Chapter Eighteen
(Minutes later...)
Craig stepped out of Brady's room and into the waiting area, carrying the good news all over his expression. Everyone looked up at him expectantly, waiting for the latest on Brady's health.
Belle raised both her eyebrows anxiously, her voice sounding clearly excited. "Well? What's the news?"
Craig smiled and waved Brady's chart in front of him. "He's... a miracle."
A collective sigh of relief went across the group, and John stood to shake Craig's hand. "Thank you, Craig. Thank you so much."
"No need to thank me. I can't even explain how this happened, I'm just glad it did. Not only is he awake, but every single one of his vital signs is normal, he's alert, talkative.... He's doing great."
Chloe smiled thankfully and rested her hand over her heart. "Oh, thank God..."
"I will need to run a few tests, just to make sure that everything is as good as it looks. For now, I think it's a good idea, if you all go home, and get some sleep, come back in the morning. Brady just woke up, and I don't want him to have too much excitement this quickly."
Marlena nodded in agreement and stood from her chair. She glanced sideways at Shawn and Belle who were also nodding. "I think you're right, Craig. We haven't been able to rest easy since all of this began, I think it's about time we all got a really good night of sleep."
Craig smiled and motioned towards Brady's room. "Go ahead, and have a few minutes with him before you leave. I need to make the arrangements for those tests."
John opened the door, and Marlena, Shawn and Belle followed him inside. Belle paused before closing the door and turned to Chloe. "Chloe, are you coming?"
Chloe glanced at Craig for a moment and then back to Belle. "I, uhh... I'll be there in a few minutes."
Belle nodded and closed the door behind her. Chloe turned to Craig and he threw his arms around her, holding her tightly. "What about you sweetheart?"
Chloe hugged him back and laid her head on his shoulder. "I'll come home, which I know will make Nancy happy. But, uhh... I need a few minutes alone with Brady before we go."
Craig let go of her and nodded in understanding. "Of course. I've got those arrangements to make, and that will take a while. So, I'll just come get you when I'm done, and I'll take you home."
"Okay, thanks Craig. Thank you for everything."
"You're welcome." Craig smiled at her and turned to leave. But, he hesitated and turned back to her. "Chloe... You love him, don't you?"
Chloe nodded and smiled slightly. "I do. I really and truly do."
"Then tell him. Don't waste another minute. Life is too short to hold those feelings inside."
"I know... I plan on it."
Craig nodded and turned around, walking towards his office and leaving Chloe alone. Chloe leaned against the wall and watched them through the window. She couldn't remember the last time she saw a room full of truly happy people. Chloe waited patiently for Brady's family to say their good-byes, and they exited his room together in a group of four.
Chloe hugged each one of them goodbye, and watched them walk away. When they were out of sight, she took a deep breath and headed into Brady's room. She took her usual seat at his bedside. The same chair that had been her home away from home for the past twelve days.
Brady was smiling at her as she motioned towards the chair. "Hey... I've sat here so much, I think they're going to bronze it and put it on display in the lobby some day. The Chloe Lane Memorial Hospital Chair."
Brady laughed at her and reached out his hand for her as he did earlier. Chloe reached hers toward him and he held it in his, pulling it close to him and kissing the top of her hand. "That's what I've heard. And, I'm not sure what I ever did to deserve that kind of friendship."
Chloe did not answer him, but instead changed the subject. "Brady, there's something I need to ask you. Something I want to know."
"You want to know what my sister whispered in my ear earlier?"
"Well, yes, of course. But, that's not what I was going to ask you. I know what all of this was like from my end, but I wanted to know what it was like for you. Do you remember anything that's happened since you went into your coma? Or is it just like... having twelve days disappear on you? I want to know what you have been feeling."
Brady nodded in understanding and grinned at her. "I think I can answer both of your questions at once, actually."
Chloe's blue eyes widened in surprise. "You can? How is that?"
"Let me explain, and I promise you'll understand in a minute. Craig said that I shouldn't remember anything, a coma isn't like taking a really extended nap... It's much deeper than that. But, I do remember some things. Nothing specific, but I remember. It's like... You know when you wake up in the morning and you know you dreamt that night, but you can't remember what the dream was about."
