Chapter 3

Lola was sitting with her mother and girls in the family when she heard Drew scream Jack’s name. However as soon as she heard her son wailing, she knew something was horribly wrong. Jumping from the couch she rushed outside onto the deck. Seeing one of the older horse trainers holding a hysterical Jack in his arms as a small group huddled in the outdoor ring, she took off down the hill toward the commotion. Vaulting over the fence, Lola screamed, “What happened?”

“Mama! Mama!” Jack cried, lunging for her.

Lola took him into her arms as she parted the workers to see who was hurt. As soon as she laid eyes on her wife face down in the dirt her world began to spin out of control. Dropping to her knees, Lola reached for the back of Drew’s head with a shaky hand to stop the flow of blood. “Someone get me a towel!” she yelled, her voice wavering with emotion. “Drew, baby, can you hear me?” she whispered to her lover who lay motionless.

Moments later an old towel was placed in her hand by one of their workers. “I already called an ambulance, Lola. They’re one their way.” he mentioned.

“Does anyone know what happened?” she asked looking around at all their employees.

he young man that had found Jack originally stepped forward and dropped to a knee next to her. “I saw Jack had wandered into the ring with some of the horses we were training today. Drew and I came to get him when one of the horses got spooked. Jack was about to get trampled when Drew pushed him out of the way, and the horse landed on her instead. I’m sorry, Lola.” he said quietly.

“Oh, God.” Lola whispered clutching her weeping son closer to her body with one arm as she kept the pressure against Drew’s head injury. Lola began to cry as the minutes passed seeing her wife’s precious blood soaking the ground around her.

“Mommy! Mommy, please wake up! I’m sorry! Please wake up, Mommy! I’ll never do it again!” Jack swore as he tried to reach for her, but Lola kept him back.

“It’s okay, baby. Everything is going to be all right.” Lola consoled him, rocking him slightly, trying to keep him calm.

“Make her wake up, Mama. Please.” he begged.

Knowing she couldn’t fulfill that request, she simply held Jack closer. “Mommy will be okay, Jack. She just has to be.” Turning to address the group, she said, “Someone go up to the house and tell my mother what’s going on. Tell her to get the girls ready to follow the ambulance to the hospital.”

Hours later found Lola, the children, Kate, and Jim hovering around in Drew’s room in the hospital. Even though Lola was a complete emotional wreck, she tried to remain strong for her kids. Jack had worn himself out crying and was now asleep next to Drew in the bed after he had been examined by the doctor for injuries as well. The room was quiet, everyone lost in their own thoughts as Lola rocked a sleeping Emma, and Kate softly hummed to a tired Libby.

“Lola, why don’t I take the kids home and get them ready for bed?” Jim suggested. “It might be awhile before we know anything.”

Knowing her children didn’t need to be around the hospital any longer, she gave a nod. “All right. I’ll keep Emma with me, though. Thanks, Jim.”

Once mother and daughter were alone, Kate slipped her arms around Lola who began to cry. “I know this is hard for you, baby, but Drew’s a fighter.”

“I can’t lose her, Mom. She means everything to me. I can’t live without her beside me.” the young blonde sobbed clinging to her mother for comfort.

Kate stared at Drew lying almost lifelessly in the bed. Her head had been bandaged to stop the bleeding, and she lay unconscious to the movement around her. Kate’s own heart began to break seeing the woman who had been her best friend for thirty two years clinging to life by a thread as her daughter, her best friend’s wife, wept uncontrollably in her arms. “No matter what happens, Lola, you have to know that Drew loves you and the children with all that she is. She put her life on the line today for your son. She saved his life.”

“I know. I know. I just feel like this is all my fault. I’m the one that suggested she take him down to the barn. If he hadn’t have gone with her, this wouldn’t have happened, Mom. She wouldn’t be fighting for her life right now. I blame myself. If Drew dies I couldn’t face my children knowing this is all my fault.”

“Oh, honey, this is not your fault. This is no one’s fault. Things like this just happen sometimes. Lola, you have to be there for your kids. They need you now more than ever. They need their Mama right now, holding them and assuring them that they are loved, especially Jack. You can see it in his eyes. Even if he can’t express it, you can tell he feels responsible.”

