Re: Say the Words - ch.55 -- The Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman Fan Exchange

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Date Posted: 09:07:41 03/26/03 Wed
Author: dqfan
Subject: Re: Say the Words - ch.55
In reply to: dqfan 's message, "Re: Say the Words - ch.54" on 09:04:41 03/26/03 Wed

CHAPTER FIFTY FIVE

"She should've been back by now," Charity fussed, pacing about Peter's hospital room.

"Do you want me to go look for her?" Frank asked, a little worried, as well.

"Oh, I don't know�" Charity stopped and sighed, smoothing Peter's bed sheets absent-mindedly. "Why don't we give her a few more minutes and then I'll�"

"How's he doing?" Sophie bounded into the room with an incredible burst of positive energy. Her face was slightly flushed from all the speed limits she'd broken on her way back, and she went immediately to Peter's side, giving him a tender kiss on the cheek.

"Sophie!" Charity exclaimed in a huff. "Where have you been? We were worried about you? Do you have any idea how long you've been gone?"

Sophie appeared confused by Charity's barrage of questions. "Didn't Daisy and Ezra tell you I went for help?" she asked.

"Well, yes," Charity admitted warily. "But that was over two hours ago! You've barely left his side for five minutes up 'til now. What happened?"

Her time with Sully and Michaela had passed so quickly that Sophie hadn't even looked at her watch. Instinctively, she sensed that Peter would be safe while she was with them and the time she'd spent at Oakhaven had given her the fresh perspective she so desperately needed.

"I got some help," Sophie said simply, still smiling.

"Sophie, dear, are you sure you're all right?" Charity attempted to feel Sophie's forehead, just to be sure.

"I'm fine�really fine," Sophie reassured both Charity and Frank. "But I'd like to be alone with Peter now for a little while - if you don't mind?"

Charity took a deep breath and nodded reluctantly. Although concern was still written all over her face, Charity took Frank's arm and headed for the door.

"We'll be right outside, if you need us," she comforted rather uselessly, for Sophie was obviously filled with confidence and renewed hope.

"Oh, and Stephanie wanted me to tell you that the specialist, Dr. Wilson, is booked on the 9am flight out of Chicago tomorrow morning�." she added on her way out.

"Thank you, Charity�Frank�" Sophie accompanied them quickly into the hall, anxious to return to Peter.

As she re-entered his room, Sophie's eyes sparkled. Finishing her optimistic thought, she added brightly, "But, maybe we won't need him�"

^^^^^^^^^

Sophie drew the blinds wide, letting the bright mid-day sun stream into Peter's dreary hospital room.

"Hey there, Darlin'," she greeted cheerfully, dragging a chair toward his bedside.

"Whatcha waitin' for?" she teased lightly. "It's a beautiful day outside and we've got things to do."

"I've been thinking about the house," she began for starters. "After we're married, I want to plant a flower garden�maybe even some roses�and I think we should build an attachment to the house from the garage. There's no sense in us always getting wet�"

Sophie paused for a moment, tingling as she recalled another time it had rained - the night she'd visited Peter in the garage - and the extraordinarily passionate evening that had ensued.

"Well, unless we want to�" she added with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

"And the obstacle course at Horizon could really use a facelift," she continued, mapping out her plans for their future. "I could contact some of Dad's Air Force buddies and see if they'd be interested in helping us renovate it, make it a little more challenging."

"These kids are great, Peter," she spoke with her heart about each and every one of them. "But, you know how much they need a challenge� just look at Ezra� He's come so far, Peter. I really think he stands a good chance of going on to medical school."

"Hey," she kidded him with a gentle poke in the arm. "We're gonna have a doctor in the family�"

Sophie looked down at Peter, hoping for some sort of reaction, but there was none. Lovingly, she brushed her fingertips lightly atop his eyelids, virtually willing him to wake up. Sophie bit her lip to keep from crying. What if this didn't work? Sophie dismissed her fleeting moment of panic with a determined shake of her head. This would work� This HAD to work.

"I miss you, Sparky," she said quietly, the loneliness in her voice echoing off the bleak, antiseptic walls.

"I miss your arms around me�I miss the sound of your voice�and I miss that silly grin you give me sometimes, for no reason at all�" she choked, her eyes filled with love as she pictured it in her mind.

"You haven't told me yet where we're going on our honeymoon," Sophie reminded him sternly. "I don't care where it is, really," she shrugged with a smile, "as long as it's secluded."

"I don't want to share you with anyone, ever, Peter�" she vowed devotedly.

"Wherever we go�whether we travel the world�or live quietly here in Agnes�I just want us to be together forever." Sophie felt a tear, escape down her cheek, and she wiped it away quickly with the back of her hand.

