Love in the Falls (5 page)

With that, the doctor headed up the hallway to check on another patient. Drake studied Camden’s eyes for a moment and said “Will you stay?”

Camden pursed her lips and looked down. She knew that staying meant giving up her whole life for awhile. She knew Preston would never understand. And she knew that she HAD to do it.

Camden worked it out with Drake to sit with Sam for the day while she went home to get clothing and other supplies she would need for a long hospital stay. Natalie picked her up at the door of the hospital just after lunch time.

“Nat! I am so glad to see you,” Camden said hugging her.

“How is he?”

“I think he’s getting better. I held his hand this morning and talked to him. He responds to me for some reason, so they wanted to know if I could stick around while he recovers,” she said.

“He responded to you in that parking lot, so that’s no surprise,” Natalie said smiling.

“Well, this is a little different. I don’t know if he is going to ever talk again or if he is paralyzed. Crazy how life can change so quickly…”

“Ready to go?” Natalie asked.

“Yes. I need to get back as soon as I can. Thanks for picking me up. I will drive my car back up this evening.”

The two women got into the car and started the two hour drive into the city.

“What are you going to tell Preston?”

“I don’t know. He was not at all happy when I talked to him yesterday. He told me that the doctors here were being paid to do the work and that I should come home.”

“And you don’t think you should?”

“No. I don’t. I just feel like I should stay and help him,” Camden said looking out the window at the same orange and yellow leaves that she admired the day before.

“Do what you feel in your heart is right, Cam. Everything else will fall into place.” Natalie was right, and Camden knew it.

***

“Well, I see you finally decided to come home,” Preston said looking up from his book. He was sitting in his favorite chair in the living room having a cup of coffee. He was a handsome man, regal in his appearance. She was attracted to him, but not in the same way she was in the beginning. His money and connections mattered less and less to her with each passing day.

“Hi,” she said as she hurried into the bedroom. She grabbed a duffel bag and started stuffing clothes into it.

“What are you doing?” Preston asked as he walked up behind her.

“Getting some clothes together. I will be at the hospital for a few days,” she said without looking up.

Preston grabbed her shoulder and turned her around. The look of anger in his eyes was unlike anything she had ever seen on his face.

“This has gone on long enough, Camden. The guy is a stranger. He has medical care. He doesn’t need you.”

“He does need me. Even the doctor said so. He woke up for me, and I keep him calm. He has no family here. And I am going back tonight,” she said turning back around to continue her packing.

“Why are you doing this? You are supposed to be marrying me in three months, Camden. You act like you don’t care at all about this relationship anymore.”

“Preston, I really don’t have time for this. I want to get back before dark,” she said. She knew that at some point she would have to think about her relationship with Preston. But, right now wasn’t the time.

“When will you have time, Camden? I need to know where we stand. I love you,” he said softly.

“Do you?” she asked turning around and looking up at him.

“How could you ask me that?” He looked hurt, confused and little irritated by her question.

“I have to go, Preston. We can talk about this when I get back,” she said lowering her head and walking into the bathroom to get more supplies. With that, he sighed, took his keys and left the condo.

***

Camden was about thirty minutes from the hospital when her cell phone rang. She looked down and saw her mother’s number.
Oh, great
, she thought. She knew that Preston had gone to visit her mother to alert her to Camden’s sudden burst of insanity.

“Hello?” Camden said with a sigh.

“Camden? What on Earth are you doing?” her mother’s high-pitched Southern drawl grated on her last nerve sometimes.

“I am driving, Mother. Why?” Camden’s tone was distant and direct at the same time.

“You know what I mean. Preston came to see me. He says you are taking care of some farmer you met in the mountains who passed out or something?” Leave it to her mother to only pick up the parts of the story she wanted to hear.

“He’s not a farmer, Mother. He owns a large farm in north Georgia. And, he had a stroke, which is a bit more serious than passing out,” Camden said rolling her eyes.

“Well, whatever. You need to come home, Camden Marie, and focus on your soon-to-be husband,” her mother chided. She hated when her mother used her full name. “A man like Preston won’t wait around. He has options, you know.”

“Mom, I am almost thirty years old, and I will do as I damn well please,” Camden snipped.

“Camden! Don’t you talk to me that way!” her mother yelled into the phone.

“Then don’t talk to me like I am a child,” Camden replied.

“You are my child,” her mother said softly. “I’m worried about you hooking up with people who aren’t of your ilk, Camden.”

“My ilk? Who says that? Really, Mother, you need to get out more. Learn to like people of all kinds. This person needs compassion and help, and that is exactly what I am going to give him. I will call you later,” Camden said hanging up her phone.

Camden turned up the stereo in her SUV and blasted 90’s hits until she pulled into the parking lot. She felt more free than she had in years. She had just told off her mother and her fiance in the same afternoon. What more could a rebellious woman want?