“Oh, Mom. He was hysterical when I got to the scene. He kept screaming for Drew, saying he was sorry, that he wouldn’t ever do that again. She must have told him not to go near the horses. He kept wanting me to wake her up, but I knew I couldn’t. I couldn’t do anything but sit there and watch her life fade from her body.” she sobbed shaking in her mother’s embrace.

The two women cried together quietly until the door opened. “Good evening. My name is Dr. Melissa Johnston. I was in the ER when Sheriff Bailey was admitted.”

“Hi, Dr. Johnston. I’m Lola Emerson-Bailey, Drew’s wife, and this is my mother, Kate.” Lola said standing to shake the doctor’s hand.

“Please call me Melissa. May I come in and talk to you about Drew for awhile?” Lola nodded, so Melissa pulled a chair up near the ones they were seated in and sat slumped slightly forward. “Would it be all right if I called you Lola?” she asked politely.

“Of course, Melissa.”

“Great. Now can you tell me anything about how Drew got her injuries?”

“I’ve been told by some of our farmhands that Drew got trampled by a horse trying to save our son’s life. Apparently he spooked one of the horses, but Drew managed to push him out of the way before the horse came down on him.”

“I see. And your son is all right?”

“Yes. He was examined here at the ER as well, but they said he was fine. Now please, Melissa, tell me about Drew.”

“Well, as you probably already know, Drew sustained a major head trauma as well as several broken ribs. This is a very serious matter, Lola. Drew lost a lot of blood, and she’s been unconscious since the accident.”

“Will she be okay? That’s what I need to know right now.” Lola said. “She just has to make it. We have three children that need her, not to mention me.”

“Lola, I really wish I could give you a definite answer to that. I wish I could tell you that she will wake up, but in all honesty, I don’t know that for sure. She’s holding on right now, but she’s in critical condition. I have to make you aware of the seriousness of this situation. It’s not easy to sit here and tell you that there is a chance that she will not make it, but there is a real possibility that she might succumb to her injury over the next few days. Only time will tell. If Drew makes it through the night, there is a better chance of survival, but these next twelve hours are crucial for her.” Lola began to cry again as she clung to her mother for support. “Now, Lola, I don’t say this to upset you. I just want you to be realistic about what’s happening here. I think we should focus on the next few days. She needs you and the rest of her family right now. I’m a firm believer that even though people are unconscious they can hear us. She needs to be surrounded by people that care about her, letting her know that she has so much to come back to, you, her children, the rest of her family.”

Lola nodded. “Okay. What happens after she’s stabilized?”

Melissa gave a small smile. “That’s the attitude we need. I’ll be frank with you, Lola. Assuming that she does stabilize, there is a gamete of what we can expect. There is a possibility that she may never wake, or there is a chance that she awake with few side effects, and then there is everything in between. First we stabilize her. Then we work on trying to bring her around. We won’t know what brain damage has really occurred until she’sconscious.”

“Are you saying that she has a chance of complete recovery?” Lola inquired hopefully.

“That is possible, Lola, but we don’t know at this point. Please have faith in that but realistic with what is happening in the present.”

“I’ll try, Melissa.”

“That’s all I ask. I’m going to go for now, and they are going to take Drew to her new room in a few minutes. I just want you to know that she’s being moved to the wing with all the other brain and spinal cord injuries. I’m a specialist in that wing and was just filling in tonight, so I’ll see you and Drew in the morning. Okay?”

“All right. Thank you for coming to talk to us, Melissa.”

Melissa nodded. Going over to Drew, she took Drew’s hand in her own. “Drew, I’m Dr. Johnston, and I’m here to tell you that you’ve got one hell of a wife here, so please come back to us. She and your kids need you. I’ll see you in the morning.” Turning to leave Melissa stated, “I’ll call upstairs and make sure they put a cot in Drew’s room for you and see if there’s something we can do for the little one as well.”

“Thank you, Melissa.”

Kate stayed until Drew was settled in a private room before calling Jim. “I’ll tell you what, Lola. Jim has to go back to the city, but I’ll stay with the kids. I’ll give you a call in the morning to see if you want them to come visit.”

