Love Lift Me by Synthia St. Claire Read Free Book Online Page A

knows what else anyway, so it worked
out.”
    “Oh,”
I said and pulled the sheets back up over my legs. Even with the bandage in
place, I didn’t want to look at my injury.
    “She
stopped by to see you before I got here and said you was asleep still. Miss
Pauline, that is.” Father tugged at his shirt sleeves and added, in an annoyed
tone of voice, “Hale stopped by to visit you the other day, too.”
    “He
did?”
    “Boy,
did your momma give him an earful. You shoulda seen it, Lil’ Bit.”
    “I’ll
bet.” For the first time since the accident, I felt a hint of a smile coming
on.
    “Lord,
but she was fired up at him. ‘It’s your fault she’s like this! Why didn’t you
pick her up you idjit?’ Folks in a coma on the other side of the hospital could
probably hear her hollerin’ at him. Poor boy didn’t know whether he was comin’
or goin’. Surprised she didn’t whack him over the head.”
    “Sounds
like her. He deserved it, anyway.”
    “He
ain’t never been one to be reliable, jus’ like his old man, but he’s gifted at
working on anything mechanical. Might need someone around the farm like…” He
held up his hands to stop himself. “Never you mind that. I ain’t gon’ try to
tell you who you ought to be with. I know how it is. You two was always close,
even as youngins. He left you some flowers over there in case you start
wonderin’ who they was from.” Father pointed to a small glass vase by the
television which held a variety of wildflowers and roses. Clipped to the bow
around the stems was a card far too small to read from the bed.
    “You
shore’ you don’t want somethin’, Lil’ Bit? I can run down to the cafeteria and
get you some sweet tea if you’re thirsty. Nurse said it was ok.”
    I
shook my head. “I’ve got some water, Daddy, I’m fine for now. Please go on home
to momma and tell her I’m alright. I’m sure she’s up by now and is probably
wondering. Plus, you know how Miss Pauline gets to going on. She’ll have momma
up and helping her cook something for the Saturday bible study before noon.”
    He
laughed and slapped a hand on his knee. Then he lifted himself out of the chair
and gave me a peck on the forehead. “Ok, sweetie. I reckon I need to get some
rest myself. You jus’ lay back down for a while. The doctor said we should be
able to get you out of here in another day or two once you came ‘round.”
    “Love
you,” I whispered, feeling my voice crack.
    “Love
you too. We’ll be back up here a little later.”
    I
watched him walk out of the room and into the hallway, where he looked very out
of place in a dusty jacket and faded farmer’s overalls. After that I closed my
eyes, sleepy and worn out all over again. A nap would be nice. If I had the
energy later, maybe I’d try to watch some television and find out what happened
with the bus.
    The
numb feeling crept over me again when I thought about all those people. How
many had there been? Why had it crashed? Was anyone killed? I swallowed
hard at the prospects. It was a horrendous crash.
    Then,
the image of Shane pulling me out of the wreckage flooded my thoughts again and
with it came the worry that somehow he hadn’t made it. That alone drove a
sickening spike of adrenalin into my stomach. The steady beeping of the heart
monitor increased its tempo.
    Not
yet. I can’t do it right now. Can’t think about it.
    My
fingers reached for the green button the nurse had shown me earlier. Within
moments, the pain in my leg subsided and dreary, muddled warmth descended over
me.
     
    I
hadn’t been asleep more than an hour when there came a light tapping on the
frame of my open door. Standing there, looking like a whipped puppy, was Hale.
He was wearing the burgundy polo shirt I’d bought him for Christmas two years
before, which was hanging out over a pair of old khaki shorts. I always thought
he looked good in that, and not only because I’d picked it out. The color went
well with his tanned skin and