FREE pre story as promised

Here is the pre story to the 3rd (and final) installment of my Christmas stories. If you are like my husband and frustrated with the neglect shown to Thanksgiving, and Halloween for that matter, with the earlier release date of all things Christmas, don't worry, this part of the story takes place well before Christmas, ending with Halloween.

Please keep in mind this is a ROUGH DRAFT. I've edited it only 3 or 4 times which is far to few but I don't want to keep you waiting! Next installment will follow in a week to be complete before our book signing on Nov. 22nd at Pioneer Book (450 W Center St, Provo, UT ).

Thanks for reading!

Another long day in the hospital. As Cassandra clocked out she thought of Devin. He had been brought in yesterday. The bandages covered his face and his one arm may never heal. No one had been in to see him since his arrival so Cassandra stopped at his room. He was still under heavy sedation.

            The guest chair sat against the wall, Cassandra sank into it's plush comfort not bothering to move it toward the bed. "So how are you today? I hope you aren't feeling any pain." She propped her feet up on the doctor's stool. "If you were a professional athlete you could easily switch to public speaking about motorcycle safety. You will be a great object lesson when you finally get out of here. Doctor Jacobs said that if you push yourself in physical therapy you will probably be able to use your arm for most everyday things but no more competitive sports." Cassandra dropped her feet to the floor and leaned forward. "I'd guess that you were into something athletic. Unless you are one of those sickening people who is naturally gorgeous. My ex-boyfriend is that way. It made me so mad. When we went out to eat I would take one bite of whatever desert he ordered and still gain three pounds. Okay, I'm not that bad, but it feels like it most days. But you have no reason to be concerned about your body image."

            Cassandra stood up and walked over to the window. "I'll stop rambling on and let you get a word in." Here she paused but not for long. "Nothing to say huh? I know we just met, there is no reason for you to bare your soul. Has anyone ever told you how good a listener you are? Kenny, the annoying boyfriend, couldn't listen to save his life. But I blame myself I should have known he didn't see me as more than a shoulder to cry on. That he was good at." Cassandra paused to let out a sigh. "Sorry, I promised myself that I wouldn't keep saying such horrible things about him. It's my fault for letting him in. One of my goals: not let in every loser who comes along. That makes it sound like I've fallen for all the wrong guys, truth is I've only loved one man in my life and now I can't tell you why I ever allowed myself to have those feelings for him.

            "At first I thought he was so special, the way he showered me with complements and flowers. He never did figure out that my favorite bouquet came from the variety of wild flowers, not roses or any of the other gaudy kinds that flower shops push. I learned my lesson, several dates this past year and I've managed to not feel those fatal three words. Go ahead and laugh, everyone else does. Enough about me." Cassandra turned to move toward the bed looking down at the man laying before her. "Why hasn't anyone come to see you?" Devin's chest lifted and fell. The beep of the machine increased slightly and Cassandra looked at it then back at Devin. A buzz in her pocket made her jump. She reached into her pocket and removed her phone. "That's bachelor number nine. My friend talked me into joining this dating site. My old roommate from college, who also happens to be the cousin to Kenny, insists I attend her Christmas party again this year. Reminding me she will carry out her threat from college if I don't attend. So, I've taken the route that many would call desperate. Who knows, maybe I'll find Mr.Right. I am not holding my breath. I'll check in on you tomorrow and tell you all about the dreaded party. Take care of yourself."

            As promised the following day Cassandra went into his room. The heavy sedative should have worn off allowing him to wake but he lay still, the machine beeping next to him.

            Cassandra settled into the chair turning it toward the window. "Oh, you want to hear about my date last night. It was okay, thanks for asking. I don't think he's what I need to take to the party. He doesn't have your build. That sounds so superficial and I'm not usually that concerned about looks but I'd really like an attractive date for this party. Oh, I'm terrible thinking of using a person like that. Maybe I should just do what they do in movies and hire someone. Of course, then the fake couple falls madly in love and everyone learns that they were faking it from the start when he declares his love and she is all shocked. I don't think I care for that much drama. Of course the party will be drama itself."

