Dixie sat behind the steering wheel of her car. With Tad still in the
hospital after about two and a half weeks, she wasn't about to give up
hope. She would sit with him for hours, just talking about her hopes and
dreams for them, but she didn't think it was doing any good. It was
December 20th, and Tad was still not responding to anyone.
As she pulled into a space in the hospital parking lot, she popped the trunk. Stepping out of the car, she walked to the trunk, pulled out a medium sized shopping bag and then made her way up to Tad's room.
Walking through the quiet hospital, Dixie paused outside Tad's room before pushing the door open.
"Hey, baby," Dixie said, walking up to his bed and placing the shopping bag down. "When's the last time someone came in to give you a shave? You're getting to look a little scruffy." Dixie laughed. "Ooo." Dixie went into the shopping bag. "I brought you a present. It's not spectacular." She pulled out a mini Christmas tree. "The little guy was pre- decorated, but... I put the star on top. Hopefully, we won't be here for Christmas, but I still wanted to put it out, so you could see it when you wake up." Dixie caressed his face. "It's a really pretty tree, Tad." Her sweet southern charm shined through. "I just know you'll love it."
Dixie lightly kissed him. "Boy, I miss you kissing me." Dixie smiled. "I just know that right now, you're dreaming of some witty response to that. I would give anything to hear it." Dixie stood and paced back and forth a few times before sitting again. "The house is so empty now without you. Especially at night." Dixie rubbed his arm. "Sometimes, I wake up... and I look over where you should be and I could swear... sometimes, Tad, just for a split second, I could swear that you're there. I can almost feel you with me. I can hear you whispering in my ear." Dixie paused, laughing softly. "I sound crazy to you right?" Dixie pushed her hair behind her ears and smiled. "That's where you're supposed to tell me, 'No, Dixie, you're not crazy. That was me. I was there'." She paused. "Not likely, huh?" She paused again. "Yeah, I didn't think so." Dixie could feel her eyes watering. "Look what you're doing to me." She sniffled and wiped her eyes. "You have me blubbering like a baby. What's Junior going to say if I go home like this?"
"I'd say you have every right to be upset." Dixie turned her head and saw JR standing in the doorway. "I got home from school and you weren't there, I figured this would be the place to look." JR said approaching her.
"I thought I'd stop by for a while."
"How is he?"
"The same," Dixie said, leaning her head up against JR's hip as he stood next to her. "He's going to be fine though. We're shooting for Christmas, aren't we, Tad?" Dixie asked him.
"I'm sure he'll be up way before that," JR assured her. There was silence for a moment. "I wanted to ask you, since you're going with Maria tomorrow... Colby wants me to help her buy some stuff for Liza, Mia, Stuart and Dad, for Christmas."
"You can take Colby tomorrow, that's fine. I know I don't have to remind you."
"I know," JR said. "Colby goes in the back seat with a seat belt. And I'll take my time getting there."
Dixie nodded. "Then as long as it's OK with Liza, it's OK with me."
"It's OK with Liza, as long as I have Colby home for dinner." JR paused. "Hey... mom. Don't worry. Before you know it, everything will be back to normal."
"I know it will," Dixie said. "We'll all be back together and everything will be perfect again."
"I told Jamie I'd help him out with some stuff over at Brooke's," JR said. "I'll be home for dinner." JR leaned down and kissed the top of Dixie's head. "Hang in there, mom."
Dixie smiled. JR turned and left the room. "You hear that, Tad?" Dixie asked. "He's taking Colby Christmas shopping tomorrow." She paused. "Junior's been strong for me through this whole thing. He's been helping me... so much. But..." Dixie began crying and leaned her head down onto Tad's chest. "I need you, Tad. You have to come out of this. Please... I need you."
As she pulled into a space in the hospital parking lot, she popped the trunk. Stepping out of the car, she walked to the trunk, pulled out a medium sized shopping bag and then made her way up to Tad's room.
Walking through the quiet hospital, Dixie paused outside Tad's room before pushing the door open.
"Hey, baby," Dixie said, walking up to his bed and placing the shopping bag down. "When's the last time someone came in to give you a shave? You're getting to look a little scruffy." Dixie laughed. "Ooo." Dixie went into the shopping bag. "I brought you a present. It's not spectacular." She pulled out a mini Christmas tree. "The little guy was pre- decorated, but... I put the star on top. Hopefully, we won't be here for Christmas, but I still wanted to put it out, so you could see it when you wake up." Dixie caressed his face. "It's a really pretty tree, Tad." Her sweet southern charm shined through. "I just know you'll love it."
Dixie lightly kissed him. "Boy, I miss you kissing me." Dixie smiled. "I just know that right now, you're dreaming of some witty response to that. I would give anything to hear it." Dixie stood and paced back and forth a few times before sitting again. "The house is so empty now without you. Especially at night." Dixie rubbed his arm. "Sometimes, I wake up... and I look over where you should be and I could swear... sometimes, Tad, just for a split second, I could swear that you're there. I can almost feel you with me. I can hear you whispering in my ear." Dixie paused, laughing softly. "I sound crazy to you right?" Dixie pushed her hair behind her ears and smiled. "That's where you're supposed to tell me, 'No, Dixie, you're not crazy. That was me. I was there'." She paused. "Not likely, huh?" She paused again. "Yeah, I didn't think so." Dixie could feel her eyes watering. "Look what you're doing to me." She sniffled and wiped her eyes. "You have me blubbering like a baby. What's Junior going to say if I go home like this?"
"I'd say you have every right to be upset." Dixie turned her head and saw JR standing in the doorway. "I got home from school and you weren't there, I figured this would be the place to look." JR said approaching her.
"I thought I'd stop by for a while."
"How is he?"
"The same," Dixie said, leaning her head up against JR's hip as he stood next to her. "He's going to be fine though. We're shooting for Christmas, aren't we, Tad?" Dixie asked him.
"I'm sure he'll be up way before that," JR assured her. There was silence for a moment. "I wanted to ask you, since you're going with Maria tomorrow... Colby wants me to help her buy some stuff for Liza, Mia, Stuart and Dad, for Christmas."
"You can take Colby tomorrow, that's fine. I know I don't have to remind you."
"I know," JR said. "Colby goes in the back seat with a seat belt. And I'll take my time getting there."
Dixie nodded. "Then as long as it's OK with Liza, it's OK with me."
"It's OK with Liza, as long as I have Colby home for dinner." JR paused. "Hey... mom. Don't worry. Before you know it, everything will be back to normal."
"I know it will," Dixie said. "We'll all be back together and everything will be perfect again."
"I told Jamie I'd help him out with some stuff over at Brooke's," JR said. "I'll be home for dinner." JR leaned down and kissed the top of Dixie's head. "Hang in there, mom."
Dixie smiled. JR turned and left the room. "You hear that, Tad?" Dixie asked. "He's taking Colby Christmas shopping tomorrow." She paused. "Junior's been strong for me through this whole thing. He's been helping me... so much. But..." Dixie began crying and leaned her head down onto Tad's chest. "I need you, Tad. You have to come out of this. Please... I need you."
