Two hours later they landed at Kennedy Airport. The transfer to the large ambulance unit went perfectly smoothly, and a life-support unit with three paramedics traveled alongside. Their lights were flashing but there were no sirens as they made their way along the highway at full speed. And half an hour later they reached Lenox Hill without a problem.

Sam was smiling up at Charlie as they made the last leg of the trip. “It's quicker this way, you know that, no baggage claim to hassle with and no cabs.”

“Look, next time,” Charlie said, grinning at her, “do me a favor. Hassle me a little with the baggage and let's take a cab.”

She grinned up at him, but once they arrived at Lenox Hill, she was busy. It took them more than two hours to process her into the hospital and settle her comfortably in her own room. The doctor assisted with all the arrangements, then she met the new doctor who had been awaiting her arrival, thanks to Harvey once again. When it was all over she and Charlie and the doctor from Denver were all exhausted. The rest of the group had been dispensed with. They had all been paid before the trip and they would all be returning to Denver on the ambulance plane later that evening. The doctor was going to spend a few days in New York observing at Lenox Hill and would return to Denver by commercial jet.

“Think you'll be okay now, Sam?” Charlie looked at her with a tired smile as she accepted a shot and began almost instantly to drift off to sleep.

“Yeah, babe… sure… I'll be fine… give Mellie my love… and thank you…” Five minutes later he was in the elevator with the doctor, and then he was in a cab, and ten minutes later he was on East Eighty-first Street with his arms tightly around his wife.

“Oh, baby… oh, baby…” He felt as though he had come back from a war zone, and suddenly he realized how desperately he had missed her and how exhausted he was. Sam's tragedy and Charlie's total responsibility for her had been an awesome weight to carry, and he hadn't let himself feel it until now, when suddenly all he wanted to do was make love to his wife. She had had the foresight to have hired a baby-sitter to be with the children, and after they all duly attacked their father, teased and played and ran him ragged, she shooed them off with the baby-sitter, closed the bedroom door, ran a bath for him, gave him a massage, and made love to him, before he smiled at her sleepily and fell asleep in their bed. She woke him up again two hours later, with dinner, champagne, and a little cake she had made for him that said I love you. Welcome home:

“Oh, Mellie, I love you so much.”

“I love you too.” And then, as they ate the cake, “Do you think we should call Sam?” But Charlie shook his head, he had given her all he had to give for a while. Just this once, just tonight, he wanted to be with Mellie. He didn't want to think of the horrible accident, of the gray horse that had haunted him in his sleep for three weeks, of Sam in her plaster cast or her “barbecue” or the fact that she would never walk again. He just wanted to be with his wife, and to make love to her, until he fell into her arms and passed out, which he did shortly after midnight, with a last sleepy yawn and a broad smile.

“Welcome home,” she whispered to him softly as she kissed his neck and turned off the light.

27

“Mother, I'm fine really… don't be silly… there's no reason for you to come up… oh, for chrissake… yes, of course I'm still in a cast, but I'm fine here. No, I don't want to be moved to Atlanta. I just was moved here from Denver three weeks ago, that's enough… because this is my home, Mother. I don't know anyone in Atlanta. Yes, of course, I have you and George… Mother… now, Mother… please! I don't resent him…” She rolled her eyes at Melinda as she walked into Sam's hospital room, and made a horrible face at the receiver, mouthing “My mother” to Melinda, who grinned. “Honestly, Mother, the doctor is wonderful, I like him… I know he's competent because he told me so and his mother loves him. Come on, Ma. Give me a break. I'm fine, I'll call you. You can call me. When I feel up to it, I'll come to Atlanta… I don't know when I can go home… but I'll tell you. I promise… no, Mother, I have to go now… the nurse is waiting… no, you can't talk to her… good-bye, Mother.” She hung up then and groaned. “Hi, Mellie. Christ, what did I ever do to get saddled with my mother?”

“She's just worried about you, Sam.”

“I know. But she drives me nuts. She wants to come up here to visit. With George, who wants to consult with my doctor, and turn the whole hospital upside down. Tell me what an ear, nose, and throat man from Georgia can possibly have to contribute to my broken back?” Mellie grinned at the thought. “How's life by you?”

“Okay. How are you?”

“Bored. I want to go home.”

“What do they say?”

“Something inane about patience. How's my namesake?” She beamed at the mention of little Sam.

“Wonderful.” Mellie smiled too. “She does more at two months than any of the boys did at four.”

“It's the name,” Sam assured her with a grin. “Just make sure she doesn't get into trouble with horses.” Mellie didn't answer and Sam sighed. “I wish I knew how long I'll be stuck here.” But Mellie suspected that she didn't really want to know. Charlie had told her that Sam would probably be in the hospital for a year.

She got visits from everyone including Harvey, who sat nervously on the edge of his chair, fingering his hat, toying with his pipe, and staring nervously at Sam in her body cast lying helplessly on the bed.