The Contingency Plan (The Lonely Heart Series) (8 page)

Charlie cut him off. “What happened?” she asked, suddenly more of a nervous wreck, if that was poss
i
ble.

“Alex has been in an accident. He was on a call and fell through a flaming ceiling.  He’s at the hosp
i
tal.”  He passed her a piece of paper with the dire
c
tions on it.

“Oh my God!” Charlie screamed before she could help herself.  Bursting back through her office door, she grabbed her purse and coat.

“Is everything okay?” Sully asked, standing up.

Her eyes were awash with new tears.  “No.  Alex has been injured on duty,” she said, running back out of the door.

Sully followed behind her. “Take my car,” he said, leaning against the door. “It’s waiting out front!”

“Thanks!” Charlie said, forgetting all about their conversation. 

He watched her disappear quickly down the hall and then heard her quickly get into the elevator. Taking a deep breath, he looked over and noticed that Frank was staring at him with a clever grin. 

“What?” Sully asked, running a hand through his hair. 

“Nothing at all, sir,” Frank said quickly. 

“Where you eavesdropping?” Sully asked, narro
w
ing his eyes on the man.

“There is no need, sir. She’ll tell me everything on Monday,” Frank said, raising his brows and turning on his heels to head back to his office. “I’ll call a cab for you.”

75

The Contingency Plan

Chapter 4

It was near seven a.m. two days later by the time that Alex was moved from ICU to a room of his own.  Having regained consciousness, he was ecstatic to find the first person that he laid eyes on to be his one and only Charlie.  She gazed down at him with warmness and stroked the side of his caramel face with her index finger.  A single tear fell from her eyes onto his lips as she tried to speak.

“Hey you,” she said, smiling.

“Hey yourself,” he moaned, looking down to rea
l
ize that his leg was in a cast.

“Where am I?” he asked, finally feeling pain shoot through his body.  His throat still hurt from the tubes that had been recently removed, but he refused to stay quiet. 

“You’re at Jacobi Medical Center,” Charlie said, looking over to the station chief, who was finally rustling awake from his short nap.

“What happened?” Alex asked, trying to reme
m
ber what had led him there.

“You went up to the attic to save a little girl in a house fire and the two of you got trapped.  The boards fell on you, and you fell through the attic down into the second story of the house where more debris fell on top of you.”  Charlie tried not to cry at the thought of nearly losing him so abruptly. 

“And the girl?” Alex asked, completely unco
n
cerned with himself for the moment.

The chief stood up and pulled at the belt of his pants.  “Alex, it’s best that you just focus on getting better.  You took a hell of a lick in there.  We almost lost you.”

“What happened to the girl?” Alex asked again, this time with more baritone in his voice.

The chief looked down, showing the balding top of his nearly all grey head.  “She didn’t make it, son, but it was nothing that you could have done about that.”

Alex’s lip curled up.  Swallowing hard he let a tear fall to the side of his bruised face.  “I remember now. She was just a kid, barely ten years old.”  His voice cracked.

“She was twelve.  You did the best that you could, more than any of us did.  You can’t let it get to you,” the chief said, walking over to the bed to stand over him.  “The most important thing is that you get well.  Thank God, Jesus and all the Saints that you’re alive.”

Alex tried to adjust in the bed but realized that he was incapable of moving himself. “What’s wrong with me?” he asked, pushing up on his elbows.  His heart began to race. 

“Calm down, baby,” Charlie said, rubbing his arm. 

“Broken leg, broken arm, shattered knee, internal bleeding that they were able to stop, concussion. You took a beating.  But Charlie has been here the entire time and your folks are right outside of the door,” Chief said, slipping on his cap.  “I’ll go and let your mom know that you’re awake. I think that she finally went down to get some food from the cafeteria.”

“Thanks, Chief,” Alex said, stretching out his fi
n
gers.

“Awh, hell boy.  I love you like my own damned son.  I’m just glad that you’re recoverable,” he said, raising his furry brow.  “Charlie, do you need an
y
thing?”

Charlie shook her head and muttered, “No.  Thanks, Chief,” before she looked back down at her broken fiancé.  “I’m so proud of you.”  Leaning closer to him, she kissed his lips.  “I’m so very proud of you.”

“For what?  She’s dead.  Didn’t you just hear him?  She’s dead,” Alex repeated, eyes watering again.

