The Bond of Brothers

Two months. Sixty one days. 1464 hours. 87840 minutes. 5, 270,400 seconds. Not that anyone was counting. It felt more like years, but Elisa was determined to hold her head up high and not give in to the pessimism that seemed to have infected so many during those long days and nights. The sun beat down like it was another perfect day without the thought of the bitter winter they were all facing. They were in the middle of an unusual warm spell and it seemed to lighten the moods of most everyone around her. Elisa noticed more smiling faces as she walked down the corridor to her husband’s room.

“Morning Elisa.” A male nurse named Greg greeted her just as he was coming from another patient’s room. This floor was for comatose patients and it was usually as silent as a morgue. Today, the somberness had been lifted, doors were open and people acknowledged each other. As soon as Patrick was able to breath on his own, he was moved from the ICU ward to this floor. It had seemed like a dreary place before to her. Actually to everyone, as they all began to find creative excuses of why they could not come to visit.

“Morning.” Elisa smiled at the nurses. “Greg. Hi Allison.”

“Hi, Elisa.” The young red-head beamed back at her. “Love the flowers.”

“I love magnolias.” She said over her shoulder. Things felt different today and for once she didn’t have to convince herself of this. It was all around her and infecting everyone. Maybe today was the day for miracles. She would round this last corner, enter his room and be met with one of his amazing smiles. The kind he used to melt every girls heart.

Elisa sucked in her breath and hoped that her heart would not race right out of her chest. She knew she was getting her hopes up, but it was too late to stop now. Without realizing it, her pace picked up as she eagerly wanted to see her husband. Today would be the day. Finally. She turned the corner and nearly halted in her tracks. This was not what she had expected.

******************************

The swelling had significantly decreased and the ugly bruises had faded to a sickly yellow. Tubes remained to allow fluids and nourishment to feed his muscles that needed to be worked on a daily basis. The white bandages that covered most of Patrick’s head had been removed and the hair was coming back in. He would have looked like a man merely sleeping had it not been for the various tubes of silicon that were attached to monitors that made constant soft beeping sounds. He looked amazing considering the massive accident he had managed to survive. Now, if only you would open your eyes. Elie thought to herself.

She stood outside Patrick’s room debating on whether she should enter or even be there. A bouquet of flowers were clasped tightly in her hands. She felt foolish. Patrick was still alive, and he had his family to be by his side. She had no business being there. She had convinced herself to just leave when she caught sight of Patrick’s wife coming towards her. She shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. There was no way she could just turn around and beat a hasty retreat now. “Damn it.”

Elisa noticed Ellie and slowed her pace. She knew she had never met this woman before, but a strange feeling swept over her. It wasn’t something she couldn’t explain and this wasn’t the first time it had happened. Since Patrick’s accident, it had been happening a lot. So, she couldn’t trust her gut instinct. It was such a silly notion anyway. She had nothing to fear from this woman.

“Mrs. Stump.” Ellie greeted her politely. “I’m Detective Ellie McDaniels.”

“It’s Elisa.” She responded with a smile and visible relief. Without hesitation she shook Ellie’s extended hand.

“I was on the scene the night your husband was in the accident.” Ellie began, trying to explain her presence there in front of Patrick’s room. She glanced through the window at the still form on the bed. “He’s a living miracle. Your husband is an amazing fighter.”

“That he is.” Elisa no longer studied the woman, but looked past her at the one Ellie watched intently. “You and your partner were the ones who came in with my husband. The doctor told me you refused to leave until you knew his family was found.”

The realization lit up her lovely face causing Ellie to blush. The rush of heat to her cheeks made her feel silly. “It was part of the job.” She said lamely.

Elisa turned her attention back to Ellie. “You didn’t have to do it. You got him out of that Jeep. Stayed with him. Made sure he wasn’t alone.”

“I wish we could take credit.” Ellie said with genuine modesty. “We tried to help, but the rescue crew did the work. They were the miracle workers.”

“Still.” Elisa waved off her protests. “I’m grateful to you for being there for him.”

The sincere emotions behind Elisa’s words could literally be felt by Ellie. She had come across this before. It wasn’t the first person she had had a hand in pulling back from the brink of death. She had hugged relieved family members when devastation was turned to alleviation. But her words warmed her. “I was glad to, Mrs...”

“Elisa.”

Ellie nodded. “I was happy to, Elisa.” She hesitated when she opened the door and gestured for her to follow. It felt very intrusive to be there with her and Patrick. Elisa was the one with the right to be there. But, it would be rude to just stand there like an idiot.

