Here is the first prompt for making the story your own. If you want no romance, this chapter will be your last.
Thank you all for the read and reviews!
9.
Amber struggled to carry the projector and screen to the nurses station. Somehow she couldn't balance all she had. She had come in early, praying that the package from New Orleans had arrived. Mother came through and had paid a pretty penny for that private courier. Since she married this time, her attitude had really changed. She no longer hungered for power. She didn't need it anymore, she had love. She was the queen of her own household and reveled in it. At least one of them ended up happy.
She counted the films, there were six. As she held them up to the light, she could see him smiling and dancing on each one. Perfect! What she really needed was a loop, like the fireplace WYZT ran on Christmas Day. Twelve hours of the same fire burning down and then suddenly jumping back to the beginning. She snatched the small rolls and ran to the audio/visual lab of the University. With all good luck, someone would be there to help her.
The A/V department didn't open til eight, but someone was inside. She banged on the door. One of the boys looked as he opened it. He smiled his best acne faced smile. "Can I help you miss?" he grinned.
"Yes." She tried not to look too distant. She needed this loop. "I have these 8mms. Can you splice them for a continuous loop? Just the first few minutes of film." She smiled.
"Anything for you." He gushed.
Amber ignored the flirting and started pulling film. "Here is the first one. Right to here. And this one, to here."
The young man took the films to the editor. A quick cut, some film tape and Amber had her loop. He left the end open to feed into the projector and explained how to connect them. He handed it to her and winked. "Maybe we can go for lunch sometime? What do you think?"
"Such a nice young man. Let me think about it, okay?" she said as she collected the reels, "I know where to find you."
"How about your number?" she heard him say as she pushed out the door.
"Right." Amber whispered as she began to run across the campus. She had an hour until she was officially on duty. She needed to get this set up.
As she yanked the screen from under the desk, Keri walked up pulling off her coat. "What's this?"
Amber smiled. "It's my "latest, greatest" idea. Could you grab that projector and give me a hand?"
"Where?" Keri hesitated.
"To Rosie's room."
Keri stopped. "No Amber. You're off that case. You were warned. I'm not helping you get in trouble."
Amber threw her eyes up to the ceiling. "This is my time Keri. I'm allowed to do what I want on my own time. Dr. Weaver doesn't own me, you know." She picked up the projector, but Keri took it from her.
"He'll have your head. He can be difficult."
Amber nearly dropped the screen as she laughed, "You don't know difficult until you've met my mother!"
They turned on the lights in Rosie's room. She was still asleep. Amber set up the screen first then read the directions to thread film into the projector. She fed it in and pulled the paper off the adhesive on the far end, sticking it together. Finally she got it. She flipped the first switch and the film began to rotate. Yes! She did it.
The lamp came on with a flick. A small, out of focus square appeared on the screen. She could hear him sing. She hoped Rosie could too. She pulled the table with the projector until the square filled the screen. Amber adjusted the focus. There he was, singing and dancing. It was 1961 again.
She made her was over to Rosie and took her into her arms. "Come on baby wake up. Come and look at Daddy." Amber turned her face to the screen as her eyes opened. They looked wider to Amber than before. God let this be it, she prayed.
Keri stood with her mouth open. "That's him, isn't it?"
Amber smiled, "In all his glory."
"Oh wow, that's just a pity." Keri squinted and walked closer. "My God Amber, is that you?"
"Yeah that's me." Amber laughed at her reaction.
They stared at the screen. It repeated twice. Amber looked at Rosie. Her eyes followed her father as he danced. Amber put her hand in front of her face. Rosie moved her head to the side. "Keri, watch!" She put her hand there again. The child moved. Keri smiled.
People began to hear the music from the hall. They were slipping in to watch. A few people tried to ask questions but Amber shushed them and waved them away. Rosie's body began to move in time to the music. A smile appeared on her face. "Da" she said as she pointed. She looked from the screen to Amber. "Da!"
"Yes Rosie, there he is. It's your 'Da'." She said brushing away tears. "He's there for you." The child beamed. She wanted to hug her but Rosie would have none of it. Her Daddy was singing and dancing for her. She got more excited the more she watched. It looped over and over.
Amber looked at her watch. She had to go. "Who's on assignment with her this morning?"
One of the residents raised his hand but his eyes never left the screen, "Is that you Amber? You're pretty good."
"Yeah, okay. JJ, see if you can get her a speech therapy consult. She's going to need some help talking again." She stood up from the bed as she spied Corny's face in the observation window. His eyes were wide too as he looked at the screen. She hurried to the door.
"Come in here, I have a surprise for you." She exclaimed.
"Where did you get this from?" he gave her a puzzled look. She grabbed his chin and pointed his face to the bed. There his daughter moved, watching his every step on the screen. "Rosie!" he yelled and nearly fell getting to her. She looked at her Daddy and her arms spread wide.
"Da!"
Amber walked to the nurses' station as they embraced. Everything was fuzzy as she looked at her charts.
