Back at the hospital
Sarah watched as Jake told his story, so animated and comforted by what he was remembering, "Not such a terrific beginning, I can tell."
Jake shook his head, "That's where your wrong, Vic and I, you see we are at our best when we are arguing. As long as that's going on, I know without any doubt whatsoever, that she loves me." Jake looked down at Vicky and gently lifted her hand and enclosed it in his own, "You see Vic and I, we are our own worst enemies." He shook his head, "It's true. I know it and she knows it."
"Why do you think that is?" Sarah couldn't help but smile at herself, 'you'd think I was a psychologist instead of a nurse', she mused.
Jake was idlely running his fingers over Vicky's knuckles, "I don't know, we both had pretty good childhoods, but there was always something missing. Vicky was raised by someone who wasn't her biological mother and even though Vicky loved her and knew that she was loved, she still felt like there was a huge part of her missing." Jake slowly brought her hand to his lips and kissed it lightly, "It was tough on her, you know."
Jake placed Vicky's hand back on the bed, "I didn't know it, if I had, maybe I wouldn't have picked on her so much. But, if I hadn't picked on her, we might not have become friends."
"Jake?" Sarah got up and walked to the other end of the room, "When did you find out?" Sarah watched as Jake seemed to go to that place again.
"It was about two weeks after the spitball incident…," he said as he stood and walked over to the window overlooking the harbor.
Lassiter, Pennsylvania at the playground.
After spending an entire week in after-school detention, Jake felt as if he had been freed from prison. It was finally Friday, it was the weekend and his dad was taking him to a Steelers game on Sunday. He normally would go straight home from school, but today he decided to take the long way home and take the route through the park. Most of his buddies would probably be home by now, but he wanted to play on the playground for a little while.
As he approached the playground he noticed that Vicky Carson was on the swings. He knew she couldn't see him so he decided that this would be the perfect opportunity to get back at her for her lack of appreciation of his selflessness in taking her swats.
Jake decided that when Vicky swung back, he would grab the chains and scare her. He didn't however at this age realize the law of gravity, when he grabbed the chains, Vicky wasn't ready for it and it sent her sailing forward.
"Jake McKinnon!" Vicky screamed as she picked herself up from the ground, brushing the sand and dirt off of her legs, "Look what you did!" She pointed to her knees that were bloody from the fall.
"I didn't mean for that to happen." Jake couldn't believe that she had fallen, he didn't mean to hurt her.
"Yes you did! You are nothin but a bully and I hate you!!" She said as she turned to walk off. She was fighting the tears that were threatening. The last thing she wanted was for Jake to see her cry. That would never happen.
Jake ran a bit to catch up with her, "Are you alright? I didn't mean to hurt you."
Vicky stopped and turned to face him, "Then why did you do it?"
Jake was at a loss. He didn’t know why he always picked on Vicky, he just knew that he did. Quickly to come up with an answer, any answer, Jake shrugged his shoulders,
"Because you stuck your tongue out at me, that's why." Jake said matter of factly.
"You shot a spitball at me." Vicky said as she turned and continued home.
Jake watched as Vicky rounded the corner of the street that she lived on. With a shrug of his shoulders, Jake decided that he didn't want to play after all and started home.
Bridget Connell was in the kitchen baking a batch of chocolate chip cookies when Vicky walked in and put her books on the table, "Victoria, my word what happened to you? How did you get so dirty?"
"I fell, Bridget. That’s all." Vicky sat down at the kitchen table and propped her head in her hands, she watched as Bridget went to the refrigerator and poured her a glass of milk like every other day, "Bridget?"
Bridget had noticed from the moment that Vicky had walked into the room that something was bothering her, "Yes dearie?"
"How do you get a boy to like you?" Vicky said as she took a sip of her milk.
"Oh dear, how do you get a boy to like you. Hmmm." Bridget was stalling, she had not anticipated having this conversation so early.
"Well, Victoria, I hardly think that you are old enough to be interested in boys, not yet anyway." Bridget’s thick Irish brogue was more pronounced when she was nervous and it was really thick now.