"Yeah, I guess so."
"Well, it's a lot like that. I don't remember specifics right now, and maybe I never will, but I remember the feelings. I can still feel them."
Chloe looked at him in confusion. "Feelings? What kind of feelings?"
Brady took a deep breath in and then exhaled slowly. "Everything that all of you must have been feeling. Anger, sadness, fear... and love. The love of my family surrounding me. But, there was one thing of all of those feelings that stands above everything else. It shines brighter than all of those things put together."
"And what was that?"
"Your love, Chloe. It was your love."
Chloe gasped softly and put her free hand over her mouth. "What? What do you mean?"
Brady smiled at her and continued. "Your love was stronger than anything, and it conquered all of the negative feelings. It engulfed me, and it kept me warm and safe when I needed it. And it gave me something to believe in, something to come back for."
"Oh my God, Brady... Really?"
"Yes, really. And when Belle whispered in my ear earlier, she said, 'Chloe loves you, you know.' and I said..."
Chloe finished his sentence for him. "I know. You said that you knew."
"I do. I have felt it for the past twelve days. I felt whatever you were feeling. Your pain, your anger, your fears... but most of all, your hope and your love." Brady grinned and squeezed her hand gently. "And I must be on to something because your palm is kinda sweaty."
"Oh geez..." Chloe cringed in embarrassment and looked away from him.
"Well... Am I completely off the mark? Because I certainly don't feel like it."
Chloe turned back to him and shook her head. "You're not. Not at all. The night that you got hurt... I called and asked you to come over for a reason. I wanted to tell you that I love you. And, I do. I loved you long you before this, and I love you even more now that I almost lost you. Phillip may have been the first person to ever make me feel beautiful. Shawn and Belle were the first ones to ever make me feel cared about, to teach me about friendship. But, you, Brady... you were the first person I have ever known that has made me feel important. You make me feel like I serve a purpose in this world, that I'm here for a reason, that I belong. When I am with you, I feel safer and more comfortable than I have ever felt with anyone. I trust you with everything that I have, and I want to give you my heart. And, I love you more than I thought it was possible to love anyone. And, I've been worried for 12 days that I would never get the chance to say it, so here I am and I'm telling you as many times as I have to. I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, Brady Black."
Chloe felt a few salty tears run down her cheeks and she rubbed them away with the back of her free hand. She took that same hand and rested it on top of the two hands that she and Brady already had entwined together. Brady's face was hard for her to read, a mixture of surprise and something else swimming through his eyes. There was a very long silence between them, and Chloe was afraid she would burst if he didn't say something quick.
"Brady... You... You don't have to tell me that you love me. If you don't, I understand. As long as you swear to me that we will always be friends, it doesn't matter what you feel about me. I love you no matter what, and that's all I need. I don't expect anything from you in return... I just wanted you to know."
Brady sighed softly and looked downward away from her. He smiled slightly and fixed his gaze on Chloe again. "I... I'm sorry, Chloe."
Chloe's heart dropped, and she though for just a second that she might pass out. She had meant what she said, Brady's answer didn't matter, she would love him no matter how he felt about her. But, still... she had hoped for him to return her feelings.
Brady saw her shock and continued. "Chloe... Don't freak out. I'm sorry because I didn't answer you right away. I should have. Hell, I should have told you months ago, but a lot of different things kept me from saying anything. I'm sorry that it took this long for me to be able to say it. I... I love you too, Chloe."
Chloe's eyes widened and her frown turned into a smile. "You do?"
"I do. I have never met anyone like you in my entire life, and I am sure that I never will. All I've ever wanted to do since the day I met you is to make you happy, because I love you. You are my strength, my light at the end of the tunnel, the one thing that I knew I had to come back to. And not just because you are my best friend, but because I love you. I knew I had to fight what was happening to me so I could spend the rest of my life making you happy."
Chloe smiled through her tears of joys and stared into Brady's blue eyes. She wondered how she could have ever doubted his love, when it had always been there, sparkling through his eyes every time he looked at her. Chloe leaned forward and gently planted her lips on his, and Brady accepted her mouth willingly and passionately. He let go of her hand so he could gently run his hand up her arm, leaving it to rest in her hair. They had waited so long for this moment, and had been through so much to get here. But, it was completely worth it. Chloe had never felt this way before, his kisses made her skin warm from head to toe, and filled her heart with more love than she had ever known.