"For now�and for ever," she whispered, repeating the pledge she'd made to him at the old homestead, the night he'd proposed.

Sophie patted his bedside nervously. She honestly didn't know what else to say. She'd laid their future before him with all the hope and optimism she possessed and Peter still hadn't stirred. Needing a little of his strength to continue, Sophie abandoned her chair and, with the greatest of care, she crawled into Peter's hospital bed, curling up beside him.

Gently, so as not to disturb his heart monitors, Sophie laid her head on his chest. He felt so alive�so warm�so safe.

Lazily, she twirled the fingers of her left hand around a few strands of his chest hair, just as she did every night before she fell asleep beside him. Her emerald engagement ring weighed heavily on her hand.

"I love you, Peter," she cried, unable to stop her tears any longer. "I'll love you forever," she promised, holding him tight. "I want us to laugh, and love, and play together�"

Desperately, Sophie held nothing back, pouring every emotion from her heart and her soul into her words. "I want us to grow old together," she smiled through the pain.

"And when it's all over�" Poignantly, Sophie remembered Michaela and Sully's final hours and their eternal happiness.

"I want us to die in each other's arms," she begged, fearing he might not wait.

The stony silence in the room was more than she could bear and Sophie's defenses crumbled into a million pieces. Sorrow threatened to consume her very being and her body became wracked by soft, uncontrollable sobs.

The advent of Sophie's heartbreak was so intense, so all-encompassing, that she failed to notice it immediately - the light, soothing caress of a hand upon her hair. The rhythmic stroking was as gentle, and as soft, as raindrops on a flower petal. Sophie was certain she must have imagined it, until she heard a voice, tentative and raw from its first use in almost a week.

"Don't you think we should get married first?" he asked with a weak, but very crooked grin.

"Peter?" Sophie raised her head from his chest with a start, terrified that her mind was playing tricks on her, letting her hear what she wanted to hear.

"Peter!" She exclaimed joyously, staring into the cobalt blue eyes that never failed to melt her heart.

"You're awake! Oh, my God! Are you all right? I should get someone�" Sophie's words tumbled from her mouth with the same speed that her kisses covered his face.

"No," Peter pleaded feebly. "Just let me look at you, Soph."

"Look�at me?" she questioned with surprise.

In her excitement, Sophie had completely forgotten to ask Peter about his vision. "Peter, can you see me?" she asked nervously.

Calmly, Peter extended his hand to her face and traced Sophie's features delicately with the pads of his fingers.

"You've been crying," he noticed sadly, pausing to wipe a stray tear from her cheek.

"I know," Sophie nodded, gulping back a few more tears�tears of happiness, this time.

"You hate to cry," Peter admonished her with a wry smile.

"I know�" she nodded again, even more sheepishly, as relief swelled in every pore in her body.

Lovingly, Sophie took hold of his hand and placed her lips against his palm.

"Don't make me do it again, okay," she warned strenuously, locking her eyes with his.

Overcome with emotion, Sophie rested her head on Peter's chest once more. Their need to reconnect was strong and time escaped them as they stayed like that a few moments longer�utterly at peace, without any need for words.

It was Peter's improved heartbeat and pulse, which his monitors reported back to the nurses' station dutifully, that finally gave them away.

Paged with the latest information, Stephanie burst through the door to give Sophie the good news. "His vitals are much better, Sophie," she blurted eagerly.

Stephanie stopped short, seeing Sophie on the receiving end of Peter's latest, exceptionally comforting kiss.

"But�I see you knew that," she noted with amazement.

"Hi, Doc�" Peter greeted with a cheerful wave, while Sophie slid off the bed with an extremely guilty look on her face.

Stephanie smiled bemusedly, recalling the day after Sophie's ankle surgery. It was Peter who had done the climbing into bed, that time, she smirked to herself.

Well, whatever Sophie had done, it worked. Stephanie wasn't about to ask questions. She preferred to concentrate on her patient.

"You don't mind if I check him for myself, do you?" she requested Sophie's permission teasingly.

Meekly, Sophie moved aside with a fierce blush on her face.

"What's happening?" Charity and Frank had seen Stephanie breeze past them in the hallway and followed quickly, hoping for good news.

"These women just can't keep their hands off me, Aunt C.," Peter complained ferociously, as Stephanie placed a very cold stethoscope inquisitively atop his chest.

Frank chuckled heartily while Charity sighed with relief and exasperation. "Don't bother," she informed Stephanie helpfully. "He's fine�"

"I would have to agree," Stephanie nodded encouragingly.

"Any dizziness? Headaches?" she asked him, shining a penlight in his eyes.

"Nope," Peter reported succinctly.

