Chapter 13

As she drove the last half mile to the house, Jan smiled as she contemplated the secret she would share with Michael and Sheila this evening. She knew how Sheila loved surprises and imagined her reaction when she shared the wonderful news. She had told them she was going into town after some printer paper, but that had been only an excuse to get away from them so she could confirm what she had suspected for the last three weeks.

She pulled into the driveway and immediately noticed the other car was gone. Odd, she thought. Neither Michael nor Sheila had mentioned going anywhere. She smiled. Maybe they were keeping secrets of their own. She thought back to the day when they had presented each other with their wedding gifts, how pleased each couple was to surprise the other, how much love had been shared that day. And every day since had been even better. They had known they were sexually compatible from the beginning, but as they had lived together, shared their feelings, truly gotten to know each other, the love had deepened. She could no longer imagine life without them.

As she closed the car door, she saw something fluttering from the front door. it looked like a piece of paper. Walking up the steps, she saw it was a note. As she read it, her heart froze:

JAN,

THERE'S BEEN AN ACCIDENT. MICHAEL'S BEEN BADLY HURT. COME TO THE HOSPITAL.

SHEILA

Jan, normally a careful and slow driver (she took constant ribbing from Michael that his clothes were going out of style as she drove), sped over the dusty road at breakneck speed, twice almost swerving off the road as she took turns at speeds for which the primitive roads of the island had never been intended.

"Sheila!" she called, as she ran into the emergency room and spotted her beautiful blonde husband.

Jan became even more worried as she saw the anguish in the face of Michael's sister/wife.

"What... ?" Jan began.

"Jan, Michael was working on the roof, caulking around the chimney..."

Tears welled and her voice choked off.

"What happened, Honey?" urged Jan.

"I was down below holding the ladder... all of a sudden he started shaking, lost his balance and fell off the ladder. Oh, God, Jan, he hit his head on the rock border around the flower bed!"

"How is he? What does the doctor say?"

"They... haven't told me anything yet. They just took him up for emergency surgery. I was on my way up when you got here. Jan, he was unconscious... I got him to the car... left you the note... drove him here... I..."

Sheila was almost wailing, her voice taking on tones of hysteria.

"It's OK. You did great, Honey. I'm just sorry I wasn't there to help. Why don't we go on up to the surgery waiting room."

"Yes... yes... uh... what?... where?"

The lovely blonde looked haggard, worn, her tear stained face showing fear, her behavior seemed erratic, confused. She seemed unable to focus.

"Come on Honey," Jan said patiently and lovingly, taking Sheila by the hand and leading her to the elevator.

As the doors closed, Jan read the directory posted on the wall and pushed the correct button.

As the elevator began it's journey, Sheila suddenly slipped to her knees and held out her arms. Jan embraced the trembling woman, offering the strength she knew Sheila needed at this moment.

"Jan... what if... how can I live without him?" she wailed, crying on the diminutive's shoulder.

"Don't go imagining things that we don't know. Let's see what the doctors can tell us," she replied as the doors opened at their floor and she helped Sheila to her feet.

They made their way to the waiting room where Jan helped Sheila to a seat, then went to the nurse's desk.

"I'm Jan Tompkins, Michael Tompkins' wife. What can you tell me?" she asked.

The head nurse, an older woman, looked at Jan with a disapproving stare, wondering how the handsome patient had come to marry a dwarf. She picked up a chart, glanced at it and turned back to Jan.

"Not a lot yet, he was just sent up from emergency. The doctors are preparing to do emergency surgery. He has a severe head injury, but I'm afraid that's all I can tell you until the surgery is finished. I'll have Doctor Javier come see you the moment the surgery is over."

"Thank you," replied Jan, who then returned to the waiting room where she spent the next four hours consoling and comforting Sheila who was becoming more distraught with each passing hour.

Jan's heart ached every bit as much as Sheila's, she too facing, for the first time, the prospect of life without her beloved Michael.

Finally, exhaustion overcoming, anguish, the initial adrenalin surge having drained away, Sheila fell into a troubled sleep, lying on the couch, her head in Jan's lap as the diminutive wife ran her fingers comfortingly through the blonde trusses.

As the fourth hour came and went, Jan found herself beginning to nod, but she came bolt upright when a voice came to her from behind.

"Mrs. Tompkins?"

"Yes, I'm Jan Tompkins."

"I'm Doctor Javier, your husband's surgeon."

Jan gently shook Sheila awake. The blonde was still troubled, but at least had regained some composure.

"Dr. Javier, this is Michael's... sister."

Jan saw no reason to complicate things unnecessarily and a look from Sheila told her her wife agreed.

"I'm afraid I have bad news," he began

There was an audible gasp from Sheila.

"He's alive, but there is massive damage. He has a fractured skull, but that is the least of our worries. You told the emergency room nurse he seemed to shake before falling?"