Free Song of Renewal by Emily Sue Harvey Page B

me.
    In the unit, Garrison joined her. “I don’t believe her face is as swollen,” he said hopefully.
    Liza watched him lean to kiss the ashen cheek. “I think you’re right.”
    He straightened quickly, peering intently at the inert form. “Did she flinch?”

    “No, she didn’t. The doctor said that the Dilantin puts her even deeper into the coma. She won’t be moving at all, much as we want her to. This protects her brain from further injury. Gives it time to heal.”
    He gazed into space, that glimmer of something building in the dark depths of his eyes. He looked at her and she saw that it was despair.
    “She’s going to come back,” she said with compassion, and saw the darkness in his eyes shift. Lift. Then she leaned and softly murmured in Angel’s ear, “You’re brave and strong. Hang in there. You can do this.”
    They knew, quivering on the perimeter, the Grim Reaper hovered.
    By silent consent, they agreed upon one thing: they would pay it no heed.

chapter six
    Voices…Mama... “You’re brave and strong. You can do this.”
    What, Mama? What can I do? Not ballet, please.... Nonono.
    Troy sat beside her on the golden pine needle carpet floor… the hue of him seemed to blend with the gold as he murmured, “It’s okay, Angel.” His arm slid around her and it felt so good. She felt so safe. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. Not now.”
    She looked into his dark eyes, so gentle in their regard of her, so…concerned. He could read her thoughts and she could read his. “How do you do that?” she asked without saying it aloud. “How do you know what I’m thinking?”
    He smiled and joy, like a tidal wave, washed up in her throat. Love flowed into her, a love so powerful she thought it would consume her. Yet it was not like anything she’d ever felt before. It was pure and peaceful and gripping all at once.
    “It’s this place.” The thought flowed to her in his velvety voice. “Here you simply are. There’s nothing to prove, Angel. You simply be yourself…at peace.”
    In the distance, Mama and Daddy sat on a rustic, sun-bleached, silver-gray wooden bench beneath the pines, talking quietly. They watched her as they chatted. She couldn’t hear
much of what they said, only caught snippets of conversation, but somehow she knew it involved her. “Drug helps sometimes …Penny said the team… Dr Abrams says she….”
    Angel couldn’t wrap her mind around any of it. Right now, whenever now was, she would simply be. With Troy. She smiled at him, snuggling closer.
    His eyes gave off a golden aura as they plundered hers. “Angel…be yourself.” The thought slid into her heart like heated honey.
    Then the atmosphere began to shift from beneath her.
    Fog moved in…gloom spread...darker…the warmth of him abruptly left her and she shivered. Nonono . Icy fingers clutched her as peace shattered in a million directions…Angel tumbled headlong into darkness.

    Silence separated them. Liza grew to detest its noiseless silken hum.
    Through the day, while Penny was there at the hospital with Liza, it wasn’t as bad. At least Penny’s chatter kept the insufferable silence at bay. And the loneliness. Because even with Garrison nearby, he wasn’t truly there.
    She missed Charlcy. Needed her. Suck it up, Liza. Get tough. That’s what Charlcy would tell her. It seemed that this was Liza’s calling now; to get over it. Never in her life had she felt less adept to do so.
    Later that evening, as she and Garrison sat at the kitchen bar picking halfheartedly at Bojangles Fried Chicken, the damnable quiet got to Liza.
    “Who the heck said that silence is golden had rocks for brains.” She viciously speared a French fry and slammed it into her mouth. She glared at her husband as she chewed vigorously,
challenging him to differ. Oh, how she spoiled for a fight. All the pain and frustration of recent days boiled over.
    Garrison narrowed his dark gaze on her, no doubt surprised at