“Thanks, Mom. I don’t know what I would do without you. Drew’s parents should be arriving sometime late tonight. They have a key, so just leave them a note as to where to sleep. I don’t care what you decide on.”

“All right. We’ll call you in the morning. Try to get some sleep if you can. You’ll be no good to your children if you don’t get rest.” Kate softly stated coming to give Lola a hug. “I love you, Lola. We’ll get through this. I promise.”

“I love you too, Mom. Kiss the kids for me.”

Kate nodded before going to Drew. Leaning down Kate kissed her cheek. “Drew, please come back to us. Lola and the kids need you. I need you. I love you.” she whispered so her daughter would not hear her desperation.

Once Lola was left with just she and Emma, she took a seat at Drew’s bedside as she cradled their daughter. “Well, Drew, if you wanted a break, you could’ve just said so. You didn’t have to go to such great lengths to get some alone time.” she joked through her tears. “It didn’t work, though. You’re still going to have to put up with the kids and me. We’re going to be here. You’ll be so tired of us hanging around your room that you’ll just wake up and tell us all to be quiet.” She was silent for a moment before saying, “Please wake up, Drew. The kids need you. They are too young to be without you, and I need you. I need you at home with us. I need you in our bed loving and protecting me. I’m not ready to let you go, so you better just make up your mind to come back to me. I’ve got lots of loving to give to you before it’s all over. This is not your time, Drew. You just tell God that you’re not ready, that you still have a lot left to do.”

Lola sat up for several hours before deciding to move to the cot that had been rolled in for her. Placing Emma in the crib that had been brought in as well, Lola closed her eyes, knowing that she would not sleep but trying to rest for her children’s sake. Between the nurses coming to check on Drew every hour and Emma’s schedule, Lola didn’t sleep at all, but she felt better being able to lie down for awhile.

Melissa arrived early that morning as promised, gracing Lola with a subdued smile. “Well, good morning. How is our patient this morning?” she asked of Lola.

“No change from last night that I can see.” Lola said as she moved to stand next to the bed.

Melissa moved to the other side. “And how are you, Lola? How are you feeling?”

“I’ve been better. I didn’t sleep at all last night, so I’m not in the best of moods.”

“That’s understandable. I’ll tell you what. After I look at Drew, I’ll see if I can round up some breakfast for you. I know you probably haven’t eaten in at least fifteen hours, have you?”

“No. I guess I haven’t.”

“I hope that you will be going home at some point today to get some rest. You’ll be no good to Drew and your kids if you don’t stay healthy yourself.”

“I know. Drew’s parents and my mother should be coming over soon with the kids.”

“That’s good to hear. I suggest that you work out a schedule. All of you need rest and quality time with the kids right now. I know you’re first inclination is to stay here with Drew until she awakes, but this could take awhile, so please do you family a favor and stay rested. Now the good news this morning is that Drew has made it through the night. That’s a positive sign. She still has a long way to go, but she’s made it over the first hurdle. These next few days will give us a better inclination of what might happen. She’s become more stable throughout the night, so that’s definitely what we want to see, but she still has a fight ahead.” Turning her attentions to Drew, Melissa said, “I guess you know that you have all this family to come back to, don’t you, Drew? You’ve got one pretty little wife just waiting on you, so help us out here. Open those big brown eyes for us. I promise Lola will be making pathetic love sick eyes at you if you just open yours.”

Lola looked down at her wife wishing that Melissa’s words would stir her lover into consciousness, but Drew didn’t respond. “Please, baby. Open your eyes. I want to see them.” Lola stated touching Drew on the shoulder.

When nothing happened for a moment, Melissa put a hand on Lola’s arm. “Don’t give up. She’s in there somewhere. I have rounds to make, but I’ll see to your breakfast.”

“Thanks, Melissa.”

When Drew’s parents arrived at the hospital later that morning, they spent a few minutes with Lola learning the details of what had happened before sending their daughter-in-law home for some much needed rest. Going back to the house, Lola was greeted by her mother and children. “All right, Lola. Let me take Emma off your hands. I think you should go upstairs and try to sleep for awhile.” Kate suggested. In no shape to argue, Lola simply nodded at her mother and passed off her baby. “Okay, kids. We’re going to have quiet play time this morning, so Mama can get some sleep.” Kate said to the group.

