Chapter FIFTEEN
EJ awoke slowly, fighting his way back into consciousness to find a teary Sami peering down at him. His body ached painfully but he also felt strangely detached from it, as though he was experiencing the pain from a great distance somehow. He looked at Sami, seeing how pale she looked, how her hands were fluttering nervously.
"Hi," she said and gave him a rather forced smile that did nothing to mask her concerned expression.
"Hi," returned EJ slowly, his voice croaky from lack of use.
He looked around him, turning his head gradually from one side to the other and then looked back up at her, blinking rapidly.
"Am I in hospital?" he asked her with a little frown, moving his tongue around to try and unstick his very dry mouth.
"Yes," said Sami with a little bob of her head and he felt her taking his hand and he could feel that it was cold and shaking.
"Well I guess that explains why I'm peeing when I don't want to," said EJ straight faced, feeling the need to ease some of the tension in the room.
"Ah… yeah," said Sami a little taken aback by his comment, "You've got a… umm…bag thingy."
"Good to know," said EJ stoically.
"EJ?" said Sami nervously, sitting on his bed, still holding his hand and looking at him worriedly, "Are you alright?"
"I'm going to guess no," said EJ slowly with a pained quirk of an eyebrow, becoming more awake now, "Seeing as I'm in a hospital and they're not renowned for filling their beds with people who don't actually have something wrong with them."
"You don't remember what happened?" Sami quizzed him nervously.
"I remember you coming to my office," he said and gave a little wicked smile despite the soreness of his injuries, "I definitely remember that… thank god."
Sami rolled her eyes at him despite her anxiety. Even battered and bruised and stuck in a hospital bed he still had the strength to be EJ!
"I remember walking you to your car and then…" he trailed off, frowning slightly, "And the next thing I know I'm peeing without wanting to."
"You were hit by a car," she filled in the blanks for him.
"Hm," he said impassively, "That would do it I guess."
Sami looked at him worriedly, she wasn't exactly sure what to expect but he seemed to be taking everything in his stride considering.
"What time is it?" he asked suddenly, looking up at her a bit confusedly.
"It's about 9 o'clock at night," replied Sami softly, "You've been unconscious for about eight hours now."
"Hm,' he said again and then with a frown, "The twins?"
"They're fine," said Sami quickly, "I rang Grandma Caroline and she came over to look after them. Mom and John are here with me, they wanted to wait to see if you're alright."
"You should go home to the babies Samantha," said EJ roughly, a look of concern on his face, "They need you."
"You need me," Sami corrected him, "They're being spoiled rotten by their great Grandma right about now I'm guessing, they'll be fine."
"But…" he went to protest but she stalled him.
"I'm not leaving you EJ, so forget about it," said Sami and there was that determined look in her eye again, "I'm not going anywhere."
EJ seemed to think about that for a minute, looking down at their joined hands and then back up at her with an odd look in his eye.
"Has my father come out of the coma all of a sudden?" he asked her, out of the blue.
"Stef… Stefano," stammered Sami in surprise at his sudden topic change, "No, he isn't - why would you ask that?"
"Well darling," said EJ with a vaguely suspicious look on his face, "The last time I was in hospital and you were saying these kind of things to me my father was outside the hospital room threatening to start up the vendetta again."
"That isn't what this is!" exclaimed Sami looking at him disbelief that he'd even say such a thing.
"Sorry," he mumbled the apology but still looking at her a little warily, "Just you can't blame a guy for being a little gun shy the second time round."
"Look, I said I was sorry for that!" she said in agitation.
"Actually sweetheart you haven't," he pointed out wryly.
"It's on my to do list," she bit out.
Honestly this man!
He was the only one in her life that could have her terrified, anxious, relieved, happy and then want to strangle him with her bare hands all with the space of about five minutes! He was maddening!
"You can't hit me I'm a wounded man," he told her with a little quirk of his lips, correctly guessing what she was thinking.
"Then stop being an idiot and it won't come to that," Sami warned him in exasperation.
He seemed quite coherent which was making Sami feel so much better. She'd sat their beside his bed for the last eight hours terrified that he wasn't going to wake up or if he did that she suddenly might have another John on her hands. Not that she was going anywhere if that had been the case but it was just the uncertainty of it all that had been driving her mad. He was just lying there and looking up at her contentedly and it almost made her wonder what it was she'd been worried about in the first place. This man seemed larger than life somehow, almost invincible - even up against a run away car.