            "You're probably wondering why go to the party if you think it will be terrible. Margie, my old roommate and I made a pact the first Christmas after graduation that I would attend her Christmas party every year until I married. Then I could come if I wanted. That sounds funny but if you know Margie she is all about the dating game. She loves to be involved in set up. Her party is one big effort to get people together. She told me if I ever broke the pact and didn't attend she would set me up with the worst date she could find." Cassandra stood up and moved to look out across the city. "You actually have a decent view. Most rooms don't even have a window. Well, have a good night, maybe tomorrow you can actually talk to me. Though I'm sure I won't say some of the things I'm saying while you sleep. See ya."

           

            JoAnna, the nurse working before Cassandra reported that Devin had waken up during the night and she wasn't sure how much sleep he had gotten so when Cassandra entered his room the following afternoon and found him asleep she wasn't surprised. A part of her longed for him to continue his slumber to allow her the open visit she had enjoyed the past two days.

            "Do you work nights or something?" Cassandra asked the sleeping man. The heart machine connected to him didn't beep today. The volume had been turned down since his heart had been steady for the past twenty-four hours. "I should volunteer for a night shift and see if we can actually have a two way conversation." 

            Instead, the one sided conversations went on for the rest of the week. During her shift he would wake but continue to be groggy, as mandatory tests were run. A young intern volunteered to help him with his lunch. It appeared she had a crush on him so Cassandra rolled her eyes and helped the other patients.

            Cassandra knew it was crazy to spend that much time talking to a complete stranger about things she wouldn't tell her friends. Saturday afternoon she finished one of her monologues. "Maybe it's because you're asleep all the time but I feel so comfortable talking to you. It's like I know you." She moved over to the bed, staring at his bandaged face looking for something familiar. His nose was covered as was the entire right side of his face. The bruises on the exposed side of  his face had healed to the sickly yellow stage. "Why weren't you wearing your helmet. They said one was strapped to your bike. It truly is a miracle that you're alive. I hope you make a full recovery. It's my weekend off, so I'll see you Monday." Without thinking about it Cassandra slid her fingers around his hand giving it a squeeze. Had she imagined it or had he squeezed back? She pulled her hand away and shook her head. "I've really got to get a life."

            Monday afternoon Cassandra made her usual rounds stopping in room 331 she tapped on the door before pushing it open. "Good morning, Devin." She entered the room she visited all the pervious week. A young man sat on the bed. A grin spreads across his face. "You aren't Devin."
            "Nope, name's Josh but I can be anything you want." The teenager wagged his eyebrows.

            "Well Josh. What are you in here for?"

            "I laid out my hog."

            "Oh, that seems to be happening a lot lately. I hope you were wearing a helmet."

            "Yep, my brain is safe."

             Cassandra grabbed his chart and skimmed through it. "It says here you wrecked your bike during your paper route this morning and I need to give you the prescribed pain meds so the doctor can set and wrap your finger."

            Josh blushed a deep red.

            "Don't worry big guy, I'll try to be gentle." Cassandra pulled out a blood draw needle and held it up letting the light glisten off the metal. She couldn't stop the smile as the color drained from Josh's face. "Just teasing." She put away the large needle and prepped the correct one before the doctor returned.

            After helping set the finger Cassandra went to the front desk. "Hi JoAnna. Where did Devin go?"

            "Checked out."

            "What?"

            "Transferred I should say. His parents picked him up yesterday."

            "I didn't realize he had parents. A week and nothing then they sweep in and take him home."

            "Not home to a rehab facility. They were out of the country and came as soon as they heard."

            Devin's disappearance haunted her all day. When her shift ended she walked slowly past the empty room and stopped herself from going in to talk to the bed.

