New Beginnings (3 page)

Jason got up and went over and kneeled before Vicky “Hell, I just can’t wait.  I was going to wait until later to do this but I just can’t.  I won’t be able to think straight until I get an answer from you.”

Vicky was confused.  Why was Jason kneeling on the floor? And, why was he looking so nervous?  His hands were shaking.  This was starting to make Vicky uncomfortable “umm
...Jason, what’s going on? Why are you kneeling on the floor?”

Jason took both Vicky’s hands in his and looked deeply into her eyes, “I know that we haven’t known each other very long and it’s seemed like one thing after another with us since we met.  But, the day we met on the elevator was one of the best days of my life.  I fell for you immediately and completely.  I know that you are the one for me.  And, I couldn’t love Angel anymore than if she were my own daughter.   I can promise both you and Angel that I will always be here for you, I will always protect you, and I will always love you.  I’ll do my best to make you happy come whatever.  Vicky Martin, if you’ll have me will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

Jason then reached into his pocket and pulled out the most dazzling diamond ring Vicky had ever seen.  It was huge.  She was stunned.  Did Jason just get down on one knee and propose?  Was this really happening?  She blinked a few times to make sure that what she saw in front of her was real. 

It took Vicky a minute to process Jason’s proposal.  “Vicky? Say something.  You’ve got me down here on one knee sweating it out for an answer.”

“Yes.” Vicky calmly whispered before screaming to the roof tops “Yes, yes, YES! I will marry you!” Then, she grabbed a hold of Jason and rained kisses all over his face before finally resting her lips on his.

“Let’s make this official.” Jason took the engagement ring out of the box and slipped it onto her finger.  It fit perfectly.  “That’s where I was all morning.  Trying to find the perfect ring and making sure it fit properly.  I was going to do this tonight but I couldn’t wait for your answer.  I deserve a medal for trying to get your ring size while you were sleeping.”

Vicky couldn’t stop smiling and looking at her ring.  She’d hoped that marriage would eventually happen for them but she had no idea that it would happen this soon. “It’s perfect.  Jason, we’ve got to call your parents!”

Jason rose from the floor and walked back into the bedroom before commenting over his shoulder “Well, before we do, we still have some unfinished business that we need to attend to.”

Vicky couldn’t think straight.  She was going to be Mrs. Jason Kincaid Rutherford. She never thought in a million years when she met Jason that marriage would be in her future.  Jason came back out from the bedroom and sat the box on th
e table. Vicky’s smiled faded.  She jumped out of her chair as if it was scalding hot “I should have known better.”

It was Jason’s turn to look confused.  Vicky was angry that she let her guard down.  “I should have known better.  When something seems too good to be true it usually is too good to be true.  This is why you did this isn’t it?” pointing at the box.

“Are you serious right now?  I just poured out my heart to you and because I want to know if I’m going to be a father you’re questioning my motives?” Jason took a deep breath because Vicky made him want to strangle her when she was scared. 

“Really, so that’s not the reason you asked me to marry you? It didn’t speed up the process because you think I’m pregnant?  I bet the Rutherford’s have never had a bastard bi-racial child in the family before.”

Jason just wanted to shake Vicky silly.  “You know damn well that my marriage proposal has nothing to do with whether you’re pregnant or not. I’m going to ignore the bi-racial bit because I know you didn’t really mean it.  I love you and you love me.  We’re getting married.  As far as I’m concerned the sooner the better. But, I do deserve to know if I’m going to be a father.”

Somewhere in the background they heard Vicky’s cell phone ri
ng.  They ignored it.  Neither one of them made a move to answer it.  After the fourth ring it finally stopped. 

“Yes, you do have a right to an answer Jason but now?  You want to ask me that question now? You just asked me to marry you in a way that women only dream about.  You don’t think a woman would try and put two and two together? I don’t ever want to feel like I trapped you into marriage.  We’re just trying to find our footing with each other. So, of course I’m going to wonder.”

