/Samantha/
"Oh my god, I hope he's okay. "Why is he hooked to all of these machines?" my mother questioned out loud, her face smeared with tears as she voiced the question.
I managed to murmur, "He's going to be OK."
Her eyes were roving over my features, most likely to determine if I was all right or not. "Are you ok Samantha? Do you feel like getting anything to drink or eating? She rubbed my back in little circles as she questioned, "Why are you so calm?" I looked like I was going into shock or something, and she was caressing my back in small circles.
I flinched away from her hand because I didn't want her to touch me or try to console me in any way. Henry was the one who required her attention more than I did at that time. "I'm fine mum."
I was able to overhear James and Richard having a conversation, which became increasingly heated as James questioned Richard about the surgery, demanding to know why Richard had not yet undergone the procedure if it would enable him to walk again. After more than two weeks, I finally moved my head to look at him in a manner that seemed appropriate. As he fixed his gaze on Richard, he presented an angry and menacing appearance.
You're waiting for Henry to make the decision, you say? What the heck do you mean by that? Are you out of your mind to think that you don't have to wait for him to wake up? Naturally, he's going to be interested in having the operation done. You are aware that Henry can't feel content until he's moving his body in some way, and since we're talking about him, you already know this. He exclaimed, "Hell, I know that and he's not even my son!" while glancing between Richard and Linda with a look of amazement on his face.
His outraged expression made me smile. God, I'd missed him so much these past couple of weeks, and here he was expressing exactly how I'd been feeling to Henry's parents in the same way that I had. He gazed up at me with wide eyes, a trace of fear visible in his expression. He looked at me with a begging expression on his face and said, "Samantha, you need to send him in for the surgery, you can't do this to Henry."
My voice wouldn't function if I tried to talk, so I bit my lip and shook my head as my eyes met his. "They won't allow me," I mumbled as I knew that trying to speak would be futile.
Looking at James was making me lose the control I had over my emotions; I could feel my cool and collected facade disintegrating into a trembling mess as I watched him. I was slowly losing it. My heart was pounding in my chest, and all I wanted was for him to wrap his arms around me and reassure me that everything was going to be all right. James was the one person in my life I could always count on; he and Henry were the two men in my life, and I would love them both for the rest of my life. I didn't want anything more than a hug from my dad.
What do you mean they won't allow you to do that? He inquired while frowning and appearing perplexed.
When I finally managed to pull myself away from Henry's side for the first time since I stepped through the door, a tear rolled down my cheek as I did so. I rushed over to James and sobbed into his chest while throwing myself into his arms and locking my arms around his waist. He sputtered and appeared to be taken aback for a moment before he firmly hugged me and took the majority of my weight as my legs appeared to give out from below me.
He gently rocked me back and forth while pressing his cheek to the crown of my head. "Don't worry, pumpkin. It's all good, please be quiet. As I proceeded to bawl my eyes out uncontrollably, he murmured soothingly, "It's okay."
I inhaled his scent, which was obviously that of my stepfather because it smelled like apple shampoo mixed with axe shavings. As he continued to rock me like a child of three years old, I clenched my hands tightly around the back of his shirt and grabbed it firmly.
While he was attempting to draw me towards the door, he made the suggestion, "Let's go sit outside for a while and breathe some fresh air."
As I moved away from him, I sank my heels into the floor and quickly shook my head. I did this while moving away from him. I had no way of leaving Henry; I needed to be here when he woke up, and I needed to be the first person he saw when he opened his eyes. There was no way I could abandon Henry. "That's not what I want to do. Perhaps he will come to.
"They'll call you Samantha," he reassured me as he wiped away my tears with his thumbs and smiled reassuringly down at me. "Come on, it'll only be a few of minutes," he added, smiling at me in an attempt to sway my decision.
A new round of cries erupted from me as I realised that "they won't call me, and they don't even want me here!" My voice was barely above a whisper as I let out a croak.