She finally broke away with him and smiled widely, staying as close to him as their seating situation would allow. "This... This isn't a dream is it? Please, God, don't say it's a dream."
Brady gently brushed her cheek with his hand and shook his head. "It's not a dream. This is as real as it gets."
Chloe sighed softly, out of both relief and happiness. She gave him another quick kiss, just to make sure that she wasn't dreaming. They had waited so long for this moment to come, and Chloe planned to memorize every detail of it so she could hold it in her heart for the rest of her life. Brady broke away and scooted over in his hospital bed. Chloe took the hint and slid on to the bed next to him. He wrapped his arm around her pulling her closer and she gently rested her head on his shoulder.
"So, Diva... You love me?"
"I guess so."
"Even now, after I've been in bed for twelve days, I haven't taken a shower and I must have the worst morning breath in history."
Chloe giggled and looked up into his eyes. "Even with the morning breath, I love you. But, it's not as bad as it could be."
Brady looked at her curiously. "What's not as bad it could be?"
"Your breath. I did brush your teeth for you while you were asleep."
"You brushed my teeth?"
Chloe nodded and smiled at him. "Well, yeah. We didn't want your teeth to rot out of your head. Sure, you haven't been eating, but still... icky. So, I volunteered. I also made sure to take care of that facial hair so nobody would ask you to join ZZ Top when you woke up. Plus, I gave you daily sponge baths. Sometimes two or three times a day if I was feeling frisky."
Chloe thought Brady was going to roll out of his hospital bed in shock, his eyes widened and his jaw dropped in surprise. "What? You did WHAT?"
She couldn't help but laugh hysterically at him, she gently laid her hand on his chest, when the laughter began to die down. "I'm sorry, Brady. I'm just kidding. They had medical staff make sure you were bathed. I just... I wanted to see the look on your face."
"Well, I'm glad you thought it was funny."
Chloe tried to look at him seriously, but couldn't help laughing again. "Yeah, it was pretty funny. I just couldn't help myself."
Brady sighed softly and kissed the top of her head. "Boy, I've been back in the land of the living for thirty minutes and I'm already getting made fun of."
"I'm just giving you a taste of your own medicine for once." Chloe snuggled up closer to him and sighed. "I'm just happy, Brady. Happier than I have been in too long..."
"Me too, Diva... Me too."
They lay there together, holding on to each other tightly without speaking. No more words were necessary to tell each other how they were feeling. Chloe could see everything in his eyes, his smile, and his kiss and he could see the same in her.
Their time together came to an end when Craig peeked his head around the door. "I'm not... uhm, interrupting anything important, am I?"
Chloe turned and smiled proudly at him. "Nope... So, is this my cue to leave?"
"Sorry, but yes. Nancy is extremely anxious to have you home again."
Chloe nodded and turned back to Brady. She whispered softly to him after giving him a quick kiss on the lips. "I'll see you in the morning... or... the afternoon, cause it's kind of morning now. I love you, Brady."
Brady nodded and whispered back. "I love you too."
She reluctantly slipped from his embrace and stood again, squeezing his hand briefly before she walked away.
Chloe followed Craig outside to the car in silence, but hesitate in the parking lot for a moment. She took a deep breath in, enjoying the cool night air. It was her first time outside in twelve days, and everything seemed different to her. Everything seemed better. The air seemed cleaner and cooler, and the sky was filled with more stars than she had ever seen in her life.
She looked up at the stars for a second and then looked at Craig. "You know what? I got what I wished for, and I didn't even have to wish on a star for it."
Craig nodded in understanding and smiled at her. "That's right. You don't need to wish on stars, when you have faith."
Chloe nodded and continued on to the car. Craig was exactly right. She had found faith in love, and it had carried Brady through his darkest hours. Chloe smiled gratefully, knowing that no matter how horrible the past days had been to her, she would always appreciate them for the lessons that they had taught her. A lesson in faith and hope.
***
(I know, everybody wants to know if Brady was really in her dreams or not. But, I can't tell you that. Not yet. But, I promise it won't go completely unresolved.)
