For Better or For Worse (18 page)

Chapter 17

God why
me

Lucy

I was a wreck the following
day at work, my clothes were a mess, my face was puffy from crying,
and I looked nauseous. I couldn’t believe all the things I was
finding out about the man who claimed to love me. I sat at my desk
struggling to breathe trying to digest all the drama that
continually appeared in my life. I felt a warm hand on my back and
just for a moment my pain subsided. “Oh honey you look awful.”
Megan said with such a look of concern. I looked at her beautiful
face and well put together black attire and felt so inadequate in
my current state. I showed a weak smile that was unable to fight
through the constant flow of tears. “Thanks Meg, you always know
what to say.” Ignoring my sarcasm she pulled up a chair and sat
closer to me. “Lucy come on, you may need to see a doctor.” I
continued to wipe my weeping eyes. “I have seen enough doctors to
last me a life time.”

Megan shook her head
trying to get through the wall I had put up around myself. “Honey
this situation with you and Grant is not only weighing you down
emotionally…its taking its toll on you physically….you look ill.” I
pulled my hair back and tried to fix myself up but no matter of
straightening could fix anything. After months of feeling alone and
uncared for I did my best to stay strong but now I felt as if I was
losing my mind. Megan took my hands in hers trying to let me know I
had a friend. “Lucy you are obviously under severe stress and it’s
getting out of control you need to see a doctor.” I nodded my head
and tried to maintain my composure. “Ok….ok I just need….I need
help.” I broke down in her arms no longer able to hide my
misery.
Why Lord, why would you do this to
me…why would you let the only man I have ever loved stray….this
pain is unbearable and I fear I won’t be able to stand much longer.
Please God take it away from me.

I parked in the visitor’s
lot at Shands hospital, on this early morning it wasn’t as busy as
usual but the workers moved along to the daily schedule. I moved
past nurses and patients making my way to the front desk.
“Appointment for Lucy Smith….” The nurse looked up at me and
managed a smile while looking at me with pitting eyes in my
weakened state. “Yes ma’am….. Room 104.” I made my way to Doctor
Wilson’s office, my usual physician hoping she could prescribe
something to rid me of this pain but what drug could take away
heartache. As I made my way down the hall to her office I saw
something that made my body immediately come to a halt. There he
was conversing with the maternity doctor going over results while
she listened in holding her belly. I stood there and watched my
husband’s face light up when he looked at the sonogram pictures the
doctor was showing him.

I stood there and watched
her, her beautiful face and her growing belly with his child
inside. He smiled at her the same way he had done to me when it was
I right there beside him carrying our child. He reached for her
stomach and rubbed it as if he was touching the baby inside. My
heart broke all over again at the sight of them together. I wanted
my breath to stop, I wanted my body to grow cold, I wanted to die…
but I was already dead. Grant looked up and saw me and his glory
for the joyful moment had faded.
No
…I thought to
myself…
don’t look at me while I’m like
this…don’t look at me
. He saw hurt and
pain in my face and wanted to comfort me. But has he begun to walk
toward me I ran…I ran from him…from everything and everyone. I
found an emergency exit, backend stairs that lead to the street
alley. I stood at the top of the stairwell and took deep breathes
but they did not soothe me. I didn’t know why I was finding it so
hard to breathe until I realized I was crying hysterically. I tried
to calm down but the tears kept flowing and I continued to struggle
for air. Some…body…Help…” I managed to get out. I was so hoarse not
even a mouse could hear my desperate pleas for help. I rummaged
through my phone hoping to call Meg, anyone, anyone who could save
me. My chest hurt sorely and I felt my heart would soon rip open my
body.
Oh dear God I need someone…please
help. I need…
“Aaaaaah…..” I screamed as
my body lifted in the air and toppled down the stairwell. Slam. I
landed at the bottom of the staircase, bleeding slowly and losing
consciousness; I tried to get up but couldn’t even move, my mind
grew numb and slowly faded into the darkness.