EJ for his part was letting the information that Samantha was here because she didn't want to be anywhere else sink in. She was so obviously concerned for him and now more than ever he knew that she'd embraced her feelings for him utterly. It made all of this seem hardly worth worrying about anymore. If he had Samantha's love than he could weather anything. To know that this remarkable, irrepressible woman that'd he'd loved from their very first meeting, before he even knew what the word meant fully even, was his at last made him so blissfully happy that he couldn't seem to think about anything else.
"Aren't you going to ask me about your injuries?" asked Sami when he seemed content to just lie there looking at her as though he intended it to be his life work - just memorising every curve of her face.
"I figured they'd come up in conversation eventually," said EJ, thinking that she had the cutest nose he'd ever seen in his life, "No rush."
"You have a couple of cracked ribs," said Sami, giving a little grimace about how blasé he seemed about the whole injury thing, "You've got some bad bruising all along your right side where the car hit you but there doesn't seem to have been any real damage done to your internal organs thank god. You've got about ten stitches or so in your head but other than that we're just waiting for the doctors to give us a final report after they've looked at the CT scans."
Sami looked in anticipation at him, expecting him to have some questions for her and he did.
"Did you know that when you say the word 'stitches' your nose wrinkles up?" he asked her besottedly, "It's so endearing."
"EJ," said Sami in exasperation, "Did you hear what I just told you?"
"Broken ribs blah blah, stitches and bruising blah blah," told her unconcernedly and then gave her a warm look, "Kiss me."
"Kiss you?" repeated Sami with a little laugh, "You want me to kiss you?"
"I always want you to kiss me," replied EJ truthfully, "Every moment since the day I met you."
Sami felt tears well up at his words. How was it that he could still be so romantic a couple of hours after being hit by a car? Why wasn't he anxious and worried like she was about what could happen to him.
"Kiss me Samantha," he repeated.
Sami gave a little choked sigh and leant down, pressing her lips ever so gently to his. She felt his hand come up to stroke her jaw line as their lips met. The kiss was chaste compared to so many of their others but to be able to feel his lips on hers again when she'd thought she'd lost him for good… it felt like the most passionate, remarkable kiss they'd ever shared. Sami pulled away slowly but keeping her face close to his. EJ reached out a long finger and stroked her lips, an intense look on his face.
"That made the whole being hit by a car thing worthwhile," he told her with a little smile, his voice low.
"EJ," said Sami achingly, shaking her head, "You could have died today, nothing would have made that worthwhile."
"Did they stop?" asked EJ with a frown suddenly, moving his fingers to run along one cheek now, "The person who hit me, did they stop?"
"No," said Sami, "They kept going - it was a hit and run."
"Deliberate?" EJ seemed to be thinking about the question as he asked it.
"They don't know yet," said Sami, "My Dad and Uncle Bo are looking into it. I tried to help them but I didn't see it happen, just heard it and after you were hit, well… I wasn't much use to anyone there for awhile."
"My poor Samantha," he lamented, fingers drifting along the delicate curve of her ear and then down her long neck, "I hate that you got such a fright."
"A fright?" said Sami painfully, "I was terrified EJ, to see you lying their on the ground like that, not knowing if you were dead or alive. I don't think I've ever been that scared."
"You should know by now that I'm hard to get rid of," he chided her gently, "We DiMera's are thick skinned creatures designed to take life's little knocks. Even if the knocks are from on coming traffic!"
"Well I'd never thought I'd say this," said Sami straightening up and looking down at him ruefully, "But I'm glad you seem to share a trait of Stefano's. You appear to have gotten some of that Phoenix blood in your veins."
"That would be one of my father's better legacies," agreed in amusement, "I'm also hoping for a full head of hair like he's got when I'm his age."
"EJ," said Sami with a little laugh, "Be serious."
"I'm too happy to be serious sweetheart," said EJ with a grin.
"Now that isn't something you generally here from someone in a hospital bed."
Sami and EJ both looked up at the woman who'd walked into the room just as they'd been talking. The nurse smiled at them and walked over to the other side of the bed that Sami was sitting on, a box in her hands.
"I've got some of your personal belongings here Mr DiMera," she informed him, indicating the box she was holding, "They were on you when you had your accident and they took everything out of your pockets in Emergency when they were working when you first came in."
"I suppose my suit is no longer with us?" said EJ a bit sadly, he'd particularly liked that charcoal grey Armani.
"No," agreed the nurse with a little smile, "They had to cut it up to get to your injuries."
"An ignoble end for the poor creature," grieved EJ with a sigh.
"He really loves his suits," Sami explain to the nurse with a 'what are you gonna do' kind of shrug.
"So it would seem," said the nurse with a laugh, "I'll just put your belongings in the cupboard beside your bed here Mr DiMera okay?"
