Older and Wiser
folder
1 through F › Days of Our Lives
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
12
Views:
2,651
Reviews:
1
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
1 through F › Days of Our Lives
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
12
Views:
2,651
Reviews:
1
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own Days of Our Lives, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
The Distance
~Chapter Twelve(The Distance)~
"Where is she?" Brady demanded, pounding his fist on the nurse's station.
"Where is who, sir?" a very frightened-looking nurse asked. Belle put a feeble hand on Brady's arm, to try to calm him down. He took a breath and started over.
"Chloe Lane. Where is she?"
"Well, let's see," the nurse stuttered, flipping through charts and papers. Finally, she looked up, a chart in her hand. "Are you Brady Black?"
"Yes."
"You have to sign this form before I can tell you anything else."
She handed him the chart and a pen. Glancing over the paper, Brady signed at the bottom, dated it, and thrust both the chart and pen back at the nurse. "Now…where is she?"
The nurse was so startled she simply pointed her finger in the direction of the operation/recovery wing. Brady took Belle by the hand and pulled her along as he raced through the double doors and through the corridor. He paused at the operation desk, but no one was there, so he weaved through gurneys and stacks of clean bed pans until he found her chart beside a door . The door was open a crack, so he pushed it open slowly. She laid upon the pillows, dark hair spilling across them, looking positively tiny amongst the enormous blankets. She snored softly and her eyelids twitched rapidly in her slumber. She looks like an angel, he thought to himself, eyes filling with tears.
A nurse came barging into the room, gasping at the sight of two people standing above her patient. "What are you doing in here? She's not allowed visitors for a few hours…she just got out of surgery!"
She began to shoo the pair out, but Brady insisted. "She's my…my…wife. She'd want me here when she wakes up. Please," he pleaded.
Belle's eyes got wide when Brady told the nurse that Chloe was his wife. So that's how it is, she thought. I knew it all along. She smiled meekly in the nurse's direction and nodded her head. "He is her husband, ma'am. And I'm sure she'll be worried when she wakes up without him holding her hand."
The nurse's persistence wavered. "Well, I suppose you can stay. She should be waking up in an hour or so. But you, young lady. You must wait in the waiting room."
"I'll go get us something to eat from the cafeteria, Brady. And I'll stop by to get a present from the gift shop."
Belle started to back out the door. "Belle, come back for a second. I want you to get her something special. Find a mall and pick her up the following things…"
~*~
Chloe's eyes fluttered open two hours later, and came to rest on Brady's form. He was sitting slumped in the armchair nearby, looking out the window. His hand was intertwined with hers. Love filled her heart and she took a deep breath so that she wouldn't cry. However, when she did, she cried out in pain. Her whole right side was aching.
Brady turned as she winced in pain. "Chloe," he whispered.
He leaned over and hugged her neck tightly, trying not to hurt her. Tears fell from both his eyes and hers. "I was so scared, Chloe. The doctors called the office this morning and told me…oh, God, Chloe. I was just so scared," Brady bawled into her neck.
"What, what happened, Brady? Where am I? Why does my chest hurt like that?" she spilled out between tiny gasps of air.
"You were stabbed by a child at school today, Chloe. You were taken to this hospital and given emergency surgery to regain use of your lung. It was punctured." Her eyes drooped slightly, the medication taking over once more.
"Oh," she breathed. "Don't leave me again, Brady. Please, just don't leave me."
Tears spilled over onto Brady's cheeks as he watched her drift off into sleep. Her breathing was ragged, but her face was becoming pinker by the minute. He took this to be a good sign and grasped her hand tighter, turning back to the window.
~*~
She could hear singing in the distance, but couldn't place the voice. It was deep and reverberating. As the words came into her mind, she could feel herself crying, panting out sobs of sadness and joy at the same time. That's when she could place the voice. It was Brady's.
The sky has lost its color
The sun has turned to grey
At least that’s how it feels to me
Whenever you're away
O crawl up in the corner
To watch the minutes pass
Each one brings me closer to
The time you’re coming back
I can’t take the distance
I can’t take the miles
I can’t take the time
Until I next see you smile
I can’t take the distance
And I’m not ashamed
That with every breath I take
I’m calling your name
But I can’t take the distance
I still believe my feelings
But sometimes I feel too much
I make believe you’re close to me
But it ain’t close enough
Not nearly close enough
I can’t take the distance
I can’t take the miles
I can’t take the time
Until I next see you smile
I can’t take the distance
And I’m not ashamed
That with every breath I take
I’m calling your name
I’d brave fire and I’d brave rain
To be by your side
I’d do anything
I can’t take the distance
I will go the distance
I will go the miles
That’s how much you mean to me
I can’t take the distance
I can’t take these miles
I can’t take the time
Until I next see you smile
I can’t take the distance
And I’m not ashamed
That with every breath
I take I’m calling your name
I can’t take the distance
Her eyes fluttered open to see him clutching her hand, singing to the window, fresh tears racing down his face. She smiled lightly, knowing the tears were for her.
