CHAPTER 25
A Memory
Fox handed the baby back to Paloma as he sat beside her in the waiting room. He looked around him to realize that the others aside from Gwen were still sleeping.
"No news?"
"No, nothing yet."
"Maybe I should go to the nurses station and see what's up."
He got up but she pulled him back down.
"Sit down, Fox. Relax. Maybe you should sleep a few minutes."
"No, I don't feel like it."
"Fox, I don't know anyone more resilient than Teresa. She will pull through this."
He didn't say anything. Instead, he leaned his head against the wall and closed his eyes. He let his mind wander to a better time.
**************************
They were walking on the beach one night, in what seemed to be a lifetime ago.
"Come on Teresa, you have to tell me."
"No, I don't have to tell you anything."
"If it's not Dylan you want, then who is it?"
"Why should I tell you?"
"Because you and I are really good friends and you must tell me."
"I'll tell you if you tell me about your lady love."
"I plead the fifth."
"Then so will I, Fox."
They walked back to their home laughing and pushing each other.
"What do you want to do?"
"How about a game of twister?"
"For the last time Teresa, I'm not a contortionist."
She laughed very hard.
They found Chad there when they arrived. He was just casually sitting in front of the door.
"What's up Chad?"
"Nothing, just came to see how you guys were doing. We haven't seen you in while."
"That's really sweet. Fox and I are about to play a game of twister, want to join?"
"I'm a little beat, but I can spin it if you want."
"Sure."
Teresa left both Chad and Fox together and went to get the game. They went in the living room and waited for her.
"I hear that you and Teresa have been fighting a lot lately."
"Yes, but that's because she is stubborn as hell."
"She can be that way. But she is someone who really grows on you."
"I liked Teresa ever since I met her the first time. I care about her a lot and I don't like standing on the side lines while she gets hurt."
"You want to protect her then?"
"Yes, I do. Wouldn't you?"
Chad didn't answer. The only person he wanted to protect was Whitney, but he was starting to see something in Fox that he had never seen before. Fox was a lot more open with his feelings then he was when he first came to Harmony.
"Ok, guys. Here we go!"
Fox got up and Teresa approached him.
"Prepare to get you ass kicked mister."
"Bring it on, Resa!"
She smiled. It was the first time he had used a nickname for her.
They started the game with Chad spinning it and both Fox and Teresa standing on the sheet of colored dots.
"Left foot yellow, Teresa...."
At a time, Fox was leaning on top of Teresa. They were facing each other and Teresa was giggling. Fox could feel his arms and legs shaking.
"Give it up, Crane."
"Never!"
She moved her knee against his stomach, feeling it clench.
"What's wrong Foxy boy?"
"You know damn well what's wrong, Teresa."
She laughed.
"Oh, that's right. You are ticklish! Why is your face so red?"
Fox turned his head toward Chad.
"Are spinning or what?"
"No, I'm enjoying this way too much. I'm just going to wait and see who falls first."
He put down the wheel and made himself comfortable on the couch and watched them.
"This is better than television."
"Shouldn't you go back to Whitney or something?"
"Are you trying to get rid of me, Fox?"
"Of course not."
Fox tried to straighten up but knocked Teresa's head with his. They both felt dizzy for a moment but held their positions.
"That's cheating, Fox."
"It's not like I did it on purpose you know. I'm as hurt as you are."
"Except that your head his harder than mine is."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"That you are hard headed."
She said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Don't even start with me Teresa."
"I'm not starting anything."
She saw how upset he was over this. They both liked things to be done their way and usually didn't take no for an answer. It had been a sore spot between them. They were both stubborn and butted heads often, but they always found their way back into each others' good graces.
All Teresa had to do was hug him and it would melt all his resistance. All he had to do was give her one of those smiles that he only showed her. the sincere kind that light up an entire being. They knew how to get to each other.
"Are you about ready to give up?"
"What kind of question is that, Teresa?"
"I don't know, the kind that you don't like."
