Part 5 (1/2)

Alice and Joe stood by Rickyas bed staring at the tubes and other gadgets hooked up to her. She had a large goose-eggshaped b.u.mp on the right side of her head, a terrible looking black eye, and several dark bruises on her arms. Alice reached up, her hand shaking badly, and touched Rickyas cheek. Joe put his arm around Aliceas shoulder as she leaned against him gratefully.

aMy G.o.d,a she whispered, the tears stinging her eyes.

aShe looks so small,a Alice heard him say in a tone full of wonder.

Alice touched the huge bruise on Rickyas arm and felt a lurching in her stomach. She wasnat sure if she would be sick or not. She swallowed several times and blinked back more tears.

aYour timeas up,a the nurse said.

Alice didnat even remember being led out of the room.

Alice offered the condo to Henry and Sharon so they could get some sleep and grab a shower, but Alice wouldnat leave the hospital. She stayed and waited for any sign of a change; she didnat want to take the chance of missing anything. Sharon brought her something to eat, but Alice wasnat hungry.

aYou need some sleep, Alice,a she said. aIall call you if thereas anything new.a aIam fine.a The tears flowed so easily that she didnat even know when they started.

Alice didnat really begin to come out of shock until she saw her secretary among the group of people in the waiting room the next morning. That stern, serious face and her red flyaway hair was a welcomed sight. Gloria made her way through the crowd and gave Alice a hug for moral support.

aHow is she?a aThe same,a Alice whispered. She had no strength to speak any louder.

aYou look terrible.a aI donat doubt that for a moment.a aI know this is a bad time,a Gloria said awkwardly, abut Mr. Briscoe needs for you to call him at once.a Alice looked at her quickly. aThe merger,a she said. aIad forgotten all about it! Christ!a Scott was furious when Alice finally got him on the telephone. He ranted, raved, and attacked her competency to handle such a large responsibility, but Alice was in no mood to be preached at by anyone.

aMerge without me,a she said. aYou need me there only to sign the final papers. Are they any closer to doing that?a aYes,a he barked. aTomorrow.a aCall my secretary when theyare ready. Iall fly down and sign them. I expect you to earn your money, Scott. And Iad appreciate it if my absence didnat get back to my father. Do you understand what Iam saying?a Her tone of voice must have registered quickly with him because he didnat say anything else. aI wouldnat be here if this werenat an emergency.a aIam sorry about all of that, Alice, but let me stress once again how important it is that you be here. Youare representing Collins Enterprises. Youare representing your father.a aI know exactly who Iam representing, Scott. Iall be there when youave done all you can do, and not a minute before.a She hung up and rested her head against the pay phone. She needed to make a quick appearance in New Orleans for a few days during the week to sign the papers and get a feel for how things were going, but there was no way she could go back yet. At least not until Rickyas condition improved. Once Alice stopped to think about it, she realized that she should tell her father what was going on, but she had no desire to talk to him at this point. She didnat want to talk to anyone but the doctor.

Stanas funeral was the next day, and hundreds of people were there to pay their respects. Joe held Aliceas hand through the eulogy, squeezing it tightly ever so often. His left arm was still heavily bandaged and tucked close to his body.

Everyone who stopped to express their condolences asked about Ricky. Alice knew very few of these people, but everyone seemed to know her. She found it strange that Ricky should have so many friends that she knew nothing about. At times their life together had excluded almost everyone else. That will have to change, Alice decided. I should know these people.

Kyle drove to the cemetery with Joe and Alice in the front seat. No one spoke. After the funeral the three of them went back to the hospital to wait on word from the doctor.

Henry and Sharon went in to see Ricky that evening and came out with good news. She had come to briefly, but then was back out again. They had run more tests on her earlier and the results looked better. There were smiles and hugs everywhere.

Dora came by with a McDonaldas bag full of treats and did her best to try and pump some life back into Alice.

aYouave gotta eat,a Dora argued. aYou look terrible. What good will you be to her if you donat take care of yourself?a Later that evening Henry and Alice went in to see her. The nurse on duty informed them that Ricky was awake. Alice felt her heart flutter and fresh tears flood her eyes at the news, but again, neither of them were ready for what they saw.

