Chapter 12

Ray made a fist with his right hand and brought it down forcefully onto the mattress of the bed that he was in. Ray whipped his head back, closed his eyes, and bit his bottom lip all at the same time to keep from crying out in pain. He realized his mistake too late. His fist's impact with the mattress had sent a shock wave down to his right leg that lay slightly elevated and bandaged up.

"Melody why did you have to roll over like that," Ray muttered to himself as he brought his head forward again and opened his eyes.

Looking at his right leg Ray saw the pink tinged pressure bandage wrapped around his knee. He knew that underneath the bandage the metal rod from his artificial knee was sticking out through his skin and it hurt. It hurt even worse than when he had broken his knee in the first place. Echo had been the only one around to take care of him at the time.

Ray had heard his knee snap when he was with Melody last night. It was her fault that he was here, but Ray pushed it from his mind as he thought about the wonderful time they had had together.

Ray and Melody hadn't been with each other since April. Melody had stopped sleeping in the same bed with Ray after Nokomis had turned eighteen. Melody had chosen another room in the house that Ray owned.

Ray's home was an old Victorian style house that sat in New York City in the Bronx. It was a three story home with six bedrooms, three baths, a kitchen, living room, dining room, and a parlor. Melody had her choice of bedrooms to pick from as Ray's sister was deceased and her children, Allison and Robert, were no longer living with them.

Ray knew that his marriage was falling apart and he had gone to his best friend Egon for help.

"Treat her like you want to be treated," Egon had told him. "Even though you aren't the center of her world, for whatever reason, be the better person and make her your center."

Ray had slowly done so but still Melody refused to sleep with him.

"When you love your wife are you the one in charge or her?" Egon had questioned Ray.

Ray placed his right arm across his forehead. His knee was killing him.

Egon had been right. Whenever Ray and Melody had been intimate he had dictated how it was going to be. Ray had thought that he was satisfying Melody's needs when all he had been doing was satisfying his own carnal pleasures.

That was until last night. Ray smiled and closed his eyes as he remembered back to that special night.

They had just gotten back from the Loulan Ruins after finding out that Ray's sister Jean had sent their daughter Nokomis somewhere to be safe.

Opening the door to the hotel room Ray had discovered that there was only a king size bed in the room.

"I'm sorry Raymond," Melody said before he could open his mouth. "Nokomis and I share the bed. It was cheaper that way for the expedition."

"I understand," Ray said as he crossed over to the desk and pulled out the chair to sit in it. "I can always sleep on the floor."

Melody stood in the hotel room facing her husband. He looked tired and she knew that his knee was bothering him. Even though he hadn't said a word to her she could see the pain in his brow. Sleeping on the hard hotel room's floor wasn't going to help either. It was her fault that she had stopped sharing the same bed with him.

"Raymond," she said as she watched her husband slowly remove his shoes, "we're all adults here. I'm sure we can sleep together without actually sleeping together."

Ray looked up from taking his right shoe off to see Melody standing behind the bed in front of him. She stood wringing her hands together, looking anywhere but at him. At least she was trying to be civil.

"I can do that Melody," Ray said smiling. "Thank you."

Melody stopped wringing her hands together. She couldn't believe her ears. Raymond was being nice, well he had always been nice to her. She was the one with the problem and she knew that slowly, one step at a time, she could come back to the man that loved her dearly.

"I'll draw you a hot bath," Melody said turning and heading for the bathroom door.

"The bath isn't handicap equipped so you may need help in and out," Melody's voice could be heard coming from the bathroom, "Sorry."

Ray nodded his head and started to remove his shirt as he called out to her.

"It's not like we haven't seen each other before," he teased her.

"I know," Melody said coming out of the bathroom and crossing to where Ray sat.

Ray reached out his hand and took Melody's right one in his.

"Look Melody," he said, "I'm sorry about the past couple of months. I know I'm not always the easiest person to get along with. I'm an old man set in my ways, but I want you to be happy. I want for us to have a life together and I am willing to do everything within my power to make that happen. I promise."

Ray raised Melody's hand that he had been holding to his mouth, kissing the back of it, before he released it. Dropping his head to the floor Ray muttered, "Forgive me."

Melody stood there shocked, with tears threatening to overflow from her eyes. Her husband was asking to be forgiven. Forgive him? No! She should be the one asking for his forgiveness, not the other way around.

Melody dropped to her knees in front of Ray and tenderly lifted his head up.

"Forgive you? Raymond I should be the one asking for your forgiveness. I treated you horribly these past few months and all you have ever shown back to me was kindness."

"Egon taught me that," Ray said placing his hand on top of Melody's that she had placed on his left knee.

"Egon's a good friend to you."

