Chapter 24 "You Got Lucky" (Two Weeks Later- April 22, 1984)

Egon

Webster's definition of guilt is (a person) having committed a specified or implied offense or crime. That one word summarized my mood for the week after Janine's injury while she assisted me on a case. As a result, guilt by my non-action in preventing my precious girlfriend from harm tormented me daily. Peter's continuous insistence that Janine be trained to go on busts pissed me off, and the firehouse's atmosphere felt highly stilted because of it.

Undoubtedly, it placed a cumbersome burden on my relationship with Janine because I had begun to extract myself from her bit by bit without realizing it. On that Wednesday night, we leisurely laid in her bed. Janine spoke while she traced my jaw gingerly with her soft fingertips and a nervous smile on her beautiful pink lips,

"Egon, I am concerned about you, you aren't sleeping, and you hardly eat. You are losing weight when you already are too thin, my darling."

Her touch on my skin tranquilized my apprehension for a speedy minute. I shut my eyes happily.

"Oww, owww!" my gorgeous girlfriend moaned in pain suddenly.

"Baby, are you ok," I questioned, coming out of my serene moment.

"Yes, I moved the wrong way. It's tough getting used to this cast," Janine shyly answered cautiously, possibly because she was correctly afraid her words would upset me.

Swiftly I shut my eyes and felt tears come to them.

"It's my fault she was in pain," I recalled feeling lousy again.

"Egon, love, you are not at fault, and I wish you would believe me."

Janine's confident facial impression and the love in her eyes cast a spell over me somehow, and I believed her.

The Week Before-

Egon

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Janine's pesky alarm sounded at seven-twenty in the morning sharp, and I felt around with my hand to turn it off, reaching over her body until I did.

"Ten more minutes," she murmured into my ear, grabbing onto my body to pull me closer. We were naked as jaybirds from our sexapades last night, and I spooned her happily. Honestly, I adored seeing Janine right away when I woke up, as it was one of the highlights of my day. I was practically over at her apartment five or six days a week, and neither of us could seem to get enough of each other.

"Maybe because of all the frustration from last year," I concluded inwardly.

"Hmmm," I replied, depositing kisses on her ear closest to me.

"Ten more minutes," Janine groaned, flipping her warm nude voluptuous body over and wrapping her legs around mine while squeezing me with her arms.

"Mmmmmmm," I mumbled, kissing the top of her head tenderly. Her reddish hair was soft to the touch and tickled my lips. With Janine's proximity to me and her body pressed tightly to mine, my sex hardened. I willed myself to think about something else to allow her to sleep. Still, it swiftly became problematic as I was ready for some action. My need for Janine became a pressing matter as I recalled having practically no sexual activity for multiple years and then becoming reliant on her. Not that I minded being reliant on my Angel for anything.

"Janine," I whispered downwards to her right ear after kissing it, "I need you, my seductress and siren."

Her eyelids flew open, and her smiling blue eyes met mine.

"Mmm," Janine muttered, stretching her arms languorously around my neck, " keep the compliments coming, my Egon."

Smirking, I bent down to whisper more accolades to my breathtakingly exquisite girlfriend as I loved making her euphoric. Hence, it wasn't a chore by any stretch of the imagination. As I did so, I caressed the soft skin on her arms and allocated kisses on the sensitive areas on her neck and earlobes. I lowered my right hand down to her inner lips and began stroking her clit as I squeezed her nipple with the other.

"Ohhhh...mmmmmmmm," my beautiful girlfriend moaned and writhed in pleasure on her soft bed. Next, I covered her mouth with my own and gave her fervent kisses. I subsequently moved my kisses down her belly button, the curve of her lower abdomen, down through her silky curls, and finally to her sex.

Before moving in between her legs, I stared hungrily at every inch of her luscious body. I then earnestly reminded her, " you are truly a Goddess, and I cherish you, Janine Louise Melnitz."

