Chapter 25: "Say A Prayer" - April 21, 1984
(Song Suggestion: "Say a Prayer" by Duran Duran)
Denise Melnitz
As Fritz, Egon, and I waited for the doctor to deliver the news about Janine's condition, I sat in a chair next to her, holding the hand of hers that wasn't broken. Her boyfriend lingered over her, quietly weeping as he observed her, feeling guilty for her role in her hospital visit. Despite Egon's explanation of the events that led to her accident, I didn't comprehend his part in her injury. I attempted to assuage his unnecessary guilt but to no avail as my husband paced back and forth in the back of the hospital room, fretfully. As we bided our time, my thoughts recalled a conversation with my husband about Janine and Egon earlier this year.
Fritz and I became pretty familiar with Egon because he would accompany her during family gatherings the past months. I often scrutinized him to see how he interacted with our youngest daughter, Janine. Egon was attentive to her without being all over her with his affection. When he didn't think anyone viewed him, he would give her a short kiss or hug her. My daughter, in contrast, was more affectionate and often held his hand or embraced him, but he never seemed to mind.
Their temperaments seemed to complement each other. Also, I liked that Egon encouraged Janine to complete her degree. I surmised they were delighted to be together and that they genuinely doted on each other. It was the first time I had seen Janine so absolutely enamored with a boyfriend.
"Egon and Janine are happily in love," my husband informed me after spending a day with the young couple at my sister-in-law's family beach house in late March.
"Tell me something I don't know, but I am so pleased that they are so happy," I teased, removing my red silk robe gradually and putting it on the back of a chair, knowing that Fritz was watching. I made sure my husband saw my newest purchase, a short above-the-knee red silky nightie with spaghetti straps. Next, I glanced over my right shoulder to give him a demure look for a long moment.
"Denise," he gaped, his eyes bulging out of his eye sockets, "Is this new?"
"Yes, do you like it?"
Leisurely, his dark brown eyes undressed me as they scanned my body, and he smirked at me, indicating his approval. I felt exceedingly gratified to see my husband's reaction and saw him pat the bed with his large left hand, indicating for me to lie down next to him.
First, I fluffed my pillow and slid my right hand from my neck down to my stomach, cooing, "What about Egon, Fritz, honey?"
"You are irresistible, Denise," he grumbled, nearly salivating at the sight of me.
Giggling, I sat on the bed next to him, swinging each of my bare legs up at one time as he viewed me with a vulgar expression. Fritz caressed them one at a time with his hands as I lay down on my back with my head on the pillow and gave him a sultry smile, exclaiming, "oooohhhhh, I love the way your hands feel on my skin."
Slyly, his hands trailed upwards from my waist, tracing my sides up to my neck and shoulder, appreciatively saying.
"My, my, Denise, how exquisitely sexy you are!"
Engrossed, he touched my neck and shoulders slowly and tantalizingly, causing my breath to hitch in my throat.
"What were you going to tell me about Egon?" I questioned, enjoying my husband's undivided attention to me.
"Hmmm," he asked distractedly. His brown eyes moved down to my breasts and paused there as he lightly caressed them with his fingertips, causing me to blush heavily. My husband knew how to make me feel like the most desirable woman in the world.
"Egon informed me that he is serious about Janine and their relationship," Fritz replied, huskily, hovering his body over me by lying on his side. He traced my lips with his skillful fingers as I waited for his lips to press against mine, and I arched my back upwards, apprehensively.
My heart skipped a beat like it always did when my husband gave me that look, the one that conveyed the intensity of both his love and pining for me. Slowly, Fritz lowered his face to my face, watching my reaction, and then moved to kiss the erogenous areas where my neck and shoulders met. My body felt tingly all over as I shuddered in happiness.
"Serious?"
"Yes, serious. You are breathtaking, my wife," Fritz grunted, kissing the right side of my neck as my body flushed with heat. I was losing my concentration as a hot, fiery desire overtook me. Consequently, I placed my hands on my husband's muscular chest and began to unbutton his shirt. He was a little stocky, but he maintained muscle definition with his work. Fritz let out a content sigh as I did so.
