April 25, 1940
The next morning, John pulled the truck to a stop by the sidewalk out front of the Charlottesville hospital. He went inside and found Olivia waiting in Elizabeth's room.
"Any word from Curt or Mary Ellen?"
"Nothing. She's been gone over an hour."
"Those X-rays take time, I guess." John tried to reassure his wife.
Olivia stood with her arms crossed, looking out the window.
John gently rubbed his wife's back. "You cold, Liv?"
"Just trying to hold myself together and keep from shaking. I wish I knew what was going on."
"They're probably just being extra careful."
Just then, the couple heard footsteps.
"Hi Daddy," Mary Ellen greeted her father who had come since her last trip into Elizabeth's room.
"What's the word, Honey?"
"Elizabeth's going home."
"You're not smiling." Olivia observed.
Mary Ellen was quiet. She packed Elizabeth's belongings into the suitcase.
"Mary Ellen?" Olivia persisted. She wanted to know why her daughter wasn't excited about this seemingly good news.
Curt came in. He greeted his in-laws. "John, Olivia," he closed the door behind him. "Well we took her casts off and X-rayed everything. And the fractures are healing better than we expected."
John and Olivia smiled and hugged each other. But they noticed neither their daughter or son-in-law were smiling.
Curt sat down on the bed. "It's not all good news. The nerves still haven't joined. Without the nerves, there's nothing to make the muscles work."
"Are you telling us she won't walk again?" Olivia asked.
Curt was quiet for a minute. "I've done all I can, medically. From here on, it's up to us as Elizabeth's family to motivate her. Give her all your faith and encouragement. Make her keep believing and trying. She must never lose her determination."
Olivia bit her lip, near tears.
"You both should be prepared for what we've done." Curt continued. "Your child in braces is not a pretty sight, but it's the next step. She'll be able to get herself around. When she's used to them, help her as little as possible. "
Another nurse brought Elizabeth into the room. She was on crutches.
"Mama, Daddy," the girl said.
Olivia and John were stunned by the sight of their daughter in braces, but forced smiles.
Back home, Grandpa grabbed some jar goods from the cellar. Erin came out with a basket full of laundry.
"Hi Grandpa," Erin smiled.
"Erin, can I give you a hand with that?" Grandpa offered.
"Thanks, but I think I can manage Grandpa."
Jason was up on the ladder nearby fixing a place on the barn. "You're getting as strong as a horse." He teased his sister.
"Thanks Jason, that's what I've always wanted."
The wind whistled outside, but didn't block the distinct sound of Ike Godsey's motorcycle pulling into the yard.
"Hey everybody, gather around, I've got some great news!"
"What is it Ike?" Erin asked.
"Your mama called from the hospital and Elizabeth is coming home!"
Grandpa pumped his fist in the air in excitement.
Erin and Jason hugged each other.
"That's wonderful!" Jason exclaimed.
Jim Bob came out of the barn quietly.
"Hear that Jim Bob, your sister is coming home!" Grandpa announced to his youngest grandson.
Jim Bob smiled slightly.
"I called John-Boy and Jenny to tell them the news as well. They said they'd be over this afternoon to help you guys get things ready for her."
Later that afternoon in the house, the family was busy in Grandpa and Grandma's room. Since it was on the first floor with only three steps to access it, everyone decided that would be the best place for Elizabeth to stay.
Jenny and Erin stripped the bed. They handed the old sheets to Jim Bob.
"Why are we changing the sheets? They're not dirty." Jim Bob said.
"We're not putting Elizabeth into a bed without clean sheets." Erin insisted.
"You sound like Mary Ellen with all her fancy nurse talk." Jim Bob said.
"What's gotten into you?" Jenny asked. "You've been in a bad mood all afternoon."
Jim Bob didn't respond.
"Grandpa, where are you gonna be sleeping?" Ben asked.
"You boys will be pleasantly surprised to know I intend to take up residence in your room."
"Grandpa, there's only three beds in there."
"We'll shove the beds all together." Grandpa suggested.
"Sleep in my bed, I'm moving out to the shed."
"Jim Bob, stop being ridiculous!" John-Boy scolded his youngest brother. "If you really must keep yourself from Elizabeth, come stay with Jenny and me and the kids. Don't seclude yourself in the shed!"
"I'm not part of this family anymore." Jim Bob said. He set the pile of sheets down on the floor and left the room.
"I wish he could see that Elizabeth doesn't hate him." Jenny said.
"I know, but Jim Bob is convinced that she does. He's convinced that the accident is entirely one hundred percent his fault. And when that boy is convinced of something, it will take the movement of Heaven and Earth to un-convince him."
"Here they come!" Came Jason's voice from outside. He was posted in the treehouse to watch for their parents and Elizabeth coming home. "Elizabeth's home!"
Everyone ran to greet her. Everyone besides Jim Bob.
"Welcome home!" Erin exclaimed, hugging her little sister.
"I missed you!" Joy hugged her.