He laughed and she looked him in the eyes. She approached her head near his and moved her lips and tongue from his neck up to his lips. He could feel himself shaking. He couldn't do it anymore, he fell on top of her with his lips on hers. She broke away a few seconds later and he pulled his head and body up. She pulled him back down on her and whispered something in his ear.
"Got ya!"
She started laughing and pushed him off of her. He rolled on his back and started at the lights on the ceiling.
"Now that's sneaky and manipulative Teresa."
"No, it's not. I won fair and square."
"No, you didn't. You kissed me and I lost my concentration."
"Next time, you better think with the organ up there than down there."
Chad started laughing.
"Well I'll leave you two to your little quarrel."
Fox and Teresa didn't even pay attention to him.
"I cannot believe you just said that."
She was on the floor putting the game away.
"Well the bottom line is that I won and you can't take it away from me."
He picked her up from the floor and carried her in his arms.
"At least, I can make myself feel better about it."
"Where are you taking me?"
"Here."
He dropped in the pool.
"Do you know how cold this is?"
"No, I don't. Good night Teresa."
"What, you're not even going to help me out of here?"
"I know all your tricks, you know."
She swam and got out of the pool as he was walking inside back in the living room. He threw her a towel and she wrapped it around her. She sat down on a long chair and got undressed.
"You obviously don't know all my tricks if you lost tonight."
She was so cold she was shaking. He went up to her and held her to warm her up.
"You should go up to your room and dry yourself properly. I don't want you to get sick."
"And whose fault would that be?"
She was walking up the stairs.
"You started it. You didn't have to cheat."
She shouted from the top of the stairs.
"I won fair and square."
He heard the door close and had a smile.
"That kiss was definitely out of this world."
***************************
Fox opened his eyes and saw the surgeon coming in the waiting area. He got up and walked up to him. Teresa had been in surgery for over 8 hours.
"Mr. Crane. I have some news concerning your fiancé. You might want to sit down."
Everyone else gathered around as the doctor spoke to Fox.
Fox handed the baby back to Paloma as he sat beside her in the waiting room. He looked around him to realize that the others aside from Gwen were still sleeping.
"No news?"
"No, nothing yet."
"Maybe I should go to the nurses station and see what's up."
He got up but she pulled him back down.
"Sit down, Fox. Relax. Maybe you should sleep a few minutes."
"No, I don't feel like it."
"Fox, I don't know anyone more resilient than Teresa. She will pull through this."
He didn't say anything. Instead, he leaned his head against the wall and closed his eyes. He let his mind wander to a better time.
**************************
They were walking on the beach one night, in what seemed to be a lifetime ago.
"Come on Teresa, you have to tell me."
"No, I don't have to tell you anything."
"If it's not Dylan you want, then who is it?"
"Why should I tell you?"
"Because you and I are really good friends and you must tell me."
"I'll tell you if you tell me about your lady love."
"I plead the fifth."
"Then so will I, Fox."
They walked back to their home laughing and pushing each other.
"What do you want to do?"
"How about a game of twister?"
"For the last time Teresa, I'm not a contortionist."
She laughed very hard.
They found Chad there when they arrived. He was just casually sitting in front of the door.
"What's up Chad?"
"Nothing, just came to see how you guys were doing. We haven't seen you in while."
"That's really sweet. Fox and I are about to play a game of twister, want to join?"
"I'm a little beat, but I can spin it if you want."
"Sure."
Teresa left both Chad and Fox together and went to get the game. They went in the living room and waited for her.
"I hear that you and Teresa have been fighting a lot lately."
"Yes, but that's because she is stubborn as hell."
"She can be that way. But she is someone who really grows on you."
"I liked Teresa ever since I met her the first time. I care about her a lot and I don't like standing on the side lines while she gets hurt."
"You want to protect her then?"
"Yes, I do. Wouldn't you?"
Chad didn't answer. The only person he wanted to protect was Whitney, but he was starting to see something in Fox that he had never seen before. Fox was a lot more open with his feelings then he was when he first came to Harmony.