"Mmmm...Is that all he said," I inquired as I removed his shirt and caressed his face with my hands as he gave me a look of pure longing.
"Later," he growled, and that ended the discussion.
The door squeaked open, breaking my lovely reverie, and Egon came into the room, looking distraught. He walked over to where I sat by Janine to lower himself in the chair next to me. I placed my hand on Egon's arm and squeezed it encouragingly. He gave me a small half-smile and then kissed the top of Janine's head. It was strange to see him not in a three-piece suit dressed like he was giving a lecture to students because he was in his brown jumpsuit with a black shirt underneath it with his last name "Spengler" stitched in red.
We sat in the cafeteria and got a cup of coffee together, silently. It was now almost midnight, and Egon decided to stay with Janine all night.
"You don't have to stay, Egon," I told him, a couple of hours later, "Really, you should get some sleep. You look positively worn out."
"Mrs. Melnitz, I do not feel right about leaving her in the condition she is in. It is because of me," Egon politely replied.
Eventually, Fritz and I left the hospital knowing that Egon would be there when she woke up if she did overnight. The doctor made it seem like Janine's recovery was evident and should be coming quickly. We drove home in silence, pooped from crying the flood of tears over our daughter's injury and the workday.
"I am going straight to the hospital tomorrow morning," I announced when we made it home, "But I am going to call Frannie first to let her know what happened."
Fritz embraced me tightly after we changed into our bedclothes, and it provided me a bit of comfort.
"Our poor Janine," I sobbed as he gently rubbed my back, "I pray for her recovery."
"She will be fine," my husband whispered in my right ear.
Peter
I remained with Egon at the hospital until about one in the morning.
"Spengs, you need to take some deep breaths or meditate. Your adrenaline is pumping too high, and your blood pressure needs to be lowered," I suggested, putting my hand on my friend's shoulder.
Before I knew it, Egon strenuously pushed me into the nearby wall next to the coca-cola vending machine. The sharp pain of my body hitting the hard flat surface caught me by shock.
"Ow, Iggy, that hurt," I whined, rubbing my shoulder as he loomed in front of me with a greatly irked expression on his face.
"You son of a bitch," Egon yelled enraged, "you put her in danger. Why in the hell did I agree to let you train her?"
"Calm down, Iggy. She will be OK, I promise," I tranquility responded.
"I should have protected her instead, not watching the PKE meter," he bemoaned, putting his head in his hands, and he fell to his knees, " If- if she doesn't make it, then I won't be able to forgive myself."
Moving towards Iggy, I wanted to lessen his grief. Still, I rethought my decision to console him when he issued me a cautionary glance.
"Peter, if Janine doesn't come through this, I will never forgive you for training her, ever," Egon hissed in a deep, menacing voice while tears ran down his face.
My bespectacled friend removed his glasses from his face and placed them on the ground. Egon wept with his hands over it, and, I approached him slowly. I put my hand on his shoulder for comfort, and that's all I could think to do.
Egon
I sat next to the motionless Janine, speaking and praying for her throughout the night.
"Please, Angel, wake up," I urged gingerly, kissing her right hand while listening to her charm bracelet jingle as I lifted it. The doctors' had already wrapped her left arm in a white plaster cast and elevated it. Moreover, they gave her a pain-relieving IV drip earlier so Janine would not feel any discomfort. Her parents didn't comprehend why I felt responsible for her injury but they instead treated me adoringly like a family member. It made me feel like I belonged, and I cherished it.
Since the beginning of the year, Janine insisted that I attend family events and dinners with her if my schedule permitted. She wanted us to get familiar with each other's families. Besides her encouragement, I desired to meet them because I loved her. Her parents were delightful company, and it was clear that Janine was Daddy's girl. Fritz Melnitz treasured his youngest daughter, and they enjoyed a close relationship.
As a scientist obsessed with details, I appreciated his expertise in the electrician trade. Mr Melnitz taught me different components as I inquired about his projects outside of work, and he elaborated on his charity work. On the last Saturday of every month, he fixed electrical problems of the elderly or low-income families in the area through a local organization. Usually, he would replace circuit breakers or power outlets or repair other wiring issues.