(Minutes later...)
Craig stepped out of Brady's room and into the waiting area, carrying the good news all over his expression. Everyone looked up at him expectantly, waiting for the latest on Brady's health.
Belle raised both her eyebrows anxiously, her voice sounding clearly excited. "Well? What's the news?"
Craig smiled and waved Brady's chart in front of him. "He's... a miracle."
A collective sigh of relief went across the group, and John stood to shake Craig's hand. "Thank you, Craig. Thank you so much."
"No need to thank me. I can't even explain how this happened, I'm just glad it did. Not only is he awake, but every single one of his vital signs is normal, he's alert, talkative.... He's doing great."
Chloe smiled thankfully and rested her hand over her heart. "Oh, thank God..."
"I will need to run a few tests, just to make sure that everything is as good as it looks. For now, I think it's a good idea, if you all go home, and get some sleep, come back in the morning. Brady just woke up, and I don't want him to have too much excitement this quickly."
Marlena nodded in agreement and stood from her chair. She glanced sideways at Shawn and Belle who were also nodding. "I think you're right, Craig. We haven't been able to rest easy since all of this began, I think it's about time we all got a really good night of sleep."
Craig smiled and motioned towards Brady's room. "Go ahead, and have a few minutes with him before you leave. I need to make the arrangements for those tests."
John opened the door, and Marlena, Shawn and Belle followed him inside. Belle paused before closing the door and turned to Chloe. "Chloe, are you coming?"
Chloe glanced at Craig for a moment and then back to Belle. "I, uhh... I'll be there in a few minutes."
Belle nodded and closed the door behind her. Chloe turned to Craig and he threw his arms around her, holding her tightly. "What about you sweetheart?"
Chloe hugged him back and laid her head on his shoulder. "I'll come home, which I know will make Nancy happy. But, uhh... I need a few minutes alone with Brady before we go."
Craig let go of her and nodded in understanding. "Of course. I've got those arrangements to make, and that will take a while. So, I'll just come get you when I'm done, and I'll take you home."
"Okay, thanks Craig. Thank you for everything."
"You're welcome." Craig smiled at her and turned to leave. But, he hesitated and turned back to her. "Chloe... You love him, don't you?"
Chloe nodded and smiled slightly. "I do. I really and truly do."
"Then tell him. Don't waste another minute. Life is too short to hold those feelings inside."
"I know... I plan on it."
Craig nodded and turned around, walking towards his office and leaving Chloe alone. Chloe leaned against the wall and watched them through the window. She couldn't remember the last time she saw a room full of truly happy people. Chloe waited patiently for Brady's family to say their good-byes, and they exited his room together in a group of four.
Chloe hugged each one of them goodbye, and watched them walk away. When they were out of sight, she took a deep breath and headed into Brady's room. She took her usual seat at his bedside. The same chair that had been her home away from home for the past twelve days.
Brady was smiling at her as she motioned towards the chair. "Hey... I've sat here so much, I think they're going to bronze it and put it on display in the lobby some day. The Chloe Lane Memorial Hospital Chair."
Brady laughed at her and reached out his hand for her as he did earlier. Chloe reached hers toward him and he held it in his, pulling it close to him and kissing the top of her hand. "That's what I've heard. And, I'm not sure what I ever did to deserve that kind of friendship."
Chloe did not answer him, but instead changed the subject. "Brady, there's something I need to ask you. Something I want to know."
"You want to know what my sister whispered in my ear earlier?"
"Well, yes, of course. But, that's not what I was going to ask you. I know what all of this was like from my end, but I wanted to know what it was like for you. Do you remember anything that's happened since you went into your coma? Or is it just like... having twelve days disappear on you? I want to know what you have been feeling."
Brady nodded in understanding and grinned at her. "I think I can answer both of your questions at once, actually."
Chloe's blue eyes widened in surprise. "You can? How is that?"
"Let me explain, and I promise you'll understand in a minute. Craig said that I shouldn't remember anything, a coma isn't like taking a really extended nap... It's much deeper than that. But, I do remember some things. Nothing specific, but I remember. It's like... You know when you wake up in the morning and you know you dreamt that night, but you can't remember what the dream was about."
"Yeah, I guess so."