“But baby, you did all that you could. You always do.” Charlie’s heart ached for him.  Alex had always been so passionate about his job.  Plus, she knew about the nightmares and the flashbacks he still had from 9/11, which seemed to make each new occurrence of death that much harder for him to handle.

“I don’t want you to feel sorry for me,” Alex said, fighting back his tears.  Wiping his face with the hand that presently had an IV sticking out of it, he straigh
t
ened up a little more.  “The people who should be crying are the family members of that girl, not me.”

“But honey, it’s okay to grieve,” Charlie said, fee
l
ing him put his wall back up.

“I’ll be fine,” Alex said, closing off.  Reaching over, he touched her hand and nodded. “I’ll be fine.”

Charlie nodded back, hiding her worry behind a soft smile.  Hearing the familiar voice of his mother behind him, she wiped her eyes and turned.  “Maria,” she said, stepping out of the way.  “He’s finally up.”

“Praise Jesus, Mary and Joseph,” Maria said, mo
v
ing to stand beside Charlie by the bed.  “It’s so good to see my baby boy’s bright brown eyes again.”

“Ma, you act like I was unconscious for a year,” Alex said with a chuckle. Although he didn’t feel like perking up, he did so to make her feel better.

Maria couldn’t help but laugh. “But it seemed like a lifetime.  Your father and I have been praying the rosary for six hours.”

“What a good Catholic you are,” Alex taunted as she bent to kiss him. 

Maria made the sign of the cross over her body.  “Aye, some body has been praying for you.  This is why you are alive.  Intercessory prayer works every time.”

Charlie stepped back from the two to give them room to talk as the rest of his brothers, father, family members and fellow firemen tried to get their chance to get inside the room.  “I’m just going to step out for a bit,” Charlie said, walking to the door.
             

“Well, hun, you don’t have to go,” Maria said waving her back.

“No, there is only like two people allowed at a time. I’ll be here all night, so I’ll give everyone else a chance to get in and see him,” Charlie said softly.  She looked over at Alex and smiled again. 

“Isn’t she a sweetheart?” Maria said proudly.  “My soon-to-be daughter.” Turning back to her son, she reached in her purse and pulled out a Tupperware container. “I snuck in a bowl of black beans and rice for you.”

“Ma, I can’t eat,” Alex said, smelling the delicious aroma as she opened up the lid.  He quickly changed his mind. “Well, maybe just a little bit.”

His brother, Jesus, chimed in quickly as he walked in and took off his cap.  “Ma, I don’t think he’s su
p
posed to be eating.”

“Why not?  He’s not having any more surgeries, and he has to be starving,” she said in a high pitched voice.  “He’s going to get skinny if he doesn’t eat.”

“He won’t die if he misses a meal,” Jesus said, rol
l
ing his eyes.  “I should eat it for him.”

“Boy, all you do is eat,” Alex’s father, Pedro said, moving closer to his son.  He bent to kiss his head.  “Good to have you back.”  His father gazed into his son’s eyes with bright hope. 

“Good to be back, pa,” Alex said with a nod. 

Charlie slipped out of the ruckus and slowly made her way down the hallway to grab some coffee and try to wake up.  Still in the same clothes and using the hospital bathroom to take quick bird baths, she made the situation work. 

Since Alex had been admitted, she had not gone home once, hadn’t gone to the office, hadn’t left his side.  The team at Sophie’s Choice had already visited and sent their love and was totally understanding of her absence.  And the deal with Dane Withersby was smoothly underway thanks to Frank.  However, her life was in complete disarray because even though Alex was finally conscious, she worried for his mental state during his upcoming, uphill recovery. 

Aimlessly, she walked in a daze through the win
d
ing, sterile halls lined with halogen lights and linol
e
um floors until she reached the airy cafeteria, where a rush of breakfast goers were moving about the busy place grabbing a bite to eat before they reported to work or after they got off. 

Huddles of visitors were gathered a various tables wearing the same tired face that she was wearing.  She made eye contact with some of them, speaking through unspoken, paused blinks that verged on mini-naps.  The consensus of the room was that someone well-loved was in trouble, and they weren’t leaving until their loved ones got much better.  Like Charlie, these people were here for the long haul, doing shifts to fluff pillows, lift heads, wipe mouths, pray and stay. 

