Chapter Three

Jennifer called Charlie she wanted see him because they needed to talk things over. Charlie agreed to see Jennifer. She asked him to come over to her house so they could be alone while they talked. Charlie went to see Jennifer. She had prepared a candlelight dinner for him by the pool. She wanted to capture the mood of a romantic resort. She had transformed the pool from a splash zone to a romantic retreat. She wanted Charlie to feel like they were on a romantic getaway. She placed floating candles, and flowers in the pool to create an intoxicating glow. She arranged a blanket and pillows along the water’s edge.

Jennifer went into the wine cellar and picked up a bottle of wine for dinner. The dinner consists of juicy lemon and herb roasted chicken. The side dishes were cheesy noodles, tomato and cucumber soup, roasted cauliflower and carrots, and homemade buttered bread. She wanted the meal to be perfect. She spent hours in the kitchen preparing for the dinner. She wants to show Charlie that Logan could not hold a candle to her. She is elegant, intelligent, and beautiful. She has experienced the finer things in life, eating in formal dining restaurant, cruises, resorts, country clubs, charity balls, and other things that trailer park trash could never afford to do. Wearing fashionable clothes that make her look like a supermodel. Always having her makeup and hair perfect. Logan had no idea about the finer things in life. She would never fit into the high society. Logan is trailer park trash and that is all she will ever be. She would never fit into the circle with Charlie. She would only bring him down. He would end up being trailer park trash just like her. He deserved better.

Jennifer convinced Charlie they were best friends and always would be. She only wanted them to continue being friends. Charlie did not know it was a ploy to get closer to him. If she could get closer to him, she could convince Logan they were dating. If Logan believed he was seeing both surely, she would break up with him. That would leave him free for her. She knew that Charlie would have to believe they were only friends. She could not show him how she really feels. She would have to take it slow. Charlie went home. Jennifer cleaned up the pool area and took a shower.

Jennifer walks into her bedroom and thinks about the wonderful night she spent with Charlie. She starts to daydream about him gently stroking her cheek. Running his finger through her hair. Caressing her body. Passionately kissing her. Then she glances at the corner of her room and sees Logan sitting in a rocking chair with a baby. Logan is rocking back and forth trying to rock the baby to sleep. Jennifer turns and looks again. She sees her antique mahogany dresser in the corner. Her bedroom set was passed on to her by her great grandmother. It is a Victorian style bedroom set. There is no rocking chair in her room. Jennifer did not give the image a second thought. She went to sleep in her bed. Jennifer sees the baby to signify warmness and new beginnings. It means new happiness and feelings of security. Jennifer will be happy in her new relationship with Charlie.

Logan is in the hospital with a severe headache. The pain medicine has stopped working she needs another shot. Sandy calls the nurse and informs her Logan is in severe pain. The nurse comes into the room and puts medicine in the IV. Logan feels relief after 10 minutes. She is no longer in pain. She falls asleep. She begins dreaming that Charlie is with Jennifer. He is seeing both. He does not think his family will accept Logan. She is from a poor family, and his family is rich. She does not belong in the social circle with him. His mother, Marie, visited the hospital and instructed her to stay away from Charlie. Marie told her she would never be good enough for Charlie. She is only trailer park trash. Marie told her Jennifer is meant to be with Charlie. She will do everything in her power to make sure Charlie and Jennifer are together. Marie leaves the hospital when Sandy walks into the room.

Logan wakes up and Sandy is sitting in the chair beside her bed. She asks Sandy if anyone had been in the room while she was sleeping. She did not know if it was real or just a dream. She is confused. Sandy informs her no one has been in the room except the nurse. The nurse walks into the room to check on Logan. She saw the name tag on the nurse’s uniform, Marie. Logan began to panic and did not want Marie near her. She started yelling stay away from me. Marie called for another nurse to come into the room. When the nurse arrived and brought a shot and put it in the IV. Logan became calm and fell asleep. Sandy was concerned that Logan had suffered long-term brain damage.

