Hart To Hart: To Love Again
Chapter 1.
Sophia Bowers was a highly respected award winning novelist...She had met the man of her dreams when she was given an assignment that sent her to Sydney, Australia. Liam was an amazing man. She gave up her fast paced life in New York, and made a home with Liam in Sydney. In spite of their age difference they were the perfect couple. They lived, loved and laughed together for nearly a decade.
Then, while on assignment in London, she received a surprise visit from her best friend. Sophia looked at her friend. She had a feeling something was wrong. Her friends never just showed up unannounced while she was working. "Anka, what's wrong?" her eyes fixed on Anka's face. "Tell me...Anka...what's going on?" Anka took her friend's hand, and led her to the sofa. "Soph...there was a terrible accident..." Anka started. "NO...What happened? Soph, there was trouble on the ranch...poachers..." Anka started to explain. "Liam...is Liam...?" Sophia interrupted. "Sophia, Liam has been very badly hurt. He's been asking for you."
The 2 women flew back to Sydney, and Sophia rushed straight to the hospital to see Liam. As she opened the door she was shocked to see him covered in bandages, and hooked up to so many machines. She froze for a moment, looking at all the blinking lights, the lines zig-zag across what looked like a small TV screen, and listening to the beeping and buzzing noises the machines made. Tears welled up in her eyes as she sat on the side of his bed, taking his hand in hers. "He finally fell asleep", the nurse said as she checked his machines. "He's been fighting it...waiting for you, Ms. Bowers", she said as she left the room.
Anka left her friend alone with her love. "Sophia", she whispered, "I'm going to the cafeteria to grab a coffee. Can I bring you back something...coffee...a sandwich?"
"Huh? Oh, no...No thanks, Anka." Sophia answered, not taking her eyes off of Liam. "OK, I'll be back soon" Anka told her as she left the room, closing the door behind her.
Sophia held Liam's hand, and gazed at his beautiful, tanned face. Leaning down to him, she whispered in his ear. "Liam, I'm here. Liam...can you hear me? She started chocking up, and her tears started to flow. "Darling, you can't...leave me...yet. We still have...so much...to do. Liam, open your eyes...please. I've missed your beautiful brown eyes...open your..."
Suddenly she felt him stir. He slowly turned his head, and as she hoped, he opened his eyes. "Soph"...he started to say. "Liam...I'm here, darling. Don't try to talk. I'll get the doctor", she told him.
"No...Sophia" he whispered, gripping her hand so she wouldn't leave his side. "Sophia...I love you so much...don't ever forget...don't..."
"Don't you say goodbye to me...fight Liam...please. As long as I've known you", she sobbed, "you've always been a fighter".
"Sophia...Love again. You have so much love..." then his eyes closed. Lights and buzzers starting going off, and in a second Liam's room was full of doctors and nurses.
One nurse tried to keep Sophia out of their way...
Just as the alarms started going off, the elevator door opened and Anka got off. As she walked down the hall toward Liam's room she noticed all the doctors and nurses ...and she heard her friend Sophia screaming through her tears. "NO...LIAM, WAKE UP...DO YOU HEAR ME? DON'T LEAVE ME...LIAM...PLEASE. OH GOD, PLEASE. NO...HE CAN'T BE...LIAM..."
Just as Anka entered the room the Dr. was telling Sophia her darling Liam was gone. "I'm so sorry Ms. Bowers", the Dr. told her. "We did everything we could...I...I'm so sorry."
Anka held her friend as she led her out of the room, and to an adjacent room, Sophia held on to her friend, and cried uncontrollably. Sophia was a broken woman. How could she go on without Liam?