SVH07-Dear Sister (2 page)

"Darn it, Liz, wake up! You absolutely cannot do this to me. You know very well I can't cope without you. You're being selfish--d I'll never forgive you if you die!"

Just when she thought she was totally out of tears, they came again. "Oh, no! I must be a beast to talk like this to you, Liz!"

"Jessica?"

She whirled around to find Dr. Edwards looking at her with concern.

"Jessica, when I told you to talk to Elizabeth, I had something else in mind."

"I did something wrong?"

"Not wrong, but not what I had in mind."

"What should I do?"

"I've got an idea, Jessica." He grinned at her reassuringly, ruffling her sun-streaked hair. "Just talk to your sister about everyday things. Don't lay your guilt on her. Talk about family, school, boys--whatever Just chat, as if you expected her to understand and answer."

"That will bring her out of it?"

"No promises, Jessica. Maybe yes, maybe no. Isn't it worth a try?"

"I'll try anything if it will help Liz."

So, for the next two days, Elizabeth's twilight world was bombarded with memories.

"Remember the time I tried to take Todd away from you? I would have killed someone for doing that to me, but not you. You were willing to step aside if I was the one Todd really liked. But
you
were always the one he wanted, Liz. And he was right to pick you. No wonder everyone loves you. You're good and kind, and you really care about other people. Take Enid Rollins, for example. She's world-class dull, for heaven's sake. But she's your friend so you always stick up for her. When I blabbed her secret to everybody, you were right there defending her. Now I'm sorry for the way I acted, Liz, and

I promise I'll never make another crack about Enid, ever!

"Do you mind if I say something about your makeup, Liz? Don't get me wrong, you always look
good
,
but with more eye makeup and blusher-; you could be sensational. And your clothes. Jeans and button-down shirts are OK, but sometimes you're too conservative. When you get out of here, we've got to go shopping. I'll help you pick out some really spectacular outfits, OK?

"You are going to get well, Liz, I just know it. You're going to get back into things at school. You're stil the star reporter of
The
Oracle
.
No one else could write the "Eyes and Ears" column as well as you do. You always manage to keep it light and funny. You know, Liz, I bet it's probably the only gossip column in the world people actually
want
to be in. You never make anyone look bad. And I'm sorry, Liz, I really am sorry for trying to talk you into putting items in about me just because I'm your sister. I swear I'll never do that again. you want me to. I'll be your slave for life!"

Jessica rested her head on the bed, exhausted. She heard a sound and looked up, but she was still alone in the room with Elizabeth. The sound

came again, and she turned, trying to figure out where it had come from.

A soft moan came from the still figure on the bed.

"Liz?"

Jessica burst out into the corridor. "Mom! Dad! Dr. Edwards! Somebody! She's awake!"

In seconds a small crowd had gathered in Elizabeth's room. Alice and Ned Wakefield were so nervous they could hardly breathe as Dr. Edwards examined Elizabeth.

He straightened and turned to them with a smile. "I think your daughter has decided to come back to us!"

"Dr. Edwards, you're the most wonderful person in the world," Jessica cried.

"You deserve a lot of the credit, Jessica."

"I do?" Jessica shivered with pride, relief, and just plain ecstasy. Elizabeth was awake, and she'd helped!

Alice Wakefield bent over the bed. "Liz? Sweetheart, we're here. Can you hear us?"

Eyelids fluttered, but nothing more.

"Doctor?"

"Let Jessica try, Mrs. Wakefield. I think she has a special way of communicating with her sister."

Aware of the eyes on her and glowing with happiness, Jessica walked over to the bed. Everything

was going to be wonderful, she just knew it.

"Liz. Hey, Lizzie
,
time to wake up."

Elizabeth's eyes opened fully. She stared at her twin sister and moistened her dry lips. "Jessica!"

Two

"Hi, Liz, your favorite twin sister is here at last!" Jessica bounced into the hospital room, an overnight bag in one hand, a canvas carryall in the other. She stopped dead in her tracks, however, when she saw Elizabeth crying. Dropping the bags on the floor, she rushed to the bed.

"Liz, what is it? Are you hurting? I'll call a nurse, a doctor!"
Please don't let her
have a relapse
,
Jessica prayed.