Vicky stared at Jason then stared back at the box.  She knew she was over reacting and really had no idea why she was afraid to find out if she were pregnant especially since Jason would be the father.   He wasn’t Angel’s dad.  He wouldn’t abandon her.  Her demons seem to always show up at the most inopportune moments.

Her
phone started to ring again.  This time Vicky went to answer it.  Jason stopped her.  “We have more important things to discuss than whatever it is they want to talk about.”  They stared each other down.

Jason was the first to break the silence “I don’t know what you are afraid of Vicky. Don’t you want to know for sure?” he caressed her cheek.

Somewhere in the background they heard the house phone ringing.

“I’m not afraid of anything Jason.  Fine, I’ll go take the test
but just know your timing couldn’t have been worse.”  Vicky snatched up the box off of the table to go take the test.  She was lying.  She was terrified.  In her heart, she knew she could depend on Jason but memories of her first pregnancy wouldn’t go away. 

Seconds before leaving the balcony for the bathroom
, there was a frantic knock on the bedroom door.  Aggravated with the interruption, Jason went to answer it. Vicky, curious about who was at the door and what they wanted followed him.

“Mr. Rutherford, it’s your father on the phone.  He said it’s urgent.”  Willa, Jason’s long-time housekeeper handed him the phone.

Jason was exasperated “Hey Dad now is not a good time…what’s up?”

“We just got a call from the police department.  Son, there’s been an accident.  Angels been hurt
in a car accident. I’m not sure how badly she’s been hurt but you need to grab Vicky and head over to the emergency room at First Methodist Hospital. We’ll meet you there.”

Vicky could tell by the look on Jason’s face that something was really wrong.  Jason hung up the phone. “Vicky, please be calm.  There’s been an accident.  Angel’s been hurt and we need to get to the hospital right away.”

Vicky’s knees buckled.  Had Jason not been standing right next to her she would have hit the floor.  He caught her “Angel’s going to be fine.  Hurry, get dressed let’s go see about our daughter.”

The ride over to the hospital was brutal.  Jason needed to be supportive for Vicky because he knew she was a nervous wreck.  She hadn’t said a word since he told her about the accident.  The not knowing was torture for them both.

They arrived at the hospital emergency room at the same time as the Rutherford’s. “Mom, dad….what happened?”

Mr. and Mrs. Rutherford hugged them before John started to explain “We’re not sure.  We just got here ourselves.  We are not blood relatives so they won’t give us any information.”

An attendant came out from behind the desk with her clipboard, “Is anyone here related to a Jocelyn Baker or an Angel Martin?”

Vicky rushed over “I’m Angel Martin’s mother.  How is she? Can I see her?”

“I’m sorry
ma’am; you’ll need to complete the registration and insurance papers for the treatment she’s receiving today.  I don’t have any other information regarding the status of her condition.  The emergency room nurse will be out shortly to talk to you.”

Vicky screamed at the atte
ndant “Well then where is the nurse? Somebody needs to tell me something right now! I don’t even know where she is and you’re talking to me about filling out registration papers?”

All heads turned when an elderly couple rushed through the emergency room doors screaming. “Someone please help us!  We got a call that Jocelyn Baker had been brought here.”

The attendant turned towards the older couple just as a police officer was making his way into the emergency room waiting room area as well. 

“Are you the parent’s of Jocelyn Baker?”

“Yes. Yes we are.  Where is she? Can we talk to her?”

“I’m sorry ma’am at the moment the doctors and nurses are still with her. As soon as they can someone will come out to talk to you.  In the meantime, there are some registration papers that we need for you to complete.”

“She’s going to be ok though right?” Jocelyn’s mother spoke as if she hadn’t heard the administrator. 

The officer who had been standing in the background made himself known. “Hello, my name is officer Rubin.  I was the officer who arrived first at the scene of the accident.  Are you the parents of Jocelyn Baker and…” he looked down at his paperwork to make sure he got the name of the other victim correct “
...Angel Martin?”