            At home she opened her laptop and scrolled through her email. Mostly junk, there was several messages from her dating site. The potential candidates had started to thin since she opened the account a month ago but at least a few new suggestions were present each day. After reading the full profiles on the three potentials for the day she sent one a message and left the computer. Washing her hands and pulling out a carton of ice cream. Dinner could wait, her life was depressing.

            A few weeks passed with her evenings off filled with first dates or looking for first dates. No one measured up to Kenny.

            One such evening she sat at her computer deleting potentials from her list. "It looks like I will be spending this weekend alone. It's probably for the best. Time off might allow me to stop being so picky.

            Another message from the dating site introduced a new profile. "Bikerdude331 has requested a conversation."

            "Biker Dude, really. I wonder if he's 331 years old or maybe that's his address, how original." Cassandra ignored the request and scrolled through the old lists of potential candidates, still nothing. Only two months remained until the Christmas party but she felt the pressure. With that thought she clicked back to BikerDude. Maybe at least he would be big, scaring away any unwelcome comments.

            "Hello, this is Nursemaid88." she cringed as she typed in her handle, bikerdude didn't sound so bad now. A moment later a chime sounded.

            "Hi, how R U?"

            "What are we texting now?" she muttered to herself before tying back. "Fine, U?"

            "bern better."

            "Okay that's it I'm done. Bern better?" She prepared to log off.

            "I meant been. I'm typing with 1 hand."

            Cassandra lifted her eyebrows. "Do I want to know why?" She asked herself while typing that reply. If he didn't like her directness he could leave.

            "Can't use the other for a while, doctor's orders."

            "Sorry, what happened."

            "Mad at now exgirlfried drove crazy..."

            Now the lag time came from Cassandra, what do you say to that? "I hope you make a full recovery."

            No reply came for two full minutes and Cassandra thought he had logged off. Then his message came through.

            "thanks. I hate that i sound like an idiot that takes forever to respond. i'm actually a okay guy."

            "Anyone who says that is usually not." Cassandra argued.

            "I've never said anything like that before. I bet you think I'm a real dork now. I'll just shut up. I've been told that I'm a good listener. What's on your mind?"

            "The last person I felt was a good listener left without even saying goodbye. It made me a little sad."

            "Who was he?"

            "To be honest, I never heard his voice. I work at a hospital where he was a patient."

            "Patient? a captive audience can usually at least pretend to listen well."

            "Ha ha, I thought you were listening now."

            "Sorry go on."

            "There is nothing more to say."

            "Then tell me about something else. Why did you join this dating site?"

            "Duh, why would anyone join? To find a guy. Well I'm guessing in your case it's to find a girl."

            "Any specific guy?"

            "If it were a specific guy I wouldn't have to be here to find him. I'm looking for a date to a Christmas party."

            "In October."

            "It's a long story."

            "I'm listening well reading."

            "You asked for it." Cassandra started typing, telling him about her dear roommate from college. "So in summary, I'm sure my ex-boyfriend will be there since he's her cousin, I'd really like to have someone with me so I don't look like a pathetic reject."

            "Why go at all?"

            "I will not admit defeat so easily. I want him to know he didn't break me and my roommate has threatened to set me up with the least attractive guy she can find."

            "The truth comes out. would you say you're once bitten twice shy?"

            "Funny, I used that expression talking to my patient friend."

            "Oh? when do you usually work?"

            "My shift changes each week. Last week it was afternoons this week I'm on the morning shift. I work one weekend a month. Tonight, I have some things I need to do before an early bedtime. Nice talking to you. It did cheer me up. Thanks."

             Halloween came with it's fun costumes and candy. At the hospital they had a costume parade and displayed the pumpkins they had carved the week before. Cassandra clocked out then went around reverse trick or treating to the patients visiting with those that wanted and leaving treats for those too tired to talk. She arrived home late and went to bed.