Greedily, my favorite redhead pushed my head downwards to stimulate her with my tongue. I took my time enjoying the action, her taste, and her moaning. I watched Janine's unrestrained joy as she reached her pleasure apex, then I mounted her. Exhaling gradually, I calmed my breathing and my immediate knee-jerk reaction to cum inside her.

Janine wrapped her legs around my waist as I banged her, "Love, ohhhhh, I want...you..to see...what you do to... meeee," I breathlessly stammered, " ohhh...Janine..."

Our passion heightened as we watched the other experience the ecstasy that only intercourse could bring between two lovers.

"EEEEggggooooonnnnn," Janine shouted, gasping as she had her second climax.

" Oh baby, yes," I yelled when I achieved my orgasm, and I released all of my seed inside her. Fatigued, I collapsed in her arms, and we fell asleep for twenty minutes until Janine's actual alarm went off. I had to adjust because she set more than one each night and didn't rise until the second one sounded.

"Time for a shower, let's go," Janine suggested, with a sly smile, and grabbed my hand, tugging at it gently. I resisted playfully and kissed her hand.

"Come on, love," she urged as I removed the sheets from our bodies, and she swung her legs off of the bed. Janine let go of my hand to start the shower and warm up the water.

Janine

"All I am saying is that you are going to have to pay a little more.. for these...Uhm...extended showers you two have been taking lately," Wendy craftily commented. She pointed at the water bill as I poured each of us a cup of coffee in the kitchen.

Rolling his dark brown eyes at me, Egon mumbled underneath his breath.

"Noted," I replied.

"What are you doing in there? Wrestling? It's pretty loud," Wendy joked, bemused.

Our faces transformed to a crimson color, and we giggled. Eyeing each other, we knew we had been having sex in the shower on a semi-regular basis. Wendy knew what was happening, too, but she wanted to have some fun by gently teasing us.

Tom Petty was singing one of his recent songs, "You got lucky," in the background on MTV, and I watched the video as Egon made toast. Wendy whistled the song as she went into her room to retrieve her earrings then ran off to work.

Peter

Our schedule remained hectic for the day as we had two call-ins for busts that just occurred, along with the two already penciled in during the late afternoon.

"How are we going to do both evening busts at the same time," Ray inquired later while sitting in a chair in front of Janine's desk with his feet up, relaxing.

"Good question, one of them is a class two; it is an easy one. Maybe Ray and I can bust class five, and you and Juliet can capture class two," I questioned, ignoring the murderous glare that Iggy gave me. For the present, Janine pondered the idea then inquired how much she would make for helping out.

"100," I answered automatically, picking a number that was larger than her weekly pay. At least, I thought it was more significant.

"Sure, why not," she answered, ignoring the mystified expression on her boyfriend/boss's face.

"Hot dog," I excitedly replied after making a whooping sound, "Spengs, you can do most of the work, and she can throw out the trap. We have trained her."

"Janine, I don't want you on a case," Egon disregarded my comment and sternly glared at her, " it is too dangerous. And that proton pack is nearly half of your body weight."

"I can do it, Egon. Like Dr. V. stated, you all have trained me. I have used the particle thrower before, and I can open a trap, " Janine stubbornly replied, sticking up her chin.

She and Spengler were highly headstrong when they wanted to be, and the former was digging in her heels as her boyfriend argued with her.

"Janine, I know you can do it, but you even admitted that you don't like it. Plus, the particle throwers are very heavy and can easily throw you off balance because you are so light. It takes a while to get used to the power. My love, if something happened to you, I could NEVER forgive myself," Egon pleaded, kneeling on the ground by his girlfriend. She sat down in her desk chair, conscientiously watching his sincerity.

"Darling, nothing is going to happen to me," the Brooklynite pledged, grabbing his hands with her own and squeezing them.

The two lovebirds discussed the issue for an additional time as Ray, and I went upstairs, attempting to give them privacy.

In the end, Janine won. However, Spengler had some choice words with me later on about my request to have her attend a bust.

Lucy

Ray called me to answer the phones for a couple of hours around four-thirty in the afternoon. Meanwhile, Egon, Janine, and my brother had gone to a local diner for dinner before their scheduled busts. That left Peter and me in the firehouse, and that was never good.