Fritz Melnitz was quieter and more soft-spoken than his daughters or his wife but he was always cordial. Our dedication to our careers, meticulousness in details, and love of innovation in our respective fields fused our mutual respect and friendship.
In late March, Janine's Uncle Stan, her father's older brother, had a barbecue at his wife's family home on Long Island. I received an invitation to join the family. The small beach house had a partial view of the magnificent sandy beach and the deep blue water of the Atlantic Ocean.
The weather was perfect for a Spring day high in the upper sixties, with plentiful sunshine and a light breeze. Janine loved walking on the beach, searching for seashells, or splashing around in the water with her hands and feet. It was one of her "happy" places, similar to mine with the rooftop of the firehouse. There was a noticeable transformation on Janine's face and aura when she was there- it turned her mood to pure joyfulness no matter the circumstances. Grinning, I squeezed Janine's clammy hand while I recalled her playing around in the surf, splashing me with chilly water.
"Remember when we were at your Uncle Stan's about six weeks ago? We were splashing water on each other by kicking the surf as the tide came in," I merrily commented, and I grinned at the memory.
" You were having so much fun getting me wet and so determined, baby. I wish we were there right now."
Gathering my confidence, I sought out a time to speak to Janine's father privately because I desired to broach the topic of our future together with him. Our almost three-month relationship was fabulous and only verified what I already knew: Janine and I were destined to be together.
Although I lacked any real relationship experience, I knew I wanted to propose to Janine sometime within a year or less. I wanted to inform her father about my future intentions with his daughter.
"Mr. Melnitz," I said tentatively as I finally found him by himself drinking a Manhattan in a neon yellow armchair on the beach. The medium-sized man greeted me when I approached him and offered to join him in a nearby chair.
"Yes, Egon, please call me Fritz," he insisted, giving me a half-smile.
"OK, Mr.- I mean, Fritz," I stumbled over my words and shielded my eyes from the setting sun. Janine was playing with her nieces in the sand lightheartedly, and I viewed her with a smile. Her Dad observed that I was gaping at his daughter's loveliness and smiled knowingly, asking, " Yes, Egon?"
"I love Janine and want her to be in my future. I am serious about my future with her and plan on proposing later this year, with your permission," I gravely informed him.
"There isn't any doubt in my mind that you cherish and adore my youngest daughter. I am pleased to hear that you have plans for my Janine," Fritz replied with a small smile.
"Sir, I haven't made plans yet, but I want to love, take care, and provide for her for the rest of my life. I couldn't even begin to explain the depth of my love for Janine, and I can't imagine life without her. Ever. Janine is the most enchanting woman I have ever known, and I have never felt this way about a woman in my life," I replied, tearing up a little.
In an unspoken agreement, Mr. Melnitz nodded and put his hand on my shoulder for a second, then removed it. He returned to drinking his Manhattan.
"Have you and Janine spoken about marriage yet?"
"No, not exactly. We both concur that we are soul mates," I answered honestly.
"Egon, I appreciate your honesty. I am old-fashioned about marriage and I'd prefer you to ask me before proposing to my daughter. Both Doris and I are extremely pleased with you and Janine's relationship, the way you two treasure each other, and its potential for marriage," stated.
A beeping sound trilled in my ears, disrupting my reverie as a short Puerto Rican nurse, Marie, with jet black hair, rushed in to check on Janine. She appeared appalled when she noticed I was awake.
"You are still awake, honey? You look exhausted," Marie sympathetically commented, checking Janine's vital signs and noticing that one of her IV bags was empty. As a result, she removed it and promised to be right back.
"Please wake up, my angel. I love you so much, and I can't do this without you," I hopefully whispered while glancing at her closed eyes and pale face. I bent over to kiss her forehead softly and urged again, "please wake up, Janine."
Her long eyelashes fluttered a little, and I felt excitement bubble up inside of me like champagne in a freshly opened bottle. Unfortunately, Janine did not stir, although I willed her to through telekinesis. Marie entered as I stared at my lovely girlfriend and impatiently waited for her to rise and change the IV drip. Then she gave me some sage advice, "Have patience. All things are difficult before they become easy."
