enlightened, and once again, mystified.
#
She was gone. For some inexplicable reason it made Jackson unnaturally angry. There was no note, no explanation, nothing. She was just gone. He'd always been a heavy sleeper and after his exertions with Ramsey, there was no chance he would have awakened to hear her getting dressed and driving away.
He had no way back to the hospital and he needed to get there fast. His granddad had been left alone all night and part of the morning. It was ten o'clock. He'd done more than oversleep. He'd slept the day away practically. Jackson jumped out of bed and called a taxi. He had plenty of time to shower before the man got there. With the high gas prices it was going to cost a fortune to get a ride back to the hospital. He had some words for Ramsey and he couldn't wait to say them.
#
Herby awakened feeling like his mouth was filled with cotton. He needed some water. He tried to open his eyes, but it took a second or too. They seemed too heavy to lift. His focus was slow in coming, but when it did he wasn't surprised. Pam sat in a chair across the room from him. She stared at him as if he were already a ghost.
"Water," he whispered.
She jumped out of the chair and wasted no time putting the cup to his lips. The cool wetness felt so good going down his throat, he almost cooed. He licked his lips and asked for more. She tipped the cup to his lips again. Her hand was shaking.
"They put me in jail, Herby. They thought I was trying to kill you," she said.
"It looks like you almost did," his voiced rasped.
She took the cup away and sat it down softly on the side table and turned back to him.
"What were you thinking sneaking into my house at night like that," she whispered urgently.
"I wanted to talk to you about Ramsey," he said. "And by the way that house is mine, not yours. I just let you live there."
Pam snatched her head to the side and looked to see if anyone had entered the room and could hear them. "Shut up. You don't even know Ramsey. You don't know either one of your kids. You left them when they were babies. Remember," she said scathingly.
"Don't play like you don't remember why I left, Pam. You have a lot of explaining to do and I'm going to give you the opportunity to tell those kids about your past and about us," Herby winced. Pain was throbbing around his wounds and it was taking his breath away.
"Do you need some pain medicine," she asked concerned.
"Yes," he gasped.
She turned and ran out of the room. He knew she wouldn't be back. She was a runner. She wouldn't face the past unless he forced her too, which he had every intention of doing as soon as he could get out of the hospital bed. It was important for his children to know and understand so they could salvage their own lives. He had failed his family terribly and was glad to be alive to make amends.
He also had some unfinished personal business with Pam. She was still beautiful and she could still satisfy him. The chemistry between them hadn't changed a bit. Marriage wasn't a factor, because they'd never divorced. Their lives were like a movie put on pause. With the click of a button it could begin again. Herby smiled against the pain. He knew exactly which button to push.
#
After talking with Herby's nurse, Pam entered a private hallway bathroom and locked the door. She stood in front of the sink and looked at the woman in the mirror. She hated her. Putting her hands over her face she sobbed. Herby knew too much about her. The sight of his kind face and the calm of his understanding nature had always undone her. He was a reminder of how needy she was and she hated him for it. None of it had been his fault, but he was the one who had the proverbial finger to stick into her wounds and open them anew. She loved him; she hated him; she wanted him dead; and she wanted him
#
She was gone. For some inexplicable reason it made Jackson unnaturally angry. There was no note, no explanation, nothing. She was just gone. He'd always been a heavy sleeper and after his exertions with Ramsey, there was no chance he would have awakened to hear her getting dressed and driving away.
He had no way back to the hospital and he needed to get there fast. His granddad had been left alone all night and part of the morning. It was ten o'clock. He'd done more than oversleep. He'd slept the day away practically. Jackson jumped out of bed and called a taxi. He had plenty of time to shower before the man got there. With the high gas prices it was going to cost a fortune to get a ride back to the hospital. He had some words for Ramsey and he couldn't wait to say them.
#
Herby awakened feeling like his mouth was filled with cotton. He needed some water. He tried to open his eyes, but it took a second or too. They seemed too heavy to lift. His focus was slow in coming, but when it did he wasn't surprised. Pam sat in a chair across the room from him. She stared at him as if he were already a ghost.
"Water," he whispered.
She jumped out of the chair and wasted no time putting the cup to his lips. The cool wetness felt so good going down his throat, he almost cooed. He licked his lips and asked for more. She tipped the cup to his lips again. Her hand was shaking.
"They put me in jail, Herby. They thought I was trying to kill you," she said.
"It looks like you almost did," his voiced rasped.
She took the cup away and sat it down softly on the side table and turned back to him.
"What were you thinking sneaking into my house at night like that," she whispered urgently.
"I wanted to talk to you about Ramsey," he said. "And by the way that house is mine, not yours. I just let you live there."
Pam snatched her head to the side and looked to see if anyone had entered the room and could hear them. "Shut up. You don't even know Ramsey. You don't know either one of your kids. You left them when they were babies. Remember," she said scathingly.
"Don't play like you don't remember why I left, Pam. You have a lot of explaining to do and I'm going to give you the opportunity to tell those kids about your past and about us," Herby winced. Pain was throbbing around his wounds and it was taking his breath away.
"Do you need some pain medicine," she asked concerned.
"Yes," he gasped.
She turned and ran out of the room. He knew she wouldn't be back. She was a runner. She wouldn't face the past unless he forced her too, which he had every intention of doing as soon as he could get out of the hospital bed. It was important for his children to know and understand so they could salvage their own lives. He had failed his family terribly and was glad to be alive to make amends.
He also had some unfinished personal business with Pam. She was still beautiful and she could still satisfy him. The chemistry between them hadn't changed a bit. Marriage wasn't a factor, because they'd never divorced. Their lives were like a movie put on pause. With the click of a button it could begin again. Herby smiled against the pain. He knew exactly which button to push.
#
After talking with Herby's nurse, Pam entered a private hallway bathroom and locked the door. She stood in front of the sink and looked at the woman in the mirror. She hated her. Putting her hands over her face she sobbed. Herby knew too much about her. The sight of his kind face and the calm of his understanding nature had always undone her. He was a reminder of how needy she was and she hated him for it. None of it had been his fault, but he was the one who had the proverbial finger to stick into her wounds and open them anew. She loved him; she hated him; she wanted him dead; and she wanted him
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