"Yes, he is."

Melody dropped her hand from Ray's face and placed it on top of his own hand. Smiling she leaned into Ray's ear.

"Please forgive me," she said before pulling her face away from him.

"Always," Ray whispered back leaning forward to kiss her on the cheek.

Pulling back he saw that he had made her blush and he liked that.

"Okay," Ray said standing up stiffly, "let's get this old smelly man in the tub Madame Bo-Peep."

Melody smiled as she helped him take off his pants. Madame Bo-Peep was his pet name for her and she had called him a crotchety old man when they had first met.

Helping Ray into the tub, Melody turned her attention to unpacking his suitcase while he soaked in the hot bath. Hot water baths had always been good for her husband since he had his first operation and when she went to check on him fifteen minutes later she found him asleep in the tub.

Crossing her arms and leaning her head onto the left side of the doorframe Melody watched as Ray slept.

"Doctor Raymond Francis Stantz," she said quietly, "what am I going to do with you."

Melody had met Ray at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. She had been in charge of setting up an exhibition of Hiroshi Sugimoto's photographs in November of 1995. The exhibit opened on the twenty-first of November and ran through January 14 of the next year. Melody remembered the day well as she had been cursing at one of her students. Ray had been visiting the museum with his niece Echo, who was three at the time.

"Uncle Ray what does 'damn it all to hell' mean?" Echo had questioned when she heard Melody's shouting.

Ray had approached Melody and had asked her if she could refrain from the use of bad language when children were present.

"Go away," Melody had shouted at him, "you crotchety old man."

Ray had turned Echo around and walked away from her calling back over his shoulder, "Well you're no Madame Bo-Peep by any means."

Melody had stood there shocked at him that day. How dare he compare her to the character Octavia Beaupree from William Sydney Porter's (better know by his pen name O. Henry) romantic story Madame Bo-Peep, of the Ranches. Fuming she had gone after him to find him some time later in the cafeteria on the ground floor.

"Who the hell do you think you are Mister?!" Melody had shouted at him as Ray sat eating lunch with his niece.

"Me?" Ray questioned, "Where do you get off cursing like that?"

"I can do anything I want!" Melody shot back, "I work here."

"Maybe you shouldn't," Ray said to her as he got up and left with Echo tagging along behind him.

"Hardly love at first sight huh," Melody said shaking her head with the memory.

Ray had never gone after his professor title, allowing Melody that honor. Now here it was many years later and she finally understood why. Ray had placed her first in his life. He had quit being a "Ghostbuster" fulltime in January of 2008 because of his knee, but now she realized that he had been wanting to quit and stay home with Nokomis for sometime before that. His knee had been the excuse that he was looking for.

He had worked at night in his bookstore supporting her and Nokomis the best he could. Even though Melody earned more money than he did, Ray never let that come between them. Now here it was June 5, 2015 and Ray's 56th birthday was coming up in October.

Melody looked closer at her sleeping husband. His receding hairline with a bit of gray showing around his sideburns made her feel bad for him. He had done everything in his power to make her happy and she had been selfish, wanting more than he could physically give her.

Melody quietly walked over to the tub and knelt down on the bathmat. Taking her right hand she placed it onto Ray's left shoulder and gently shook him to wake him up.

Ray opened his eyes to see his wife smiling at him.

"Oh this can't be good," he said taking his arms out of the now cold water and placing them on the edges of the tub.

"It's fine," Melody said standing up and offering Ray her hand, "I'll help the crotchety old man out of the tub."

Ray took her proffered hand and stiffly stood up. Melody helped him out of the tub and wrapped a bath towel around his waist before leading him to the bed.

"Thanks for your help Melody," Ray said as he sat down onto the mattress.

"Well I couldn't let you wrinkle up into a prune could I?"

"I guess not," Ray said before he changed the subject. "Look Melody I know it must have been difficult for you loosing Nokomis, but just look at the way you handled yourself. No mater what happens know that I'm right behind you and I'm so proud to be a part of your life."

Standing in front of Ray Melody felt him take her right hand in his. She was sure that he was going to finish his sentence with 'again' but he hadn't. Melody squeezed Ray's hand and then sat by his side dropping her head to rest on his left shoulder.

"Raymond," Melody called softly interrupting his thoughts.

Ray opened his eyes and dropped his hand back down to his side. Melody stood above him and leaned in to kiss him on his lips before she pulled back to reveal a gentleman in a white lab coat behind her.

"This is Doctor Wei-shan," Melody said with a wave of her right hand, "He is going to be your surgeon to replace your knee."

Doctor Wei-shan bowed and then spoke to Ray in Mandarin, Melody translated for her husband.

