Long before Sam arrived Ben was removed from the ICU and transferred to a normal room. The chest tube was taken out and he was no longer hooked up to a heart monitor. Only the IV in his arm and the dull ache of his ribs served to remind Ben of what had happened to him. The green ICU room had been replaced with a pink one. Ben occupied the bed nearest the door, and the second bed was empty. A cheap pine shelf ran high around the wall opposite the beds, and two TV's on metal supports stuck out from the same wall. Amanda had turned Ben's TV on and spent the afternoon watching soaps. Ben himself alternated between wakefulness and drug induced sleep through the afternoon.
Ben hadn't seen his brother since the disaster with Miss Young back in Seattle. It was a wound time had yet to heal. As Roland left to meet Sam at the airport, Ben was awake again and began contemplating what a disaster the whole thing could turn into. Sam, and Monica, and Ben's parents all in the same cramped hospital room could indeed be a most dangerous mix. Miss Young and Henry had said they'd come back later. It was way too much to hope for Sam and Monica to simply miss one another. Although Ben found himself hoping against hope for that possibility at the moment.
Ben also wondered how he'd react when he saw Sam. After all he'd never really forgiven his brother. Yet a third element of this most dangerous cocktail was the fact that Sam had no knowledge of the events that had transpired in Seattle after he'd left. And lastly of course there were Ben's parents, who had no knowledge of Monica's affair with Sam.
Roland picked up Sam from the airport and brought him to the hospital just after five in the evening. He stepped into Ben's room wearing a skintight black tee shirt and blue jeans, which were held up by an alligator skin belt. "Hey little brother, sorry about your wheels." Roland, Amanda and Ben all exchanged looks of annoyance. It was so like Sam to mention the car first.
"Nice to see you too Sam." Ben rolled his eyes as he spoke.
"You know if you want to see me there are better ways than this." Sam rubbed Ben's hair.
"Ouch, stop that damn it." Ben shifted in bed to avoid his brother's assault, which sent pain through his ribs.
"Alright Sam that's enough his ribs are broken for heavens sake." Roland rose and grabbed hold of Sam's arm, ushering him to a chair.
"Yeah I did all of this just to see you." Ben replied annoyed. He motioned toward his chest and legs. "So how is life in Portland?" Ben nervously changed the subject. Feeling powerless as he awaited the explosion he felt was inevitable.
Henry's corvette appeared outside Monica's campus apartment again. She got in and they drove first to the Volkswagen dealership where her bug had been repaired. From there they set off toward the hospital, Monica leading in her bug and Henry following. By most standards Monica Young drove fast and loose, but to a Chevy Corvette the pace seemed outrageously slow. Both cars pulled into the hospital parking lot about half an hour after Roland had arrived with Sam.
Monica called out loudly as she rounded the corner into the hospital room, "Ben, Ben I brought you something. It's." Monica froze and dropped the plastic bag upon seeing Sam. Her immediate thought was to turn and leave. Instead, she stood just outside the doorframe as if in a trance. For once here eyes locked on someone other than Ben.
Sam was surprised also. He looked her up and down. She wore a white blouse and pink skirt. Her hair was down and pulled back behind her ears. Sam rose from the chair and flashed her a coy smile. Monica looked down, her eyes darted from side to side looking for something, anything to focus on.
"How rude of us, Miss Young this is Ben's brother Sam." Roland's tone was friendly as he walked toward Monica and extended a hand to Ben's older brother.
"We know each other," both Monica and Sam answered in unison. She cringed almost as she said it. It was a reflex action neither could prevent. Upon hearing it Ben reached up and pulled his pillow out from behind his head and placed it over the top of his face. 'Maybe I can just smother myself.'
"How?" Amanda ground her teeth as she asked. Neither answered, Monica wanted to leave but it was like her feet were stuck in concrete.
Moments later Henry rounded the corner carrying a soda and candy bar. He saw Monica standing outside the room. "Hey are they working on Ben, what's up?" The attention at least caused Monica to turn toward Henry and away from the circus unfolding in the hospital room. However the brief stroke of luck wouldn't last.
Sam rose, shimmied provocatively toward Monica and winked at her. "Hey baby, this is a hospital, there has to be lots of closets around. What say find one and catch up." The line was more about keeping up appearances than genuine interest.
Monica clenched her teeth and slapped Sam as he approached. In anger Ben mustered the strength to sit up slightly and throw his pillow at Sam. "How in the hell could you do that to me, for a third time." Ben actually managed to shout but was immediately restrained by his broken ribs. He began to cough blood as he collapsed back in bed.
Amanda screamed at the sight and a nurse came running in. She immediately got a new pillow from a closet and made Ben comfortable again. "Son you have broken ribs you can't be thrashing around. And the rest of you, keep it down in here or I'll have to ask you to leave." The nurse bumped Monica as she exited.
"You seduced both our children, didn't you?" Roland joined the fray. The brief interruption with the nurse had given him time to process the conversation.
