Disclaimer: Days of our Lives is not mine, the actors are not mine, although I can think of one tall dark handsome one with an accent that I would love to have be mine but that's beside the point.
The invisible thread part twenty one
"Rise and shine, Elvis. Breakfast is ready."
He opened his eyes and remembered he was now in his new house. He pulled himself into a sitting position and looked around at what was now to be his room until an elevator could be installed to allow him access to upstairs.
The room was painted a very soft shade of yellow. Just bright enough to be considered cheery. He wondered if Samantha had selected the colour. A bouquet of sweet smelling freesia stood on his nightstand. A painting of the Italian countryside was on the wall opposite. The bedspread had a leaf pattern of green purple and golden yellows that complimented the walls. The curtains were made of the same fabric. A statue of a sleek black panther graced the dresser.
Tony came in with a tray of food. "So how are you feeling this morning?"
EJ replied in a miffed voice. "I don't need to be served breakfast in bed, especially not by my brother."
"How about your sister then?" Lexie entered carrying a big glass of orange juice.
EJ rolled his eyes.
"It's a one time occasion then, all right? One chance to spoil our little brother," Tony added.
EJ's heart warmed at his words as he looked at his brother's and sister's smiling faces. He realized that he hadn't lost everything, he did still have family.
"I'm sorry I was being so difficult. I really appreciate what you two have done. Thank you."
"We are family, EJ. We care about each other." Lexie said as she handed him the juice.
EJ nodded. "I had forgotten that. Have either of you heard anything about Andre? Have the police been able to locate him?"
Tony snorted. "The Salem PD couldn't find their own arses if they weren't attached!"
EJ choked, inhaling his orange juice up his nose.
Lexie slapped Tony's arm.
"I'm sorry sis, I forgot your husband is one of Salem's finest." He said remorsefully then turned and winked at EJ, who suppressed another laugh.
"I've had quite enough for you both. EJ, finish up your breakfast. I need to do a thorough exam before I go."
EJ realized how much better food tasted here than in the hospital. Tony had made him scrambled eggs and toast with a fruit salad on the side. Lexie's orange juice had been freshly squeezed.
Tony took away the dishes as Lexie examined EJ.
He lay back with his eyes tightly closed. He then looked at her intensely when she finished. "Tell me straight Lexie, is their any chance that I will ever walk again?"
She sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed. "I don't want to raise any false hopes but I have researched the work Mark has done and yes I do believe there is a chance. Your spinal cord isn't severed. The only reason you are paralyzed is because that bullet fragment in tightly lodged near your spine."
"Can't we just do surgery and get it out?"
She shook his head. "Not right now. There is too much swelling if we did it now there is a good chance it would slip further and sever the cord and then you would have no hope considering its location."
She patted his arm. "I know how hard this must be for you and I am so sorry you are going through this but you need to work with Mark and you need to be patient. There is hope, EJ."
EJ wearily rubbed his forehead. "Do you have any idea when this might change and when I could walk again?"
She shook her head. "Only God knows the answer to that. " She reached down to hug him. "I have to go. I'll stop by later."
She smiled.
"Thank you. I know I wasn't very grateful yesterday but I am. I really am."
She smiled at him but there was worry in her eyes. "Are you really all right? Last night when I checked on you, you were tossing and turning in the midst it seemed of a really bad nightmare."
"I don't remember." He frowned. "Did I say anything?"
Lexie looked away, she seemed very disturbed. "You mentioned that there was a lot of blood." She looked back at him. "EJ, did you shoot John a year ago?"
Fear crept into his heart. Would she condemn him for what he almost did?
Lexie swallowed heavily. The look of guilt and terror in EJ's eyes answered her question but she wanted to hear it from him.
"Answer me!"
He looked away. "Father had ordered me to kill him. So that is what I planned to do." He glanced up at her and cringed at the terrible look on her face. He took a deep breath. "I wanted to do as father asked but shooting a man in cold blood was harder than I thought, John engaged me in conversation and I couldn't seem to just pull the trigger like I should have. We struggled and the gun went off, John fell to the ground. I left as quickly as I could."
He hesitantly glanced up at her again.
She stared out the window then back at him. "Tell me the truth if you hadn't struggled would you have shot him?"
He looked at her with agonized eyes and whispered, "I don't know. Lexie, I was a different man back then. I wouldn't do it now."
"I know how manipulative Stefano can be but even so I didn't grow up with him and wasn't influenced by him from childhood like you were. So I can make excuses for some of the things you did. I know you love him but you need to break from him, EJ. There is no hope for you until you do."
EJ stared at her and quietly responded. "I know but he's my father. It's it's hard. I love him. He was a good father."
She sighed and bent over to hug him tightly. "I have faith in you," she said before she left..
EJ spent the morning examining the main floor of his house. The living room was a soft green and his black sofa and chairs looked great in it. He would have to compliment Samantha on her choices. He approved of everything she had selected. A smile erupted when he saw a picture of himself in his racecar holding the winning cup. A part of him missed their carefree days when he was allowed to be EJ Wells. Young superstar racecar driver.
The best he could hope to do right now was wheelies in his wheelchair.
He wondered if Samantha would come by. She had coaxed him back into the house yesterday. The feel of her kiss on his forehead still lingered. He didn't have a chance to talk to her as her phone had rung and she had quickly left as Tony literally had forced him into bed to rest.
He sighed as he wheeled himself into the living room and painfully maneuvered himself onto the sofa. Samantha was no doubt at home with her twins and Lucas by her side.
The smell of balsam filled the air and he looked longingly at the tree. How much fun it would have been to go out with Samantha and cut down the perfect tree and decorate it together. He would have made her hot chocolate with marshmallows topped with whipping cream. He imagined her getting some on her lips giving him the perfect excuse to kiss it off. He sighed deeply again.
His mind wandered back to Christmas' with Stefano. EJ had always been outrageously spoiled by his father yet he knew now that the most important things couldn't be bought. He also had a very foggy memory of a Christmas tree from long ago, he remembered laughing and playing with a train under it. He remembered being hugged and kissed. He was quite sure they were cherished memories of his mother and stepfather before they died.
The doorbell rang and Tony came out of the kitchen to answer it. EJ's heart leapt in the hope it was Samantha but it soon became evident by the way Tony was talking that it was Mark.
His heart sank, his back still hurt and he was relying on painkillers to numb the pain. There was no way he would do a workout today.
"Good morning, EJ. I'm just here to do some mild stretching exercises on your legs. You won't need to do anything but lie on your back," he assured him.
He readily agreed, relieved that he wouldn't have to argue with his trainer and brother.
Mark was right the exercises were painless since Mark just worked on his legs and he didn't feel a thing.
After the exercises the day wore on and EJ spent it on his computer bringing himself up to date on American law. Mythic was no more thanks to Lucas so he might as well put his law degree to good use and focus on a new career. Being paralyzed wasn't going to turn him into a useless appendage like Samantha's husband. He shook his head in disgust that she would want to stay with a man like that. He wished the man had frozen to death in that truck.
Samantha sat in the hospital on a chair in the waiting room. She stared in shock at the piece of paper in her hand. EJ was the father of Johnny, her son, while Lucas was the father of Ali, her daughter. Twins with two different fathers. The thought made her sick. How did her life always end up so screwed up. Feeling numb she got up and headed home to tell Lucas. Her heart beat erratically as she worried how he would react. Would he walk out on her? He was her life, how could she survive without him. And then there was EJ. This tied him to her forever.