"I'm very honored to meet you Doctor Stantz. I will be performing a revision arthroplasty on your right knee as soon as the radiographs and Magnetic Resonance Imaging results come back. Are you in any pain?"

"Some," Ray lied as Melody translated his answer to the doctor.

Melody turned to face Doctor Wei-shan but instead of translating what he was saying it seemed that she was arguing with him instead.

"Typical Melody," Ray thought. She had done the same thing on his first surgery, but in the end he had gotten his knee replaced.

Ray reached out and grabbed Melody's arm to get her to stop fighting with Doctor Wei-shan. She turned Ray's way breaking off her conversation with the doctor.

"I'm sorry Raymond," she said, "I'm just trying to get you some morphine for the pain. I saw your closed eyes and arm across your head when I walked into the room. The only time you do that is when you are in extreme pain."

Ray went to say something to her but she cut him off.

"Don't lie to me Doctor Stantz!" Melody sternly told him.

Ray released his hold on her arm and gulped. She had only called him Doctor Stantz one other time and it hadn't been good then either.

"I'm sorry," Ray said, "could you please tell Doctor Wei-shan that I am indeed in extreme pain and I'm sorry for lying to him. I just don't want to be a bother to anyone."

"You're not a bother," Melody said as she turned back to Doctor Wei-shan and politely translated Ray's words.

Doctor Wei-shan bowed once again and spoke to Melody before he left.

"They are bringing you some pain management," Melody told her husband as she pulled up a chair to sit by his right side.

"Xiexie," Ray called out to the doctor before he disappeared out the door.

"Bu Keqi," Doctor Wei-shan replied before turning and leaving the room.

"So," Melody teased her husband, "you learn one Mandarin word and you think you're an expert."

"I didn't say that Melody, but could you do me a favor?"

"What?"

"Can you teach me some phrases so that I can talk to the doctors when I'm in surgery? You won't be allowed inside you know."

"I know," she said, "What do you want to learn?"

"Oh," Ray thought, "maybe something like 'I'm in pain' or 'I have to go to the bathroom'. But the most important one is 'Please get my wife for me'. Things like that."

"Okay," Melody said smiling and taking Ray's right hand in hers.

Melody taught Ray what he wanted to learn while they waited for his pain medication. Ray already had a catheter in his left arm and he was on an intravenous drip. All the nurses had to do was add another bag.

When the nurse arrived and placed the bag of morphine next to the other fluids Ray knew that relief was coming for his throbbing right leg.

"Raymond," Melody said, "I'm going to check in with the expedition."

Melody and the nurse left together and Ray laid back and closed his eyes as the morphine dripped into his intravenous tubing. Morphine always caused him to become sleepy and he let his mind wander back to his night with Melody.

Ray had kept his distance from Melody in the king size bed that night. It was easy to do so, but late in the night Melody had cuddled up next to him.

Ray was sleeping on his left side at the time and he draped his right arm over Melody's shoulder, pulling her close to his body. They had stayed that way for a couple of hours and Ray loved every moment of it.

The sweet honeydew smell of her hair, from the shampoo she had used, reminded him of their wedding night.

After Ray and Melody were married they had gone to Paris on their honeymoon. They had left right after the ceremony to catch a direct flight there. Many long hours later Ray had carried her across the threshold of the hotel room that they were staying in.

Having only gotten halfway into the room, Ray had tripped and landed on the bed with Melody underneath him. Ray had tried to apologize but Melody had started laughing. Ray found Melody's laughing contagious and had joined in with his new bride.

Ray kissed the back of Melody's head as he remembered making love to his new wife that night. It had also been the start of a family for the two, as Melody had conceived Nokomis that night.

Melody stirred in her sleep. Her right shoulder was hurting her and she suddenly felt a weight come off of it. Turning to her right she saw her husband awake and watching her. Silently, they stared at each other for what seemed like an hour before Ray reached out with his right hand to tuck her loose hair behind her left ear. As Ray withdrew his hand Melody reached out and grabbed it, interlocking her fingers between his and bringing it back to her bosom. Melody smiled at him. She loved Raymond. Deep down she knew it and she had been blinded these past couple months to his love for her. She needed him by her side and realized that she wanted him tonight as well.

"Love me?" she questioned Ray.

Melody knew that because Ray's knee was hurting him he might not be able to do what she was asking of him and would understand.

Ray always led the way in their love making and she was surprised when he answered her back differently from what he always said to her.

Ray's response had always been, "Of course", but tonight he answered Melody back with, "Only if you lead this dance."

Ray watched as Melody's eyes lit up in anticipation of her having a say in the way it was going to be tonight.

"Are you serious Raymond?" she asked.

"Of course," Ray said back, "just watch the knee okay?"