Lola made her way upstairs to the master bedroom. Heading into the bathroom she began the water in the shower before peeling off her clothes from the previous day. Seeing Drew’s blood staining her top, Lola began to cry again as she tossed the clothes in the hamper. Even though Melissa wanted her to remain positive, Lola could feel doubt entering her mind as she stood under the spray of warm water, wondering what she would do to support her family if Drew died or didn’t recover fully. Their financial security had rested with Drew for all the years of their marriage, so Lola had no idea how she would care for herself and three children if Drew didn’t make it. “Oh, dear God. Please bring her back to me.” she prayed.

Having finished her shower, she threw on one of Drew’s t-shirts and crawled into bed, emotionally drained. Closing her eyes she began to drift when she heard the bedroom door creak open and then felt someone crawl onto Drew’s side of the bed. Figuring it was one of the kids, Lola just laid quietly trying to control her tears before opening her eyes, but she could feel them flooding over her face. It was only when she felt a tiny fingers tracing over her cheek that she opened her eyes to see her son kneeling next to her on the bed. Jack’s eyes were watery and his lips quivering as he looked at her. Lola reached her arms out to him, and he immediately fell into her embrace, laying his dark head on her breast.

“I’m sorry I was bad, Mama.” he whispered. “Does Mommy still love me?”

“Of course she does, Jack. She loves you so much.” she croaked caressing his brown hair.

“Do you still love me, Mama?” tentatively he inquired looking up at her.

Lola gave him the best smile she could muster as she cupped his face in her hands. “I could never stop loving you, son. I will always love you, Jack, no matter what.” she reassured him. Seeing the affirmation settle him, Lola guided him back down onto her chest.

“Is Mommy going to wake up soon? I want her to come home.” he said after a moment.

Knowing that she couldn’t give him the answer he wanted, Lola whispered, “I hope so, Jack. I want her to come home too.”.


Chapter 4

Three weeks passed with Drew remaining stable but still unconscious. Even with all the family that visited on a daily basis, she was unresponsive. Lola’s only consolation was Melissa’s constant attention to her and Drew’s needs, making Lola hope that Melissa saw something in Drew that she didn’t.

One evening as Drew’s mother sat with Lola in Drew’s room, Melissa stopped in at the end of her shift. Going over to the bed, Melissa leaned down towards Drew’s ear whispering so neither of the other women could her, “Hey, Drew, you need to wake up now. If you don’t wake up, who is going to stop me from making a play for your lady? She’s too sweet to have to go through this, Drew. She needs a woman to take care of her, and your children need two mothers. You don’t want me to replace you now, do you? Come on, Drew. Wake up and tell me to go to hell. Don’t be a quitter.” she challenged hoping to draw any kind of reaction from the older woman, but there was only silence. Sighing softly she stood and turned to Lola. “How is everyone holding up today?”

“Fine.” Lola mumbled.

“Well, you nearly had me convinced with that overwhelming response, Lola. Listen, I know it’s been a long day for you. You could use a little break. Could I convince you to have dinner with me tonight?”

“Dinner?” Lola questioned skeptically, looking at Drew before facing Melissa again.

“Yeah, dinner. You know the last meal of the day? I know you’ve been overwhelmed with Drew and the kids, so I just thought having a little dinner out would be a nice break for you. Please, Lola. It would bring me great pleasure to ease your burdens for awhile.” Melissa mentioned, eying Drew as she spoke to the blonde.

Lola caught where Melissa’s gaze was, and inquired, “What are you doing?”

“I’ll tell you about it at dinner, if you grace me with the pleasure of your company, my dear beautiful woman.” she said extending her hand to Lola. Under her breath she whispered, “I swear I’m not really hitting on you. Just play along. I’ll explain later.”

Lola looked at Drew again before hesitantly placing her hand in the doctor’s. “All right. I really could use some time away, Melissa. Thank you.”

“Wonderful. It’s such a rare opportunity that I get to spend the evening with such an incredible lady.” As soon as Melissa escorted her from the room, she dropped Lola’s hand. “Listen, there’s a great little Italian place a few miles down the road from here. Let’s eat there, and then I’ll drop you off here again.”