The new room was a lot more spacious than the ones on the ICU floor. Every corner and table were lined with flowers of every kind and color. Ellie suddenly felt as if she had stepped out of the hospital and in to a flower garden on a spring day. This was the only place that did not have the hideous disinfected smell.

Ellie touched the card of a rather large arrangement of roses and baby’s breath. The sender wrote of hope and prayer for the Stump family. “FOBBND?” The anagram was completely lost on her. While Elisa sat down the load in her arms and kissed her sleeping husband, Ellie examined more cards on the various plants. A lot of them were inscribed with the same combination of letters. It was really odd.

Elisa noticed Ellie’s close inspection and smiled proudly at the display of floral beauty. But her mind was not on the collection of brilliant colors. “A lot of people love him. Flowers and cards have been coming from all over the world. I’ve been sending about forty arrangements a day to other wards for the patients and nurses. I could open up my own floral shop.”

“I don’t mean to be nosy, but what does this mean? I’ve noticed it on several cards.”

There was that beaming smile of love again. “It stands for ‘Fall Out Boy Believers Never Die’. It was started by the fans.”

“Fall Out Boy?” Ellie knew the name sounded familiar to her. “Oh yes. Dand, Dance.”

“That’s them.”

“My little sister has posters of them.” Ellie looked closer at Patrick as she brought up to the surface of her memory the pictures that had adorned Rebecca’s wall the last time she was home. “She used to torture our parents by blasting Dance Dance and trying to learn the dance moves.”

“I never could learn them.” Elisa chuckled.

“The one I loved was What a Catch.” Ellie continued. The smile faltered as she studied Patrick’s face. The only movement was the steady rise of his chest. The only sound was the monitors. “How long has it been?”

Elisa sighed as reality once again interrupted her thoughts of better things. “Two months. It feels so much longer. Every day I come up here and convince myself that today’s the day he’s going to wake up. I’ll walk through that door and he’ll be sitting up. He’ll be smiling at me like he always did. Ask me where I was and when could he get something decent to eat.”

An uncomfortable silence fell between the two women. Ellie turned from the sight of Elisa and Patrick only to find herself staring at a striking picture of the couple. Without thinking, she picked up the silver frame and examined the smiling faces. She traced Patrick’s handsome face with the tips of her fingers. The man in the picture was filled with more life than the breathing one lying prone on the bed. It was damn sad. “He’s very handsome.”

Elisa heard Ellie’s comment but did not reply. She stared down at Patrick’s closed lids and gently stroked the short hair on his head. He looked like he could just wake up at any moment.

“It’s not what you think, Elisa.”

“Then explain it to me, Patrick! What the hell is going on?”

“Elisa?”

The sound of her own name startled her. She looked back at the police officer. Thinking of past things seemed wrong to do while she stood over her husband. The irrational thought that the woman could read her thoughts took hold of her. It was silly, but clung to her. “Sorry. I was just thinking....about Matty. Our son. He’s so much like his father. Looks just like him.”

“Ever since Matt was born, you’ve been distant.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I don’t know what’s wrong here. But you’re different. Like someone I don’t even know anymore.”

“There is something I need to talk to you about.” Ellie hated this part, but she was a police officer first, woman second. “Everything has reached a dead end. If he was running from someone, there’s nothing to point out whom. There was a minimum amount of alcohol in your husband’s system, but well below the legal limits. It’s going to be ruled just an accident.”

“Maybe that’s for the best.” Elisa said softly. Her heart ached as she held her breath. Truth was, she didn’t really want to know anymore. The important thing was that Patrick had made it through that ordeal. He was alive. And he was going to fucking wake up. “We have to start over and that means leaving that behind us. It was an accident. Simple as that.”

Nothing was ever just simple, but Ellie kept her thought to herself. She nodded slightly. The best thing to do was just leave and put this behind her as well. She had done what she had needed to. “Good luck, Elisa. You and Patrick are in my prayers.”

Once she cleared the doorway, Ellie had to keep herself composed. Running out of there like some nut would unsettle everyone. Including Elisa. Taking in slow steady breaths, she made sure her steps were normal while the thumping in her chest was anything but. No matter what Sam said or how many dead ends they hit, Ellie couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling crawling in her belly. Patrick had been running for his life that night. He had been scared and willing to risk everything to get away. “Just an accident, my ass.”

*****************************

”You know you can wake up at any time.”

