Chapter 11

In a robotic manner, I answered the questions of Detective Jason Lands, the only detective we have in our small town. He had worked in Nashville before coming back to Alabama where he had grown up. Pulling one of the chairs in the private waiting room so that he was seated directly across from me, he asked me tell him what happened. Then, he went back over it with me a couple of more times. He then talked to Brad whose hand I hadn't let go of since we'd reached the hospital. He was sitting in the chair next to mine. Our parents were sitting across the room with Joyie's Mom and Dad.

Detective Lands finally reached over and took my left hand in his. His blue eyes reflecting the pain that I felt, he said, "You did your best. That's all you could do."

Everyone had been saying that to me for the past hour. I wanted to believe them, but I wasn't convinced that there wasn't something else I could have done. The friend who was like a sister to me was in surgery, possibly dying, and I felt like it was my fault.

Tears welled up inside me, but they wouldn't come out. Since going into the nurse mode while taking care of Joyie, I'd been unable to function in anything other than the calm collected manner that mimicked Mom's when she's handling a crisis.

The minute the detective was gone, Mrs. Adkins came over and held out her arms to me. When I stood up, she hugged me tightly. Holding me, she kissed my head and whispered, "None of this is your fault, Sweetie."

I saw Dr. Blackmon walk through the door. He had pulled his surgical mask down and I could tell from the look on his face that things weren't good. When he said, "Chief and Mrs. Adkins, I'm sorry," I made a bee-line for the door, but Dad stepped in front of me and wrapped me in a bear hug. The moment his arms went around me, I burst into tears.

Stroking my hair and kissing the top of my head, he mumbled things to me like he had when I was a kid; every other sentence was, "I love you, Baby."

I'm not sure how long we stood there, but when the nurse gave me a shot, everyone had left the room but Brad and his parents. Dad told me he and Mom were going to be with Joyie's parents all night and that I was going to spend the night at Brad's house.

On the way home, I mentioned Doug and Brad told me that Mom was calling Mrs. Mason. A few minutes later, I went to sleep and didn't know anything else until I woke up the next morning on Brad's bed. Stretched out beside me, he brushed his fingers over my cheek.

He was dressed in a tee-shirt and jeans. I was wearing my panties and a tee-shirt that was several sizes too big for me.

He feather-kissed my lips.

"Everything hurts," I said softly as tears filled my eyes. "I feel like I'm breaking to pieces."

Kissing me again, he whispered, "I know, Sweetie."

"What time is it?"

"Almost nine-thirty. Are you hungry?"

I licked my lips. "Kind of, but I really want a shower first."

"You've got it." He rolled off the bed and held out his hand for me.

When I was beside him, I wrapped my arms around him, and molded my body to his. We held each other without saying anything. After several minutes went by, he took my hand and we went into the bathroom.

He was washing my back when we heard Anna yell, "Big Brother!" She then proceeded to pound on the door.

"What's the matter, Muppet?"

"Where's Virginia?"

"She's taking a shower."

"Okey-dokey."

He kissed the back of my neck and rubbed his soapy hands over my shoulders.

"Hey!" Anna called, banging on the door.

"Hey!" Brad replied.

"She's not in there."

"Not where, Muppet?"

"Mama's bathroom."

"Oh, golly," he muttered; and I held in my laughter. "Look in yours."