"Well, it's a lot like that. I don't remember specifics right now, and maybe I never will, but I remember the feelings. I can still feel them."
Chloe looked at him in confusion. "Feelings? What kind of feelings?"
Brady took a deep breath in and then exhaled slowly. "Everything that all of you must have been feeling. Anger, sadness, fear... and love. The love of my family surrounding me. But, there was one thing of all of those feelings that stands above everything else. It shines brighter than all of those things put together."
"And what was that?"
"Your love, Chloe. It was your love."
Chloe gasped softly and put her free hand over her mouth. "What? What do you mean?"
Brady smiled at her and continued. "Your love was stronger than anything, and it conquered all of the negative feelings. It engulfed me, and it kept me warm and safe when I needed it. And it gave me something to believe in, something to come back for."
"Oh my God, Brady... Really?"
"Yes, really. And when Belle whispered in my ear earlier, she said, 'Chloe loves you, you know.' and I said..."
Chloe finished his sentence for him. "I know. You said that you knew."
"I do. I have felt it for the past twelve days. I felt whatever you were feeling. Your pain, your anger, your fears... but most of all, your hope and your love." Brady grinned and squeezed her hand gently. "And I must be on to something because your palm is kinda sweaty."
"Oh geez..." Chloe cringed in embarrassment and looked away from him.
"Well... Am I completely off the mark? Because I certainly don't feel like it."
Chloe turned back to him and shook her head. "You're not. Not at all. The night that you got hurt... I called and asked you to come over for a reason. I wanted to tell you that I love you. And, I do. I loved you long you before this, and I love you even more now that I almost lost you. Phillip may have been the first person to ever make me feel beautiful. Shawn and Belle were the first ones to ever make me feel cared about, to teach me about friendship. But, you, Brady... you were the first person I have ever known that has made me feel important. You make me feel like I serve a purpose in this world, that I'm here for a reason, that I belong. When I am with you, I feel safer and more comfortable than I have ever felt with anyone. I trust you with everything that I have, and I want to give you my heart. And, I love you more than I thought it was possible to love anyone. And, I've been worried for 12 days that I would never get the chance to say it, so here I am and I'm telling you as many times as I have to. I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, Brady Black."
Chloe felt a few salty tears run down her cheeks and she rubbed them away with the back of her free hand. She took that same hand and rested it on top of the two hands that she and Brady already had entwined together. Brady's face was hard for her to read, a mixture of surprise and something else swimming through his eyes. There was a very long silence between them, and Chloe was afraid she would burst if he didn't say something quick.
"Brady... You... You don't have to tell me that you love me. If you don't, I understand. As long as you swear to me that we will always be friends, it doesn't matter what you feel about me. I love you no matter what, and that's all I need. I don't expect anything from you in return... I just wanted you to know."
Brady sighed softly and looked downward away from her. He smiled slightly and fixed his gaze on Chloe again. "I... I'm sorry, Chloe."
Chloe's heart dropped, and she though for just a second that she might pass out. She had meant what she said, Brady's answer didn't matter, she would love him no matter how he felt about her. But, still... she had hoped for him to return her feelings.
Brady saw her shock and continued. "Chloe... Don't freak out. I'm sorry because I didn't answer you right away. I should have. Hell, I should have told you months ago, but a lot of different things kept me from saying anything. I'm sorry that it took this long for me to be able to say it. I... I love you too, Chloe."
Chloe's eyes widened and her frown turned into a smile. "You do?"
"I do. I have never met anyone like you in my entire life, and I am sure that I never will. All I've ever wanted to do since the day I met you is to make you happy, because I love you. You are my strength, my light at the end of the tunnel, the one thing that I knew I had to come back to. And not just because you are my best friend, but because I love you. I knew I had to fight what was happening to me so I could spend the rest of my life making you happy."
Chloe smiled through her tears of joys and stared into Brady's blue eyes. She wondered how she could have ever doubted his love, when it had always been there, sparkling through his eyes every time he looked at her. Chloe leaned forward and gently planted her lips on his, and Brady accepted her mouth willingly and passionately. He let go of her hand so he could gently run his hand up her arm, leaving it to rest in her hair. They had waited so long for this moment, and had been through so much to get here. But, it was completely worth it. Chloe had never felt this way before, his kisses made her skin warm from head to toe, and filled her heart with more love than she had ever known.