***

As Camden approached Sam’s room, she saw an unfamiliar woman standing there. She was very plain looking with short dirty blond hair and a thin build. She wore a pair of jeans, running shoes and a yellow T-shirt.

“Are you Camden?” the woman asked walking toward her.

“Yes. And you are?” Camden reached out her hand, but the woman immediately embraced her.

“I’m Rebecca, Sam’s sister,” she said hugging her tighter. “Thank you so much for saving him!”

“Oh, I didn’t do anything really. The paramedics were responsible…” Camden started to say but Rebecca wasn’t having it.

“Drake told me what you did, and also how Sam was so happy to have you here today. Come in. I am sure he wants to see you,” she said.

Camden walked into the room and Sam’s eyes immediately met hers. She swore that she could see a smile in his eyes, but his mouth never moved. He grunted loudly at her. She walked over to him and held his right hand as she looked down at his eyes.

“Are you feeling better?” she asked. He lightly squeezed her hand. “Good. You better start getting up and around soon because I want to see that farm of yours,” she said smiling. He squeezed again.

Camden finally felt like she was doing some good in the world. All of the glitzy parties and fancy charity events never made her feel like she was contributing to society. With Sam, she felt needed and wanted. With Preston, she felt like arm candy. An accessory. The necessary wife-to-be of the famous doctor.

“I think someone missed you,” Rebecca said smiling. Sam squeezed Camden’s hand once again, this time a little tighter. Was he flirting with her from behind that oxygen mask?

As evening fell, Rebecca and Drake fell asleep sitting up in their chairs. Everyone was hoping that Sam could get into a private room the next day. As long as he continued to be alert, and had no setbacks, he was ready to be moved.

The room was dim as Camden sat next to Sam in silence. He had his eyes closed, which made her nervous at times. At least she knew how to read the blood pressure and heart rate monitor that was attached to him.

She closed her eyes and leaned her head back in her chair. As she drifted between sleep and being awake, she started to dream. She imagined herself walking up the path to the falls with Sam. He was holding her hand and laughing at everything she said. She felt supremely happy, which had been foreign for her in recent years.

As she fell into a deeper sleep, she felt him squeeze her hand. Unsure whether she was dreaming or not, she forced her eyes open and sat up closer to the bed. Sure enough, his eyes were open.

“Are you okay, Sam?” she asked. He squeezed and then let out a sigh. “Bored?” she asked with a smile. He squeezed again. “Are you uncomfortable?” He squeezed her hand harder this time. She stood up and looked at him up and down. She decided that the only way to find out what was hurting or bothering him was to ask about different things.

“Is it your feet?” No squeeze.

“Is it your arm?” No squeeze.

“Is it the mask?” He squeezed. She couldn’t remove his oxygen, could she? As a doctor, she knew that he was probably out of the woods as far as needing oxygen, so she slowly lifted it up and over his forehead, leaving it on the pillow behind him. Since he was still wearing an oxygen sensor on his finger, she knew the nurse's station would monitor his levels remotely anyway.

“Better?” she asked waiting for him to squeeze her hand.

“Yes…” he whispered faintly.

Camden was so stunned that she grinned and leaned over to peck him on the cheek. “You spoke!” she said in a loud whisper trying not to wake Drake and Rebecca. Realizing that she had just kissed a perfect stranger on the cheek, her own cheeks felt like they were on fire with embarrassment.

“I speak,” he said with a quirk of a smile.

“Funny guy. Do you know what happened to you?” she asked.

“No. Tell me…” he was struggling to whisper the words.

“Maybe I should let your sister or Drake…” she started to say.

“You.”

“Only if you promise to stay calm, okay?” she said sitting back down and holding his hand. She didn’t know why she was holding his hand since he could talk.

“Calm.”

“You had a stroke at the falls… with Jenny,” she said studying his eyes and vitals for any sign of stress. He was calm.

“Stroke. With Jenny.”

“Yes. But, you are doing very well so far. You might even move to your own room tomorrow.”

“Yippy.” His sarcastic tone came through loud and clear. It made her smile.

“I’m Camden,” she said lightly shaking his right hand.

“Pretty,” he said with a smirk.

“Thank you.” Camden couldn’t believe she was now flirting with a stroke patient.

“Welcome.”

“I should wake Drake and Rebecca. They have been so worried about you…” she said trying to stand up. His hand squeezed.

“Stay. Wait.”

“Don’t get yourself all tired out. You have to take it easy. So you can get better. Okay?” Camden leaned over him and brushed some stray hair off his forehead.

“Thank you,” he said with his eyes watering. She felt so bad for him, trapped in this bed while he was so young and vibrant.