Rickyas eyes were open, but she acted as though she couldnat see anythinga”as if neither of her visitors were there. The bruises on her arms were darker, and she looked awful.

aGo ahead and talk to her,a the nurse said. aShe can hear you.a aWhy is she so s.p.a.cey?a Henry asked. aCanat she see us?a aSheall be slow for days. Sleep is the best thing for her now.a aRicky,a Alice whispered. Ricky gave her a blank stare and then pulled at the sheet before going back to sleep.

Renewed shock began to take hold of her as they stood there watching and waiting. Sheas getting better, Alice thought. They say sheas getting better.

The next day they moved Ricky to a private room where all she did was sleep. Alice, Henry, and Sharon stayed with her during the day, but Alice was with her alone in the evening. Visitors were always in and out of the room, and the telephone rang constantly.

Joe came by early one evening after a swarm of visitors had just left.

aKyleas gone,a he said. There was a resignation in his voice that worried Alice for a moment. aNo one knows where he went. Packed his stuff up last night.a Alice felt queasy. Stanas dead, Rickyas in the hospital, and Kyleas gone. She studied Joeas thin, somber face. He seemed smaller now and somewhat wilted around the edges.

aHowas your arm?a she asked him. The bandage was white and fresh, extending from fingertips to just past the elbow.

aA guitar player with severed tendons,a he said. aIave got nothing but unemployment in my future.a Alice took a slow, deep breath. Her eyes met his in a moment of strained silence. aPlease tell me youare joking.a aNo, Alice,a he said simply, aitas no joke. Iall probably never play another lick as long as I live. Rickyas got some serious s.h.i.+t to deal with when she wakes up.a His face paled, and his right hand began to shake. aWe had everything. We were on our way.a He stopped talking and seemed to wilt again, as if someone had let all the air out of him. His eyes darted to the bed where Ricky lay in an unnatural sleep. A calm seemed to come over him as he watched her. aSheas the best friend I ever had, Alice. Iad do anything for her. It seems like weave been together forever.a Alice nodded, knowing the feeling well. aI want you to see another doctor tomorrow,a she said. aGet another opinion. Have them send me the bill.a He s.h.i.+fted in the chair. aThereas no feeling in my fingers. I know itas over for me.a He looked at Ricky again. aSheas very fragile, Alice. This is gonna be hard on her.a aI know,a Alice whispered. aWeall help her.a Is this ever going to end? she wondered. Will things ever be normal again?

Chapter Twelve.

Ironically the accident gave a tremendous boost to the bandas new single, raising it seven notches into the Top Forty. Joe spent as much time on the phone as Alice did, canceling all of their engagements and turning down offers.

Alice pulled herself together long enough to fly back to New Orleans and briefly meet with her new staff. She had scores of employees wondering whether or not they all still had jobs. Even with the responsibility of the South Texas restaurants to deal with in addition to the merger in Louisiana, the old Alice was slowly beginning to resurface.

She called Rickyas room every few hours to talk to either Joe, Henry, or Sharon about any progress Ricky had made, but the report was always the same. Ricky slept constantly, and when she did wake up she seemed too out of it to know anything.

Alice flew back to San Antonio with a briefcase full of personnel files. She was able to stay in Rickyas room with her throughout the night and managed to get most of her work done once all the visitors were gone.

The following morning Aliceas father called the hospital from Dallas and inquired about Rickyas condition. Alice explained that she was doing much better. She didnat ask how he found out about the accident and didnat really want to know even though he seemed annoyed that she hadnat told him sooner. Her life with Ricky was something Alice wanted to keep separate from him. She liked to think of it as one of the few things he had no control over.