"Thank you Nurse," said EJ, watching as she began to unpack the box.
A pen, a cell phone, his wallet, a business card… a pair of purple women's satin panties.
The nurse gave EJ an interested look over the top of the lacy item whilst Sami squirmed in her seat with embarrassment. How did he end up with those?!
"I have a terrible problem with chaffing," said EJ straight faced to the nurses silent question, "I find the satin helps enormously."
The nurse quirked an amused eyebrow, seeing how the other woman in the room had just gone a brilliant shade of red and finding the chaffing explanation highly improbable. But she'd worked this job for a while now and she'd certainly seen far stranger things than this. Without another word she put the last controversial item in the cupboard and closed it. She gave them a knowing smile and left the room then.
"You really don't embarrass easily do you?" groaned Sami after the nurse had left, shaking her head in a kind of resigned admiration.
"No," he agreed happily, "And I think that it is a trait that is going to serve me well being married to you for the rest of my life sweetheart."
Sami looked at him and saw the pleased look of anticipation on his face and finally understood absolutely how this man loved her. All of the other men in her life had been horrified with her behaviours - her impulsiveness, how impetuous and reactive she could be. But looking at EJ's face she could only see an excited intrigue as to what new misadventure that she might bring into his life next.
He really did adore the bad girl in her just as much as the good and Sami never felt so free.
"Do you know what this mean?" asks EJ with a devilish quirk to his lips.
"That I've got yet another person to my list that I can no longer look in the eye," she sighed resignedly - at this rate she was going to get a crick in her neck from having to permanently look at the ground rather than at anybody ever again!
"It means that my beautiful wife is sitting by my hospital bed with no knickers on," grinned EJ, a decidedly lecherous look on his face, "Please tell me you haven't had time to go home and put another pair on."
"EJ!" exclaimed Sami, wondering if she was ever going to run out of blushes today, "I can't believe your talking like this - you've been seriously hurt and all you're concerned with is the state of my underwear!"
"It's not all I'm concerned about," he said, waggling an eyebrow at her, "But it's an excellent place to start I'm thinking."
"What am I going to do with you?" asked Sami with a mock groan.
"Well I have a few ideas if you need some help in that department," he offered up very sincerely, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"Ideas about what?" asked Marlena, walking into the room with John and catching the last of their conversation.
"Mom!" exclaimed Sami, shooting a warning look that told that he'd better not even think about answering that question truthfully.
"About what to do about the twins about deciding if the twins need separate rooms or not yet," EJ lied smoothly.
"Sami and Eric slept in the same room until they were six," said Marlena with a smile at the memory, "But then Eric decidedly he couldn't live with somebody who never put anything away after themselves."
"I wasn't untidy," protested Sami with a pout, "Eric was just obsessive compulsively neat - still is."
The door to EJ's private room opened again and a doctor and nurse walked in, the small room starting to get quite crowded now.
"Hey it's a party," remarked John, looking around at everyone standing there now.
The doctor gave John a strange look but chose to ignore the comment.
"Mr DiMera," he began, looking over the top of his glasses at EJ and then back at the scans he had in his hands, "I've got the results of your tests here and I was wanting to discuss them with you and your wife in private if I can."
"We'd like to stay," said Marlena and then looking around at EJ for approval, "If that's okay EJ?"
"Of course," said EJ, inclining his head a little, touched by Marlena's concern.
"We're family," said Marlena firmly, "We're staying."
"Well if Mr DiMera is comfortable with that then that's fine," said the doctor, "Now it appears the you have a bullet lodged in your spine, just above L4..."
"We know that already," interrupted John flatly, "I hope that piece of detective work isn't going to show up on the bill."
"Uncle John please," grimaced EJ, not really needing John's particular brand of helpfulness right now, "My Uncle is right though, that is an old injury. I was told that they couldn't safely remove the bullet from my spine but it would able to be left there with no ill effects."
"Well that's true," agreed the doctor, "But that didn't take into account you being hit by a car."
"What are you saying?" asked Sami, starting to get nervous now, "Is there a problem with the bullet now?"
"Because of the traumatic nature of your husbands injuries Mrs DiMera there has been a lot of blood leaking into the surrounding tissue," the doctor began to explain.
"All the bruising," supplied Marlena, listening intently.
"That's right," said the doctor, "It's caused localised swelling and that in turn is causing the bullet to be moved from it's originally relatively benign position to where there is far more cause for concern."
"What does that mean exactly?" asked EJ.
"It means that we have to go in and take that bullet out of your spine," said the doctor.
