Chapter Twenty~Two
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Aileen was sitting in the chair beside Kevin's hospital bed. She was holding
his hand and had drifted off into a light sleep. She could vaguely hear the
radio droning in the background, but ignored it. She had brought the boombox
in awhile ago. Kevin loved his music, so Aileen brought in an assortment of
his favourite CDs. If he could hear her, he could also hear his music, she
reasoned. "Besides, it will cheer up that dreary room." she said at the
time. Her eyes flew open when she realized what tune was coming out of the
radio. ".....tell me why, I can't be there where you are. There's something missing in my heart..." Aileen snapped off the radio and stood up, rubbing her eyes. "Damn song always made me cry!" she smiled. "Okay Kev, I need to eat." She leaned over and gave him a kiss. "I'll be as quick as I can." As the door slowly closed behind her, Kevins eyes opened, just as slowly. "Aileen?" She returned juggling a tray with a sandwich and salad on it, and a pot of tea. She tried in vain to open the door to the room and failed. She was just about to set the tray down when the door opened. "Brian!" she said, surprised. "I didn't think you were coming in until later!" "I was in the neighbourhood." he smiled. "It's a good thing I did too, you never would have got in there with this load!" He took the tray from her and held the door for her. "Oh, someone is in there to see you." "Me?" she questioned and entered the room. "Hey, baby." someone said, weakly. Aileen whipped her head around at the sound of the voice. "Kevin?" She stared at him. "Kevin?" "It's me, hun." he whispered. Aileen buried her face in the hollow between his neck and shoulder, sobbing. "Oh, Kevin! Oh my God, you're awake! You're back!" She rained kisses on his face. "I missed you." Kevin said. He tried to sit up a bit, but the pain in his chest didn't allow it. "I tried so hard to talk to you. I knew you were here, I knew all of you were here. I just couldn't let you know." Tears shone in his eyes. "It made me so mad." Aileen laughed. "I know, baby, I know!" Brian popped his head over Aileen's shoulder. "Hey cuz, do you think Auntie Ann might want to hear about this?" "Oh Brian, thank the Lord, somebody's thinking here. Could you page the doctor and call Mama R, and Tim , and Jerald, and AJ, and......?" "Call the phone book, check!" Brian took a comical leap out of the door. "Hello world! Kevin is awake and raring to go!!" Aileen sat off to the side while Kevin visted with his family. Ann was so happy, she looked radiant. It would have killed her to have lost her baby boy this way. The doctor had been in earlier to check him over. The wounds from the shots were healing well and, at most, thought Kevin might just have to have therapy for the shoulder injury because the bullet had severed some muscles. A nurse stepped in and told them it was time to head out, all except immediate family. "Mr. Richardson needs his rest." she told them. "Haven't I had enough?" he sighed. "Can Aileen stay?" She moved over to him. "It's okay Kev, I don't want these nurses mad at me, they've been makin' eyes at you. If I tick them off there's no saying what they'll do!" He smiled at her. "I'm so happy to see that you're okay. The guys looked after you, right?" "Of course they did Kev." "Can you tell me something, Aileen?" he looked at her and tried to pull her close with his bad arm. "I'll try, baby." "Why was Nick in here asking me to forgive him?" |