Letters to Juliet

Chapter 26

- Candy, Candy, my love, wake up, I'm begging you!

It was Terry's voice, near and far at the same time, buzzing to her ears. Her head was heavy and she was having trouble coming to her senses.

- Candy, Candy! ... - he insisted, shaking her gently.

She blinked slowly, enveloped in a cottony haze that was slowly dissipating, releasing her dormant thoughts. She realized she was in a bed, in a medical room that had nothing to do with Doctor Walker's office anymore. What was she doing there? ...

Terry was sitting on the edge of the bed next to her.

- Haaaaa! - he cried with a sigh of relief - You are finally waking up, my beloved! I was so worried about you!

- Terry.... - she whispered, weakly reaching out to him.

- Everything is fine, my dear... - he said bringing her hand to his mouth and kissing it tenderly - You were having a nightmare. It's over now ...

- A nightmare? - said Candy, frowning in incomprehension.

- Yes my dear, you were screaming and crying so much that I had to wake you up ...

He helped her up and patted the pillow carefully behind her.

- What am I doing here ? Where is Albert??? - she asked, turning her head in all directions. She pushed back the blanket that had been placed on her, tried to get up but had to sit down again, dizzy.

- Tssss, tssssss! ... answered Terry holding her by the shoulders - You have to be careful...

But in front of her insistent gaze, he added:

- Don't worry, Albert is fine. He was brought back to his room ...

At these words, she saw herself again in Doctor Walker's office. The cruel announcement he had made to her then came back to her and she burst into tears.

- Albert, my God, my poor Albert! ... - she moaned, her face buried in the hollow of her hands.

Terry frowned in surprise.

- Why are you putting yourself in this state, my love? - he said, taking her in his arms - Albert is doing very well!

She raised her head and called out to him reproachfully:

- Doing well??? How can you say that when ... when he's lost? !!!

- Lost ???? But who could have put this crazy idea in your head?

- Doctor Walker, come on!!! - she cried, exasperated - The surgeon who operated on him and received me in his office earlier !!!

- But come on, Candy, it's not possible! You couldn't meet Doctor Walker ...

- Why, then ???

- Because you have been sleeping since this morning in this room! ...

Candy was dumbfounded for a few seconds, taken aback by Terry's reply.

- Remember ... We went for a walk this morning in the park. Then after a while you didn't feel well and passed out in my arms ...

Seeing the puzzled look she was sending him back, he continued:

- We transported you to this room and then put you in this bed. Shortly after, a doctor named Walker, but not a surgeon, came to examine you. He diagnosed you with severe nervous exhaustion and advised plenty of rest ...

- Have I been sleeping since this morning? - she asked, incredulous, as diffuse images of Terry's story started to materialize in her mind.

- Yes, my beloved... Georges and I haven't taken our eyes off you since...

- I didn't ... So I didn't meet the surgeon who operated on Albert?

- No, sweet heart ... You were sleeping so well I didn't want to wake you up. We just gave you up for a few minutes to chat in the hallway with Dr. Bloom, the surgeon who operated on Albert. He told us of his great satisfaction. The operation went very well. He was able to remove the growth that was putting pressure on the brain. He thinks it's an injury that dates back to Albert's accident in Italy. The trauma he had suffered to the head had been treated with the means available and could not be completely cured. This is obviously what caused this complication a few years later.

Candy remembered very well that sad episode when, as a young student nurse, she had taken in an injured and unconscious Albert. This patient 0 whom no one wanted to take care of and whom she had taken care of, working for many weeks for his good recovery. It had taken a long time for him to regain his memory, but after that he never seemed to suffer from any aftereffects ...

- Are you sure you understood what the doctor told you? - she said, skeptical - Al... Albert doesn't have cancer?

- No... - replied Terry putting an affectionate hand on her cheek - You just had a very bad dream, my beloved... Albert is going to be okay... Doctor Bloom is very optimistic!

Candy felt the enormous weight that was choking her come out violently from her entrails and gave a huge sigh of relief.

- Oh, Terry! - Oh, Terry! - she cried, throwing herself in his arms - If you only knew, it was horrible !!! It seemed so real! I really thought I was going to die of grief !!!

He embraced her hard against him, caressing her hair affectionately. She was sobbing, with joy this time.

- Everything is fine, my love ... Calm down ... You were so worried that your mind played a terrible trick on you ... Rest assured ... Everything will be fine now. We are all going to be very happy especially since ...

He moved away from her. The emotion could be read on his face. She frowned, not understanding this indefinable confusion that suddenly seized him and which clouded his beautiful eyes with tears.

- Terry ... - she said, worried. She had never seen him so upset ... But when he put his hand on her stomach, covering it with all his warmth, a feeling of fullness invaded her ... And she understood ...

Her eyes widened, and stared at him incredulously. In response, he nodded and smiled at her, that moved smile she was discovering, the smile of a man who is about to become a father ... He tried to pull himself together, unable to suppress a quivering sigh moved by the feeling of pride that invaded him, like an end to the miserable fate against which they had fought so hard ... Happiness was there, in front of him. His name was Candy White Andrew, protector of the most precious of treasures, theirs ... A thrill of victory ran through him, reviving the tears that were playing in front of his eyes. She made a gesture towards him, which he welcomed with a feverish hand, and, drawing her eagerly to him, he planted a furious kiss on her lips ...

End of chapter 26