Alice was grateful that her father didnat try to pressure her into returning to New Orleans. He never even mentioned it. She sensed that he trusted her to handle things, and left it at that. It had been a social call, and she didnat get many of those.

aWhen they release her Iad like to take her home with me,a Henry said to Alice the next morning. aSharon can be with her all day. Rickyall need that.a aI donat think so,a Alice said. aShe belongs with me. Iall hire a nurse to stay with her.a aIf youare staying here in town,a Henry said, athen thatas okay. But if youare thinking about taking her with you to New Orleans, then no way. The doctor wonat let her travel that far yet.a aYouave asked him about this already?a she snapped.

Alice eventually allowed herself to be persuaded by both Henry and the doctor to wait before making such a long trip, but the thought of Henry and his wife taking care of Ricky made Alice very uneasy. She belongs with me, she kept thinking over and over again. aYouare not taking her to Austin with you.a aWeall wait until sheas a little better first.a Henryas tone was warm. aSharon and I can take care of her here at your place.a Alice wasnat too thrilled about that either, but there wasnat much else she could do. Hopefully Ricky would recover faster in more familiar surroundings.

With all of that to worry about, Alice also received another phone call from her father, who had more plans for her already.

aIave registered you for a fas.h.i.+on merchandising seminar in New York next week,a Mr. Collins said. aIam sure youare fairly rusty in that area being as youave been tucked away in restaurant management for the last few years.a aI canat make it next week,a Alice said. Youave got some lousy timing, Dad. Here I am only inches away from finally getting my lover back, and you want me to go to a d.a.m.n seminar?

aYouall have to make this one, Alice. There isnat another one for six months. I need you up on this.a He was rigid and unyielding. She heard it in his voice. There would be a yes in her answer or else.

aHow long is it?a she asked.

aItas only three days. Afterward Iall get with you on what I have in mind for New Orleans.a aYou said Iad be running things,a she reminded him. How in the h.e.l.l am I going to get out of this?

aIall only be pointing you in the right direction.a aI really donat want to go anywhere with Rickyas condition no better than this.a aWe canat wait six months for another seminar of this caliber, Alice. Youall go to this one. Doesnat she have family? Other friends who can help her?a aThings are complicated,a she said, having no desire to get into this with him now. aYes, of course, she has family. I guess sheall be fine.a She said it as much for herself as for him. Yes, Sharon and Henry would take excellent care of Ricky, but Alice didnat want that. I want to take care of her. aThree days in New York,a she said. aJesus.a Henry helped Alice get Ricky in the car. They drove to the condo and put her to bed where she slept for five hours straight without ever moving. Sharon catered to her constantly, making her eat when she finally woke up, fluffing her pillows, keeping the television on programs she thought Ricky would like. Alice wanted to do those things for her but eventually she felt more in the way than anything else.

aShe never watches TV,a Alice said.

aI know that, but what else does she have to do?a Sharon poured fresh cups of coffee and sat down with Alice at the table. aSheas getting better. They said sleep was good for her.a Alice pushed her coffee away, tired of the caffeine that was keeping her up until all hours of the night. If only she could sleep it all away like Ricky was doing, everything would be so much easier.

aI have to make an appearance in New Orleans tomorrow,a Alice said, aand then it looks like I may have to attend a seminar in New York. After that Iam coming to get her. She should be well enough to travel by then.a aWhatas she gonna do in New Orleans?a Sharon asked. Her green eyes danced with anger. aHow will we know if she needs us?a aTheyave got telephones in Louisiana.a aYouare gonna keep her cooped up in some penthouse all day?a aIall be with her.a aWhat about work?a aIall make arrangements. Look,a Alice said gently, aI have to take care of her now. I want to take care of her now.a Sharon stirred her coffee and pushed her long dark hair away from her face. She looked at Alice thoughtfully for a moment and then shook her head. aShe needs her family now.a aIam her family!a aItas not the same.a Alice sighed and gave in to the coffee, sipping it carefully. She refused to argue about this any more. She didnat have the energy.

Alice slept in a chair in their bedroom in case Ricky needed anything during the night. She was a small lump in the huge bed, and Alice was just so grateful to have her home again. Ricky slept like a rock, but Alice was nervous about being in the same bed with her just yet. Henry and Sharon had the guest room and were pretty much in the way and into everything.