Dr. Venkman sat on the sofa next to me, fresh out of the shower, with his hair wet, and his cologne potent. It amazed me that it made me feel a bit dizzy in excitement. The best way to describe his facial expression would be roguish as he scanned my body dressed in a black skirt and a white low cut blouse. Bemusedly, Peter watched my performance imitating the great rock n roll singer, Tom Petty.

"Why are you gaping at me like that," I wondered softly, pausing from my singing. I was a little self-conscious about my looks, and I blushed.

When Peter grinned at me slyly while complimenting me, "You are a real looker, Luce. Did you know that?"

Usually, I took his flirting with a grain of salt, but he seemed more truthful this time. Peter had always teased me, but it usually felt more playful and insincere. Now the self-proclaimed Romeo of NYC was staring at my lips like he desired to kiss me. For a moment our eyes locked, then I lowered my gaze to my hands, anxiously.

"Yes, Miss Stantz. You have beautiful long hair, a brilliant smile, expressive violet eyes, a fabulous demeanor, and one hell of a shapely body. You, Lucy Stantz, are beguiling," Pete admitted, his lips spreading into a wide grin.

As he spoke, I analyzed his face to see if he was playing around. I was acutely aware that Peter Venkman was a serial dater and that he broke women's hearts all of the time. Abruptly, I stood and ran to the bathroom before anything could happen. There, I checked my appearance in the mirror after I dried my hands, and I exited.

"Are you excited about the bust," I inquired of Janine, who had just left Egon's room. Dr. Spengler gave me an unhappy glare as I mentioned it but remained quiet.

"Sure," Janine good-naturedly answered, but truthfully, she seemed nervous. Earlier this year, the red headed secretary joined the trio on a case to video them in action. Maybe Egon's concerns weren't entirely unfounded, but I knew Pete spent time counseling the sassy Brooklynite through her fears.

Within an hour, the three Ghostbusters with Janine entered Ecto One after packing the trunk with their equipment. I turned off the TV and followed them downstairs to keep them company. They planned to drop off Egon and Janine at their bust, about fifteen minutes away from here, go to their case, and pick them up afterward.

When no one was around, Venkman invited me to go on a date tomorrow night.

"What am I going to do with Pete," I distractedly thought," I don't want a relationship right now. Still, casual sex with him might be pretty entertaining."

Smiling, I wished everyone good luck as they loaded up in Ecto One, and I began to study for my finals after winking at Venkman. He smirked and nodded, seemingly understanding my answer.

Denise Melnitz

When Egon called the house to inform us about the accident, my husband, Fritz, took the phone call because I was outside getting the mail and talking to a neighbor. His long face was white with shock when he returned to retrieve me as Janine was his favorite of the two daughters.

"Excuse us, Laura, we have to go to the —hospital now," he desperately urged, "Janine's been in a mishap at work."

Dropping the mail in my hands, I put my right hand to my mouth automatically. Fritz put his arm around me and made our excuses to the neighbor after picking up the mail from the lawn. He embraced me as an act of consolation as I began to weep, worried about our youngest daughter, Janine. Then Fritz took my hand and led me to our white Toyota Corolla. Swiftly, I ran into the house and grabbed my purse while he started the car, and I locked the door to the house before entering the vehicle.

"Who called you? What happened?"

Fritz sighed heavily and put the car into reverse to leave the driveway.

"Egon called. Janine assisted the guys with a bust, and she fell from the stairs. A ghost had come very close to her, and she snapped. Janine thought she had more room, but she didn't," he stated, attempting to remain calm.

"How far did she fall from," I questioned.

"The doctor didn't say, but she hit her head and is unconscious. Egon sounded distraught although he wanted to remain calm while he told me," my husband replied, stopping our car at the stoplight.

"Janine will be ok; she's a fighter," Fritz added when the light turned green.