"Brady," she whispered softly. His head turned sharply, wiping his face so she couldn't see his pain. But she'd already seen it and he knew.
"I love you, Chloe."
This time, the tears poured from her eyes. She desperately wanted to hold him, kiss away his pain, and love him completely. But the ache in her side and the dilapidating drugs held her fast in her bed. All she could do was squeeze his hand. It was all he needed.
He was up in an instant, calling for Belle, who was around the corner. "Belle, I need the gifts! She's awake again! Hurry!"
Belle scurried in holding an armload of flowers, bears, and boxes. "Hey, Chloe. I thought you were never going to wake up! These are from the kids and teachers at your school, along with a few things from us and people in Salem. We all miss you, Chloe. I think you should come back."
Chloe smiled weakly. "I'll think about it, Belle. I've missed you all, too."
Brady sighed, taking one box from Belle's hand and walking back to Chloe's side. She turned her head to look at him. Then, he fell on one knee.
"Chloe," he whispered, eyes intent on hers. "I know that I said before that I couldn't give you the things you wanted in life. That I didn't want the white picket fences and soccer games, but since you left, I've never wanted anything more in my life. And I want you to be the one to help me through all that. I want you to be there when I wake up in the morning, when I come home for long lunch breaks, and when I fall asleep, I want it to be in your arms. Forever, Chloe Lane. Will you be my wife?"
Chloe's eyes filled with fresh tears, her heart leaping in joy. She reached for his hand. "Brady Victor Black…" she began. "I would be honored."
Belle gasped in relief and happiness. The day that all of them had been waiting for so long, was finally here. Brady and Chloe were finally going to be together, forever.
He leaned over the tubes and cords to plant a soft, searching kiss on her mouth, all the while slipping a tiny diamond ring over her left ring finger. They were on their way, and nothing could stop them now.
"Where is she?" Brady demanded, pounding his fist on the nurse's station.
"Where is who, sir?" a very frightened-looking nurse asked. Belle put a feeble hand on Brady's arm, to try to calm him down. He took a breath and started over.
"Chloe Lane. Where is she?"
"Well, let's see," the nurse stuttered, flipping through charts and papers. Finally, she looked up, a chart in her hand. "Are you Brady Black?"
"Yes."
"You have to sign this form before I can tell you anything else."
She handed him the chart and a pen. Glancing over the paper, Brady signed at the bottom, dated it, and thrust both the chart and pen back at the nurse. "Now…where is she?"
The nurse was so startled she simply pointed her finger in the direction of the operation/recovery wing. Brady took Belle by the hand and pulled her along as he raced through the double doors and through the corridor. He paused at the operation desk, but no one was there, so he weaved through gurneys and stacks of clean bed pans until he found her chart beside a door . The door was open a crack, so he pushed it open slowly. She laid upon the pillows, dark hair spilling across them, looking positively tiny amongst the enormous blankets. She snored softly and her eyelids twitched rapidly in her slumber. She looks like an angel, he thought to himself, eyes filling with tears.
A nurse came barging into the room, gasping at the sight of two people standing above her patient. "What are you doing in here? She's not allowed visitors for a few hours…she just got out of surgery!"
She began to shoo the pair out, but Brady insisted. "She's my…my…wife. She'd want me here when she wakes up. Please," he pleaded.
Belle's eyes got wide when Brady told the nurse that Chloe was his wife. So that's how it is, she thought. I knew it all along. She smiled meekly in the nurse's direction and nodded her head. "He is her husband, ma'am. And I'm sure she'll be worried when she wakes up without him holding her hand."
The nurse's persistence wavered. "Well, I suppose you can stay. She should be waking up in an hour or so. But you, young lady. You must wait in the waiting room."
"I'll go get us something to eat from the cafeteria, Brady. And I'll stop by to get a present from the gift shop."