Elisa sighed as once again she was greeted by only silence. Her back tensed while she leaned forward and stroked the top of his hand. “You’re surrounded by a garden, Patrick. Every flower created by God. Every color seen. It smells like heaven in here.”

“What’s Heaven?”

“A field of flowers that never die. The colors never fade and the scent is never overwhelming.”

“I think we’ve filled every available space.” She rose from the hard leather chair and walked around the hospital room. Her small slim fingers touched the peddles of a few of the flowers. “I’m thinking about opening up a flower shop right here.” She smiled, glancing back over hr shoulder. Patrick did not share in her amusement. She would do anything to just see him smile. She picked up single stem. “Now, this is jasmine. It is famous for its aroma. It’s bold, but graceful. We had some of these planted around the cabin last year. Do you remember? We can open the windows and their fragrance can be smelt throughout the place.”

Elisa perched on the left side of Patrick’s bed and held the flower in front of him as if to allow him to see it more clearly. “At first I thought it would be too much. A little too overwhelming. Funny how something so beautiful and delicate can be so powerful. I’m going to make a wreath with these. What ya think, huh? I think it’ll look beautiful on that big oak door.”

“Hey, Elisa.” A large black man appeared in the doorway interrupting her dialogue to her sleeping spouse. She recognized Carl immediately and gave him a warm smile. “You want me to take some of these to make more room?”

“Sure.” She said. “But leave the roses and lilies.”

“Yes, mam.” He worked quickly gathering up several arrangements. Like the others, they would be distributed to other patients in the hospital. More would arrive soon and the room would be cluttered all over again. He paused at the door. “Mr. Patrick is looking even better today.”

“Thanks, Carl.” Elisa grinned at him. Pretending to be so confident was easier around people who didn’t know her. “He does look good. Going to wake up real soon. I can feel it.”

“That’s the spirit.” He smiled and then slipped back out as quickly as he had appeared. Elisa turned her attention back to husband and away from the dying garden around her.

“Once you’re up to it, we’ll go up to the cabin.” Elisa continued her one sided discussion with Patrick. “Like we had planned. Just you and me. We can work on us for a change. No phones, no interruptions.”

Joe watched her tend to Patrick. He listened to her talk as if Patrick was just laying there listening politely not interrupting. He realized that this routine kept her from breaking under the pressure. She would not accept the reality that this might be as good as it gets. Brian might never answer her back.

Elisa didn’t see him there, but felt the weight of his stare on her back. She cut her eyes in his direction, but did not stop conversing with Patrick. Joe entered after she motioned to him. “Joe’s here, Patrick. You know how worried he’s been? Poor guy looks like hell.”

“Thanks for that.” Joe forced his tone to be light. “You’re looking damn good, bro. Think you’ve had enough beauty sleep though. Keep this up, you gonna be prettier than Elisa.”

“Glad you’re here.” Elisa placed a quick peck on Joe’s cheek, then held out the single flower to him. “It’s a lily. It’s one of Patrick’s favorites.”

“Nice.” Joe didn’t have to breathe in deep. The scent of the flower seemed to fill the room.

“Here, Patrick.” She leaned forward and placed the flower bloom under his nose, not caring if he could take a deep whiff or not. It wasn’t important. “You want to smell it babe? No fair that you don’t get to enjoy....”

Lights. Coming.

Just let go. Let go.

He’s coming. He’s coming.

Along with the overwhelming aroma, a high pitched wail swarmed the room.

Joe was the first to react as the machines seemed to take on a life of their own. Elisa fell into his arms as the heart monitor roared. “What the hell?”

“No. No.” Elisa chanted as the realization finally came to her. Patrick’s body convulsed and lurched out of control. . His back arched while his arms jerked. “Patrick! Patrick!”

Let go. Let go.

A sea of white flooded before their eyes, and hands pushed them away. Joe didn’t have time to rationalize it all out before Dr. Patton’s voice boomed above them. “He’s in cardiac arrest. Hang on, Patrick. Don’t you dare give up on us.”

Patrick gasped as bright lights flooded his mind. Fear forced him to scream but it didn’t escape his lips. He didn’t know why it frightened him. The lights. He’s coming.

Patrick choked violently as he tried to suck in a desperate breath. It appeared that Patrick’s rise from the murky depths of the subconscious was going to be a rough brutal journey. “Don’t let go, Patrick.”

Joe grabbed Elisa’s hand and pulled her towards the door. An unseen man shouted to get her out, but he wasn’t sure who it was. He managed to get her to the opened door, but stopped. Both of them watched in horror. “He’s dying. God, he’s dying.”