"Yes," I agreed. When I had my youngest daughter, Janine, there were complications with her birth as she turned the wrong way at one point. Her umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck as she was a bluish-purple color. Since Janine was nearly dead, I chose her name because it meant "God is gracious," and her birth was indeed a blessing. Fritz and I were exhilarated when she began breathing again after the Doctor cut the cord, and we were ecstatic that our child had survived.

"Lord, please watch over our youngest daughter, Janine, and assist in her recovery," I prayed. Tears spilled down my cheek as I began reciting some other prayers as my husband drove to the hospital holding my hand.

Janine

When I awoke, I was in a room with the sounds of machines whirring next to me. I felt like someone was hammering several nails into my head, and my eyes felt like they were shut with glue. Tenaciously, I persisted in opening them even though the pain overwhelmed me. I could open them just a tad like window blinds, and all I could see was a bright light in the room..

"Why is it so bright in here," I wondered to myself. Then I had the sinking realization that something was amiss when I heard voices talking around me like I wasn't there. My whole left arm hurt with harrowing pain suddenly.

"Will she be ok, my Janine," my mom's distinctive accent rose above the rest as they became jumbled, and she squeezed my right hand.

"Ma," I attempted to say, but there wasn't sound coming out of my mouth.

"What the fuck is happening!" I pondered in a panic.

"When will she wake up," my Dad asked, sounding worried.

"Janine, my love, can you hear me? I am so sorry for not keeping you safe! Please wake up expeditiously," Egon cried, his deep voice cracking, then I felt his warm lips pressed against my forehead. Although he wept, it gave me a comforting sensation, which disturbed me greatly.

"Am I dying," I questioned before I fell asleep again.

Egon

I should have stuck with my instinct that Janine should not be on a case or learn to use the proton packs. She never wanted to. Why?

The fact that Janine was lying unconscious in a white hospital bed and that her usually warm hand was cold was my fault. I felt helpless as I observed my precious Angel hooked up to beeping machines and my chest heavy with the weight of a thousand bricks of guilt. My liability made it hard for me to breathe as I wondered how I would continue if Janine didn't wake up or didn't recuperate well.

As I often do when I feel anxious, I rocked back and forth in my chair, whispering to myself, "We have been through so much to be together..."

My thoughts caused me to feel lightheaded and dizzy as tears fell aimlessly off of the end of my nose. I didn't care enough to wipe them away, and I felt pain intensely through my body.

Peter walked into the room to check on me, but my eyes didn't move away from Janine's peaceful face as she slept. He decided that he needed to leave me alone at this time. Thus, Venkman exited as quickly as he came.

The fact that I didn't protect Janine from harm's way overwhelmed my thoughts and brain as I viewed her lifeless body in the sterile environment of the hospital room. Janine's parents and I were in the room when the doctor arrived, saying,

"Mr. and Mrs. Melnitz, your daughter suffered a traumatic blow to her head. As you know, Janine is unconscious, and she also fractured her left arm..."

I heard the doctor's prognosis but couldn't understand it. Words went through one ear and out the other, but the information wouldn't stick in my brain. Janine's usually rosy and warm cheek was pale and cold to my fingertips, and my heart plunged to my stomach.

"Why did I agree to allow her to come on a case," I reprimanded myself as hot tears of angst and confusion rolled down my face steadily so that I didn't wipe away. I was not embarrassed by my feelings for Janine but I was ashamed for not shielding my beloved Angel from danger.

"She's from Brooklyn; she can handle anything," Peter confidently reminded me with a half-smile before we left the firehouse.

"Why did I listen to Peter of all people," I bemoaned inwardly.

"Egon, come on, honey, visiting hours are over," her mom coaxed, placing her hand on my shoulder. I glanced up to see an older Janine with a lined face, the same sparkling aqua eyes, and a shiny smile, but her accent broke my memory.

"Egon," she tugged on my arm urgently," there's nothing we can do right now."

Meeting Mrs.Melnitz's eyes, I curtly nodded as I suffered, silently contemplating my role in the situation. I walked out of the room with Janine's parents then wistfully viewed her as she slept peacefully one more time.

"I'm so sorry, Janine," I mumbled, tears streaming down my face again.