sedate her friend until she could deal with everything rationally. She picked up her phone and dialed Gail Baldwin’s number.
Lucky witnessed the entire scene and approached his Aunt as Monica was escorting Audrey away. “I want to see her Aunt Bobbie.” Lucky’s voice was full of emotion and Bobbie took his hand for comfort. “She’s waiting for you.”
Chapter 30
Liz heard the curtain swoosh again and saw Lucky standing there. She smiled through her tears. “Oh, Lucky. I am so glad you are here. I can’t believe this is all happening,” Liz couldn’t go on as the sobs overtook her body. Lucky simply sat next to her and laid his head on her chest, he was so relieved that she was alive that he couldn’t deal with anything else yet. He knew he had to tell Liz that Mr. Murty was in custody, he didn’t know how she would react when she learned that her rapist/stalker had killed her sister. At least he was behind bars and wouldn’t be hurting anyone again. There was more, of course, that bomb had been meant for him, not Sarah. How could he tell her that? Instead of saying anything he stayed where he was for a few more seconds. He could feel Liz calming slightly.
“Lucky, why did I lose her? We were just becoming friends. Last night I was so happy that we seemed to overcome our differences. We had plans to meet today, and now she is dead. How is that fair?” Liz was sobbing again and Lucky lifted his head and gently wiped her tears away. He wished he could say something to make it all go away, but there were no words. Liz relieved him from the burden of saying anything when she said, “it makes me realize that Sarah and I wasted so much time together. We could have had a lifetime of friendship, but instead we squandered our opportunities on pettiness. I will cherish every moment of the time I did have with her. I will also wish everyday for just one more moment so I could tell her I loved her.” Lucky had tears in his own eyes as he witnessed Liz’s pain.
Liz looked at him and went on, she knew she had to get it all out now before it was too late. “Lucky you need to see your father. He loves you. I know that doesn’t make what he did go away, but he is still your father. If your mother could forgive him so should you. You were created in love and brought up by two parents who did and still do love you. I am not saying that things will be perfect, but you should at least try and start again. You will regret it later if you don’t.” Liz finished on a sigh and looked into Lucky’s eyes, “Your father made mistakes and so did you, but the biggest mistake you could make is not resolving your differences before it is too late.” Liz was racked by sobs again but continued through her tears, “I am going to talk to Gram and tell her that even though I don’t share her beliefs, I still love her and cherish our relationship. I don’t know what we have left, but I need to find out. Even if we can’t live together we can be more to each other than we are now.” Liz finished and looked at Lucky.
“Elizabeth, I can’t promise that things will ever get better between my dad and me, but I will promise to keep what you said in mind.” Lucky finished and they sat in silence for a moment. Liz noticed that Lucky got a far-off look on his face and sensed there was something she did not yet know about the day’s events. “What is it Lucky? Is there something you aren’t telling me?” Lucky looked at her and realized he could not hold back any longer. He told her about Mr. Murty’s arrest and about his suspicion that the bomb was meant for him. While relieved that her rapist was finally captured it was a shock to realize that Lucky could have died. Through it all Liz couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief that at least none of her loved ones would be in danger and she wouldn’t lose anyone else she held dear.
“Lucky, can you find out when I can see my grandmother. I really feel like I need to talk to her. Bobbie said she was going to bring her it, but she hasn’t yet.” Lucky felt his heart break as he had to impart even more bad news on Liz. “Monica had to give her a sedative. She can’t accept Sarah’s death and has been in denial. I think they are going to admit her for observation.” Liz only sighed, at least her grandmother was being taken care of. “Lucky could you do me a favor and just find out for sure. I still want to see her as soon as possible.” Liz squeezed Lucky’s hand as he rose. Their eyes met as Lucky left her side. He walked back into the waiting area hoping to see Bobbie, but instead he ran right into Luke.
Chapter 31
The moment Mac had called him Luke knew he had to be there for his son even if Lucky didn’t want him there. Mac gave him the details and Luke came right to the hospital to be with Lucky.
Lucky stood there, Liz’s words echoing in his head. He realized that he had to get past this rift in his relationship with his father. Lucky stood contemplating his words carefully. “Why are you here?” It didn’t come out the way he wanted it to and he could see the hurt enter his father’s eyes. Luke turned away thinking that he made a mistake in coming. Lucky put his hand on his arm to stop him, “Wait, that isn’t what I meant. I’m glad you came. I need family around me now. A friend told me not to let my family slip away and to resolve things with you. I am beginning to think that she was right.”
Luke wasn’t sure he had heard right. Was Lucky willing to start over? Was he willing to get past everything? “What are you saying, Cowboy?” Lucky smiled at the sound of his old nickname and said, “I’m not sure yet. I know things will never be the same and I don’t want them to be. I want us to have an honest relationship and I want us to be there for each other.”