Everyone started to speak at the same time to verify that they were the parents and grand-parents. 

Officer Rubin started to explain “Well, it appears that Ms. Baker and Ms. Martin were traveling northbound toward the 1
st
and Jefferson intersection.  Witnesses have verified the light was green when they proceeded to enter the intersection.  However, the driver of an SUV appears to have fallen asleep at the wheel and ran a red light.  He went through the intersection and that is when he collided with their Hyundai Sonata.”

Vicky felt faint, “Oh my god…my bab
y was hit by an SUV?”

The officer responded “I’m afraid so ma’am.”

Shortly after the officer responded the emergency room doors flew open and a doctor in putrid green scrubs came from behind it.  He was followed by what appeared to be a nurse.  Everyone fell silent as they watched his every move.  They didn’t know if he was the doctor who was attending to Jocelyn and Angel.  No one took a breath or made a sound.  They looked exhausted and the doctor had blood all over his scrubs.  Vicky’s stomach was starting to roil.  She thought she might vomit.  Her head was pounding. 

The doctor followed by the nurse first went over to the registration desks before being pointed in their direction. 

He was walking over to them.  The walk seemed to take forever although it was just a couple of feet from where they all stood.  Was it possible to hold your breath while your heart was beating a hundred times a minute?   Vicky couldn’t read the doctor’s face.  The closer he got…nothing.  The nurse however, didn’t make eye contact with anyone.  She kept looking down onto that clipboard.  THAT wasn’t a good sign.

“Mr. and Mrs. Baker?” He lifted one eyebrow and looked at the elderly couple seemingly to verify. 

Mr. Baker squeezed his wife’s hand for support “We are Mr. and Mrs. Baker.  How is our daughter?”

The doctor reached out his hand to shake Mr. Baker’s hand “I’m doctor Rayford.” He then took off his head scarf “Sir, her injuries were very severe.  I’m so sorry to have to inform you that we did all we could do for Jocelyn.  She succumbed to her injuries.”

Mrs. Baker screamed the scream as only a mother who has lost a child could scream before falling to her knees.  “No, no, no...Not my beautiful baby!  Not Jocelyn.” Mrs. Baker screamed and cried.  Mr. Baker stood stoically as if he hadn’t heard that Dr. Rayford had just informed them that Jocelyn was dead. 

Mr. Baker was in shock.  His face was drained of all color and his eyes looked empty as he bent down to help lift his wife to her feet. “Come on Mildred please get to your feet darling.”

Once Mrs. Baker was on her feet again but still sobbing uncontrollably Dr. Rayford signaled to the hospital chaplain to come over.  It was obvious Dr. Rayford had been shaken as well.  “Again, we are so sorry for your loss Mr. and Mrs. Baker.  If you’d like to spend a few minutes with Jocelyn before the hospital starts to prepare her body please follow nurse Jones.”

“What about Angel! How is she? Where is she? I need to see her now!” Vicky started shouting and crying.  Then she started running for the doors that she’d just seen Dr. Rayford come through moments earlier before Jason caught her.

The nurse frantically called after Vicky “Ms. Martin please you cannot go back there right now.  Angel is still in surgery.” 

She struggled against him.  It took everything within Jason to hold her to him.  “No, Jason.  I have to be with her! I know she’s wondering where I am? She has to b
e wondering why I left her.  She needs to know that mommy is right here! I would never ever leave her!”

Vicky couldn’t breathe.  Her heart was pounding so fast.  Her head felt like it was going to explode until finally
everything started to fade to black.

When Vicky opened her eyes, she was laying in a bed.  Not just any bed but a hospital bed.  She was in a hospital room, an incredibly beautiful room, but it was still a hospital room.  For a moment, she forgot why she was in the hospital and then it all came rushing back to her.

“You gave us all a scare.” Mrs. Rutherford softly said as she wiped her forehead with a cool cloth.

Vicky tried to sit up too fast and felt dizzy all over again.  “How’s Angel?”