Chapter 13
Parental Guidance
Elizabeth paged aimlessly though her magazine while her father read the newspaper. She looked up and noticed Bill tapping his foot and looking deep in thought. There was an obvious look of concern written across his face. She slightly smiled as she recognized an immediate resemblance between father and son, especially in the way Bill's brow furrowed and his soulful brown eyes focused with such great concentration. Will often had the same look when something was weighing heavily on his mind.
"Mr. Turner can I get you anything?" She asked. He shook his head,
"No dear, I'm fine thank you." He gave her a small smile and then started to nervously wring his hands together. Another habit Will must have inherited from his father. Elizabeth stood and walked over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"I'm confident Will's CT will look better than the last." Bill nodded, and placed his hand atop hers.
"Elizabeth, may I ask a favor of you?" Elizabeth nodded and flashed him a warm smile.
"Of course, anything." Watching his son's beautiful girlfriend smile and show genuine concern for both him and Will made his next statement even harder.
"May I ask that you allow your father to take you home for the evening." Bill watched as her smile slowly faded, and a small pout appeared. He quickly tried to cover his motive,
"You have had a terribly long past few days and I worry for your health. It will be another few hours before Will's CT is finished, and when he comes back his sedation will most likely wear through the night. I think it is in both of your best interest to get some rest." Elizabeth's pout turned into pursed lips, and a glassy glaze appeared in her eyes. Bill wondered how his son ever denied this woman anything. She didn't say a word but merely nodded her head and turned to get her bag. Bill lightly grasped her forearm,
"Elizabeth, please understand I only wish for you to get some rest. Will has a lot of challenges to face in the next few days and I know he will rely heavily on your support." Phrased in a new light, Elizabeth took his bait and actually rewarded him with a slight smile. She picked up her bag and looked to her father who was already putting on his coat. Before leaving the room she gave Bill a hug,
"If Will's condition changes will you please call me?" She asked, her heart pinned to her sleeve.
"Of course dear, we will plan to see you bright and early tomorrow morning." Bill replied as he shook Weatherby's hand and watched the pair leave.
"Elizabeth I am very proud of you today." Elizabeth looked at her father then back out the car window.
"I could tell he wanted some time alone with Will. I'm sure this incident has him very shaken." She replied softly.
"I know it has you shaken as well." Weatherby extended his arm and took her hand in his. Elizabeth turned and squeezed his hand lightly.
"Father…(she swallowed hard, trying to control her voice) remember how mother always told me that when she met you she just knew that you were the one…With Will I just know, (her voice starting to waiver) and when I thought I lost him…" She quickly turned to look back out at the passing campus.
"Elizabeth, we are both painfully aware on how fragile life can be but be rest assured that the story of life is not always a tragedy." Elizabeth turned suddenly, a few stray tears running down her face.
"And what of mother's story, how can you say life isn't tragic when you look at what happened to her." Weatherby's looked at his fragile daughter, and wondered how she had been hiding this fear. Momentarily glancing past Elizabeth he noticed the car was passing a small park. He quickly picked up the phone and asked Ronald to stop the car. Elizabeth was taken aback by this sudden move and looked at him with concern. Weatherby merely patted her hand and motioned her to get out of the car. Elizabeth noted him talking to Ronald and soon the car pulled away, leaving only the two of them. Weatherby extended his folded arm, and smiled as she accepted his gesture and placed her hand around it. He then led her to a small biking path that weaved through the park. The two walked in silence, the cool breeze and rustling leaves of autumn softly singing around them. Weatherby finally took a deep breath in,
"Elizabeth, I would hardly call your mother's life a tragedy." This statement took her completely off guard. She couldn't remember the last time her father had talked about her mother.
"I did not mean…" He quickly interrupted her,
"Let me finish please." Elizabeth nodded, and he continued. "When I first met your mother she was slightly older than you. We were both out of college, and well into our professional lives. We met one brisk spring day at a coffee shop. I was busy grabbing coffee for the board members, and she was quietly sitting near the doorway on a bench, reading a book." Elizabeth couldn't help but let a small laugh slip, already knowing how the story ended. "She was wearing a beautiful crème cashmere sweater. I remember picking up the tray of coffees and turning to see this gorgeous woman reading by the door way. Not being able to tear my eyes from her, I headed to the door, hoping she would look up and grace me with a smile. The next thing I know, my foot catches on the rug and I trip. Sending a tray of hot coffee flying towards your mother." Elizabeth laughed aloud, picturing the event in her mind. "It was tragic, (he emphasized) but after apologizing profusely and pleading for an opportunity to make it up to her, she took up my offer for dinner. That night at dinner I knew she was the one for me." Elizabeth looked up at him and smiled at the use of the phrase. "Several months later I proposed and we wed. It was a short courting period and even shorter engagement. Your grandfather was not happy. We traveled and enjoyed life for a few years then were blessed with you." His grip tightened around her arm as he turned them around and started to walk back, "I remember your mother escorting you to piano lessons, dance, volleyball, soccer, and track. Every evening she would then regale to me the day's events and your ongoing accomplishments. She was so proud of you. It was when she took you to your first art class in junior high when she finally came home and told me that you were going to be an artist some day. I remember pointing out to her the many other activities you had proclaimed as your future career, but she insisted that she just knew that you had found your niche in life." Elizabeth smiled, never knowing that her mother had said such things.