"Ok, guys. Here we go!"
Fox got up and Teresa approached him.
"Prepare to get you ass kicked mister."
"Bring it on, Resa!"
She smiled. It was the first time he had used a nickname for her.
They started the game with Chad spinning it and both Fox and Teresa standing on the sheet of colored dots.
"Left foot yellow, Teresa...."
At a time, Fox was leaning on top of Teresa. They were facing each other and Teresa was giggling. Fox could feel his arms and legs shaking.
"Give it up, Crane."
"Never!"
She moved her knee against his stomach, feeling it clench.
"What's wrong Foxy boy?"
"You know damn well what's wrong, Teresa."
She laughed.
"Oh, that's right. You are ticklish! Why is your face so red?"
Fox turned his head toward Chad.
"Are spinning or what?"
"No, I'm enjoying this way too much. I'm just going to wait and see who falls first."
He put down the wheel and made himself comfortable on the couch and watched them.
"This is better than television."
"Shouldn't you go back to Whitney or something?"
"Are you trying to get rid of me, Fox?"
"Of course not."
Fox tried to straighten up but knocked Teresa's head with his. They both felt dizzy for a moment but held their positions.
"That's cheating, Fox."
"It's not like I did it on purpose you know. I'm as hurt as you are."
"Except that your head his harder than mine is."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"That you are hard headed."
She said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Don't even start with me Teresa."
"I'm not starting anything."
She saw how upset he was over this. They both liked things to be done their way and usually didn't take no for an answer. It had been a sore spot between them. They were both stubborn and butted heads often, but they always found their way back into each others' good graces.
All Teresa had to do was hug him and it would melt all his resistance. All he had to do was give her one of those smiles that he only showed her. the sincere kind that light up an entire being. They knew how to get to each other.
"Are you about ready to give up?"
"What kind of question is that, Teresa?"
"I don't know, the kind that you don't like."
He laughed and she looked him in the eyes. She approached her head near his and moved her lips and tongue from his neck up to his lips. He could feel himself shaking. He couldn't do it anymore, he fell on top of her with his lips on hers. She broke away a few seconds later and he pulled his head and body up. She pulled him back down on her and whispered something in his ear.
"Got ya!"
She started laughing and pushed him off of her. He rolled on his back and started at the lights on the ceiling.
"Now that's sneaky and manipulative Teresa."
"No, it's not. I won fair and square."
"No, you didn't. You kissed me and I lost my concentration."
"Next time, you better think with the organ up there than down there."
Chad started laughing.
"Well I'll leave you two to your little quarrel."
Fox and Teresa didn't even pay attention to him.
"I cannot believe you just said that."
She was on the floor putting the game away.
"Well the bottom line is that I won and you can't take it away from me."
He picked her up from the floor and carried her in his arms.
"At least, I can make myself feel better about it."
"Where are you taking me?"
"Here."
He dropped in the pool.
"Do you know how cold this is?"
"No, I don't. Good night Teresa."
"What, you're not even going to help me out of here?"
"I know all your tricks, you know."
She swam and got out of the pool as he was walking inside back in the living room. He threw her a towel and she wrapped it around her. She sat down on a long chair and got undressed.
"You obviously don't know all my tricks if you lost tonight."
She was so cold she was shaking. He went up to her and held her to warm her up.
"You should go up to your room and dry yourself properly. I don't want you to get sick."
"And whose fault would that be?"
She was walking up the stairs.
"You started it. You didn't have to cheat."
She shouted from the top of the stairs.
"I won fair and square."
He heard the door close and had a smile.
"That kiss was definitely out of this world."
***************************
Fox opened his eyes and saw the surgeon coming in the waiting area. He got up and walked up to him. Teresa had been in surgery for over 8 hours.
"Mr. Crane. I have some news concerning your fiancé. You might want to sit down."
Everyone else gathered around as the doctor spoke to Fox.
