By Design by J. A. Armstrong Page A

“Mom?”
    Marianne
took the phone from her sister. “Mom,” Marianne’s voice came over the line.
    “Jameson….”
    “Mom,
calm down, okay? We don’t know anything, just that Grandma Pearl is at Mercy
and wants you to meet her there,” Marianne said. Candace nodded dumbly on the
other end of the phone. She felt suddenly paralyzed by fear. “Mom?” Marianne
called. “Are you going to be all right to drive? I’ll call and have someone…”
    “No,”
Candace snapped to attention. “No. I’m on my way. If Pearl calls tell her I
will be there in about half an hour.”
    “Mom….”
    “Marianne,
I’ll be fine.”
    “It
will be all right,” Marianne said with genuine compassion.
    “I
hope so.”
    “It
will be. I still have to harass this woman,” she said. Candace smiled as best
she could. “Call us when….”
    “I
will.”
    ***
    Candace
blew through the emergency room doors like a small tornado. She made her way to
the desk, flushed and fearful. “I’m looking for Jameson Reid.”
    The
desk attendant looked up. “Senator Fletcher,” he immediately recognized the
woman.
    “Yes.
Jameson Reid,” she said pointedly.
    He
looked at the screen in front of him. “Room four,” he said. Candace was already
moving forward when he stopped her. “You need this,” he said, handing her a
visitor sticker with the room number on it. He pressed a button to open the
automatic doors and the world slowed down for Candace. People were bustling
through the hallway. She saw the room number ahead and willed her feet to keep
moving.
    “Senator?”
a woman’s voice called for her attention. Candace turned. “Your friend asked
that I make sure you find the room.”
    Candace
nodded. “Is she?”
    “Right
in here,” the nurse said, pushing the door open.
    Pearl
was standing in front of the bed and Candace could not immediately see Jameson.
She stopped just inside the doorway as a wave of fear eclipsed her. Pearl
turned and smiled. “Took you long enough,” she said. She moved aside and
Candace finally saw Jameson.
    Jameson
smiled as best she could. The relief that traveled through Candace instantly
produced a steady stream of tears. She made her way to Jameson’s side and
gently touched the architect’s cheek. Jameson had a bandage over her right eye
and a sizable welt on her forehead. Her eye was several shades of green and
blue. Candace tenderly traced the injuries, without any words.
    “I’m
okay,” Jameson tried to reassure her. Candace’s tears fell more swiftly as she
finally looked in Jameson’s bloodshot eyes. “Hey, people are going to think you
like me or something,” Jameson tried to coax Candace to relax.
    Candace
laughed through a sob. “I more than like you, you lunatic.”
    Jameson
smiled and took hold of the hand that was continually stroking her cheek. “Spoken
like a true politician,” she said. Candace continued to cry. “And, I love you
too,” Jameson said.
    “Don’t
you ever scare me like this again,” Candace warned the woman in the bed.
Jameson kissed Candace’s forehead. “I love you,” Candace admitted hoarsely.
    “I
know,” Jameson said, allowing Candace’s head to fall onto her shoulder. “But,
it’s nice to hear you say it. So, now, use your clout and get me out of here.”
    Candace
laughed. “I don’t know about that. Let’s see what the doctors say.”
    “They
say I can go home as long as someone stays with me. Know anyone who might be
willing?” she asked.
    Candace
looked at Jameson. “I might have some connections,” she said before leaning in
to kiss Jameson’s lips softly.
    “Is
that one of my prescriptions? Because I might look to fall off a ladder every
day, if it earns me one of those.”
    Candace
pulled back and scolded Jameson with her eyes. “What do you mean you fell off a
ladder?” Jameson shrugged. Candace looked to Pearl who in turn shrugged. “How
did you fall off a ladder? Where were you on a ladder? Wait…why were you