"Of course," she giggled back releasing his hand.

Ray had followed Melody's subtle, wordless hints as she kissed him. He kissed her back and when they had come up for breath Melody and risen her head up to reveal her neck to him. Ray butterfly kissed Melody's smooth neck as he watched her slowly slide the spaghetti strap of her nightgown off of her shoulder. Ray worked his way down her body, caressing, kissing, holding, and teasing her.

Slowly, deliberately, making Melody want him more, Ray used every foreplay technique that he knew on her. He let her choose the positions that she liked best as they rolled around in passionate intimacy long into the early morning hours.

Towards the end found the couple sitting on the bed facing each other with Ray's legs wrapped around Melody's waist. Her legs were under his and she had them wrapped around his waist also.

Melody was in extreme bliss, head tilted back, eyes closed, her hands exploring Ray's chest, as she loved her husband realizing she was coming close to her climax point.

Ray had his hands on Melody's buttocks guiding her to perfection. He had never in his life let her dictate how their love making was going to go and found that he liked her taking the lead. Melody was relaxed for the first time that she could remember and she moaned with pleasure. Her body was getting all tingly and she breathed out a wonderful sigh as she climaxed realizing that her lover had climaxed at the same time. Pulling his trembling body close to hers she had forgotten about his knee. She wanted to stay with him buried deep inside her, but she didn't have the strength to stay upright to do so.

Melody fell to her left taking Ray with her and realized her tragic mistake when she heard a snap and his anguished cry.

Ray realized too late what Melody was doing as he fell with her onto his right side. Because Ray's legs were wrapped around Melody's waist his right knee took the full impact of the blow when it hit the mattress and the tibial component snapped off protruding through his skin. Ray's anguished cry surprised them both.

"Raymond!" Melody cried, "I'm so sorry!" she said trying to dismount.

"Stop!" Ray cried with tears in his eyes, "I'm still inside you."

Carefully Ray pulled back so that Melody could untangle her legs from his waist. In excruciating pain, unable to move his leg, Ray laid on his right side in the bed as Melody draped the bed sheet over his naked body. Getting dressed quickly, Melody called the front desk to send the paramedics.

Ray was embarrassed when the paramedics came and asked him questions in Mandarin, Melody having to translate what they were saying to him and then having to tell them what had happened. Ray had seen Ethan standing in the doorway as the paramedics placed a catheter in his left arm, splinted his knee, and then transferred him to a stretcher. Melody refused to tell Ethan what had really happened when he asked.

"They don't need to know," Melody told Ray as the paramedics wheeled the stretcher out of the room towards the front of the hotel and the waiting ambulance.

Ray felt more embarrassed now as he was wheeled down the hallway past every member of the expedition team that had come outside their hotel room's door to see what all the commotion was about.

Melody grabbed her wallet and passport, as well as her husband's, before she turned to leave the room. Ethan was still standing in the doorway. He looked to be upset but she didn't have time to deal with him. Her husband was hurt, he needed her, and she tried to get past Ethan to be with Raymond.

"Melody," Ethan said taking her hand in his, "I'm s…," he started to say before Melody cut him off.

"Ethan," she hissed, forcefully taking her hand out of his, "not here. We'll talk later. Raymond needs me."

Ethan nodded his head and stepped aside to let her go, watching as she ran down the hallway of the hotel after her husband.

Ray's bed moving jarred him awake. What was going on? The morphine had caused him to drift off to sleep. Opening his eyes he saw Doctor Wei-shan from earlier talking to what looked like a nurse as the bed that he was in was being wheeled out of the room.

"Please get my wife for me," Ray said in Mandarin when Doctor Wei-shan stopped talking to the nurse.

The doctor said something to him which Ray didn't understand. Again Ray asked for his wife and again he got the same response from the doctor. They were outside Ray's hospital room now and heading down the hallway. Ray had no idea where they were going as all the signs he saw were in Chinese which he couldn't read. He started to panic as his bed rounded a corner and headed for the elevators.

From somewhere down the hall he had just left, he swore he heard a woman's voice calling his name. His murky mind wasn't working properly from the morphine and he realized as the elevator's doors were closing that it was Melody's voice.

"MELODY!" Ray cried out as loud as he could, but he was too late.

The elevator's doors closed behind him and he felt the elevator go up. He saw the nurse giving him something in his intravenous line as he tried to sit up. Fighting off the sudden feeling of sleep he called out for Melody once again.

"Melody," Ray slurred out before his mind became heavy with sleep.

Ray tried to keep his eyes open as Doctor Wei-shan said something to him. He could only hope that he was going for his operation. Ray's only regret as he closed his eyes and fell asleep, was that he wished he could have told Melody that he loved her.