Liz Takes a Fall Pt. 02

"Congratulations, Mr. Carver, you are a very lucky man. The X-rays show no broken bones, which is astonishing. Witness statements suggest that your spine should have been severed by the fall."

"That's good to hear, doctor, but how is Elizabeth?" The doctor smiled and placed his hand on my bruised and aching shoulder.

"Preliminary tests show that Miss Tate is even more fortunate than you. You are a hero, Mr. Carver. You risked your life to save hers. I don't know how you managed to hold her so perfectly, but I think she's going to be just fine."

"Could I speak with her?" I asked.

"There will be plenty of time for that, Mr. Carver. We want to keep you both overnight for observation. It seems unlikely, but we want to be sure that neither of you suffered a concussion. In the meantime, you have some people that are anxious to see you."

* * * * *

The first to slip past the curtain around my bed was Diane. She threw herself on the bed and wrapped her arms around me. I tried to stifle my cry of pain and failed. She jumped back as if I were on fire.

"Oh, Ray, I'm sorry! I'm just happy to see that you're all right! Did I hurt you?"

"You couldn't possibly do any more damage to me. I feel like I really did fall off the "turn-a-truc." Diane didn't realize that I was merely quoting sweet Ben. She reverted to her medical training and looked at me with impartial concern.

"Ray, can you tell me what day of the week this is?" I was too bruised and sore to tease her. It would have been fun, but I doubt she'd have seen the humor. Still...

"Well, if it isn't past midnight, I'll venture a guess and say that it's still the Fourth of July." A few more simple questions satisfied her that my head was still on right. With tears in her eyes, she held my face and softly kissed me."

"There, how was that? Do you feel better now?" I couldn't resist.

"I've had better," I replied, "But I believe you've made my boo-boos all gone!"

"Ray Carver, if you weren't already beaten to a pulp, I'd slap you for that! Did they tell you that Liz is going to be okay?" Apparently, my kiss with Liz had gone unnoticed.

"Yes, the doctor said that she'll be fine, thank God. I have to admit that I've never been so scared in my life." This started the tears flowing again.

"You're a hero, Ray. Anyone else would have crushed her during the fall. I don't know how you managed to hold your position without going limp and rolling like a ball."

"The doctor said we are both very lucky to be alive. He said it was a miracle."

"It was a miracle named Ray Carver. You're a hero, you're my hero!" Before I could respond, the nurse appeared. "Mr. Carver? I hate to intrude, but there are others who'd like to see you. Could your friend visit with you later?"

"I'll leave you for now, Ray. I'll be back in the morning to take you home. Nurse, Mr. Carver is in pain. Would you please caution his guests not to touch him?"

One by one, I was bombarded by well-wishers. Lois, Kika, Ted, even Nicole came to say hello and tell me how brave I was and how glad that I wasn't severely injured. I was feeling better, even basking in the attention I was receiving, when Mr. Dickerson pulled the curtain aside. He spoke to the nurse first.

"Could you see that Mr. Carver and I have some privacy? I'd like to speak with him alone." I heard the door outside the curtain close, and Dickerson turned to me. He wasted no time. I would have been surprised if he had. He withdrew a small little book from his coat pocket and began to recite the accidents in chronological order.

"Depilatory cream in the shower. Spilled bottle of shampoo, also in the shower. Kitchen utensils left out in harm's way. Medication cabinet left unlocked and open. Food poisoning. Toxic materials in the garage and a dead cat. Two people in the hospital, and one of them is you. What's going on, Ray? It's time you told me what you know."

"I wish I could tell you more, Mr. Dickerson, but I don't know any more than you. In fact, I wasn't aware that the medicine cabinet was left unlocked. But it doesn't take a genius to figure out that something isn't right. Believe me, I'm as concerned as you. This last incident could have been fatal, and it scares the hell out of me." Dickerson put away his memo pad and looked me dead in the eye.

"Actually, your accident is the only incident with an explanation. Apparently, there were two caregivers on either side of the chair as it was waiting for the lift. Both assumed the other had set the brakes. Nevertheless, it is one more serious act of negligence. I'd shut the house down if there were suitable accommodations available for the residents at this time. The question now is, why are these incidents occurring, and who is responsible?"

"I wish I had an answer, sir. I don't think I could stand another trip down a hillside."

Dickerson turned and drew the curtain around the bed. He placed a business card on the nightstand and said, "Keep in touch, Ray. If you see or hear of anything suspicious, give me a call."

Not before I contact Helen Diaz, I thought to myself. Instead, I replied as he was leaving, "Mr. Dickerson, who were the caregivers that were preparing to load Liz into the van?"

He withdrew his little book and leafed through its pages. "Let's see, that would be the one called Kika and the sister of the one I saw you with at the playground."

"The sister? I didn't know Diane had a sister working at Richman House."

"She doesn't work at Richman House. Nicole Scott is a caregiver at Chapman House." His hint of a smile told me that he knew he'd dropped a bomb."

"Good-bye Ray, I hope you feel better soon."

I was momentarily left to ponder Dickerson's last words before the nurse returned to my bedside. It wasn't as if Diane hadn't the opportunity to tell me that Nicole was her sister. In fact, at our first dinner date, she merely said that she and Nicole grew up together. I wondered why she'd neglected to tell me this.

"Mr. Carver, your friend would like to see you now. Do you remember her name?" I knew that this question was intended to check for a concussion.

"Please tell Elizabeth Rose Tate that I would love to see her." The nurse helped me to my feet and despite my protests, helped me into a wheelchair.

* * * * *

Liz appeared even more pale and fragile than ever, if that were possible. Otherwise, she looked unharmed by our roller coaster ride down the hillside. She batted her big eyes and smiled at me.

"Hey sweetie; how's my little princess?"

"Hi Ray; I feel fine. They told me I could go home in the morning. How are you?"

I was tempted to use Mike's "I've been better, but it costs more" line, but I knew this visit to the hospital was costing a small fortune. "I've got some bruises, but they tell me I'll survive. It's good to see you, Liz." Liz used her tongue to move the white plastic tube aside.

"I want to thank you, Ray. No one has ever done that with me before."

"Well, I should hope not! And I hope you never take a swan dive like that again!"

"I'm not talking about that." Liz's porcelain white face blushed an adorable shade of pink. She looked me straight in the eye and said, "I meant the kiss. No one has ever kissed me like that before." I would be a liar if I told you that I didn't feel like the gallant knight everyone was making me out to be.

"I thought it was a fitting reward for a lucky guy," I said. This time, Liz averted her eyes as she continued.

"I want you to know that I don't want to lead you on. You're too nice of a guy for a girl to do that to you. But it was just a kiss, Ray. We both know that our relationship means too much to take this any further. I'd hate to lose you as a friend. Besides, it wouldn't be fair to Diane."

Now it was my turn to blush. "I'm glad you feel that way, Liz. It looks like Diane and I have become a couple. But I think we should keep this to ourselves. Diane might not understand that I wasn't cheating on her. It was an act of passion in the heat of the moment."

"Thanks, Ray; I knew you'd understand."

I turned the wheelchair to leave, but Liz called be back to her.

"Ray, I'd like to know, how was it? The kiss, I mean; how was it for you?"

It took some effort, but I rose from the chair and leaned across the bed. For the last time, I cradled her head in my right hand. I then brushed her short hair away from her forehead and kissed it tenderly.

"I'll never forget it, Princess."