Part 21 (2/2)

Tony stepped back, indicating I should keep going glanced at Mrs. Broadfield to see if she would be coming along, too, but she continued to do her work in my room, appearing to be uninterested in anything else. Tony helped me turn to the left and start down the long corridor. Soon I saw Parson, the grounds worker who had set up my television set, and another man, also dressed in coveralls, standing at the top of the stairway. I looked back quizzically at Tony, who was now pus.h.i.+ng me along with a Ches.h.i.+re-cat grin on his face.

And then I saw his surprise.

He had had an elevator chair installed so I could wheel myself to the top of the stairway, slide into the chair, press a b.u.t.ton, and have myself lowered slowly down the stairway to the first floor.

”Now it will be very easy to take you up and down the stairway, Tony said. ”And very soon, I'm sure, you will be moving yourself from floor to floor. I'll have a second wheelchair waiting for you below.”

I stared at the mechanical device for a moment. I knew Tony was disappointed in my reaction, but I couldn't help it. Things like this only confirmed my invalid state and suggested that my recuperation was a long way off.

”But Tony,” I said, ”soon be walking myself!

You've gone through this tremendous expense for nothing!”

”Oh, is that what you're worried about? No problem. This is a rental agreement. We use it as long as we need it and no longer. As for the second chair-- I a.s.sure you, that's no major expense for me. Now,” he added, slapping his hands together, ”it's time for our first test flight, eh? That is, with you as the pa.s.senger.

I've already tried it and it held my weight well, so there won't be any problem with its holding you.”

I looked back to see if Mrs. Broadfield was going to a.s.sist in this, but she still hadn't come out of my room. From my seated position in the wheelchair, the stairway looked awfully steep and long.

”Just roll yourself alongside the mechanical chair,” Tony instructed, ”lift the left arm of your chair and slide yourself into it. The idea is for you to be able to do this yourself.”

Fear began to swell in me like a great dark symphony booming through my blood. I felt a cold sweat break out over the back of my neck. And I could feel myself falling, tumbling down that great marble staircase, crumpled at the bottom.

Parson and the man beside him watched me with concerned, sympathetic eyes. I smiled as bravely as I could and began to wheel myself alongside the mechanical chair. I struggled to loosen the arm of my chair. It seemed to stick a bit, but no one offered any help. I imagined this was all part of the test--to see if I could do it all myself. Finally I detached the arm and began pulling myself into the mechanical chair.

”Once you get securely in, miss,” the man beside Parson said, ”you strap yourself with this safety belt, same way you would in a car.”

Just the mention of ”car” sent my heart fluttering. My chest tightened so, I thought I wouldn't be able to breathe. Where was Mrs. Broadfield? Why wasn't this important enough for her to be right beside me?

”Oh, Tony, I don't know if I can do this,” I wailed.

”Sure you can. Don't you want to be able to go downstairs and wheel yourself into my office? Eventually you'll be able to come to the dining room table for dinner and sit where your mother used to sit. And surely you want to go about the grounds.”

”When you're ready, miss,” the man said, ”just press that red b.u.t.ton on the right arm and it will begin to lower you. The black one will raise you.” ”Go ahead,” Tony cheered.

With trepidation I pressed the red b.u.t.ton and closed my eyes. ”Go for the tall ones,” Luke was telling me in my mind. ”You can do it, Annie. You and I are special. We overcome the hardest and greatest obstacles Fate puts before us. We do. Try harder. Make it work.”

How I wished he were the one giving me the encouragement and holding my hand. With Luke beside me, I wouldn't be afraid and I would try anything if it could mean a return to full health and strength.

The chair jerked forward and began a slow descent down the stairway. The three men followed along closely as I traveled downward, the mechanism humming smoothly.

”Isn't it great?” Tony asked. I opened my eyes and nodded. The chair shook a little, but other than that, it did feel very secure, and it was nice moving down these stairs without being a burden to anyone.

”How does it know when to stop?”

