Part 3.4 – Della Dreams

Dottie and Ruth had very efficiently bathed Della, refreshed the ice blanket, and changed the bed linen. Della was once contained within the oxygen tent, her hair damp and arranged in soft waves around her serene face. To Perry she looked like an angel, her perfect complexion translucent and otherworldly. Normally he rather enjoyed watching her sleep, but the spasmodic rise and fall of her chest caused him an agony he never wanted to experience again.

He stood at the foot of her bed as Kathy efficiently checked Della's vital signs, then listened to her lungs for a long time, moving the stethoscope over her rash-covered chest. When the doctor was finished, she stepped back so that Dottie could re-tuck the plastic oxygen tent, securing the ends beneath the mattress of the hospital bed.

"Her temperature has come down a bit but is still high," Kathy began. Perry thought she sounded disappointed. "Refreshing the ice blanket should help. The inflammation in her lungs is severe, and her breathing remains shallow. I'd like to see her take deeper breaths sooner rather than later."

Perry didn't like what Kathy was saying. He had irrationally hoped she would tell him Della was completely cured and he could take her home within twenty-four hours. Tears welled in his eyes and he lowered them to stare at Della's feet.

Kathy came to stand next to him. "She's right where she should be in her treatment," she told him softly. "The antibiotic is beginning to work and the ice blanket is keeping her cool. I expect a dramatic drop in her temperature in the next twenty-four hours. I was going to sedate her to keep her more comfortable, but I think I'll hold off on that for a few more hours to see if she naturally soothes herself. I'm going to monitor her lungs closely and if she doesn't begin to take deeper breaths, I'll re-evaluate the sedation."

Perry couldn't look at the doctor. His inherent impatience was not holding him in good stead through this. He wanted Della better, wanted her better fast, wanted her better faster than what Kathy was telling him was possible.

"Dottie and Ruth will check on her every twenty minutes or so, then Cynthia will take over at shift change. She's had a lot of experience with pneumonia and I specifically requested her as Della's nurse. I have rounds to make, but I'll be back before my shift ends. We'll leave you alone with her now. Remember what I told you. Talk to her. She can hear you." She squeezed his arm and motioned for the nurses to follow her from the room.

Perry liked Kathy's caring manner, how she touched him to reinforce her encouraging, comforting words. He had always been a large gesture person, his affection limited to exploration of his desire. Della changed that about him. He wanted to touch her all the time, wanted her to touch him all the time, affectionate contact that reassured the other about their place in life and their feelings for one another.

Kathy stopped in the doorway and looked back at him. "Perry, you need to eat and get some rest. And shouldn't you call her family? The more support she – and you – have, the faster she'll get better."

"Yes ma'am." He had to smile. Kathy was revealing herself to be more and more like Della every minute. "Her Aunt Mae lives in California. I'll call her in a while. Right now I have a few things to tell Della."

Kathy ushered the two nurses from the room and silently closed the door behind her.

Perry moved to the chair beside the bed, unzipped the oxygen tent and gently laid his hand on Della's. "All right, precious girl, you heard Kathy. You're doing fine, and she's going to get you well. She promised. She also told me that I had to take care of you, and that you have to fight, angel. You have to be strong and fight this with everything you've got. I know it's hard, but if anyone can do it, you can. This is the fight of your life – the fight of our life – and we're going to win. There's simply no other option. We have too much to do…we have a lot of years ahead of us, darling. I love you. I love you more than I've ever loved anyone and I'm not going to lose you."

Perry kept his left hand inside the tent, while his right hand moved to her leg and slowly petted it.

"I know you can hear me, Della. I'm going to be right here when you wake up. I'll be so happy then, my darling. All I want is to see your beautiful eyes and know that you feel better. Then I'll take you home to our house and pamper you and spoil you until you're strong enough to go back to L.A. and face whatever adventure life has in store for us."

He laid his head down on his outstretched arm and gazed at her still form, at her lovely face. Was she breathing more deeply? He thought maybe she was. He hoped she was.

His eyes slowly closed and he sighed in exhaustion. Kathy was right. He should call Mae. Then she could call her sister and nephews. And he should call Paul and…before he could complete the list of people who needed to know about Della, sleep interrupted.