Grant

I searched for her
everywhere. I had no idea where she could be, I kept replaying the
horrified look on her face when she saw me with Alexia. She looked
like the life had been completely drained from her poor
body.
Damn it Grant
, I thought to myself.
Why do I
always do this, just when I thought I couldn’t hurt her bad
enough.
I turned a corner a found a back
exit, a stairwell of some sort, maybe she went down here. I opened
the door to the stairwell, the lights were dim and I could hardly
make anything out. I looked down to the bottom and instantly went
numb. There was my wife lying at the foot of the stairs. I ran down
to her side trying to revive her while not further complicating her
condition. She looked completely battered and broken, and was
knocked out unconscious. “Help….somebody help.” I screamed louder
and louder until my lungs gave out. “It’s going to be ok…don’t
worry baby it’s going to be ok.” I patted her head and wondered
could she sense my presence or feel my warm touch. “What happened
here?” A man’s voice shouted down to me. “My wife…my wife…she needs
help.” I pleaded with them. As security came down to assist us my
mind ran rapid with questions.
What
happened? Was she going to be ok? What should I do?

The doctors worked on her
for hours cutting, stitching and mending her back together. I sat
outside the surgical doors anticipating the doctor’s return. Just
looking at all those IVs and oxygen pumps they had stuck into her
made me a nervous wreck. The doctor finally came out to notify me
of everything. “Mr. Smith I am going to be honest with you, your
wife is very lucky she survived that fall….however she has multiple
broken bones and some internal bleeding which we were able to
stop.” My face grew weary by the minute but I was determined to
remain strong for the both of us. The doctor continued. “She has a
minor concussion but that should soon subside…Things are looking
rough but if everything goes according to plan she should be
alright.” I nodded. “Can I see her?”

The doctor saw the
desperation in my eyes and agreed. “But be brief...she needs all
the rest she can get.” I walked into her room and braced myself for
the worst and that is exactly what I got. Lucy looked as if she had
been trampled over by ten raging bulls. There were bandages over
majority of her skin and multiple bruising. I knelt beside her and
kissed her swollen lips fighting back tears. “Woman, how did we get
here huh?” I stroked her hair as I sat beside her and rested my
head on her belly. “I’m sorry baby.” I sat there with her hoping I
could transfer some warmth and love into her cold body. Weeks had
passed and Lucy still had not woken up. I tried to find ways to
explain to little Greg what had happened to is mother, I told him
that she had fallen and is now asleep dreaming. “Like sleeping
beauty?” He asked me. “Yes son just like sleeping beauty.” He
seemed to understand as much as his young mind could as to why Lucy
couldn’t be with us. Greg and I would talk to her for hours on end
in hopes to get a response. During that time the love that I had
for her that I thought had disappeared grew more and more known to
me. I was back to seeing her as the woman I married and the woman I
now hurt. I became determined to see her through this
obstacle.

While Mona watched little
Greg from our home I sat with my wife looking over our lives
together. “You remember our wedding?” I asked her laughing,
grateful for the fact that she was still wearing her wedding ring.
“You were so nervous…you thought everything was going to go
wrong…from the cake…to the flowers and that bright yellow suit that
Pastor Wallace showed up in.” I laughed remembering the florescent
colors Pastor Wallace loved to indulge in. “That’s when I promised
you that whatever goes wrong, no matter what I was going to stand
by you….and I meant that” A familiar voice chuckled behind me.
“Wanna bet?” I turned around to see my father in law in Lucy’s
hospital room giving me the coldest stare ever. “You won’t be
getting anywhere near my daughter ever again.” I stood up toe to
toe with him and glared. “What the hell are you doing here?” Oden
Dobson removed his brown overcoat, crossed his arms over his chest
and smirked at me.