”Oh, it's been adjusted for that, miss,” the man said, and sure enough, as it reached the foot of the stairway, it came to a soft halt. Parson had brought my wheelchair along and set it up beside the mechanical chair.

Just at that moment Drake popped out of the entry from where he hd been watching the entire event, cheering and clapping.

”Hooray for s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p Annie!”

”Drake Ormand Casteel, how could you hide down here instead of being with me when I needed support?” I complained.

”That was just it,” Drake explained. ”Tony wanted you to do this without anyone a.s.sisting, so you would become independent that much faster.”

”You're two conspirators,” I chastised playfully. Secretly I was very proud of myself and happy Tony had made me do most of it myself. I looked behind Drake. ”But where is Luke? Is he hiding, too?”

Drake's face soured. He looked at Tony, whose face was as solid as granite, his eyes a cold, dark blue, like two sapphire stones.

”He went on some orientation picnic arranged for all the freshmen.”

”Picnic?” I looked back at Tony. ”But I thought you left a message about the service, Tony.”

”I did, with whoever answered the phone at the dorm. At least, my secretary did. She said there was a lot of noise in the background and it sounded as if they were having a big party.”

”Didn't you call him yesterday, Drake? After you left here?” I felt my heart sinking, an empty, hollow, cold cavern replacing its warm pocket. How could Luke not be here? How could he not have responded?

”I called early this morning, but they had all already left.”

”I don't understand.”

”Just a mix-up, probably,” Drake said. ”He never got the original message and left not knowing about the service.”

”How could there be a mix-up? This isn't some freshman dance. Whoever took the message must know how serious it is. He wouldn't be so casual as to forget or misplace it. No one can be that callous.”

”He's not here,” Drake said softly.

”But he would want to be here!” I cried. ”It's . it's a service for his father, too!” I felt myself losing control. All of it was closing in on me at once--the accident, my parent's deaths, my injuries, Luke's absence. I had the greatest urge to scream and scream and scream. ”I don't understand!” I repeated in a shrill voice.

Both Tony and Drake looked stricken. The expressions on their faces forced me to get hold of myself I didn't want to become hysterical and cause a postponement of the service. That was too important to me. Parson and the technician responsible for the mechanical chair quickly excused themselves and went out.

I pulled myself up stiffly in the wheelchair. ”I'm all right.” I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand. ”I'm all right,” I lied. ”Luke will just have to make a special trip.”

”Drake, why don't you wheel Annie to the front and wait there while I fetch Miles to bring the limo around.” Tony patted my hand and rushed off. Drake wheeled me to the front door. Just as he opened it, Mrs. Broadfield came up beside me, appearing as quietly and as-quickly as a ghost.

Drake moved me out and into the pool of suns.h.i.+ne that spilled over the portico and steps. The day did not reflect my sad and tragic mood. It was as though even Nature refused to pay attention to my feelings. Instead of dull-gray clouds, starch-white cotton-candy puffs scattered across the aqua sky. The breeze that brushed across my face and made some of my strands of hair dance over my forehead was gentle and warm. Everywhere I looked, birds fluttered and sang. The strong, fresh scent of newly mowed lawns perfumed the air.

All around me was life and happiness, not death and sadness. The sight of such a bright and wonderful day made me feel even more alone. No one could understand why, no one but Luke. If only he were here now, holding my hand. We would look at each other and he would nod knowingly. His fingers would entwine with mine, and I wouldn't feel as if the world were conspiring to make my pain even sharper. I'd feel able to fight back. The need and the desire to become a part of it all again would be overwhelming. More than anything, I would want to walk.

Desperately trying for that mood and strength, even without Luke's presence, I pressed my hands against the arms of the chair and willed my feet to press down on the footrests, but the muscles in my legs weren't cooperative. There was only a slight sensation traveling up through my calves and thighs. Disappointed, I sat back.

Miles drove the limo as close to the steps as he could. Tony and he stepped out just as the Reverend Carter appeared. He was a tall, lean man with sharp features and graying blond hair. Tony shook hands with him and spoke with him a moment and then the two of them, Miles following, came up the steps.

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