After grabbing a bagel, some strong Columbian coffee and little cream cheese, she sat down alone in a corner booth and slumped down in the chair.  Being off of her feet for a moment felt nice, especially in heels, so she took the opportunity to push her feet out of them and wiggle her defenseless toes.

With her elbow hitched up on the table holding up her chin in her cupped hand, she played with her food and began to nod.

“Didn’t anyone every tell you not to play with your food,” a voice said from above her.

Charlie looked up startled.  She knew that voice.  Instant adrenaline ran through her body.  “What are you doing here?” she asked, hating herself for looking so treacherous.

Sully took a seat across from her, looking like he had just walked off the front cover of a magazine.  They were polar opposites at the moment, because she looked like she had just walked off the front of a wanted poster.

“I came to see how you were doing, how Alex was doing and if you all needed anything,” Sully said, wiping the table off with his hand. 

It was a habit of his to clean everything.  She was certain that he didn’t even realize that he was doing it.

“Are you sure you didn’t come to see if I had changed my mind?” she asked, narrowing her eyes on him as she picked up the coffee and put the cup to her mouth.

“Ouch.  That hurt,” Sully said, frowning. “No. Like I said, I came to see how you guys were doing.  I sent over flowers.  Did you get them?”

“Yes,” Charlie said, letting down her guard.  “Thank you. That was very thoughtful.”  She wiped her tired eyes and smirked.  “Sorry for being bitchy.  That was rude of me. I just haven’t really slept or taken a hot bath or anything and I think I’m just stressed out.”

“You have every right to be,” Sully consoled.  “This has to be a very difficult time for both of you.” He noted the dark circles under her eyes.  “Is there anything that I can do for you, Charlie?  Anything to make this a little easier?”

“I wish
you could
,” she said, sipping the coffee slowly. “But unless you have a magic wand to make Alex better…” her eyes watered.  “He’s just been through so much, and now this.”  She wiped her tears quickly.

“Keep praying for him,” Sully said, reaching out to touch her hand.  “Just keep praying and asking God for what you need.  He listens and He delivers.”

Charlie was taken aback by his comment.  She had never really heard him mention God before.  It was comforting.  Those simple words spoke volumes to her heart.  Smiling, she clenched his hand tight.  “Thank you, Sully. Really.”

Her eyes were warm and languid, like a sunset on a black sand beach, and Sully felt the need to hug her and make her feel safe again, but he could not.  She belonged to someone else…someone good.  Even he had to admit that, but it didn’t stop the rush of em
o
tions that had come over him since he had seen her at the gala.  It definitely didn’t stop his dream of having a child with her, but it did stop his actions.  She needed him right now to be a neutral zone, not pushing and prodding for his own self-interests. 

Charlie slowly pulled her hands back and placed them in her lap.  “You know, Alex lost one testicle in the accident.”

Sully bucked his eyes.  He wasn’t expecting that as a comeback.  “Well, I’m sorry to hear that,” he said, squinting his eyes.  “Is he going to be able to function okay?”

“The doctor seems to think so.  We can still have children.  But it got me to thinking about something,” she said, looking around to make sure that no one could hear them.

She continued.  “When I thought that he couldn’t have children, I just felt like a major part of our lives was snatched away from us.  The thought was agoni
z
ing.  So, it got me to thinking about you and your request.”  She leaned closer to him.  “I had a glimpse of what it would be like for you to lose your dream, Sully.”

Sully couldn’t respond.  If she still turned him down, he would be crushed, but he could not let on too early how prematurely excited he was about the fact that she might be sitting in this noisy cafeteria agreeing to be the mother of his child. 

Charlie realized Sully was type lipped for the m
o
ment and continued. “So, I’m going to do it.  I’m gonna…give you my eggs.  We just have to keep this between us, no matter what. If Alex ever found out…” She shook her head forebodingly at him but didn’t finish her statement.  He knew what she was saying. 

             
“He won’t.  No one will.” He reached over and touched her hand.  “Words cannot adequately e
x
press…”

“I can’t say that I’m not concerned about a few things: you being a single father, you raising an interracial child, you having to tell her or him about how she or he came about,” she heaved a heavy sigh.  “These things really bother me, Sully.  But I trust that you will handle this situation with the utmost care.  You will in your own way strive for rights for interr
a
cial children and adequately support the IVF initiative of Sophie’s Choice.”