"Your mother loved you very much, and lived a very happy life." Elizabeth picked up the slight pain in her father's words.
"She loved you very much too father." He nodded, and held up a finger to motion for her continued silence,
"It was only a tragedy to us that her life ended so abruptly, but I feel at peace every day knowing she lived her life to the fullest." Elizabeth stopped and took her father into a full embrace.
"She wouldn't want you to live your life in fear of tomorrow because of what happened to her that day." He held her tightly in his arms, gently stroking her hair.
"I love you father." She softly replied. He ended their embrace and gently stroked her face,
"I love you too child," He started guiding her back towards the street, their town car slowly approaching.
Will suddenly felt nauseous as his tried to open his heavy eyelids. Groaning, he attempted to roll over, only to find his arms tied securely to the sides of the bed. As he steadily became more aware of his environment, the blurry brown blob in the corner of the room became clearer.
"Dad?" Will questioned, as he once again attempted to move his arms to no avail. His father stood and walked over to the side of his bed, untying the restraints.
"You are allergic to Versed." Bill stated calmly as he then removed the cloth bands from his wrists.
"What?' Will questioned, still slightly groggy from the medicine.
"Versed, it is a medication used for sedation. Apparently it did the opposite for you and made you fairly aggressive during your test." Will gently rubbed his sore wrists.
"What do you mean aggressive?"
"Well, they were afraid you would hurt yourself or someone else so they had to tie you to the bed." Bill saw the look of concern on his son's face and quickly amended,
"You didn't hurt anyone," he ran his hand through Will's hair; "they were able to give you a different medication to calm you down. All the nurses in the room were very impressed with your strength though." He smiled, as Will continued to struggle to stay awake looking around the room.
"Where is Elizabeth?" Bill's smile quickly disappeared as he walked back to his seat.
"I sent her home." He replied, sitting down. Will continued to watch him, looking for any signs of humor, but soon realized he was being serious.
"Why?" Will questioned.
"Will I've decided that I am taking you back to New York for a few weeks after your discharge." This statement was even more troubling to Will, who way still dwelling on his first question.
"New York! Dad I'm fine… why did you send Elizabeth home?" Bill continued to ignore his question and continued,
"The doctors feel it is in your best interest to take two weeks off from school to recuperate from your injury. I can best tend for you at home." Suddenly Nurse Mary entered the room and walked over to Will's bedside.
"Mr. Turner I am glad to see you awake, how do you feel?"
"Nauseous." Will replied, still rubbing his head.
"Do you have a headache?" She questioned.
"Slightly." Will replied, closing his eyes. Mary took some medicine from her pocket and drew it up into a syringe, inserting it into his IV port.
"This will help with the nausea." She softly replied, "and try to rest, it will help with your headache." She patted Will on the shoulder then left the room. Bill shut the door behind her and turned down the lights.
"Why did you send her home?" Will questioned one last time.
"Because we need to talk." Bill retorted. "But that comes later, we are first going to take a nap."
"Oh we are?" Will softly stated in a mocking tone.
"William Jonathan Turner you will find that I am in no mood for bargaining. It is still early afternoon, I will answer the rest of your questions this evening…after you have rested." Will closed his eyes, knowing that there was no point in arguing with his father. As he drifted to sleep, his thoughts were consumed with soft alabaster skin, long blonde hair, and hazel eyes.
Elizabeth walked up the stairs to her apartment and punched in the front door code. It softly buzzed and she pushed it open, waving at her father and Ronald as they drove away. She had given them specific directions to the closest Chinese take out place, and her father wished to join Ronald and see the menu personally. As Elizabeth walked up the stairs she noticed a plain vanilla envelope taped to her door. The envelope had her name written on the front. She it pulled it off the door, took out her keys, and opened her door. Once in her apartment, she closed the door and tore open the envelope. She took out a note that read,
"You deserve to know, Love a friend." She then reached in and pulled out the remaining paper…
Yeah update! I wonder what was on Elizabeth's door, and is Will going away?? : ) Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter, and as always greatly appreciate your reviews!
