Intercession

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For the first time in her new life, Faye utterly and completely told her entire story. There were no embellishments or censors, but only a rushed stream of consciousness, told hurriedly, leaving her no option to change her mind once she began.

Faye finally ended with, "And now I'm here."

Fred, the young priest, sat quietly and attentively through Faye's lengthy monologue. He neither interrupted nor interjected; he merely listened, all the while maintaining eye contact with her, even when she was unable to look at him. Finally, he blinked, took a breath, and said, "That's quite a story, Faye." He reached onto her bedside table, grabbed some tissues, and placed them in her uninjured hand. "I like to say that there's nothing I haven't heard before, but I gotta tell you, that's some new stuff to me." Faye laughed wanly and blew her nose. Fred continued, "Do you have any idea how damned lucky you are to even be alive?"

"It's hard to remember sometimes." Faye frowned. "You cursed."

Fred laughed. "Yah, I curse a lot. I'm human, oh no." Faye laughed as well, and wiped her eyes. "You have a tremendous amount on your plate right now, and there's no reason why you have to make every single decision regarding your future immediately. You have time." Fred squeezed her hand, damp tissues and all. "Of course, I'm supposed to encourage you to go in a certain direction, because the diocese makes me, but that's all I'm going to say about that. What I am going to say is that you will always be welcome to call me, to visit our center, to participate if you wish. We're a young student group on campus. This is our card, and the schedule is on the back. My direct number is on the front. May I come see you tomorrow?"

Faye was bewildered. She was expecting the third degree and admonishments to repent. "Sure."

"Okay then, I'll swing by tomorrow." He placed a hand gently on her head, and murmured a quiet prayer. Then he turned to leave.

"But, Father," Faye called. Fred went back to her side. "What about my penance? My hundred Hail Marys or whatever?"

Fred smiled that sweet smile again at her. "I think you've been living it. Peace be with you, Faye."

Spike finally went outside to find Ed. She was leaning up against a support pole, hands jammed into her jacket pockets, rucksack hanging over her shoulder.

"Ed? Are you okay?"

Ed swiped her arm across her eyes. "Yeah."

"We can visit Faye now." Ed nodded. Spike's brow furrowed. "It's going to be okay, Ed."

Ed turned and looked at Spike, wondering how to ask the man she loved whether he'd . . . put Faye in her current condition. "Yeah, it's going to be okay." Somehow. She took the hand that Spike had extended to her, and they walked back into the hospital together.

Meanwhile, Jet was breathing a sigh of relief, thankful that Faye's injuries hadn't been worse. Still, he was wondering why Faye needed to stay in hospital for so long. He could see her staying for a day or two at most, but the doctor informed him that Faye would need to stay for close to a week. Extra monitoring, the doctor had said. He found Faye's room and gently knocked. He heard a faint voice on the other side telling him to come in. Jet poked his head around the door. "Faye?"

"Hi."

"Hi yourself, twinkle toes. I have something for you."

"What is it?"

Jet presented the piece of pipe that Faye had been hanging from. "They had to pry it out of your hands because you wouldn't let go. Even when you were flat on your back on the ground." Faye laughed weakly. "Well, you look a little better. Less like a mud-covered demon and more like a hung-over angel."

"Did we get the bounty?"

Jet laughed. "Well, yes, we got all three of them, minus a bit for the guy . . . I had to shoot." Jet stroked her cheek. "Damn, woman. I almost leapt off the building after you."

"Good thing you didn't, you would have landed on me and crushed me."

Jet's smile faded. "You didn't even scream."

"I didn't?"

"No. Not a sound. Scared me half to death. I almost thought . . ." Just then, Ed and Spike entered, and the talk turned a little more spirited. Ed, however, remained fairly distant, and Jet never finished his earlier statement, leaving Faye feeling rather disjointed. Well, being that I'm literally disjointed and half-full of narcotics, no wonder, she mused to herself. Dinner arrived, such as it was – mostly bland stuff, and the men had an idea to visit the cafeteria and get some dinner for all of them to share. "Only if you share with me," responded Faye, and the men went off in search of edible food. Ed remained behind, looking at everything in the room besides Faye.

Faye furrowed her brow. "Ed? Are you okay?"

Ed chuckled. "Funny, you asking me that. Are you in a lot of pain?"

"Some. The drugs are okay, though."

"Yeah." Ed took a breath. "I hacked into your chart."

Faye's eyes grew wide. "Oh."

"I have to know . . . I . . ." Ed closed her eyes and bit her lip. Finally, in a rush, she asked, "It's not Spike's, is it?"

"Oh, no. Ed, I promise you, no. It's not. I swear. Never." Faye watched as Ed breathed a sigh of relief and wiped a tear from her eye. "I'm sorry, Ed."

"You don't have to apologize to me, Faye, I'm the one that's sorry for asking, I should have known better."

Faye squeezed Ed's hand. "If Spike had even tried, you know I'd give him a what-for. And I'd sic Jet on him, too."

Ed smiled. "You wouldn't have to sic Papa on him. Papa would do that on his own. He was so worried about you, Faye." Faye closed her eyes. "Faye? About the . . . are you glad? Or is it something you don't want?"

Faye didn't answer right away. She lifted her hand to her belly, still taut and flat and not yet revealing everything that was going on inside.

And for the first time, Faye let herself think: I'm pregnant. I'm going to have a baby.

Faye turned her eyes to Ed's, smiled, and said, "I'm glad."

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This is a work of fiction, and the CB characters are copywrited by someone other than me. Please leave a review!