Chapter Ten

The question was so unexpected – and completely out of the blue – that Steve had absolutely no idea how to answer it.

"What's the date today?" Jaime asked, a few days after moving into the private hospital room.

"Where did that come from?" he responded. "It's Thursday."

"Well, I know that, but what's the date? And please don't tell me I need to rest now, because I've been doing nothing but!"

"February 3rd."

"What year is it, Steve?" she demanded, with the most strength she'd shown since the accident. "I heard the nurses talking about President Carter and Camp David – since when is Carter the President?"

Steve moved quickly to the edge of her bed, wrapping a very careful arm around her as he saw the fear and sadness begin to pearl on her cheeks. "Jaime -" he began, still unsure of what to say. He couldn't lie to her, but was she ready...?

"Exactly how long was I unconscious?" she persisted.

"What's the last thing you remember?" he asked gently.

"My 'chute tore and I hit some trees. I...don't remember...hitting the ground. How long was I out of it?"

"Not that long, really. Less than a week."

"Well, then something's really wrong here. Seems I missed out on an awful lot in less than a week."

"Just tell her, Steve," Chris said angrily, stepping into the doorway from his seat in the hall.

"Back off, Chris," Steve warned.

"She deserves the truth." Williams strode firmly into the room, carrying the newspaper he'd been reading.

Jaime looked nervously from one man to the other, correctly sensing the extreme tension between them and growing more frightened by the moment. "What's going on?" she asked, her voice trembling.

"It's 1979, Jaime," Chris said as his eyes shot bullets at Steve. "If he won't tell you, I will!"

"That's...not possible..."

"See for yourself," Chris told her, laying the newspaper in her lap. "He's been keeping you from finding out so he can have you all to himself." Williams reached out to touch Jaime's hair, his other hand on her arm as though he was trying to claim a possession. "I love you, Baby. I won't lie for him anymore."

Steve rose to his feet and circled around the bed toward Chris. "Take your hands off of her," he said with barely restrained fury. "You've crossed the line, Williams; you need to leave – now – before I really hurt you."

"I love you, Jaime," Chris said again. "We were engaged, and then you crashed your car and -"

Steve hoped his body blocked Jaime's view of what he was doing as he grabbed Chris by the throat with his right hand, landed a solid punch with his left and then threw him bodily from the room. "If you ever come near her again," he told Williams who was now slumped against a wall, halfway down the hall, "so help me...just don't."

He returned to the bed, where Jaime was staring wide-eyed at the newspaper. "That's...more than three years!" she cried softly. "What's going on? What...happened to me?"

"You were in a car accident," he answered, as gently as possible. Although he was sure the ruckus and the thud when Chris hit the wall had alerted the staff, Steve pressed the red call button, reserved for emergencies, before taking Jaime into his arms. She was shaking violently but was too stunned to cry.

"It was...bad?"

Steve nodded. "Yes, it was. We were all afraid we were gonna lose you."

"And I was engaged – to him?" Jaime's voice rose with fear.

"Well, not for very long." Steve brushed the hair from her eyes with tender fingertips and kissed her forehead in a gesture of comfort. "I'm so sorry you had to hear it all like this. We were waiting until you were stronger -"

"So you and me...we're...not engaged?"

"No," Steve admitted. "It's a long story, and I promise I'll tell you all of it, but -"

"I am sorta tired," Jaime allowed, "but we can talk later, right?" She sighed, leaning into the strength of his arms and finding solace and warmth there. "I trust you, Steve; I know you wouldn't lie to me."

"Never. If I don't think you're ready to hear something, I'll tell you that, but I swear to you – I have never lied to you, Jaime, and I'm not gonna start now."

"Will you be here when I wake up?"

"Count on it." Steve felt her body instantly relax, and within seconds Jaime was fast asleep, curled against his chest and still securely (but very gently) cradled within his loving embrace.

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