Part 16 (1/2)
She took a deep breath, grasped Helen's shoulder, and shook it slightly. ”Helen,” she said with a quiver in her voice.
Teresa was stern. ”You aren't going to hurt her. Wake her up.”
”I can't.”
”Do you love her?”
”Yes.”
I love you, baby.
”Do you want her out of this bed?”
”Yes.”
”Then wake her up.”
”Helen.” Cory shook her shoulder with more fervor. ”Come on.”
”Go on. Don't be nice. Tell her you need her. Tell her to stop thinking about herself.”
”It's only been five days!”
”Five days that will turn quickly into five weeks. d.a.m.n it, Cory, wake her up! Take her back. Don't let her have her escape.”
Baby?
Teresa wouldn't back off. Helen expected her to tell her to tell Cory to stop acting like a child and get on with it. But instead, gentleness returned to her voice.
”It's all right.”
Cory grasped Helen's shoulder tightly.
”Listen to me, Helen. Teresa says you're sleeping too much.” She shook Helen's shoulder. ”Wake up. We have to get you better.”
”Come on out, Helen,” Teresa said. Helen s.h.i.+fted an arm. ”That's it.”
Words were Helen's power, and she fought with a.s.sociation.
It...Stephen King...Kingston Trio...Trilogy of Terror...Karen Black...Gail Brown...Another World...Mac Cory...Cory...Cory's talking...Pay attention.
”You have a show to produce. People need you. I need you.” Cory rubbed Helen's healthy arm. ”Please wake up.”
Helen groaned and her eyes fluttered. Cory brushed her fingers across Helen's left palm. The feeling drove Helen crazy in a conscious state and invited reaction now. Helen squeezed her hand shut and she scratched her palm.
”Do it again,” Santos coaxed her, and sounded pleased when Helen shook the second tickle away. ”Excellent.”
Cory reacted more positively. ”Come on, that's it. Wake up, baby.”
Helen s.h.i.+fted a leg and slowly turned her head toward Cory's voice. She wanted to come out of her sluggishness. She loathed lying there. She wanted bacon. Come on, brain. Do it. Helen opened her eyes enough to see Cory.
”You're baby,” Helen whispered.
”Why did she say that, I wonder?” Teresa asked.
”I never call her baby. That's right.” She squeezed Helen's hand. ”I'm baby.”
”Helen? It's Teresa Santos. Can you turn your head to me?”
Helen turned toward the voice and saw the thick, lush hair of her physician silhouetted from the window's light.
”Yes,” she said. ”b.i.t.c.h.” She smiled weakly, and reached toward her. Teresa grasped her hand, smiled back, and nodded.
”I can be. Welcome back, Helen. How do you feel?”
”Stomach hurts. Leg hurts here.” She pointed to her right thigh. ”Face is itchy.”
”I can remove your facial bandages, but you have to keep the nose piece. We can't have you breaking it all over again.” Teresa carefully removed the gauze and placed it on the table beside the bed. ”Does that feel better?”
”Better.” She touched the dressings on her jaw and neck. ”These?”
”They have to stay. You have a nasty injury.”
”Cory?” She turned her head slowly to find her.
”Yeah, I'm here.”
”Feed...” She took a shallow breath. ”...fish.”
Cory kissed her cheek. ”I promise.”
Chapter Nineteen.
After a week of consciousness, Helen had grown increasingly restless and fed up with patient life. Needles were removed from her arm, which was then stabbed with a replacement. Blood withdrawal or IV, it didn't matter. Whoever poked her experienced difficulty in finding a good vein, and it hurt like h.e.l.l.
Lemon ice was on her list of ”get that c.r.a.p away from me.” If she saw another paper cup of frozen yellow in her lifetime, it would be too soon. And broth, although she did appreciate the fresh brew and its miniscule flecks of chicken that floated about. It almost tasted like food. It wasn't bacon, but it filled her tummy.
Physicians wanted her to get more rest, but the hospital remained noisiest during the night. There was no serenity for the ill and recovering, and she'd had enough. Although her strength improved daily from her meager meals and catnaps, as did her stubbornness, she wanted to be released.
She glared at Teresa. ”I'm gonna pa.s.s out.”
”Breathe slowly. You're hyperventilating,” she said in a no-nonsense voice.
Translation: If she didn't cooperate and cough up on demand, she would require some serious chest stomping from a nasty head nurse. Clear the lungs or drown.