Dr. Collier was called to the hospital. A brain scan was ordered. The results showed that her brain had swollen. Dr. Collier explain a ventriculostomy needed to be performed and a brain surgeon would need to perform the surgery at once. Ventriculostomy is a procedure where the surgeon cuts a small hole in the skull and inserts a plastic drain tube. Cerebrospinal fluid is drained from inside the brain. This helps relieve the pressure. Sandy prayed for a Miracle. Logan remained unconscious and could not be awakened. Her breathing is irregular. Her pupils are not responding to light. Logan is in a coma. Sandy continued to pray for Logan. She hoped that Logan would know she was there. Logan has no meaningful interaction with the environment. She has no subjective experience. She does not dream or feel anything. Sandy is devastated. She felt powerless to the situation all she wanted to do was pray and cry. Doctor Collier explained to Sandy that she needed to talk to her. Hearing the familiar voice could help her recover.

Jennifer took advantage of Logan being in a coma. She knew that Logan was no competition for her now. She could not interact with Charlie. Jennifer called Charlie to offer emotional support. Charlie was upset and hurt that Logan was sick and in a coma. Jennifer asked Charlie to escort her to a Ballet. She did not want to go alone and had no one else to escort her. Charlie agreed to escort her to get his mind off Logan. Ballet is one of the most visually pleasing dance forms. It is a very technical dance that requires extreme discipline. Jennifer had never seen the Romeo and Juliet Ballet before. It would perfect to see it with Charlie. Romeo and Juliet, the love story taken from Shakespeare’s classic tragedy of young love, which in turn is said to be based on a true story of two star-crossed lovers who die for one another. Juliet and her beloved Romeo come from feuding families who forbid them to be together. When all hope is lost, Romeo kills himself with poison. Juliet, finding his lifeless body, kisses him hoping to perish as well. When the poison from his lips does not kill her, she stabs herself with his dagger and falls to her death on top of him. The ballet has inspired great choreographers to interpreting their own vision of the Shakespearean tale.

Jennifer hoped Charlie would see that him and Logan would never be happy. They were from two different worlds. Charlie was rich and Logan was trailer park trash. Charlie’s family would never accept Logan. Logan would never be good enough for him. Jennifer wanted to tell him that she loves him like Juliet loves Romeo. She hoped that watching the ballet with him would be romantic. She wanted him to see that Logan would never understand the finer things in life. She hopes Charlie will realize that Jennifer is perfect for him. His family had already accepted her. Marie wanted the two of them to be together forever. She knew that Charlie could be happy with Jennifer.

Sandy is at the hospital with Logan. She has visited her for months every day. Reading her the Bible and telling her stories about when she was a little girl. Sandy told her about the time she learned to ride a bike. Her father, Bob, was holding onto the seat of the bike and letting her ride. She had training wheels on the bike but wanted Bob there to catch her when she falls. One day Logan was riding the bike down a small hill. The bike started going amazingly fast down the hill and Bob let go of the bike. He wanted Logan to ride the bike by herself. She falls off the bike at the end of the hill. She is so mad. She walks up to the bike and started kicking the bike because it hurt her. Bob picked her up into his arms and loved her. She was happy and wanted to ride the bike again. She rode the bike but would not go up the hill anymore.

Logan always slept in her Cinderella air bed on the floor beside her parents’ bed. The Cinderella bed was pink, purple, blue, and designed to look like a castle. One night Logan slides out of her bed while sleeping and rolled under her parents’ bed. Sandy woke in during the night hearing Logan cry. She searched the whole bedroom and could not find Logan. She awakened Bob to help search for Logan. Bob laid in the floor and looked under the bed. Logan was under the bed. Every time she would try to get up to crawl, she would bump her head and cry. She was scared. Bob slid under the bed and help Logan get out from under the bed. That night Logan slept for the first time in the bed with her parents.