Monica only nodded and started to cry. Ben was trying desperately to speak but was still writhing in pain. Amanda and Roland sat across from Sam and Monica, stammering with rage. Sam was thinking about nothing except his own damaged ego and didn't speak. Henry had moved next to Monica and watched the exchange silently. His quick mind had saved him once again. He recalled his conversations Monica and immediately guessed who Sam was. The powder keg was about to explode when Henry stepped in. "All right. Sam, Monica why don't we take a walk. Let's just separate for awhile and everyone cool their jets."
"No. I want Monica to stay." Ben finally had the energy to speak.
"Okay. Sam c'mon I'll buy you a soda." Henry motioned with two fingers for Ben's brother to follow.
Ben closed his eyes and let out a deep breath, again it hurt him. "Mom, dad if you give me a moment I think I can explain this." Ben started coughing again after he spoke.
"No, I will." Monica said it sternly as she picked up the shopping bag and advanced into the room. Ben tried to speak again but Monica cut him off. "Quiet Ben, just rest. I'll handle this."
Roland and Amanda crossed their arms and snorted consent to hearing Monica out. "Ben and I, the attraction is very real. I think even you two have seen that by now. But it wasn't enough to overcome all the sneaking around we had to do back in Seattle. Ben broke it off with me, or at least he tried to. I didn't accept it. When he did break it off, our relationship, and that's absolutely what it was Mrs. Conner, a relationship, turned to suffering." Monica paused and surveyed each parent. There was still anger, but no judgment. "Ben and I denigrated into a sort of hurting contest. He started dating Sue and flaunting her in my face. I in turn seduced Sam to make Ben jealous."
Amanda mouthed the words oh my god and threw up her arms in disbelief. Roland lowered his head and rubbed his temples. "So that's why he was so mad at Sam." Roland nodded toward Ben.
"Yes. I used Sam twice trying to get back at Ben. That's why he said this was the third time when Sam hit on me just now." Monica exhaled as she continued searching for a reaction. Now Ben's parents knew everything that had transpired between them. She had literally just placed her future in their hands.
"I can't even begin to get my head around this. What are we going to do?" Amanda looked at her husband as she spoke.
"You're not going to do anything." Ben interrupted the conversation.
"What," Amanda and Roland responded together?
"Mom, dad, I love her. She's the reason I came to Denver both of you know that. Everything she said is right. We did all of that to each other. In spite of all of it I'm here anyway." Ben turned away from his parents and locked Monica with his chocolate eyes. "Monica I forgive you for Sam. I don't know that I'll ever be able to forgive him, but I forgive you."
Monica closed her eyes and let out a sigh. Once again Ben had said the exact right thing, at the exact right moment. Roland got up and shoved his hands in his pants pockets. He started pacing the room, but then he looked at the ceiling and actually began chuckling. "Lady, for a masters student, your decisions aren't too bright. But I wish I had one tenth of your backbone."
"Wait a minute you're actually buying this?" Roland's wife protested.
"Look Amanda, look at them." Monica was holding Ben's hand with both of hers and resting her chin on top her hands. The two were just staring into each other's eyes. "That is not a monster, or a pedophile. That is a woman who genuinely loves our son."
Amanda let out a deep breath and continued watching Ben and Monica. They never moved. By now Henry and Sam had come back into the room but no one noticed them. After several minutes Amanda finally rose from her chair and tapped Monica on the shoulder. "Roland and I are only going to be here for five days. Ben is going to be in this hospital a lot longer than that. I'm going to trust you to take care of Ben."
Monica lifted her head and batted her eyes at Amanda. "I will." She looked back at Ben, still grasping his hand she nestled it beneath her chin again. "I will."
"Yo, little brother." Ben and Monica both turned their heads and glared intensely at Sam. "Hang on to her boy, they don't make em like that anymore." It was a phrase Sam often used when describing his car. However in this instance it was the greatest compliment Ben's egotistical brother was capable of, and Ben got the message. Roland, Amanda, Henry, and Sam all silently watched the two lovers continue to stare at one another.
The peace was interrupted when another figure entered the room. "Oh my god." Henry whispered to no one in particular. Sam's smile was so beaming he covered his mouth to hide it. The figure was even enough to make Ben avert his gaze from Monica.
A supermodel in navy blue hospital garb strode into the room and over to Ben's bedside. She was around the same age and maybe an inch or two taller than Miss Young. With wavy, strawberry blonde hair that came down to her shoulders, ocean blue eyes, flawless tan skin, and curves to induce a heart attack. "Hi I'm Andrea, and you must be Ben." She shook his free hand. Ben actually moaned slightly at her touch. "I'm your physical therapist Ben. I'm here to make sure you don't have any muscle problems as a result of all the laying around."
Roland placed his hands on top of his head and looked at the ceiling. Turn a corner; hit a tree he mouthed to himself. Monica clenched her teeth and snorted loudly.
"That lucky son of a bitch." Sam whispered to Henry while staring at the therapist.
"So you're here to work me out huh?" Ben said it in a seductive voice.
"That's right." Andrea smiled and winked at him.
Ben lay back into his pillow, a sinful smile on his face. 'Oh baby, bend me shape me any way you want me.' Monica continued snorting breaths and she began to growl through her clenched teeth.