"How's your vision?" Stephanie continued her inquiry, making a few notes on Peter's chart.

"Well, it was a little blurry at first," he answered honestly. "But you're all getting clearer by the minute."

"Good," Stephanie smiled. "Now, I think it's time for you to rest."

"Rest?" Peter grumbled like a little boy. "But I just woke up!"

"You need all the rest you can get, Peter," Stephanie ordered, unswayed.

"Nurses told us we'd find the party in here�" a strong, familiar voice boomed, as two more visitors entered, with smiles on their faces.

Peter's tiny hospital room was becoming more and more cramped, as Josh navigated Alex's wheelchair across the threshold.

Alex's hand was still bandaged and his arm was in a sling, the result of a dislocated shoulder when he hit the water. He was wearing pajamas and a robe but, all in all, Charity doubted if he could have appeared any more impressive, even in full dress uniform.

"Dad, you're awake!" Sophie was thrilled that Alex's pain had finally reached a level tolerable enough to warrant an end to the sedatives.

"I've been awake for the past three hours," Alex grumbled with obvious annoyance.

"During which time," he added pointedly, "Josh, here, has been doing his very best to keep me from finding out that Peter was lying unconscious, just down the hall."

"Sorry about that, Sir," Josh mumbled guiltily, "Doctor's orders�"

"Yes, well�now that we're ALL wide awake�" Alex winked fondly at Peter. "I wonder if I might have a brief moment alone with him�"

Stephanie glared at her two most difficult patients. "A brief moment," she emphasized strictly, "and then I want you both to get some rest - understood?"

"Dr. Burke," Alex flattered charmingly, "Have you ever considered a career in the military? You'd be a natural�" he grinned beguilingly.

Charity shook her head in amusement. "Come along, Josh," she chuckled, bestowing goodbye kisses to both Peter and Alex. "Mr. Markasian and I will buy you dinner�"

"Why, thank you, Ma'am," Josh replied, finding himself being ushered out of the room, courtesy of Charity's usual, no-nonsense approach.

The room became suddenly quiet as Alex, Sophie, and Peter each took a second to count their blessings. It could all have turned out so very differently.

Unfortunately, for Peter, it still wasn't completely over - not just yet. Reluctantly, Alex broached a difficult subject.

"You did good," he complimented Peter sincerely, "but�"

Peter sensed almost immediately where Alex's conversation was heading. "How much trouble am I in?" he asked knowingly.

Sophie's happiness began to fade as the realization of what they were discussing hit her full force. Illegally boarding a military vehicle was a punishable offense.

"Well, I thought about having them keep you here as a patient, indefinitely, to avoid the problem," Alex quipped, lightening the mood.

"Oh, good," Peter muttered unenthusiastically, ""Prison or a lifetime of hospital food�my options are improving by the minute�"

"You are NOT going to prison," Sophie stated with as much confidence as she could muster. "Is he?" she added with a desperate plea for her father's assistance.

Sophie had hardly considered the fallout from stowing away on Alex's jet, fairly certain that her years as an Air Force brat, coupled with the sentimental publicity that a father-daughter jump might generate, would protect her from any serious prosecution. But, Peter had no such immunity.

"No, he's not�" Alex reassured Sophie immediately.

From almost the moment he'd regained consciousness himself, Alex had pestered Josh about the crash, the aftermath, and what Peter could expect in the way of a disciplinary hearing. He'd picked up the phone soon after and hadn't put it down until barely five minutes prior to his arrival in Peter's room.

"I've been on the phone," Alex informed them, "with Commander Armstrong�"

"Commander Armstrong?" Sophie couldn't hide her surprise.

"He IS the highest-ranking officer on duty here, Honey," Alex reminded her gently.

If Alex guessed that Sophie and Peter knew of his past with Charles, he hid it well. Charles Armstrong has caused enough pain to his family to last a lifetime and Alex was determined that it would never happen again. So, in the last hour, he'd made a little deal with the devil, so to speak, and he'd done it willingly, with scarcely a thought to his career or his pride.

"According to Regulation F-87, Subsection 23�" Alex read aloud from a fax he'd received from the RCAF legal division.

"Illegal boarding of a military vehicle is a criminal offense, punishable, in times of war, by immediate incarceration without bail, pending a trial by jury. In all other situations, defendant's case shall be heard by the highest-ranking senior officer on duty and may be held over for trial, or dispatched via community service, or a fine levied of not less than ten thousand dollars, as warranted by the individual circumstances, thereof."

"Nice how they make it all so clear, isn't it?" Alex took a jab at the bureaucracy he'd grown to despise.

"So, Commander Armstrong decides what happens to Peter?" Sophie's eyes spit fire at the mere thought.