James fixed Richard with a stare and gave the impression of being extremely enraged; he had always been protective of me and had always intervened whenever someone was hurting me. He appeared to be about to say something, but my mother got in front of him and spoke before he could finish. "Samantha, I'm going to hang out with Henry for a while. She added while vigorously nodding her head, "I'll phone you if he wakes up, I promise."
I couldn't stand the thought of crying in this atmosphere, so I just gave her an appreciative grin and nodded. What if Henry could hear me and knew I was sad? That would disturb him, and I couldn't have that. What if Henry could hear me and knew I was upset? My painful throat was a result of all of the crying, and I croaked out, "I'll just be in the hallway; I don't want to go outside just in case."
James took my arm and lead me out of the room while I kept my other arm around his waist. He dragged me over to the plastic chairs and smiled at me in an upsetting way as I sat down. I brought my knees up to my chest and rested my head on his shoulder as he gently stroked the back of my neck and spoke something comforting to me.
After a couple of minutes, I started to calm down a little bit, and the empty, numb feeling started to return. And I was actually rather pleased that it was, because the sorrow and despair brought on by this circumstance was almost too much for me to endure. Add to it the knowledge that everything that happened was entirely my fault, that Henry was harmed because of me, and that because of me, he would never be able to walk normally again. I was slowly being destroyed by the emotions, and I was unable to bear it any longer.
Samantha, why won't they let you bring him in for surgery if he needs it? Because you are his next of kin, why don't you just go to the hospital and inform the staff that you want him to have it? He inquired as he cupped his hand over the back of my head and pulled me close to him.
"According to the doctors, Linda stated that our marriage is not recognised by the state. It would appear that the fact that we utilised a phoney id renders the achievement null and void. I attempted to sign the document, but I'm unable to do so at this time," I mumbled as I clutched his shirt, which was drenched from my tears.
"Not legal? Is that an accurate statement though? I was under the impression that you could get married in Vegas at the age of 17...," he trailed off, and I snapped my head around to look at him. I had a glimmer of optimism, but how likely is it that it will come true? I would do anything if I could believe that was the case!
“Really? I pleaded with him while tightening my grip on his shirt, "Oh god, daddy, please, please say that's true."
The expression on his face changed, and I knew it was because of what I had called him; I only referred to him in that manner very infrequently. Over the course of the years, it had managed to escape his grasp on occasion, and each time it did, the sight of it caused his heart to melt. He gave me a gentle pat on the side of my face and said, "I'll look into it for you." I'll have to ask Ron, he's a lawyer; I have a feeling he'll know."
Oh, God, if you are listening, please let that be the case! I swiftly nodded, and I even laughed at the joy and anticipation that I felt deep within. James would, as he usually did, put a stop to any problems that arose and ensure that things ran well.
I was on the verge of bursting into fresh rounds of sobbing when his smile disappeared, and he gave me such a pitiful look. "I'm very sorry that I drove you away in such a way, Samantha. Please forgive me. Both of you, Henry. I shouldn't have done that, and the words that I said......" he trailed off, clutching his hand hard and pressing his eyes shut in a furious manner.
"I'm sorry." "The last words that I uttered to Henry were that he was a foolish little prick, and I mean it to this very day. I'm sorry, sorry, sorry for the inconvenience. I really need to get a chance to return it to you. I adore him because of you, Samantha; he is the most wonderful man I could ever picture being with someone as exceptional as you are. I should not have reacted the way I did because you two are made for each other.
I wasn't thinking about the two of you; rather, I was concentrating on myself and the things that I had misplaced. But I have always loved that young man as if he were my own son, and I will continue to do so forever. It was the first and only time I had ever seen him shed a tear, which happened to roll down his face as he spoke. When he gazed at me with eyes that were so contrite that it appeared as though he was the child and I was the adult, his chin trembled ever-so-slightly. He was pleading with his eyes for my forgiveness; it appeared as though he was putting himself through a great deal because of it.