Chapter 6 – The Truth is ...
She remembered it was the most uncomfortable phone call she had ever made. Sam remembered putting the receiver down, her hand still shaking. She had spoken to Luka's brother Davor and had explained to him that Luka had been hit by a drunk driver. As slowly and gently as she could, she informed him of Luka's injuries and the severity of his condition. Davor, took it well and was calm on the phone. Perhaps he seemed calm because he was trying to understand what she was saying in English. Perhaps he was calm because he didn't know the details. She hadn't told him that she knew the drunk driver. She hadn't told him that it was her ex-boyfriend who rammed a truck into his brother with the intent to kill him. She couldn't say any of that. She didn't need to. Not then and she wasn't sure if she was going to talk about it now. The family did have a right to know but for now, didn't they just need to be with him as she was; hoping for a miracle; praying for him to recover; willing him to live?
Sam had no idea whom to expect. All she knew was that her conversation ended with Davor saying someone will be in Chicago soon. Whomever it was would be here today and they would meet her in Luka's room. They would probably only be able to do what she did every day – stare in disbelief at Luka as he lay comatose, oblivious to the world.
She sat at Luka's bedside his hand in hers. She hoped for something. Anything. A twitch; a blink; a squeeze of her hand. But as usual there was nothing.
"Luka, your family is coming to see you today. You have to wake up, hon. You can't scare them like this. I know you're in a lot of pain, but be brave and open your eyes. Please. For me? For Alex? For them? Come on hon. We all need you to get better. So come on ... open your eyes,"
"Ah, excuse me, Samantha?" A very familiar husky voice spoke. Sam turned to see another Luka standing in the doorway with a gorgeous woman at his side.
"Yes, I'm Samantha," she said approaching them. "You must be Davor. You look so much like Luka," And he did. They were about the same height and size and were obviously close in age. He had the same piercing blue-green eyes but his hair was a bit lighter than Luka's and his complexion was darker. He even sounded like Luka, except of course, that his accent was more pronounced.
"Samantha, this is my wife, Rahela,"
"Please, call me Sam and it's very nice to meet you both ... though ...I wish it was under better circumstances,"
"Yes, so do we. May we see him now?" asked Rahela.
Sam led them to Luka's bedside. Rahela let out a small gasp and reached out and touched Luka's hand while the other firmly held her husband's.
"So, his brain ... is it?" asked Davor.
"Yes, there is still brain activity he's in a coma but there is a lot of neuro activity,"
They mumbled to each other in Croatian and then Rahela spoke, "He's been like this, how long?"
"A week. Luka was hit directly by a pick up truck and he his injuries were ... are ... very severe. He lost a lot of blood and went into shock at the scene of the accident. He was flown here and the doctors did have complications with him but they managed to save him, that night ... he's extremely weak and vulnerable and we're hoping he wakes up soon and regains his strength so that he can recover,"
More chatting in Croatian and then Davor said, "We understand, Sam ... Thank you. Umm ... have the ah ... police?"
"Yes, they have arrested the driver and he is in jail,"
"He was drunk?" Rahela asked.
"Yes and there is something you should know.," Sam couldn't believe she was hearing herself say the words, "Luka knew the driver,"
"He did?" Davor was puzzled.
"The truth is ... the driver was ... my ex-boyfriend. My son's father. He was trying to take my son away and Luka was helping us return to Chicago when Steve, the driver, hit Luka and Alex with his truck. I wanted to ... ah ... tell you this in person and not over the phone. I'm so very sorry,"
The couple were stunned and stood silently for a moment, clutching each other. Then Davor sighed and walked towards the door then back again. He looked like he was trying to find the right words to say. He also looked angry. Rahela pulled up a chair beside Luka and took his hand and spoke softly to him in Croatian. She gently touched his cheek then said,
"So like your brother to protect whom he loves, ah, Davor? His one regret was not being able to protect Danijela and the children. And you know Davor ... you would have done the same thing for me," Rahela's words seemed to calm her husband and he turned to Sam and said,
"I'm sorry if I seem angry. It's just that he is my younger brother. My only brother and he has been through so much already. It's hard for me to see him like this. I know this is not your fault and from what Luka says about you and your son, you make him very happy,"
"He's spoken to you about me?"
"Yes, quite fondly too and he loves your son," said Rahela.
"How is ...Alex? Right?" asked Davor.
"He's got a serious head injury but his surgery went well and he'll be fine. I have Luka the thank for saving his life,"
"That's good news. All we can do now is pray Luka gets better so the three of you can be together again," said Rahela.