Elizabeth covered her face with her hands and sobbed. "No, don't call anybody. I don't want anybody to see me, Jess!" she cried.

Totally confused, Jessica sank down onto the chair. "What do you mean?"

Elizabeth took her hands away from her face and sat up. "Look at me. Just look at me!"

Jessica stared at her sister, hoping to find a clue for the tears. Elizabeth's face was a little pale, but how could anyone expect to keep a tan lying in a hospital bed? Her blue-green eyes didn't sparkle as brightly as they used to, but time and rest would take care of that. Jessica had to admit that Elizabeth's usually shiny, bouncy blond hair was hanging limply, but none of those things seemed important enough to be upsetting, not after the miracle of coming back to life.

Still mystified, Jessica asked, "Please tell me why you're crying."

"Wouldn't you cry if you looked like me?" Elizabeth shouted the words at her stunned sister.

"If
I looked like you?" Jessica wished somebody else were there to handle this. "Liz," she said softly, "I
do
look like you. We're twins, remember?"

"Of course I remember," Elizabeth snapped, narrowing her eyes. "What are you trying to tell me, Jess? Are you saying I'm stupid, or maybe crazy because I got hit on the head?"

"For heaven's sake, Liz, I'm not saying you're crazy," Jessica protested. "You've been in an accident--and in a coma until three days ago. You're lucky to be alive."

"And look like this?"

I don't believe this
,
Jessica thought. Elizabeth

was actually worried about her looks. A part of Jessica thought it strange, but another part was overjoyed. And, of course, she was relieved when she realized her sister's tears didn't mean she was having some sort of relapse. Worrying about looks was something Jessica could easily understand.

"Well, it's a good thing I got here, Lizzie, because this one little bag contains everything you need." Jessica retrieved the canvas carryall and dumped its contents on the bed. "We have got super-duper dry shampoo."

Elizabeth wrinkled her nose. "Dry shampoo?"

"I know it's not as good as the real thing, but it'll help put the life back in your hair. Trust me." Jessica knew she was talking too fast and that her voice was almost too cheerful, but she couldn't seem to stop herself. She didn't want Elizabeth to start crying again.

"I also brought makeup, cologne, lotion--everything. Let's get started on you. We don't have any time to lose because Todd is due here any minute. I knew you'd want to look great for your favorite guy."

"Todd is coming here?" Elizabeth shrank back against the pillows. Having turned away, Jessica missed the look of panic that flitted across her sister's face.

"Isn't that great? The doctors said 'family only,' but I convinced them that a visit from Todd

would be therapeutic!" Jessica didn't tell Elizabeth that Todd had managed to sneak in a few times when she was still in a coma. She had a feeling her sister wouldn't have wanted Todd to see her in that condition.

For fifteen minutes Jessica worked on Elizabeth's hair and makeup. Finally she stepped back to check her work before handing Elizabeth a small mirror. "You can thank me now, Liz. Pay me later," Jessica kidded, pleased with the transformation.

Elizabeth stared into the mirror for several moments, then frowned. "I'm still too pale. And my eyes look positively dead," she complained.

"You look great," Jessica protested.

"Let me have that blusher and gloss," Elizabeth ordered. "And the eye makeup, too."

Jessica shrugged, dug into her purse, and handed Elizabeth a few bottles and tubes. Within minutes, Elizabeth had added blusher, deeper lip gloss, and more mascara, liner, and shadow.

"Better, don't you think?" she asked Jessica, who sat there with her mouth slightly open. Elizabeth hardly ever wore that much makeup. "Now, what can I put on besides this--this tacky horror," she demanded, pulling the hospital gown away from her body.

"Your shirt, your favorite nightshirt! I brought it." Jessica frantically groped in the overnight bag. Triumphantly, she pulled something out

I

of the bag. The well-worn white knit sleep shirt with the UCLA logo on it had always been Elizabeth's favorite. No matter how many times Jessica had told her that the shirt was definitely unsexy, Elizabeth had replied, "Relax, Jess. It's me, and I like it."

Elizabeth stared at the shirt. "You expect me to wear
that
with interns and doctors in and out of here all day? You've got to be kidding. Why didn't you bring me something sexier?" Elizabeth asked in what could only be described as a whiny voice.