She finally broke away with him and smiled widely, staying as close to him as their seating situation would allow. "This... This isn't a dream is it? Please, God, don't say it's a dream."
Brady gently brushed her cheek with his hand and shook his head. "It's not a dream. This is as real as it gets."
Chloe sighed softly, out of both relief and happiness. She gave him another quick kiss, just to make sure that she wasn't dreaming. They had waited so long for this moment to come, and Chloe planned to memorize every detail of it so she could hold it in her heart for the rest of her life. Brady broke away and scooted over in his hospital bed. Chloe took the hint and slid on to the bed next to him. He wrapped his arm around her pulling her closer and she gently rested her head on his shoulder.
"So, Diva... You love me?"
"I guess so."
"Even now, after I've been in bed for twelve days, I haven't taken a shower and I must have the worst morning breath in history."
Chloe giggled and looked up into his eyes. "Even with the morning breath, I love you. But, it's not as bad as it could be."
Brady looked at her curiously. "What's not as bad it could be?"
"Your breath. I did brush your teeth for you while you were asleep."
"You brushed my teeth?"
Chloe nodded and smiled at him. "Well, yeah. We didn't want your teeth to rot out of your head. Sure, you haven't been eating, but still... icky. So, I volunteered. I also made sure to take care of that facial hair so nobody would ask you to join ZZ Top when you woke up. Plus, I gave you daily sponge baths. Sometimes two or three times a day if I was feeling frisky."
Chloe thought Brady was going to roll out of his hospital bed in shock, his eyes widened and his jaw dropped in surprise. "What? You did WHAT?"
She couldn't help but laugh hysterically at him, she gently laid her hand on his chest, when the laughter began to die down. "I'm sorry, Brady. I'm just kidding. They had medical staff make sure you were bathed. I just... I wanted to see the look on your face."
"Well, I'm glad you thought it was funny."
Chloe tried to look at him seriously, but couldn't help laughing again. "Yeah, it was pretty funny. I just couldn't help myself."
Brady sighed softly and kissed the top of her head. "Boy, I've been back in the land of the living for thirty minutes and I'm already getting made fun of."
"I'm just giving you a taste of your own medicine for once." Chloe snuggled up closer to him and sighed. "I'm just happy, Brady. Happier than I have been in too long..."
"Me too, Diva... Me too."
They lay there together, holding on to each other tightly without speaking. No more words were necessary to tell each other how they were feeling. Chloe could see everything in his eyes, his smile, and his kiss and he could see the same in her.
Their time together came to an end when Craig peeked his head around the door. "I'm not... uhm, interrupting anything important, am I?"
Chloe turned and smiled proudly at him. "Nope... So, is this my cue to leave?"
"Sorry, but yes. Nancy is extremely anxious to have you home again."
Chloe nodded and turned back to Brady. She whispered softly to him after giving him a quick kiss on the lips. "I'll see you in the morning... or... the afternoon, cause it's kind of morning now. I love you, Brady."
Brady nodded and whispered back. "I love you too."
She reluctantly slipped from his embrace and stood again, squeezing his hand briefly before she walked away.
Chloe followed Craig outside to the car in silence, but hesitate in the parking lot for a moment. She took a deep breath in, enjoying the cool night air. It was her first time outside in twelve days, and everything seemed different to her. Everything seemed better. The air seemed cleaner and cooler, and the sky was filled with more stars than she had ever seen in her life.
She looked up at the stars for a second and then looked at Craig. "You know what? I got what I wished for, and I didn't even have to wish on a star for it."
Craig nodded in understanding and smiled at her. "That's right. You don't need to wish on stars, when you have faith."
Chloe nodded and continued on to the car. Craig was exactly right. She had found faith in love, and it had carried Brady through his darkest hours. Chloe smiled gratefully, knowing that no matter how horrible the past days had been to her, she would always appreciate them for the lessons that they had taught her. A lesson in faith and hope.
***
(I know, everybody wants to know if Brady was really in her dreams or not. But, I can't tell you that. Not yet. But, I promise it won't go completely unresolved.)