As they walked down the corridor to exit the building, Lola inquired, “Is your shift over for the day?”

“Yeah. These twelve hour days can be a bear. I’m about ready to just go home and crash.”

“Well, if that’s the case, we can do dinner some other time. I don’t want to intrude on your private time, Melissa.”

“Don’t worry about that, Lola. I meant what I said back there. It’s a rare opportunity to go out with an amazing woman, even if she is already married.” she mentioned.

Lola blushed at the unexpected compliment. “Okay. If you’re sure, we’ll get something to eat, but I don’t want to stay gone too long.”

“I understand.”

Once they were seated in the restaurant and had ordered, Lola asked, “Would you like to explain what you were doing back in Drew’s room now?”

“Yeah. I’m testing a theory, but I’ll need your help. Drew’s been surrounded with people that love her for the last few weeks, and even though she’s stable, she’s not making the progress I think she should be. I feel confident that we can bring her around, but it’s a matter of reaching her. Usually in cases like these, loved ones have the best chance of reaching the patient, because the patient knows their voices, but with Drew I think it’s going to take a little more. Based on what I know about her personality from what you’ve told me, she’s a fighter, and I’ve seen that, because she’s made it this far, but she’s struggling to get back to us completely. Sometimes with people like Drew, I’ve taken a different course of action with permission from their spouses of course, and that’s where you come in.”

“Okay. What do I have to do?”

“Well, first of all, I want you to know that I have no intention of undermining your marriage to Drew, and I don’t want you to do something that makes you uncomfortable. However if you’re okay with this, I’m going to start treating you differently in front of Drew to see if we can get a reaction out of her.”

“You mean you’re going to start flirting with me in front of her like you were earlier?” pointedly Lola inquired.

“Essentially, yes. Let me explain what I’m trying to accomplish here. I don’t need for you to be overtly positive toward my so called advances, just friendly and neutral. I don’t want Drew to think that she’s lost you, because I think that would have disastrous consequences if she believed that you had abandoned her. You still concentrate fully on giving her all your love. I simply want to create a competitive atmosphere in that room. I believe that competition for the woman she loves might bring her around much faster. She seems like the type of woman who would fight for your love, Lola, and I’m trying to play into that. Once she’s conscious I won’t continue that game, because having her see that would be counter productive, but as long as she’s out, I think it could work. Of course if we see that it’s being counter productive, we’ll stop immediately. Would you be all right with trying this?”

Lola shrugged. “I guess. Have you ever tried this with anyone else before?”

“Yeah, a few times.”

“Has it worked?”

“I would like to believe that it has. There’s no real scientific proof if that’s what you want to know. The people on whom I’ve done this have all come out of their comas, but whether that’s due to this or luck, who really knows. I think it’s worth a try if you’re willing to let me do it.”

Lola shrugged her shoulders. “Sure. If you think it will help, I’m all for that.”

“Great. Now let’s talk about something else other than Drew for awhile. Tell me more about you. We’ve been together all this time, and I know nothing except that you’re a doting wife with three beautiful children.”

“There’s not much to tell about me that’s not about Drew too.”

“Oh, come on. Don’t be so modest. Surely you have a self-definition that doesn’t include your handsome knight in shining armor. What are your hobbies? What do you do for fun?”

“Well, I like to ride horses, but after this incident, I think I’ll be a little hesitant to get into the saddle again. Of course due to the kids, I don’t have a lot of time to spend down at our stable.”

“I take it you stay home with the kids while Drew works?”

“Yeah. I got pregnant with Jack shortly after we got married, and I was basically in charge of the stables until I Jack got to the age that he was walking. Drew and I decided that I should take a leave of absence from my position to focus on our family, and then once I was pregnant with Libby, it was just impossible to do any sort of work outside the home. I do look forward to when the kids are all in school, and I’ll get to go back to working with the horses, at least part time. I’ve got a few years before then, though. Right now the kids are my life.”

“Is that the way you wanted it?” Melissa inquired seriously.

