I regained my sitting position just in time to see the ground
disappear in front of us. We were going over the edge like Thelma
and Louise. There was no slow motion sensation of flying and ecstasy.
My knees hit the underside of the dashboard, my right shoulder
slammed into the steering wheel. I heard a sickening snap.
The ground was plunging toward me. I threw my left arm in front
of my face.
Darkness. I couldn't move. Everything hurt. I opened my eyes.
I was on my back. Far above, I thought I saw an angel. Elliott!
He was waving to me. Yes, my love, come save me.
What was that smell...gasoline? It was all over me. I had seen
more than enough movies to know what was coming next. The car
would burst into flames. Was I far enough away? I moved my head
just a little. Christine's lifeless body was right next to mine.
I heard a dull click and saw the bright flames flowing toward
me. This time everything really did advance in slow motion.
**
9 **
I awoke in a hospital. Several times. Doctors and nurses pointing
and prodding. Pretty-colored dreams. No pain at all. Must be the
drugs. Give me more.
Elliott was leaning over me. He had sprouted a shaggy beard and
his eyes were swollen and puffy. He looked marvelous. "Marie,
can you hear me?"
I managed a slight nod, not yet up to speaking. "You were
in an accident. Do you remember?" Another nod. "You've
been in the hospital for three days. You had us all worried for
a while, but you're going to be fine. Sel just went out for something
to eat. She'll be back soon."
"Burns?" I managed to croak out.
Elliott looked at me strangely for a moment. "No. No burns.
You have a few broken bones. You had some internal bleeding. But,
except for your pro skiing career, you should be fine."
I think I drifted off for a minute. "You and Sel?"
He smiled. "Nothing wrong with your mind, I see. Marie,"
he transfixed me with his most penetrating gaze, "there is
not now, nor was there ever anything going on between us. It's
important that you believe me. But maybe we should talk about
this later, when you're a bit stronger."
"No. Stay." I actually reached toward him with my left
hand, which seemed fine. "I'm sorry. Believe you. Ashamed."
He grasped my hand with both of his. "I let myself fall in
love with you. Scared that something would go wrong. So scared,
I made it happen myself."
He seemed to understand the magnitude of what I was telling him.
He nodded. He blossomed into one of his everything-is-okay-with-the-universe
smiles. "Don't worry. Nothing can come between us now."
He still didn't know me quite as well as he thought. I hated loose
ends. "What about the fire?"
"What fire?"
I felt like yelling at him. Too weak. I explained slowly. "The
fire that started when the car exploded. I remembered the flames
were all over me." I closed my eyes. Still tired.
He started to respond several times, but halted. "You really,
really love me?"
I did. He was adorable. "I do. I do. Always and forever.
But please, tell me what happened. You were there. I saw you looking
down on me. And then the explosion. What happened?"
He smiled again. "Yes, I was there. I was trying to follow
you, to catch up. You were so upset.
"I saw your car go off the road in the distance ahead of
me. I almost did the same thing trying to get to you. I jumped
out of the car, and ran over to the edge of the cliff. You were
lying a few feet from the car." His voice started to crack.
"I could see blood even from where I was. I thought you were
dead. I just couldn't bear that.
"Then, you moved, just a bit. I waved like a madman and called
out to you. By this time I could hear sirens approaching. I scrambled
down the hill. It seemed to take forever. I finally reached you
and held your head in my lap. I was afraid to move you. I stroked
your hair and talked to you, begging you to hold on over and over
again, until the paramedics came.
"That's what happened. The car never exploded. At least,
I don't remember it that way."
He was right. In Elliott's world, there were no star-crossed lovers,
no tragic deaths. And I was part of that world now. We both smiled
and he hugged me forever.
**************
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