Marie's advice echoed in my head, and I thanked her for her wise words. I let go of Janine's hand and stretched my arms over my head and yawned loudly, then strolled around the room. At last, I sat down next to her bed, resuming my perch, holding her right hand, and putting my head by hers on her pillow.
"I love you, Janine Louise Melnitz, and I will wait for eternity for you."
A few hours later
"W-W-here a-am I," a nasal Brooklyn accent whispered to the left of me. Sleepily, I lifted my head and peered at my lovely girlfriend.
"Janine?"
"Oohhh...ow...E-Egon is that you, ouch, " she groaned in agony, opening her eyes just a little bit.
"Yes, my angel. Thank God you are awake! I love you so much, I thought..."
I gave her a loose hug with my arms, careful not to squish her frail body, and Janine blinked several times to take in her new surroundings.
"Egon, why am I in the hospital," she muttered, baffled, " and in so much pain?"
Too ecstatic to answer, I kissed her soft lips gingerly.
"Thank God you woke up, Janine. I love you so much," I repeated, my eyes filling with tears as I leaned over her.
She felt the bump on the top of her head gingerly with her fingers on her right hand and winced when she did so.
"Ouch," she shrieked, cringing," Is this why my head hurts?"
"Janine, be careful with your broken left arm," I warned as she grimaced as she moved it before I could stop her and howled in pain, " Let me get a nurse."
I retrieved the nurse on duty to let them know that my beloved Janine was awake but in pain. The relief and the joy inundated my body.
Denise
Receiving a call from Egon at six forty-six in the morning stating that Janine was now conscious gave me the additional energy needed to start the day. Neither Fritz nor I slept well because the incident with our youngest daughter was daunting. We both felt like the weight of a mighty mountain had been taken off our shoulders as relief crashed over our preoccupation with Janine's health. She was conscious and well, and we were going to see her.
By eight-fifteen, we had arrived at the hospital because traffic was heavy.
"Oh, Janine, thank God you are alright. I love you, my precious daughter," I cried when I saw my daughter sitting up weakly in her bed with Egon, holding her right hand. I ran to her and embraced her, sobbing involuntarily.
Janine said, "Ma, Ma,...I am alright, please...stop...Ma," as I fussed at her. Finally, Mrs. Melnitz kissed the top of her head lightly and glanced at her.
"Thank God," I repeated, then sat down in a chair next to Egon, who seemed like he hadn't slept a wink either but was content.
Fritz greeted his daughter with a brief embrace and a few words I couldn't decipher, but the exuberance on his face was evident.
"Have you seen a doctor?"
"No, one will be here at ten," Egon responded with a merry half-smile.
"Are you in pain, my little Janine," my husband inquired, noticing the cast on her arm and then pointing to the bump on her head.
"Not right now, but the nurse said the doctor is giving me pain medication," she answered, looking weary.
"Did you eat anything, Janine," I asked.
"No, Ma, I am not hungry, but I am sure the Doctor will make me eat," Janine replied, closing her eyes. She appeared feeble, and it made my heartache.
"We will let you rest, my dear, " Fritz whispered, motioning for us to go outside of the room for a minute.
"Thanks, Daddy, don't leave yet, please," she questioned in a small child-like voice.
"Of course not."
Dr. Spengler and I snuck out of the room to allow our daughter to rest while under the supervision of Fritz. He observed her dotingly as Janine shut her eyes to sleep as I peeked through the window before admitting,
"She is Daddy's girl."
"Yes," Egon concurred succinctly.
"I could use some coffee and danish. How about you?" I suggested it while we were in the hallway.
Egon's stomach growled hungrily in response, and he nodded with a half grin on his lips.
We went down the long hall to the elevator and down two floors to search for the cafeteria. Dutifully, Egon made calls to inform the others that Janine was now conscious, and both of us were highly relieved.
Janine
When I awoke next, various people stood by my bed scrutinizing me- Dr. Adamson, my parents, and Egon- all expressed fretfulness over my well-being. I felt bone-weary, my arm felt stiff, and the big knot on my head pulsed with soreness. When the doctor asked some questions to verify my injuries, I answered them the best I could.