“Yeah. I’m the one who convinced Drew to have kids so early, because I thought she should be able to be active in their lives. There is a considerable age difference between us that concerns me at times, because I fear losing her early in our marriage. I lost my father when I was in high school, and I devastated for a long time. I don’t want that for our kids. I want our children to know Drew’s love, so I persuaded her to let me get pregnant early on.”

“That makes sense. May I ask how long you and Drew have known each other?”

“My whole life. She and my mother have been best friends since they were in high school. Drew’s my sister’s godmother.”

“Oh? That sounds like a real drama.”

“It was at the time I guess, but I wasn’t going to take no for an answer from Drew, at least not for long. I was determined to make myself Mrs. Bailey, much against the wishes of my mother and Drew. Neither of them so keen on the idea at first.”

“How did you manage to change their minds?” curiously Melissa asked as she dug into the meal that had just been delivered to them.

“Well, with my mom I just talked it out. Eventually she came to understand.”

“And Drew?”

“Drew was not so easy. I wove an intricate web to snare her, but you better believe once I had her interest, I wasn’t letting go. An occasion flash of T and A didn’t hurt either.” Lola joked with a laugh.

Melissa smiled back at her. “It’s good to see you laugh, Lola. You have a beautiful smile and laugh. Do you let Drew hear it when you two are alone in her room?”

“I guess not as much as I should. It’s so hard to see her like this sometimes.”

“I know. I can see that on your face. You should let her hear that laugh. Do you touch her a lot when you’re alone together?”

“Yeah. I hold her hand and stuff and kiss her. Is that what you mean?”

“If I may ask, how do you kiss her? Compassionately, sexually, sympathetically?”

Lola shrugged. “I guess compassionately and lovingly.”

“Never sexually?”

“No. Do you think I should?”

Melissa shrugged. “If you’re comfortable with that. It wouldn’t hurt. It would be interesting to see if she would respond to that kind of touch. I’d be thrilled if she would respond to anything. Now I’m not saying you should have sex with her while she’s in a coma, but there’s nothing wrong with a little tactile exploration to let her know you’re there. What about putting her hands on your body, so she can really feel you?”

“You have some extremely unorthodox methods, Dr. Johnston, but I’d be willing to try anything.”

“I’m willing to guess that you feel as much comfort as you do arousal at Drew’s touch, so why not give yourself that? It’ll make you feel better. I have no problem with you climbing into that bed with her as long as you are mindful of those broken ribs. You can’t touch that side of her, but lay next her and put her arm around you. Not withstanding what it might due to Drew, I know it would be positive for you, and I certainly don’t think it would harm Drew to feel the woman she loves next to her.”

“As I said, Melissa, I’m willing to try anything. I’ll do it tonight. I’ll admit that I’ve missed feeling her arms around me.”

Once their meal was over, Melissa took Lola back to the hospital and walked her back to Drew’s room. Looking to Drew and then back at Lola, Melissa winked before saying, “Well, thank you so much for the wonderful dinner, Lola. It was a real pleasure. I hope we get to do it again sometime soon. You have made my night.”

“I had a nice time too, Melissa. Thank you for the dinner.”

“I’ll see you, my lovely lady, in the morning.” Melissa announced before softly adding, “I’m going to stop by the nurses station and let them know you have my permission to do as we discussed over dinner. The last thing I need is for them to harass you for doing what I told you.”

Lola nodded before bidding her good night. Taking a seat next to her mother-in-law, she sighed as she looked at her wife. “Dear, I don’t mean to intrude on your privacy, but was that doctor flirting with you?” Rose inquired as bounced Emma on her knee to keep her occupied.

Lola smiled at her. “Don’t worry about that, Rose. You know I’m committed to Drew. I love her with all I am.” she stated before leaning in to share the secret plan Dr. Johnston had suggested.

“Well, I should get going. I know Jackson is probably about out of his mind with the kids by now. He never was very good at child rearing Drew, so I’m afraid to leave him too long without supervision with the grandkids. They’ve probably destroyed the house by now.”

“The kids love him. I’m sure it’s fine.”

“Yeah but I’m the one that’s going to have to clean up after them once they are asleep. I’ll see you when you come home in the morning. I think Jackson is planning on coming over here first thing to relieve you of your duties.”

“All right. I’ll see you then. Good night.”