"But I thought it was too risky a procedure," protested Sami, "That's why it was left there in the first place."
"Unfortunately with this latest trauma there is really no option," he said, "If we do nothing then that bullet will definitely end up in the nerves bundles of L4/L5. When that happens Mr DiMera will be permanently paralysed from the waist down."
"And if I have the surgery?" asked EJ, "What are my odds then - better than 0% I hope?"
"It's an extremely risky surgery," admitted the doctor, "At best we are looking at only a 20% chance of a positive outcome here. There are also some real concerns that due to some of your other injuries that you are not the best candidate to undergo a general anaesthetic at the moment."
"So," said John slowly, working it through out loud, "If he doesn't have surgery my nephew is going to be definitely paralysed… and if he does he will only probably be paralysed then… or possibly dead."
"John!" exclaimed Marlena angrily as Sami gave a little sob of distress.
"What?" asked John in confusion, "Isn't that what the doctor just said? You didn't get mad at him."
"You don't have to put it so crudely," said Marlena in a low tone, glaring at him disapprovingly.
"But however you put it," protested John, "It means the same thing so what's the problem here?"
"It's fine Marlena," said EJ when he saw her open her mouth to try and get him to understand, "My Uncle is right, however you put it things look a bit grim right about now."
"EJ," said Sami shakily in growing distress, tightening her grip on his hand and looking at him desperately.
"It's alright sweetheart," he soothed her.
"20% chance of success," she repeated achingly.
"It's just a number Samantha," he comforted her, "And I see no reason why I can't be in that 20% - Phoenix blood remember?"
He smiled then, trying to get her to smile with him but instead a tear slipped down her face as she realised the enormity of what it was he was having to face now.
"Look," said the doctor, "I know this has all been a lot for you to take in at once but we really need to get this surgery happening if that is what you decide you want Mr DiMera. The trauma to your back is continuing to swell and it is just a matter of time before the damage is irreversible."
"I'll be having the surgery," said EJ calmly.
"Very good," said the doctor, "I'll go and make the arrangements and we'll get this happening as quickly as we can."
"Tonight?" asked Sami anxiously, "You're going to do the surgery tonight?"
"We really need to get to that bullet before the swelling pushes it somewhere we don't want it to be," said the doctor.
"But won't the surgeons be tired?" she asked anxiously, "It's the middle of the night, can't we wait until morning instead?"
"Our surgeons are very used to working at odd hours and are extremely competent," the doctor reassured her, "Don't worry Mrs DiMera, your husband is in the best possible hands."
The doctor gave a nod and left then, leaving a strained silence in his wake.
"I don't want you to do this!" exclaimed Sami suddenly, looking at him pleadingly, "You could die in surgery - I don't care whether you can walk or not - I just want you to be alive!"
"Sweetheart," he told her, trying to calm her down, "I want the surgery - if there is any chance that I might be able to retain the use of my legs I want to take it."
"But…" she protested, another tear escaping and leaving a watery path down her cheek.
"It will be okay Samantha," he told her softly, catching the single tear with a finger tip, "Trust me."
Sami gave a despairing sob and bit her lip, shaking her head, wondering how he could be so certain.
"I need to check on the twins," said Sami distractedly, needing to do something other than think about this for a few minutes.
"I'll come with you sweetie," offered Marlena and Sami gave a grateful nod before looking over anxiously at EJ.
"Will you be alright until I get back?" she asked him.
"Of course sweetheart," said EJ reassuringly, "Check on those beautiful babies of ours and make sure you let them know that Daddy loves them both and misses them terribly."
"I will," said Sami, attempting a smile but not quite pulling it off.
The two women left, leaving uncle and nephew alone.
"You know, I think this," mused John waving a hand up and down EJ's prone length as he lay in his hospital bed, "Is a much better plan to win Sami over than your last one."
"This wasn't a plan Uncle John," said EJ flatly, shifting uncomfortably in the bed, "I was hit by a car!"
"Still," said John, unfazed, "It's a better idea than pushing Sami towards another man but then, that was a stupid plan in the first place so it's not exactly hard to top it."
"Thank you for your opinion Uncle," said EJ sourly, "Duly noted but again - the whole getting hit by a car - not intentional."
"Apparently I was hit by a car," he told his nephew and if EJ didn't know better he could have sworn he was trying to be comforting.
"I know," said EJ evenly.
"Worked out just fine for me," continued on John.
EJ just stared at him for a long moment before speaking.
"You died Uncle John," said EJ flatly, unimpressed by his reasoning, "There was a funeral and everything."