Peter just gulped, expecting that his fate had been sealed. But, unexpectedly, he heard the following from Alex instead.

"Charles and I agreed that another lavish awards ceremony would severely deplete the base budget at this point, in addition to being a distraction to the men from their duties�" Alex explained wryly.

"They're rescinding your Medal of Honor for saving everyone at Morgan's Field?" Sophie was incensed at the injustice.

"I'm so sorry, Alex," was all Peter could say as he lowered his head, ashamed to meet his future father-in-law eye to eye.

"Oh, please," Alex scoffed at all the doom and gloom present in the room. "I've got three of 'em already, just gathering dust in a closet somewhere."

"If you think I care a flying fig about another one," his voice trailed off with a smile, curbing his language.

It was a smile borne of contentment, for Alex, truly, couldn't care in the least. Sure, the old Alex might have enjoyed another medal to pin on his chest or another citation for valor to add to his name when introduced to his adoring public. But nowadays, the only adoring public Alex cared about was the two people there in that room with him right now.

Sophie and Peter were his family - the only family he had left in the world. What they thought of him was all that mattered. That they were safe and happy and together was all Alex could ever wish for.

He was so delighted by the deal he'd made that there was actually a moment on the telephone when Alex felt sorry for Charles. Alex had been prepared to fight all the way to the Prime Minister's office, in Peter's defense, but their compromise had been reached with startling speed.

Alex had suggested the ten thousand dollar fine and one year of community service as an opening salvo, expecting the negotiations to drag on all night. Surprisingly, though, Charles accepted with little hesitation. His sole stipulation was that Alex must forfeit all additional honors or requests for media interviews of any kind.

Was that really all Charles wanted? How marvelously easy� How pitifully insignificant, really� Alex found it almost impossible to believe that he could be that fortunate.

If Charles Armstrong wanted to continue waging his private little battle for fame and glory, then he'd have to do it with a phantom enemy. Alex was forsaking that old battlefield once and for all.

Perhaps, Charles honestly couldn't stand the fact that the RCAF was about to honor Lt. Commander Alexander Becker, yet again, for his bravery. But, Alex suspected there was more to it than that. Maybe, just maybe, Charles was going easy on Peter because of Sophie� Because of Maureen... Maybe Charles honestly had loved Maureen as much as he professed?

Alex knew for certain that Charles would never tell him so, even if it were true. Either way, it mattered little to Alex. He was engaged in a much nobler battle now, one where the stakes were too high to lose. He was fighting for his daughter's happiness. It had taken Alex almost forty years to realize it, but at least he had. At least he had a chance to make amends, to reclaim his most important title - father. With no children of his own, Charles would never have that opportunity; and, whether he realized it or not, it truly was the highest honor Alex would ever receive.

"Thank you, Dad�" Sophie approached her father with so much love in her eyes that it filled Alex's heart to bursting. The simple kiss she bestowed on his cheek was infinitely more valuable than the Distinguished Flying Cross.

"Welcome, Honey," Alex replied quickly, afraid his brusque fa�ade was crumbling.

"Peter�" Alex extended his handshake warmly. "All you have to do is sign right here." Alex was anxious to seal the deal before Charles could change his mind.

"I'll never be able to make this up to you�" Peter still felt positively miserable about all Alex had sacrificed for him.

"Oh, you WILL make it up to me," Alex threatened with a menacing smile. "You will make my daughter happy every day for the rest of her life or I'll make you wish you went down with that plane," he predicted ominously.

"Yes, Sir, Commander, Sir," Peter grinned as he saluted and signed on the dotted line.

Then, as an afterthought, Peter asked curiously, "Do they know yet what caused the fire?"

Alex shrugged as he replied. "There'll be an investigation�There always is� Nine times out of ten, it'll be some sort of fuel contamination that makes a plane blow like that."

"A foreign particle in the pump or the fuel line," Alex explained, professionally.

"Charles promised a full investigation and considering the fact that the explosion occurred so publicly, he'll have very little choice," Alex reported, satisfied with the outcome of his farewell performance, on all counts.

Sophie could see both Peter and Alex were tiring from the strain of the conversation. Abruptly, she put an end to it.

"Okay, back to sleep - both of you," she ordered swiftly, preparing to wheel Alex back to his room.

Before she left, Sophie gave Peter a long, loving kiss and whispered something privately in his ear.

Peter's grin was as wide as the Grand Canyon as he watched Sophie and Alex disappear down the hallway.

Easing himself comfortably to one side of the bed, Peter closed his eyes and dreamed sweet dreams, hearing Sophie's soft voice inside his head.

"Scoot over� I'll be right back�"

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