"
You want something sexier?" Jessica asked, stunned.

"Is there something wrong with that?"

"Hey, no! I think it's terrific. I'll bring something fantastic this afternoon, but you're stuck with the shirt until then."

"I guess this
thing
is all right for a visit from Todd," Elizabeth muttered. "Help me on with it."

A confused Jessica helped Elizabeth change. She was happy her sister was finally getting interested in the right kind of makeup and clothes, but she couldn't figure out the reason for the sudden switch.

"I'll go see if Todd's in the waiting room."

Jessica spotted Todd Wilkins immediately. The tall, broad-shouldered basketball player was pacing back and forth across the small waiting room.

"Todd?"

"Jess, how is she?" he asked anxiously. "Is she all right? Does she hate me? Are you sure she wants to see me?"

"Slow down, Todd. Number one, she seems OK."

"
Seems?"

"Will you
please
let me finish," Jessica said with a sigh of exasperation. "Liz is fine, really. You can only stay in there for ten or fifteen minutes, the doctor said, because she gets tired easily. And I'm sure she doesn't hate you, Todd."

"Something's wrong and you don't want to tell me."

"Nothing's wrong. She's going to be fine, just fine," Jessica said. "Go on in."

Todd peeked into Elizabeth's room. She was lying so still that at first he thought she was asleep. Then she opened her eyes and stared at him.

"Hello, Todd."

"Hi, how are you feeling?" Todd wanted to go to her and put his arms around her, but somehow he didn't dare.

"OK, I guess."

Todd walked to the side of the bed and reached for Elizabeth's hand.

"You look wonderful." A wave of guilt washed over him when he saw how fragile she looked.

I did this to her,
he told himself.
How can she ever forgive me?

"I thought basketball players had good eyesight, Todd," she said, pulling her hand from his to touch her hair. "On a scale of one to ten, I'm not even on the scale yet."

"You're always a ten to me, Liz," he quickly assured her. "About the accident ..."

"I don't want to talk about it."

"I just wanted to tell you how terrible I feel and--

"It's in the past, Todd. Let's just forget about it, OK?" Instead of looking at him, she focused her attention on her hands, which were restlessly plucking at the blanket.

"I don't want to upset you, Liz, but--

"Todd, I'm really very tired." Elizabeth sighed and closed her eyes.

"Oh, gee - I'm sorry, Liz. I mean, I know I'm being inconsiderate. You need your rest. I'll get out of here right now."

When Todd came back out into the hall, Jessica was standing there with Dr. Edwards.

"If you two will excuse me," the doctor said, "I'll go in and check on my patient."

"Well, how
was
she?" Jessica asked impatiently as soon as she and Todd were alone.

"OK, I guess. Very quiet. She hardly said a word to me."

"She's exhausted, for heaven's sake."

"She said she was. But it almost seemed like she was bored--like she couldn't wait for me to leave."

"Guys are really something!" Jessica said angrily. "Liz just came out of a coma, and you expect her to be laughing and smiling as if nothing happened."

Just then the sound of Elizabeth's laughter floated out to the hall.

"Yeah, Jess, and then again, maybe doctors are more interesting than basketball players." Todd strode over to the elevator and punched the down button.

Jessica tiptoed to the door of Elizabeth's room and peeked in. Elizabeth looked anything but tired. Not only was she sitting up, she was smiling at Dr. Edwards. If she hadn't known that Elizabeth wasn't the flirting type, Jessica would have sworn her sister was making a play for the doctor.

Three weeks after the accident, Elizabeth was released from the hospital with orders from Dr. Edwards to rest at home for at least two weeks before returning to school.

Elizabeth laughed as she walked into the house and saw the living room decorated with streamers, balloons, and a giant banner that read, "Welcome Home, Liz."

"This has got to be your doing, Jess," she accused.

"Guilty as charged," Jessica said and laughed. "Do you like it?"

"Jess was up most of the night making the banner," Alice Wakefield said, giving Jessica a hug.

"And she got me to blow up the balloons," Ned Wakefield added. "She said it had something to do with lawyers being full of hot air."