It seemed to be five different colors. One arm was in a sling and covered in a soft cast. His leg was also in a cast and in traction.
Nadine looked down at his other hand laying limply on the bed, with an IV drip inserted into it. She frowned as she began to notice the little things. There was blood between his fingers, under his nails, and in his hair. Noah’s lips were terribly chapped and there was an un-nerving bluish tinge under his eyes. Nadine let out a shaky breath and looked over at Lucas. He was staring at Noah, arms across his chest, his head lowered.
“Lucas … he looks … .” Nadine couldn’t bring herself to say it, but Lucas did.
“Dead,” he said, flatly.
There it was. He wasn’t though. She thanked God for that. Yes, he was alive, and even though he looked like he wasn’t, he was in there somewhere. Nadine wiped at her tears and gently took Noah’s hand.
She leaned over and spoke in his ear.
“Noah? Sweetheart, it’s Nadine. I’m here, and I love you very much. Can you hear me, baby?”
Lucas moved closer and stood just behind her. “Nadine, look at him. I don’t think he can hear you.” Nadine concentrated on Noah’s face, ignoring Lucas, even though he could have been right.
“Noah …” She kissed his forehead. “It’s me, baby ...”
“Nadine …”
Nadine whipped her head around angrily. “No, Lucas! Stop it!
Don’t act like that. Look … he’s right here.” She ran her fingers through Noah’s hair and gingerly gripped his hand. “Noah, how worried should I be, sweetie?”
Lucas put a hand on her back. “C’mon, Nadine …” Nadine shrugged him off. She was terrified for Noah. “No! I’m scared … Noah … do you know how much I love you?” Lucas put a hand on her arm and started to move her away, gently.
“Stop, Nadine. Don’t do that.”
She turned on him, eyes flashing, tears falling. Nadine pulled away from Lucas, slapping at his hand. “Shut up, Lucas! You don’t know …”
“Let him be, Nadine.” She thought that had come from Lucas, but it didn’t. She looked over her shoulder and Big John was standing there looking very much like a brown-eyed older version of his son. Noah’s mother, Anita, was at his side, looking like she was ready to catch Nadine if she fell.
“Come, Nadine,” Anita said. Nadine wanted to, but she couldn’t.
She wanted Noah to wake up and look at her. Maybe squeeze her hand.
She wanted him to do something. Just lying there like that was scaring the shit out of her. She didn’t budge.
John turned to Lucas and hugged him. “Lucas, how you doin’, son?
You all right?” he twanged at him in his New Orleans drawl.
“A little banged up, John. But I’m all right.” John sighed. “I think it’s about time for you boys to quit bein' heroes.” He turned to Nadine and put his hand on her arm. “Come on, baby. Go sit down, now. I ain’t toleratin’ no hysterics in here over my boy. It ain’t what he needs. Go on. Sit down, now.” Nadine was not about to argue with John. She’d never win. She touched Noah’s face and was dismayed by how cold it felt. She sat like she was told.
John stuck his thumbs in the back pockets of his jeans and stared down at his son. Anita disappeared into the bathroom and came out with a basin of water and a towel. She sat on the side of the bed and started to wash the blood off her boy. Lucas’s eyes watered up. He tucked his lips in and turned away, looking out the window.
“Look at my child. Lord have mercy,” John said mournfully, shaking his head.
“He will, John,” Anita said over her shoulder. Dr. Garrett walked into the room then, greeted Noah’s parents, and gave them the rundown.
Nadine stood and joined them. “Why won’t he wake up?” Dr. Garrett looked down at her and smiled. “Don’t look so worried.
He will.”
Nadine shook her head. “It’s like he’s not even here.” Dr. Garrett laughed softly. “He’s not. I sent him to Dreamland.
When he wakes up, he’s going to be in a great deal of pain and I might have to send him back.” He checked Noah’s vital signs and seemed satisfied. “I know this is pretty heavy stuff. Why don’t you all take a break? I’ll make sure Noah’s here when you get back.” They reluctantly started to disperse, but Dr. Garrett put his hand on Lucas’ shoulder. “Not you, Noah’s partner. You come with me. I’m going to change your dressing myself, before you find yourself in a lot of trouble.”
They took a break. Nadine checked on the kids, bought some flowers, and begged off dinner with John and Anita. Nadine and Noah had gone through a bitter divorce four years ago because Noah, as cherished as he was by Nadine, refused to keep his pants up. Now Nadine was getting some long and strange looks from Noah’s folks, and rightfully so. Since the divorce, Nadine had treated Noah like she hated him. She couldn’t sit through dinner with his parents and suffer through those looks, because now she was behaving like she was still in love with him. Which she was.
Nadine had never stopped loving Noah. She didn’t think it was possible. Sure, she’d felt a genuine hate for him when she first divorced him. Noah’s constant infidelity was an insurmountable issue at the time. She’d let him know in every way possible that having her husband sleep with any pretty woman that caught his eye was unac-ceptable behavior. But Noah, who’d been a handsome chick magnet all his life, refused to change. He acted like it was his God-given right to fuck as many women as he pleased. After all, he came home to her. Nadine had divorced Noah to punish him. Fuck you, then, she had thought back then . Screw whoever you want, Noah, but you won’t be screwing me, too.
The divorce had hurt Noah as much as she’d hoped it would.
She’d wanted him to be in the worst pain of his life for humiliating and disregarding her for so long, like it was all right. Nadine had succeeded, too. She’d filed the papers silently, without a word to Noah.
Then she’d caught him totally off guard by having him served at work
— in front of everybody. She’d threatened his whorish ass before and he’d kept on doing what he was doing like he thought hell would freeze over before she’d leave him.
She’d fixed him, though. Nadine had brought Noah to his knees like she’d given him a swift kick to the balls. To say he hadn’t taken it well would have been the understatement of the decade. She’d had his shit packed up and waiting for him at the front door when he got home.
Noah was hardly ever highly emotional. When things bothered him he usually brooded or acted unaffected. It was a rare thing for him to put his emotions on display, but he did that day. He’d screamed, he pleaded, and he’d begged. He’d cursed and thrown things … and in the end, he’d cried like a little baby — and she’d laughed in his face. Fuck you, Noah. I hope all those bitches were worth your marriage. It had almost killed her to do it, but she’d done it.
Noah hadn’t