She remembered it was the most uncomfortable phone call she had ever made. Sam remembered putting the receiver down, her hand still shaking. She had spoken to Luka's brother Davor and had explained to him that Luka had been hit by a drunk driver. As slowly and gently as she could, she informed him of Luka's injuries and the severity of his condition. Davor, took it well and was calm on the phone. Perhaps he seemed calm because he was trying to understand what she was saying in English. Perhaps he was calm because he didn't know the details. She hadn't told him that she knew the drunk driver. She hadn't told him that it was her ex-boyfriend who rammed a truck into his brother with the intent to kill him. She couldn't say any of that. She didn't need to. Not then and she wasn't sure if she was going to talk about it now. The family did have a right to know but for now, didn't they just need to be with him as she was; hoping for a miracle; praying for him to recover; willing him to live?
Sam had no idea whom to expect. All she knew was that her conversation ended with Davor saying someone will be in Chicago soon. Whomever it was would be here today and they would meet her in Luka's room. They would probably only be able to do what she did every day – stare in disbelief at Luka as he lay comatose, oblivious to the world.
She sat at Luka's bedside his hand in hers. She hoped for something. Anything. A twitch; a blink; a squeeze of her hand. But as usual there was nothing.
"Luka, your family is coming to see you today. You have to wake up, hon. You can't scare them like this. I know you're in a lot of pain, but be brave and open your eyes. Please. For me? For Alex? For them? Come on hon. We all need you to get better. So come on ... open your eyes,"
"Ah, excuse me, Samantha?" A very familiar husky voice spoke. Sam turned to see another Luka standing in the doorway with a gorgeous woman at his side.
"Yes, I'm Samantha," she said approaching them. "You must be Davor. You look so much like Luka," And he did. They were about the same height and size and were obviously close in age. He had the same piercing blue-green eyes but his hair was a bit lighter than Luka's and his complexion was darker. He even sounded like Luka, except of course, that his accent was more pronounced.
"Samantha, this is my wife, Rahela,"
"Please, call me Sam and it's very nice to meet you both ... though ...I wish it was under better circumstances,"
"Yes, so do we. May we see him now?" asked Rahela.
Sam led them to Luka's bedside. Rahela let out a small gasp and reached out and touched Luka's hand while the other firmly held her husband's.
"So, his brain ... is it?" asked Davor.
"Yes, there is still brain activity he's in a coma but there is a lot of neuro activity,"
They mumbled to each other in Croatian and then Rahela spoke, "He's been like this, how long?"
"A week. Luka was hit directly by a pick up truck and he his injuries were ... are ... very severe. He lost a lot of blood and went into shock at the scene of the accident. He was flown here and the doctors did have complications with him but they managed to save him, that night ... he's extremely weak and vulnerable and we're hoping he wakes up soon and regains his strength so that he can recover,"
More chatting in Croatian and then Davor said, "We understand, Sam ... Thank you. Umm ... have the ah ... police?"
"Yes, they have arrested the driver and he is in jail,"
"He was drunk?" Rahela asked.
"Yes and there is something you should know.," Sam couldn't believe she was hearing herself say the words, "Luka knew the driver,"
"He did?" Davor was puzzled.
"The truth is ... the driver was ... my ex-boyfriend. My son's father. He was trying to take my son away and Luka was helping us return to Chicago when Steve, the driver, hit Luka and Alex with his truck. I wanted to ... ah ... tell you this in person and not over the phone. I'm so very sorry,"
The couple were stunned and stood silently for a moment, clutching each other. Then Davor sighed and walked towards the door then back again. He looked like he was trying to find the right words to say. He also looked angry. Rahela pulled up a chair beside Luka and took his hand and spoke softly to him in Croatian. She gently touched his cheek then said,
"So like your brother to protect whom he loves, ah, Davor? His one regret was not being able to protect Danijela and the children. And you know Davor ... you would have done the same thing for me," Rahela's words seemed to calm her husband and he turned to Sam and said,
"I'm sorry if I seem angry. It's just that he is my younger brother. My only brother and he has been through so much already. It's hard for me to see him like this. I know this is not your fault and from what Luka says about you and your son, you make him very happy,"
"He's spoken to you about me?"
"Yes, quite fondly too and he loves your son," said Rahela.
"How is ...Alex? Right?" asked Davor.
"He's got a serious head injury but his surgery went well and he'll be fine. I have Luka the thank for saving his life,"
"That's good news. All we can do now is pray Luka gets better so the three of you can be together again," said Rahela.