As soon as she and Emma were alone, Lola moved to Drew’s bed, raising it into a semi-sitting position. “Hope you don’t mind the change of position, Drew, but I’m not quite ready to lie down yet. Emma and I want to sit next to you and watch a little tv. I think your favorite show is on tonight. I’ll even consent to let you watch it since the kids aren’t here.” she mentioned, turning on the set and flipping the channels until she got to Drew’s favorite cop show. Snuggling up to her wife, Lola put Emma down between them until the infant was fast asleep. Once the tv show was over, Lola moved Emma to the crib before settling down against Drew again.

“Oh, Drew. I’ve missed this feeling of being close to you.” Lola whispered as she rubbed Drew’s arm with sexual intention. Even though she felt strange about trying something with Drew being unconscious, Lola heeded Melissa’s instructions as she moved her mouth over Drew’s neck, showering it with long, lingering kisses. “I wish you were awake right now, Drew. I could use your strong hands making love to me.” Lola allowed her hands to gently wander over Drew’s body like Melissa had suggested, and she found her hand petting the tops of Drew’s thighs and over her abdomen, trying to produce a response from her partner. Even though Drew remained perfectly still, Lola could feel heat beginning to radiate from Drew’s core, giving Lola small assurance that Drew’s body recognized her touch.

Lola spent the remainder of the night lying next to Drew, finding comfort in being close to the woman she loved eternally until the voice of her father-in-law softly awoke her the next day. Lola spent most of the rest of the day after leaving the hospital sleeping and playing with her children. When she returned to take her night shift, Melissa was talking with Drew’s father in the room.

“Well, there’s the lady whom I’ve been waiting to see all day. You certainly know how to bring a smile to my face, Lola.” Melissa stated with a grin.

“Hello, Melissa. How are you?”

“I’m great now that I’ve seen you. Could I interest you in dinner tonight?” she asked.

“Thank you for the invitation but no. I should stay here.”

“Maybe next time then. Could we talk outside for a moment?” Melissa inquired. Lola followed her out into the hallway. “So, how are you feeling today? Did you take my advice last night?”

“Actually, I did, and you were right. I felt much better.”

“You look like you’re feeling better. Being close to her helped then?”

“Tremendously. I tried that touching advice, you know the sexual touching. It was awkward at first, but after I got used to it, it was comforting.”

“Good. Any reactions from Drew?”

“She didn’t move or anything, but she did respond in other ways.” Lola admitted with a slight flush.

“How so?” Melissa inquired in clinical interest. When she saw the blush of Lola’s face, she said, “Lola, I’m a doctor. I told you to touch her that way. Don’t be embarrassed by what happened.”

“Well, let’s just say that her body got aroused by it.”

“How do you know?” Melissa asked trying to clarify.

“I had my hand between her legs at one point.” Lola admitted, blushing profusely.

Deciding to let the blonde of the hook, Melissa gave her a reassuring smile. “I see. Well, I guess there’s a woman who really knows the touch of her lover then. Just remember what I said. No having sex with her while she’s in a coma. We wouldn’t want to risk her waking up in the middle of that. Speaking of waking up, we should talk a little bit more about what to expect when she does come around.”

“Do you definitely think she will?” Lola asked hopefully.

“Lola, you know I can’t give you a definite answer to that, but I’m strongly leaning toward that expectation. She has every reason to come back. I think it’s only a matter of time. I should warn you about what to possibly expect, though.” Lola looked at her with trepidation. Putting her hand on Lola’s arm, Melissa stated, “There is a small chance that she could wake up perfectly normal, like nothing ever happened with the exception of the broken ribs of course, but that’s not highly likely. Usually people who have suffered injuries like this have problems mentally and physically. These can be temporary or permanent, Lola, but we won’t know until she’s conscious the extent of the damage. She may have memory loss and paralysis.” Lola looked at her in confusion, so Melissa tried again. “The short of it, Lola, is that she may not know who you or anyone else in the family is, and furthermore she might be disabled and unable to control her facilities. I just want you to be prepared for that. This can be a temporary or permanent debility, but we won’t know anything for sure until she wakes up. My guess it that she’s going to be angry at her inability to do what she normally could, so your patience, love, and support will be needed more than ever.”