"Yeah but I'm feeling much better now," said John and EJ wondered if there would ever be an end to the bizarre conversations that he'd have with this man.
"Well that's just fantastic Uncle," said EJ ironically, "But if you don't mind I'm going to try and avoid the whole 'death thing' and just get on with everything working out fine."
"Okay," shrugged John, "But they say half the fun is in the journey and not just the destination."
"Well when 'they' said that I'm pretty sure 'they' weren't including death as part of the journey," said EJ, rolling his eyes and wondering if he asking for more pain killers would make this conversation seem less surreal.
The nurse from the 'chaffing' incident returned and she smiled at them both.
"I'm just going to get you prepped for surgery Mr DiMera," she told him.
"Why?" asked John blankly, "Is there some kind of dress code before they can start digging away in his spine?"
"No," said the nurse slowly, looking at the older man a little uncertainly now, "I mean I was just going to take off any rings or jewellery and give him some premeds to take to make him a little drowsy."
"Actually," said EJ, his right hand unconsciously going to his wedding ring and twisting it, "Is there anyway I could keep my wedding ring on."
The nurse gave him an enquiringly look and EJ explained.
"It's just that I've never taken it off since my wife put it on my finger on our wedding day," said EJ with a little shrug, feeling the metal band under his fingers, "I know it's silly but I'd rather like to keep it on if I can."
"I can get some tape and tape it down for you," offered the nurse, "We only remove valuables so that they won't get lost."
"That would be great if you could do that," said EJ happily, a smile on his face, "I'd just really like to keep it on if I can."
"Of course Mr DiMera," said the Nurse, touched by his obvious devotion to his wife, "I'll just go and get some tape and be right back."
"Sorry," said EJ watching the nurse leave, "I don't mean to be a nuisance."
"That's fine Mr DiMera," she replied with a smile, "I'll be back in a minute."
"What?" frowned EJ when he saw the way John was looking at him, "You think I'm being overly sentimental don't you?"
"Actually I was thinking more along the lines of short sighted," shrugged John.
"What does that mean?" asked EJ in confusion.
"Well it seems to me the minute that ring was on your finger you got a bullet lodged in your spine, lost your inheritance and became homeless," reasoned John, "Maybe you'd be smarter to take it off, it hasn't exactly been a harbinger of good luck so far."
"That's ridiculous," scowled EJ unhappily at even the thought of such a thing.
"As you like nephew," said John with his usual calmness, "It's your funeral."
"Fantastic choice of words there Uncle," growled EJ, "Really helpful considering the circumstances! Cheers!"
"Just trying to help," said John, seeming to miss EJ's sarcasm.
"Well let me know when you're going to start and I'll be duly grateful," grimaced EJ.
Sami walked backed in then with Marlena just behind her. The two men looked over at them as they entered.
"John and I are going to wait outside until it's time for you to go into surgery," Marlena said with a warm smile, walking over to where John was standing.
"We are?" asked John flatly, looking over at her.
"Yes," said Marlena firmly, "We are."
John shrugged then.
"I guess we're going to waiting outside then," John said stoically, "Take it easy and don't let the bed bugs bite Nephew."
The three other adults in the room looked at him oddly.
"What?" he said looking back at them, "Didn't I get that right? Doesn't it mean have a good rest or something?"
"Yes Uncle it's right," said EJ slowly, "Somehow deeply disturbing though when a grown man says it to another but technically still correct."
"Well there you go then," said John unrepentantly and left the room.
Marlena gave a vaguely apologetic, embarrassed look on her husbands behalf but then just shrugged. Like they weren't all used to his odd ways by now!
"We'll see you before you go in EJ," said Marlena with a reassuring nod and then she smiled at Sami, "We'll just be outside the door when you're done sweetie."
"Thanks Mom," said Sami, attempting a brave smile for her mother's sake.
When she had gone Sami turned back to face EJ and they gave each other a rueful look.
"John's really not getting any less weird is he?" mused Sami .
"It would seem not," agreed EJ and they shared a smile and then he looked up at her thoughtfully, "And just so you know Samantha - this is not what I had planned for our big date tonight."
"No?" said Sami with a little laugh, "Really, because I thought this was special."
"Everything is special when you're there," he told her.
"Sweet talker," she huffed at him good naturedly.
"Goddess divine," he returned, reaching out for her hand which she gave him willingly as he pulled her to sit on the bed beside him.
Sami reached out and stroked his face, being careful of the bruises and scrapes that it was currently sporting.
"Alone at last," he smiled, looking up at her with such devotion that it stole her breath away and she bit her lip, a broken sob catching in her throat.
She couldn't lose this man now… she just couldn't.