Luke smiled back and pulled Lucky close to him in a fatherly hug. “Thanks cowboy. We have a lot of ground to cover. When will you be coming home?” Lucky flinched, he wasn’t ready to move home yet, he didn’t want to hurt his father anymore, but he promised to be honest. “Dad, I am not ready to take that step yet. I promise to be in communication with you and I will even let you visit me at Kelly’s. I just can’t come home, I need some more time to work through things myself first.” Luke smiled through his pain, he had hoped Lucky would come home. Nevertheless, he was grateful for the steps they had taken. “What ever you want to do is fine with me. I’m just glad to be on speaking terms with my son again.” Luke smiled and hugged Lucky one more time.
Lucky pulled away and looked at his father. Liz will be proud of me, he thought. “Have you seen Bobbie? I promised Liz I would ask her about Audrey.” Luke could tell by the look in Lucky’s eyes when he mentioned Liz’s name that he was in love with her. It reminded him of how he felt about Laura. “Bobbie is in the cafeteria having a cup of coffee. We can go find her if you like.”
<Across town>
The man was driving when he heard the news on the radio.
Sarah Webber had been the fatality. He clenched his teeth.
He wanted to slam on the brakes. He wanted to scream. He couldn’t
do anything because he wasn’t alone and couldn’t risk his cover.
Instead he had to act like nothing was wrong. His angel wouldn’t
need him because she still had Spencer! Spencer would get her through
this and he would still be on the periphery of her life. His ears
were ringing and his head was spinning. All of his hard work had
been for nothing. He was supposed to be there to nurse his angel
back to health emotionally and physically but now he was left to watch
again. He heard voices from the backseat and calmed himself quickly;
he could not show his turmoil at any cost. A new plot to kill
Lucky Spencer entered his mind and he let himself imagine it coming to
fruition. He would have to be much more meticulous next time.
Chapter 32
Lucky wheeled Liz into Audrey’s room her head was bandaged and her leg had been set and the cast was resting on the chair’s foot-rest. The doctors would not ok a visit with her grandmother until they were sure that she did not have any internal injuries that could be aggravated by stress. After the neurologist reexamined her this morning and pronounced her fine she insisted on seeing Gram.
Liz was shocked when she entered the room. Audrey was in bed looking completely normal and very serene. She looked up as Lucky and Liz entered the room. “Oh Elizabeth!! I am so glad to see you. I’m glad that you are feeling well enough to move around.” Audrey moved to get out of bed and approach Liz, but the restraints kept her in place. Her eyes flashed in annoyance and she said, “they tied me to the bed thinking I would try and leave. I have been so worried about Sarah all by herself at home, and then you were admitted and they wouldn’t let me see you…”
Audrey continued rambling and Liz suddenly realized how deceiving appearances could be. Audrey was far from normal. “Gram, I’m fine, my leg should heal normally and it was only a slight concussion, don’t worry about me, just concentrate on yourself.” Audrey looked at Liz with a perplexed look on her face. “There is nothing wrong with me dear, I just want to get you girls home and get back to normal.” Audrey smiled leaving Liz at a loss for words. She decided that she had to be honest with her grandmother and attempt to convince her that Sarah was never coming home.
Tears filled her eyes, but she quickly pushed them away in an effort to be brave for her grandmother’s sake. “Gram, Sarah is dead, she was killed by the same bomb that caused my injuries. She is never going to come home with us, and things can’t be the way they were.” Liz spoke softly and soothingly so as not to upset Audrey, but could see her words did not sink in.
“Liz, how could you say such a horrible thing, I know you and your sister don’t get along very well, but to pretend she is dead is just going too far!!” Audrey began thrashing on the bed and screaming about nonsense. The orderly heard and rushed in the room and to Audrey’s bedside. Lucky backed Liz’s chair out of the way in an effort to give the man more room. The orderly pushed the call button and Gail Baldwin rushed into the room. She tried to calm Audrey with words, but in the end administered another sedative. Once Audrey was asleep she motioned for Lucky and Liz to follow her out of the room.
Gail led them to a waiting area and motioned for Lucky to sit as she did so herself. “Normally I only involve family in these discussions, but since the circumstances are a bit unusual in this case I will ask that you stay, Lucky.” Gail cleared her throat and began, “Elizabeth, your grandmother has blocked out the events of yesterday. She realizes that you were hospitalized, but she thinks it is because of the note you received a few weeks ago. She does not see you in a cast or with bandages on your head, in her mind you are as you were then, without physical injury. Her mind will not allow her to process any evidence that points to the contrary. This is a common defense mechanism when there is a traumatic experience.” Gail paused and let what she said sink in.