"You fell and hit your head which caused a concussion and the reason there is a bump on your head. I would like you to stay one more night here for observation. How is the pain, on a scale of one to ten," he questioned.
"An eight for my head, and my left arm doesn't hurt unless I move it. How long will the cast stay on for," I wondered out loud.
"Six weeks," he replied, " We will keep you on pain medication while you are here but wean you off of it to a much smaller dose tomorrow when we release you. You will have to adjust to your broken left arm, but I see it is not your dominant side. That is good news, but now it is time for you to eat and rest."
A nurse brought me a tray full of cereal, toast, yogurt, and orange juice for breakfast, and I ate even though I wasn't hungry at my loved ones' nagging.
"When I saw that huge red ghost coming at me, I freaked out, lost my balance, and fell down some stairs," I gloomily answered my Mom's questions.
"I am petrified of ghosts with the few busts I have attended, whether videoing or capturing."
"I am so sorry for allowing you to become injured," Egon whispered, his eyes tearing up, "I hate that I am the cause of your pain."
"How are you the cause," I asked, baffled at his statement after eating a spoonful of strawberry yogurt. Happily, I found that it tasted good, so I continued eating as Egon began talking.
"I should have paid more attention to where you were walking instead of looking at the PKE meter," he replied bitterly. My parents excused themselves for a second.
"Egon, darling, come here," I said, motioning for him to come closer so I could hug him. First, I asked him to move my empty tray before asking him to sit next to me on the bed so I could embrace him tightly.
"There was nothing that you could have done to prevent this accident, Egon," I whispered to him. My eyes searched his watery brown ones after I pulled back from his body. Shockingly, he was still in his dirty Ghostbuster uniform from yesterday.
"I am going to kill Venkman," he seethed madly.
"Darling, no, you aren't. Calm down; seeing your face first when I woke up made my day. I am so glad that you were by my side," I soothed him, touching his right cheek with my fingertips. A light layer of stubble had grown in over the night, and I observed that he appeared the most exhausted that I had ever seen him.
"I- I- could have lost you, Janine. That is unacceptable," Egon sputtered out then began weeping, " I-I won't have been able to handle it if you didn't wake up. I-I already have been going out of my mind praying for you to resume consciousness."
"You were right, Egon. I shouldn't have assisted you on the bust because I am horrified by ghosts, but I didn't want to listen. I should have listened. I love you so much," I revealed, my eyes tearing up.
"Thank you for looking out for my safety when I was too stubborn."
"I don't want to be right, baby, I want you here, with me, healthy," he replied firmly, and we both leaned into the other to share a gentle kiss. Regrettably, I became very uncomfortable because of the pain and changed positions in my bed. Sheepishly, my parents returned with a nurse, and she recommended that I rest.
"Now, my darling, please go home, eat a good meal, nap, and take a shower," I pleaded with Egon, "I love you, but you stink and look like hell."
Chuckling, he agreed, " I will, but I am coming back in the afternoon, my Angel."
Next, Egon nuzzled my neck with his nose and gave me a short hug.
"I love you, Egon Spengler," I sighed blissfully.
Egon
As promised, I came back later refreshed to visit with Janine but also to bear gifts. I brought her a dozen red roses, a tiny stuffed bear, and three "get well" balloons from the gift shop. The exhilaration and giddiness on Janine's face when Peter, Ray, and I walked in with her gifts was worth every penny I spent on it in the late afternoon. She beamed with happiness.
Guilt settled in like a boat tied up to a dock with an anchor the size of a boulder. The doctor released Janine from the hospital at noon the next day, and I assisted her in making the necessary adjustments with her broken arm. Cautiously, I kept an eye on her to heal properly.
Janine
Dear Diary,
Egon's worst nightmare happened yesterday when I attended a case with him, then I fell and hurt myself when a ghost scared the crap out of me. I broke my left arm and hit my head, causing a concussion, but according to the doctor, I will heal quickly as long as I take care of myself and exercise caution. Finally, I am home and enjoy having Egon fuss over me a bit. However, I am worried about his preoccupation that it was his fault that I fell. Thank God I have him to watch over me.