Sandy continued to remember the happy times she had with Logan as a child. For a moment Sandy escaped the reality that Logan was in a coma. She laid her head on Logans bed and begin to pray for a Miracle. She felt Logan move her finger. Sandy was ecstatic with happiness. Logan was coming out of the coma. She had been in a coma for six months. Sandy prayed every day for this to happen. Was it real? She had been living in a nightmare this whole time. Had she finally woken up from the nightmare. Was she only dreaming?

Jennifer is planning a romantic trip to the beach. She would somehow convince Charlie to go with her. She would tell him it was a gift to him. She knew he loves NASA. She wanted to go to Canaveral National Seashore. It sits just north of the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral. The sea turtles’ nest in the sands undisturbed near launch pads where rocket ships are hurled into outer space. She knew Charlie would be enticed to go because he loves NASA. The opportunity to see Kennedy Space Center would be something he would enjoy. She read in a travel magazine about the sun exploding into crimson and purple brushstrokes, painting the powdery Florida sands. The teal water polishes the edge of land. The foamy waves beat to a romantic rhythm as it crashes upon the shore. It was something she wanted to see and share with Charlie. She dreamed of spending hours on the beach splashing in the waves. Watching the sunset on the water. Walking on the beach in the moonlight.

Charlie would love to see Kennedy Space Center. He could explore the future of space exploration. He could experience the interstellar travel of tomorrow while celebrating what is happening right now within the space program. He could see actual spacecraft and see visionary designs to propel the pathway of human deep space travel. He could enter the spaceport of the future, prepare to launch on one of spectacular deep space journey. He could sit down and talk to an Astronaut. Enjoy samples of the food and beverages the Astronauts have while in space. Talk to the Astronaut and discover what is really like to live and work in space. Hear incredible stories from the Astronaut. Experience the dawn of the space age through actual artifacts including a Redstone rocket suspended overhead along with the Sigma 7 capsule and close look at Gemini 9 capsule. There are other activities to do at Kennedy Space Center. Charlie would have an experience he would never forget. Jennifer would share the experience with him. Every time he talked about or remembered the trip, he would remember the time he shared with Jennifer. Jennifer would show him they have common interests and are compatible. One thing he would never have with Logan.

Jennifer invites Charlie to join her for dinner at the local diner. Charlie agreed to meet her there. Jennifer walks into the diner and sits at a booth in the back. She wanted it to be quiet. She could tell Charlie about the trip in private. Charlie receives a phone call from Sandy. She informs Charlie that Logan moved her finger. She hopes the movement is a sign that she will wake up soon. Charlie wishes her the best and hopes Logan recovers soon. He is glad to hear she is doing better. He will continue to keep them in his prayers. Charlie tells her he must hang up the phone now.

Sandy knows that Logan was in love with Charlie when she went into the coma. Will she remember him if she awakens? Charlie walks into the diner and sits with Jennifer. Does he tell her about Logan? Is there any need? Jennifer never liked her any way. Charlie decided not to tell her. They sit down and start eating a Hamburger and French Fries. Jennifer is excited to tell him about the trip she has planned. After hearing about the trip to Kennedy Space Center, Charlie is excited. It is a trip he always wanted to take. Jennifer’s plans of going to the space center were working out as she planned. She wanted it to be special. She wants to have an intimate weekend with the one she loves. She knows Charlie is starting to have feelings for her. It is what she has been waiting for. Finally, her and Charlie can be together as a couple.

Sandy continues to read and talk to Logan. She asks Logan to please open her eyes and look at her. While she talks to Logan, she continues to show signs of movement. She is encouraged that Logan will wake up soon. It will be an exciting day to be able to look into the eyes of her precious child. It would be a miracle. She is afraid to leave the hospital. She wants to be there when Logan wakes up. She takes a leave of absence from her job to stay with her. Bob visits every night after work. Bob sits by her bed as Sandy sleeps in the room. Sandy refused to go home. She will not leave for a minute. Bob brings dinner every night and they eat in the room with Logan. Sandy takes a shower in Logans hospital bathroom. Bob begs her to go home for one night. She needs to rest. Sandy refused. Logan needs me now. I will never leave her side. If she wakes up alone, she will be scared.