For someone his age he was
tall, lean, and ready to throw down and the drop of a hat. “The
doctor informed me that Lucy had been in an accident…something you
failed to do.” His dark brown eyes turned even colder. I sighed. “I
was going to tell you when she woke up…I didn’t want to worry
anybody.” Oden grunted and straightened the collar of his shirt.
“The only person you need to be worried about right now is
yourself.” Another man walked into room, he was obviously of
Spanish decent with his tan skin and dark hair; he had on a dark
navy shirt and jeans topped off with a black overcoat. Instantly I
knew who he was…a cop. “Mr. Smith, I’m Detective Trent.” He
introduced himself. I was confused. “Detective... what?” He walked
over to shake my hand. “Yes I’m investigating your wife’s
accident.” “What do you mean you are investigating my wife’s
accident, she fell.” Oden mockingly coughed. The Detective
continued on. “Sir I am just trying to confirm that it was an
accident. You were the only one with her at the scene of it all.”
“You heard him…” Oden made his way back into the conversation.
“Talk to the man…Tell him what happened.” He looked at me with
accusing eyes. I suddenly caught his heavy drift and stepped back
in shock. “You don’t…you can’t possibly think I did this.” “Oh I
don’t think…” He growled out. Detective Trent intervened. “Mr.
Smith can I talk to you about the day of your wife’s accident….just
a couple questions.” I couldn’t believe this, did he really think I
would hurt my wife this man was insane, but knowing it was in my
best interest I decided to cooperate. “My son is home with the
babysitter and I …” “Little Greg is going to be fine.” Oden
declared to me. “He will be in my care from now on.” I swear if
this detective was not here right now Lord knows what I would have
done to this fool. “Ok let’s go...” I said cringing and followed
the detective out the door but not before getting one last look at
Lucy.

Chapter
18

Change of Plans

Grant

“
So let’s start from the
beginning……What Happened?” I brought my head up as Detective Trent
interrogated me in his office. It was funny how I could still
remember the interrogation tactics that multiple officers had tried
on me but to their disappointment I could never be broken so
easily. It had been some years since I had been brought down to a
police station but the same feeling remained in me concerning
correctional officers…can’t trust them. I couldn’t believe I was
even brought down here in the first place, Lord only knows what
Oden has been poisoning their minds with and given my history with
the police I could only assume they believed him. “Like I said Lucy
saw me at the hospital…ran away and by the time I found her she was
at the bottom of the stairwell.” Detective Trent eyed me hard. “And
why would she run away from you?”

“
Because…” He could tell I
was hesitating on answering him. “She saw me with someone.” “You
mean the woman you had been having an affair with….and who is now
pregnant with your child.” That was more of a statement then a
question. Frankly I was getting tired of all the mockery. “Since
you got all the answers why am I still sitting here?” Trent just
stared at me but he spoke a thousand words. I smiled challenging
him, now It was my turn to interrogate him. “So tell me Detective,
my wife has been in the hospital for weeks. Why do you guys now
just want to investigate her accident?” I leaned back in my chair
waiting for his response. He glanced over me I guess he didn’t
appreciate my line of questioning. “We needed to wait till we had
all the facts before we moved any further.” I laughed,
what a pathetic answer, you must be
rookie,
I thought.

“
You mean you had to wait
until my father in law lite a fire under your ass to move huh?” I
stared at him waiting for him to tell me I was lying…he didn’t.
Detective Trent shrugged and walked across the room for some
coffee. “I don’t know what you want me to say Mr. Smith.” “You
don’t have to say anything I’m sure my father in law put you up to
this.” He smirked a little. “And why would you assume that?” I
rolled my eyes and kicked back. “Obviously he is not my biggest fan
for superficial reasons.” It was no secret Oden Dobson hated having
me for a son in law, he didn’t see me fit to be his daughters
husband; mainly because I wasn’t some uncle tom from Hillman that
he always dreamed of. To Oden Dobson I was nothing more than
hoodlum who was going to eventually ruin his daughter’s
life.

***

Grant/2001

“
Are you sure he said I
could come?” I asked Lucy. We were driving back home for the
holidays. Her father Oden had finally decided to accept our
relationship after many years of fighting our union and invited us
over for dinner. Ever since she told her father about me he had
been suspicious and leery, so detective private eye decided to do a
background check on me to confirm his suspicions…and just guess
what he found. Once Oden had found I had had a couple of run ends
with the law he went postal, telling his daughter I was a no good
jail bum set to ruin her life. He failed to acknowledge the fact
that I had a job and was providing for her and myself, but to him I
would forever be street trash. But Lucy was not a woman who you
could tell what to do and so she defied her father by refusing to
listen to him. Oden saw that there was no fighting us and I guess
by the grace of God he finally gave in…or so we thought. “It’s just
a couple of hours what is the worst that could happen?” Lucy
chuckled.
A lot,
I wanted to say. I just shook my head, keeping my eyes on the
road bracing myself for the worst. Lucy patted my knee and smiled.
“Everything’s going to be ok baby. Don’t worry.”