“Okay.” Lola said with a determined nod. “I can do this. We’ll get through it together. I promised her that, and I’m not about to back out now. I’ve come this far. I’m here to see it through.”

“Good. I’m glad to hear that, and I know she’ll feel that way too even if she’ll be unable to express it. Just focus on the love you two have had for each other all this time, and it’ll help you get through this trying time.”

“Thank you, Melissa.” Lola whispered reaching out to hug the doctor. “Thank you for everything.”

Melissa returned the embrace for several moments before lifting Lola’s chin to look in her eyes. “Drew is so lucky to have you, Lola. Never doubt that or vice versa.”

When Lola went back into Drew’s room, she gave Jackson a hug. “How has Drew been today?”

“All right. I read her some of her magazines, and we watched one of our favorite movies today on tv. All in all it’s been a pretty good day. She’s much easier to deal with than my grandchildren. They wear me out.” he joked.

“Thank you for being here, Jackson. I don’t know what I would do without you, Rose, Mom, and Jim. You’ve all been such a great help to me.”

“We love you, Lola. We would do anything for you and Drew.” he assured her bringing her in for a hug.

“I’m so happy Drew has you. Even as much as I’ve come to love Jim over the last several years, he could never replace my own father, so I’m glad Drew still has you. She’s going to need you.”

“I’m here for both of you. Never forget that.”

Once Lola was alone with Drew and had put Emma in her crib, she decided to try Melissa’s advice again by sliding onto the bed next to her beloved. “Well, here we are again, baby, all alone, just the two of us. I’ve been thinking of you all day, Drew. You don’t even know how badly I miss the feeling of you touching me. I need you to touch me, Drew. Since you can’t touch me on your own right now, I’m going help you touch me if you don’t mind. I just need to feel your hands along my body for awhile.” Kneeling on the bed and facing Drew, Lola began to unbutton her blouse as she stared at Drew’s closed eyes. “Too bad you’re missing the show, Drew. I know you would love to see me undressing myself right now. Open your eyes, baby. Watch me. I know you love it when I unhook my bra and let my breasts tumble free just like right now. Come on, Drew. I know you want to look at them.” she stated baring herself from the waist up. “I’m half naked, Drew. Don’t you want to see me naked? Just open your eyes.” she whispered. Suddenly Lola saw Drew’s brow twitch. “That’s it, Drew. You can do it. Open those pretty brown eyes.” she encouraged, but Drew’s eyelids only quivered for a moment before there was nothing. “How about this, baby?” she question raising Drew’s hand to her chest. Lola held Drew’s hand against her breasts. “Do you feel my heart, Drew? It beats for you, honey. You make my life worth living, and I need you to come back to me. I just want you to open your eyes. Please do it for me, angel.” Not getting any reaction, Lola moved Drew’s hand a little lower, so the older woman could cup her breast. “How’s that, Drew? It’s that a nice feeling? You always like to hold my breasts like this. They love your touch. Touch them, Drew.” Lola whispered just waiting for any kind of response from her partner. She stared intently at Drew’s hand on her breast trying to will it to move but to no avail. Lola sighed in disappointment, but abruptly squealed in surprise when Drew’s hand squeezed the sensitive mound. “Drew!” she exclaimed anxiously looking to Drew’s face, but her wife lay motionless. “Drew, I felt that. I know you’re in there. Please open your eyes for me.” Drew didn’t give any response to her words, so Lola just sat still until she felt Drew’s hand relax against her breast. “All right. I won’t push you before you’re ready but know this. There are so many people that love you that want you to come back to us. Please wake up for us, baby. I love you.” she said leaning down to kiss Drew’s lips, feeling the muscles tremble as she touched them with her own.

When it appeared that Drew wasn’t going to do anything else, Lola put her top back on and went to alert the nurses of Drew’s condition. They confirmed for her that it appeared Drew was improving and then left the young blonde to her thoughts. Elated that Drew seemed to finally be coming around, she settled her head in the crook of Drew’s neck. As much as Lola wanted to stay awake in case Drew awoke, she began to drift off, not even realizing that she was being lulled into unconsciousness by a strong hand stroking her back.

Continued: Chapter 5