Liz reached for Lucky’s hand and held on for support. “How long does something like this last? Shouldn’t we make her see the truth?” Gail sighed and said, “Unfortunately it isn’t that easy. The mind is a powerful thing, we will never know everything about how and why it works the way it does.” Gail paused and went on, “Each case is different, sometimes the patient comes around in hours or days other times not at all. In the case of the latter the person is not able to function in society and has to be institutionalized. The state they live in is a semi-catatonic altered reality.”
Liz couldn’t believe what she was hearing, she had just lost her sister and now it appeared that she was going to lose her grandmother as well. She wanted to watch Theodore Murty die a slow painful death as payment for everything he had taken away from her. “When will we know how to proceed?”
Gail sighed. She wished she had some solid answers to give the girl but the truth was, she just didn’t know. “Unfortunately, in cases like this we have to take things one day at a time. Sometimes the patient comes back to reality gradually, other times it is very sudden. Sometimes another stress can pull them out of the state, other times they disappear all together and enter a full-blown catatonic state.” Gail let Liz absorb the information and said, “We will keep your grandmother here for a few days for observation. If there is no improvement we will have to transfer her to a facility better equipped to handle her needs. I encourage you to visit her as often as you can, but I caution you not to contradict her beliefs, it will only lead to another outburst like the one we just witnessed.” Gail stood and smiled at Liz, “If you have any questions or just need to talk you can always call on me.” With that she turned and left.
Lucky put his arm around Liz, sensing her need for comfort and held her for several minutes.
Chapter 33
Liz was released from the hospital under strict orders to rest and not try to do too much. As a result Ruby became a doting mother hen. In addition, with Audrey’s condition continuing to worsen Liz was left with the burdensome job of planning Sarah’s funeral and notifying relatives of the situation. Her parents, though devastated could not get out of Bosnia due to the continued unrest there. In the absence of any family members to assist Liz, Ruby enlisted Bobbie and Lucky to help while Liz dealt with getting better. Ruby supplied all of the TLC and home cooked meals and Lucky provided the support only a loved one could and Bobbie made phone calls and arrangements with the mortuary and the florist.
Liz felt as if she was living in a dense fog. The only good news of late was the fact that Theodore Murty was denied bail and would await his trial in the confines of a very small jail cell. She could only hope that the trial would result in a fair punishment. It would begin soon and Liz planned to be there for every moment of it. She had an appointment set with Dara Jensen to go over her testimony and prepare her for Murty’s lawyer’s cross-examination. The thought of telling her story in open court was daunting, but she knew it was necessary. She knew she would make it through the testimony for the sake of Sarah and Audrey.
Lucky had been her knight in shining armor through everything and Liz knew that she could not have made it through all of this without him. On the day before the funeral Liz sat across from Lucky at one of the tables in Kelly’s she smiled. He looked up at her surprised to see her smiling. It seemed like it had been so long and he missed it. “What?” he asked a bit tentatively. Liz inhaled and said, “I was just sitting here wallowing in everything and I looked up and saw you and realized how lucky I am to have you. I love you.”
Lucky smiled and reached across the table to take Liz’s hand. “I love you too, more than I ever thought possible. I promise that I will always be here for you.” He squeezed her hand reassuringly and continued, “I know it is hard for you right now, but I promise you will make it through this, we’ll do it together.” He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. They heard the chimes ring on the door and looked up.
Emily entered Kelly’s and smiled at her friends. They were so happy and Emily was relieved that Liz had Lucky in her life. She knew that if anyone could help her get through this he could. She approached them still smiling and sat down in one of the empty chairs at their table. “Hey guys. Liz you look great, you better be following the doctors orders.” Emily looked pointedly at Lucky. “She has been sitting here practically since she came home. Bobbie and Ruby have been doing everything and every time she tries to get up they chastise her.” Lucky squeezed Liz’s hand, a gesture of intimacy.
Emily smiled at her friends. “Liz, I had Reginald drive me by to see if you needed me to do anything before the service tomorrow. I know you have Bobbie and Ruby, but I thought you might need me to do something too.” Actually, Reginald had suggested that Emily stop by to see her friend. He even offered to drive her and keep the trip a secret from her parents. Though she was initially surprised at his offer she eventually took him up on it. Emily was glad to have him; he made it so easy for her to have a life despite her parents’ overbearing tendencies. He always seemed ready to help her even offering to spend evenings off chauffeuring her and her friends around town.
Liz smiled at Em. “Just having you here is help
enough. Besides, everything is done, now I just have to make it through
the service and my eulogy. I only wish Gram could be there.
She is still not ready to face reality. Gail Baldwin told me this
morning that they would be moving her by the end of the week if she still
isn’t an improvement.” Liz stopped on a sigh. Both Lucky and
Emily felt terrible for her but knew there was nothing they could say to
make things any better for their friend. They both planned
to be there to support her through the horrible day she had ahead of her.
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