"I’m not!" Vicky got up and took her empty milk glass to the sink, I was just wondering that’s all! Can I go to my room, Bridget?"
"Yes, but dinner will be ready soon." Bridget smiled as she watched Vicky leave the room. ‘Oh my, I hope she isn’t interested in boys yet, I don’t know if me heart can handle it.’ She thought as she went into the pantry to choose the night’s meal.
AT SCHOOL THE NEXT DAY...
Miss Simmons was at her desk going over the lessons for the day when she looked up to find Vicky standing quietly in front of her desk.
"Victoria? Is something wrong?" Miss Simmons smiled at Vicky. She was aware of her family situation. The whole town knew. One day out of the blue, an unmarried Irish woman moved to town with a small child, in a town like Lassiter, it was bound to be fence post news.
Vicky shook her head no, but her eyes told a different story, "I’m just early that’s all, I thought you might let me help you get started today."
"Are you sure there is nothing you want to talk about?" Miss Simmons was sure that Vicky was holding something back, but decided not to push.
"Yes ma'am." Vicky said.
"Well, you may put one of these on each desk." Miss Simmons handed Vicky a stack of construction paper that the class would use in the art project that day.
Yes ma'am!" Vicky said excitedly, she quickly went and put her books on her desk and started about her task. Carefully she placed a piece of construction paper on each desk and stood proudly as she looked around the room to make sure she hadn’t forgotten any.
"Good job Victoria! Since you did that so well, here.." Miss Simmons reached into her desk drawer and retrieved the scissors box, "place a pair of scissors on each desk, I need to go to the principals office for some supplies, I will be right back."
"Yes ma'am." Vicky walked methodically to each desk and placed a pair of scissors on top of the construction paper. Just as she had completed the first row, Jake walked in and slammed the door behind him causing Vicky to start and drop the box of scissors.
"Jake McKinnon, why did you do that?" Vicky cried out as she dropped to her knees to pick up the scissors.
"I’m sorry. I’ll help you pick them up." Jake dropped to his knees and started to help Vicky when he noticed that she was crying.
"No you’re not. You’re not sorry for anything." Vicky wiped the tears away angry at herself for letting him see her cry.
Jake didn’t know what to do. He didn’t want her to cry. "Listen, don’t cry. I am sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you, honest I didn’t."
"Then why did you slam the door?" Vicky picked up the last pair of scissors and rose.
Jake looked up at her, "I don’t know. I was being mean, I guess. But it ain’t nothin to cry about."
"I ain’t cryin about that, you dummy." Just as she said that the door opened.
"Victoria, we don’t call each other names, now apologize to Jake." Miss Simmons did not condone name calling and she was certainly not going to start now.
"She don’t have to apologize, Miss Simmons. I deserved it." Jake got off his knees and went to his desk just as the other children started milling in one by one.
BACK AT THE HOSPITAL
Sarah was totally engrossed in Jake’s story that she had not realized that he had stopped talking, "Jake, what was she crying about?"
Jake shook his head, "It’s a tale too heartbreaking you can’t imagine it."
Sarah noticed instantly a change in Jake’s demeanor. He seemed desperate suddenly. His breathing had become heavier and his face was so drawn and he looked as if his life was in the balance.
Jake leaned over Vicky and kissed her forehead and whispered softly into her hair, "You come back to me! Come home, please." Jake’s lips traced Vicky’s hairline as he brushed soft kisses on her face. Relishing in the softness and the warmth of her skin, "I remember Vic...Come on, Vic, do you? Do you remember?" Jake picked up her hand and placed it next to his heart, "Come home, Vicky. Here it is, do you feel it? Come home!" Jake rested his head on Vicky’s chest and the sound of his sobs echoed down the long corridors of hospital.
Sarah couldn’t control her tears, all of a sudden she felt like an intruder and wondered if she shouldn’t leave. But something deep inside of her told her not to leave, that this was a crucial night in this man’s life and he needed her to be here. She also knew that it was a crucial night in her own life and that when all this is over she would never look at love and romance in the same way.
To be continued....