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The soft summer breeze ruffled through her long chestnut curls as she sat cross-legged on the chintz covered chaise. She was alone, enjoying the momentary peace and solitude of the lazy afternoon. The adults were gone for the day, having driven from the Martin's Ventnor home to visit friends in Margate, the next small neighboring town. The boys were off playing basketball at the community center and Kathy was at the Atlantic City hospital, working as a candy-striper as she did every Wednesday. She had, of course, been included in any and all of the divergent plans and activities, but had begged off to take advantage of the time alone.

She thought of Kathy, who had announced her intention to become a doctor last summer. Now it was almost all she ever talked about. She decided she loved people and being around them, and especially loved helping them. People loved Kathy in return, much more than she was aware of. She had always been the one neighborhood kids ran to when they fell off their bikes, or slipped and skinned their knees while roller skating, or got a splinter from the boardwalk. She knew just what to do and was so gentle and loving that before they knew it, their 'injuries' would be tended to and they would be off and running once again, their laughter Kathy's payment for services rendered. She knew Kathy would be a wonderful doctor, and knew anyone would be lucky to eventually be her patient.

She herself was leaning toward a degree in English. Her father was a successful advertising man and she loved visiting him at his office downtown. He would let her type and file, answer the phone, and proof-read copy. His business associates remarked how responsible and efficient she was, even at her young age. She thrived on organization and contact with people, and the words her father wrote thrilled her.

And while she loved the time she spent at her father's office, she loved her father…her daddy…even more. She had an extremely close relationship with her mother, and her big brothers were simply the best, but it was her daddy she adored, and she glowed when he called her his 'princess'. Tall, dark haired, and quite good-looking, he was everything she thought a husband and father should be – the quintessential family man. She knew that whoever she married would be like her daddy, tall, dark, and handsome, respectful, gentle, kind, and above all, loving.

Leaning back against the comfortable cushions, she inhaled deeply, letting the tang of sand and sea settle over her like a warm blanket. She absolutely loved it here. What a lucky girl she was to have such a wonderful family and wonderful friends that made it possible for her to spend her summers at the sea shore. Yes, she loved everything about the shore and the Martins, but her favorite thing, the thing she treasured most of all was the time she spent on this porch, taking in everything around her. She sighed and closed her eyes. Maybe one day she would live in a beautiful house like this with her own big family.

The knob on the French door leading out to the porch turned quietly and a tall, dark-haired young man with deep-set blue eyes and sun-kissed skin walked over to her and sat down beside her. He took her small hand in his and leaned over to kiss her ever so lightly on the cheek. She opened her eyes and smiled.

"I thought you were playing ball at the community center with the rest of the delinquents and showing them no mercy on the court." She laughed as he tapped her nose with his finger.

"I had to show them some mercy. Just because I play at school and our team won the conference doesn't mean I have to flaunt my greater skill and agility. I gave them some pointers and excused myself. I swear, though, that Jamie is better every time I see him. I told him he should try out for the team at school. U of M has the best basketball team in the Midwest right now." Gregg pushed his sunglasses up onto his head. "Now that I'm here, what would you like to do, baby? How about putting on that little red bathing suit and we'll go down to the beach?"

She sighed and gave him a pout. "Gregg, I asked you not to call me baby. I'm not a baby! I'm seventeen years old. I'm going to be a senior this year and…"

Gregg leaned over and captured her soft lips with his. When he finally broke away he was breathing rather heavily. "Della, I know you're not a baby. For your information and future reference, when a man calls a woman 'baby' it's meant as a loving endearment. And, Miss Della Paige Street, I am quite aware that you are a woman in every sense of the word. I don't know whether you realize this or not, but when you finish college, I'm going to marry you, call you baby all the time, and take care of you for the rest of your life. What do you have to say to that?"

She squealed with happiness, threw her arms around Gregg and kissed him.

Perry looked up as Della's leg jerked. It was literally the first movement she had made since becoming agitated earlier when she'd recognized Kathy. He thought possibly a small smile or a grimace crossed her lips, but couldn't be certain which. He stroked her fingers with feather-light caresses. "Shhh…shhh, baby. It's okay. I'm right here."