Belle started to back out the door. "Belle, come back for a second. I want you to get her something special. Find a mall and pick her up the following things…"
~*~
Chloe's eyes fluttered open two hours later, and came to rest on Brady's form. He was sitting slumped in the armchair nearby, looking out the window. His hand was intertwined with hers. Love filled her heart and she took a deep breath so that she wouldn't cry. However, when she did, she cried out in pain. Her whole right side was aching.
Brady turned as she winced in pain. "Chloe," he whispered.
He leaned over and hugged her neck tightly, trying not to hurt her. Tears fell from both his eyes and hers. "I was so scared, Chloe. The doctors called the office this morning and told me…oh, God, Chloe. I was just so scared," Brady bawled into her neck.
"What, what happened, Brady? Where am I? Why does my chest hurt like that?" she spilled out between tiny gasps of air.
"You were stabbed by a child at school today, Chloe. You were taken to this hospital and given emergency surgery to regain use of your lung. It was punctured." Her eyes drooped slightly, the medication taking over once more.
"Oh," she breathed. "Don't leave me again, Brady. Please, just don't leave me."
Tears spilled over onto Brady's cheeks as he watched her drift off into sleep. Her breathing was ragged, but her face was becoming pinker by the minute. He took this to be a good sign and grasped her hand tighter, turning back to the window.
~*~
She could hear singing in the distance, but couldn't place the voice. It was deep and reverberating. As the words came into her mind, she could feel herself crying, panting out sobs of sadness and joy at the same time. That's when she could place the voice. It was Brady's.
The sky has lost its color
The sun has turned to grey
At least that’s how it feels to me
Whenever you're away
O crawl up in the corner
To watch the minutes pass
Each one brings me closer to
The time you’re coming back
I can’t take the distance
I can’t take the miles
I can’t take the time
Until I next see you smile
I can’t take the distance
And I’m not ashamed
That with every breath I take
I’m calling your name
But I can’t take the distance
I still believe my feelings
But sometimes I feel too much
I make believe you’re close to me
But it ain’t close enough
Not nearly close enough
I can’t take the distance
I can’t take the miles
I can’t take the time
Until I next see you smile
I can’t take the distance
And I’m not ashamed
That with every breath I take
I’m calling your name
I’d brave fire and I’d brave rain
To be by your side
I’d do anything
I can’t take the distance
I will go the distance
I will go the miles
That’s how much you mean to me
I can’t take the distance
I can’t take these miles
I can’t take the time
Until I next see you smile
I can’t take the distance
And I’m not ashamed
That with every breath
I take I’m calling your name
I can’t take the distance
Her eyes fluttered open to see him clutching her hand, singing to the window, fresh tears racing down his face. She smiled lightly, knowing the tears were for her.
"Brady," she whispered softly. His head turned sharply, wiping his face so she couldn't see his pain. But she'd already seen it and he knew.
"I love you, Chloe."
This time, the tears poured from her eyes. She desperately wanted to hold him, kiss away his pain, and love him completely. But the ache in her side and the dilapidating drugs held her fast in her bed. All she could do was squeeze his hand. It was all he needed.
He was up in an instant, calling for Belle, who was around the corner. "Belle, I need the gifts! She's awake again! Hurry!"
Belle scurried in holding an armload of flowers, bears, and boxes. "Hey, Chloe. I thought you were never going to wake up! These are from the kids and teachers at your school, along with a few things from us and people in Salem. We all miss you, Chloe. I think you should come back."
Chloe smiled weakly. "I'll think about it, Belle. I've missed you all, too."
Brady sighed, taking one box from Belle's hand and walking back to Chloe's side. She turned her head to look at him. Then, he fell on one knee.
"Chloe," he whispered, eyes intent on hers. "I know that I said before that I couldn't give you the things you wanted in life. That I didn't want the white picket fences and soccer games, but since you left, I've never wanted anything more in my life. And I want you to be the one to help me through all that. I want you to be there when I wake up in the morning, when I come home for long lunch breaks, and when I fall asleep, I want it to be in your arms. Forever, Chloe Lane. Will you be my wife?"
Chloe's eyes filled with fresh tears, her heart leaping in joy. She reached for his hand. "Brady Victor Black…" she began. "I would be honored."
Belle gasped in relief and happiness. The day that all of them had been waiting for so long, was finally here. Brady and Chloe were finally going to be together, forever.
He leaned over the tubes and cords to plant a soft, searching kiss on her mouth, all the while slipping a tiny diamond ring over her left ring finger. They were on their way, and nothing could stop them now.