John-Boy kissed Elizabeth's forehead. "Good to have you Home, Darlin'!"
Jenny hugged Elizabeth.
"How's my little niece or nephew?"
"Growing and moving every day." Jenny smiled.
"Aunt Elizabeth!" Jen jumped up and hugged her aunt.
Elizabeth hugged all three of her nieces and nephews.
Jason kissed Elizabeth's forehead. "I've missed you Sweetheart."
"Welcome back." Ben kissed Elizabeth's forehead.
John carried Elizabeth out of the truck. "We got our girl home!"
"Elizabeth, we're so glad to have you back." Ike smiled, hugging her.
"We certainly are." Corabeth hugged the girl. "We've prayed for you everyday. Aimee said she'll come see you as soon as school is over. She can't wait to see you again."
Grandpa kissed his granddaughter. "Oh Honey, it's so good to have you home again!"
That evening, after the celebrations had died down, Elizabeth found herself alone in her grandparents' room. She was crying.
Olivia came in with a basin of warm water and some towels. "It's time to massage your legs."
She helped Elizabeth roll over onto her back. She noticed Elizabeth's tears.
"You've been having yourself a cry?"
"I get so mad. I can't do anything alone. It's like I'm half a person. Half alive, half just dragging along."
"Do you remember when I had polio?"
Elizabeth nodded.
"Well I felt exactly like you're describing. Oh, I felt that way so many times. I thought I'd never be able to walk again. But I did, right down those stairs, out the door and to the church that Easter Sunday." Olivia paused to remember how far back that was. "7 years ago."
A knock came at the door. It was Grandpa and Jason.
"May we say goodnight to Your Highness?" Grandpa asked with a smile.
"Come in." Elizabeth invited.
"It sure is nice to have you back home again, Squirt." Jason smiled.
"I think everyone should go to the hospital so they know how nice it is coming home."
"Pleasant dreams, Little Princess." Grandpa took hold of his granddaughter's hand and kissed it. "Are you sure one of your ladies in waiting hasn't put a bean in your bed?"
Elizabeth was confused. "Why a bean?"
"Well in the olden days, that's the way they used to tell if a princess was real or not." Grandpa explained. "Someone would put a bean or pea under her pillow and if she woke up all black and blue, they would know that she was tender enough to be the genuine article."
Elizabeth laughed. "Oh Grandpa!"
"See, he hasn't changed a bit." Smiled Olivia.
Grandpa laughed.
"I've gotta get to work. I'll see you in the morning." Jason said.
"Wish sometime I could come and hear you play."
"We'll walk down there together sometime, just you and me." Jason promised.
Elizabeth smiled.
Jason smiled and blew her a kiss. "Goodnight."
Jason left the room as John came in.
"Where's Jim Bob?" John asked.
"Sitting in the shed like a bear in a cave." Olivia answered.
John knocked on the shed door.
"Come in." Jim Bob mumbled.
"You're being mighty unsociable these days." John said, coming into the shed room.
"I don't go where I'm not wanted."
"Well you're wanted right now in your sister's room. Why don't you go in and say goodnight?"
Jim Bob got up and went in the house.
He went into his grandparents' room, barely stepping in the door.
"I came to say goodnight."
"Goodnight Jim Bob." Elizabeth said.
With that, Jim Bob left.
Zeb went after his grandson. "That was the worst goodnight I have ever heard."
"Sorry Grandpa." Jim Bob said, opening the front door and going back outside.
"Goodnight Livie." Zeb said, going upstairs.
"Goodnight Grandpa." Olivia replied.
Ben knocked on the bedroom door. "Elizabeth? I got you something."
"More flowers?"
"No, open it."
Elizabeth did so and pulled out a glass bottle with a colored liquid inside it. "Perfume?"
"It's cologne. From the Fashion Center in Charlottesville. It's from France. Go ahead and smell it."
Elizabeth wasn't sure if even Mary Ellen or Erin or even Jenny had cologne this nice. She carefully screwed off the lid. It smelled similar to that vanilla perfume Erin had that she loved so much. "Thank you!" she paused, thinking about all the gifts her brother had gotten her. "Ben, where are you getting the money for all this?"
"Well I got me a job. That's where I'm going right now." He kissed her cheek. "Goodnight."
"Night."
Ben was stopped by his mother when he left the bedroom. "Ben, don't you think there's a better way of letting your sister know you care about her?"
"Well she liked the cologne."
"I'm sure she did. But all you're doing is trying to ease your guilt. Don't you know that the only thing expensive presents say is that you've got the money to pay for them? Is that what you're trying to tell her?"
"Of course not."
"I didn't think so. If you really want to tell her that you love her and care about her, why don't you spend some time with her? Give her something of yourself. Play games with her. That would mean far more to her than all those presents you've been giving her."
Ben shook his head. "I can't do that Mama. I have to go to work."
"What is this new job?"
Ben was very honest. "Working as a janitor at the Dew Drop Inn."
Olivia sighed as Ben went out the door. "Now I've got two sons working nights in a saloon!"