This time when the expression moved across her face, he knew it wasn't a smile.

It was late. She didn't how late, but it was dark and cold and she couldn't find her watch. She went from room to room in her house but all the clocks had stopped. How odd, she thought. She found herself in the kitchen, where her parents were sitting at the table. Something was wrong. Her mother was crying and her father was drawn and haggard, his lips held in a straight line.

"Princess," her father said in a weary voice. "Come sit on my lap." She walked over to him and sat down in his lap just as she had as a small girl. She put her arms around his neck and snuggled into the safety and security of his arms. He put his hand on her cheek and pulled her head up so as to look into her hazel eyes, so like her mother's.

"Della, I have something to tell you and I need you to be brave, Princess. You're very smart and strong and I know that no matter what happens, you'll be able to handle it."

She experienced a sudden stabbing fear and could barely swallow. "Daddy, what's wrong? Why is Mom crying? You're scaring me."

"Don't be scared, Princess. We've always been honest with you and your brothers and it's not going to be any different now." Her father held his daughter tightly to him. "Della, I haven't been feeling like myself lately, and last week I went to see Dr. Harris. He called this morning and told me what he suspected, and what the tests confirmed. Della, I…I'm very sick. I only…I only have about a year…"

She let out a keening cry of anguish. "No! Oh Daddy! No! No! It's a mistake. Dr. Harris is wrong, Daddy, I know it! There must be some other doctor –"

Her father was shaking his head, rocking her to and fro like a baby. "No, sweetheart, there is no mistake. Dr. Harris was very thorough and showed my test results to several colleagues. There is no doubt. I don't have much time."

"But you promised you would never leave me! You can't go, you just can't."

"I know, Princess. I know I promised, but there is nothing that anyone can do. I love you. I love you very much. No man ever wanted a daughter as much as I wanted you. Never forget that." Her father maneuvered her off his lap and stood. She felt his had slip from hers…

"No! No, Daddy, please, oh please, don't go. You can't leave me. You promised…"

From somewhere far away she heard a voice, a caring voice, deep and soft. It calmed her and she struggled to see who it was that spoke to her so soothingly. "Shhh…shhh….Della, I'm here, baby. I'm right here. I'm not leaving you. I won't ever leave you. Wake up, honey, you're having a dream. Wake up, Della, please."

Della tried to wake up. She wanted to wake up so badly to see who it was that held her hand, so gently that she could weep, but it was as if someone was forcing her eyes to remain closed. Who was calling her?

"Della, angel, open your eyes. Look at me. I'm right here."

Perry. It was Perry who held her hand and called to her. Her darling Perry, who loved her and took such good care of her. She tried to open her eyes to see him – that handsome face and that impish grin. She wanted to tell him…what? What was it she wanted to tell him? Where was she? She couldn't remember. The house. That's right. She was at the house, the beautiful house he had bought for her as a surprise. He spoiled her so and she loved him. That's what she needed to tell him! But her throat hurt so much…

She wanted to wake from these dreams, these dreams that she didn't like and that frightened her and made her sad. She wanted to tell Perry she loved him and ask him to make everything all better, to take away the pain these dreams caused. He would do it. He would do anything he could to make her happy. He had shown her that over and over again. He loved her. She didn't know why and he wouldn't tell her so she could make sure he never stopped loving her, but she couldn't think about that now. She had to concentrate on opening her eyes. He wanted her to open her eyes, and she would, because it would make him happy, and she would do anything she could to make him happy.

Della's eyelids fluttered and Perry leaned close to the plastic barrier of the oxygen tent. For a mere five seconds she looked at him with simple, pure love. Then delicate lids slowly dropped over her colorful eyes and she heaved a sigh. Her breathing deepened, the time between breaths slightly longer.

He cried then. Huge, wracking sobs that shook his large frame as well as the bed.

Perry was unaware, but Dr. Kathy Spencer had silently entered the room and witnessed everything. She eased out of the room, closed the door and collapsed against it. After counting to fifty, she reopened the door and stepped back into the room.

"Well," she announced breezily "Let's see what this young lady's temperature is now."