DUO Part Four - Delivered Unto One
This is the continuing musical love story of Beth Northgate and Joel Young. This is instalment five in the series, counting a prequel.
If you've not yet read any previous chapter, I strongly suggest you back and them in this order: 'Songstress'; 'DUO'; 'DUO - Part 2'; 'DUO - Part 3'; 'Sour Notes (the prequel).'
Once again, a huge thanks to tool1952 for his superb editing.
JOEL-
One month later:
The headaches were finally starting to subside from the concussion I received from my severe beating four weeks ago. Thankfully it was my first one (beating and concussion), so we didn't have to worry about any cumulative affects. Still, I was warned, the headaches will happen randomly for a while yet; just how long they couldn't say.
The shattered ribs and punctured lung were another matter. The chest tube had been taken out after a week, but the ribs were going to take considerably more time to heal. I was still in immense pain any time I turned over in sleep or attempted to move about. My repaired right orbital socket was finally losing its ugly swelling and purplish/black/green hue. It was why I was still here at Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Centre. I was now out of ICU and in a private room. My main task now was to rest and heal.
My two sons, Geoffrey and Michael, and my daughter Gwen, had flown in to also be at my bedside during my coma, after Beth had called them. They flew back to Toronto to their jobs shortly after I awoke, and they were assured I was out of the woods. All three remarked privately that after meeting her, they were amazed at Beth's utter devotion to me, seeing as it was such a short time that we'd been together. I could only smile and tell them it was mutual. They told they felt like they were leaving me in good hands. I was ecstatic and their unconditional acceptance of Beth.
The Mayor and City of Charlotte were paying all my medical bills, even though I had supplementary travel health insurance above my Ontario Health Insurance Plan. The city and the Mayor's Office were both outraged and embarrassed by this senseless act of racial and ageist violence perpetrated by three local boys on a helpless older man.
I had received the finest care from a crack medical team here at Novant and the prognosis for a full recovery was very good indeed. Still, the doctors were amazed at my speed of recovery.
I was motivated, I wanted to get home to Beth, the woman I loved beyond all. She and I had so much of life and love to live, I couldn't wait to start the next part of our journey. I was determined to defy the odds but had to walk the fine line between faster-than-expected recovery for a man in his sixties and overdoing it, which would set me back. Fortunately, I had a great physiotherapist, who expertly walked that line with me.
As for my lovely and dedicated lady, after I awoke from unconsciousness, she still wanted to stay by my side, but she was in a state of mental and physical exhaustion. I insisted she go home and get some sleep, and shower; a week without leaving me at all while I was unconscious and singing to me, she was pretty ripe, according to her best friend April (it was more like: "God, you stink Beth! Go home and make yourself human again."). It took both April, and her father, Sam to get her to go home to clean up and rest after a week by my bedside without leaving me.
Now a month later, we had established a routine. Beth went home a couple of hours after official visiting hours were over. She came by in the morning at eight to bring me a decent coffee, and stayed faithfully the entire day, working with my physiotherapist during and after my sessions, making sure I did my post session workouts. She had been given a leave from her part time legal job to look after her fiancé.
I napped frequently, during which time she would sing me to sleep. Her low, sultry, ethereal voice was better than any warm blanket, or sleeping pill. Often, when Beth felt lonely, she would sleep beside me. I had paid extra for a spare hospital bed to placed next to my bed, and it was worth every penny.
I swear to this day, it was Beth's singing and her very presence which had me healing faster than anyone expected. I know without a doubt, her irresistible voice brought me back out of my coma and saved me from death. I wanted so badly to sing with her, we were DUO after all, but I couldn't take a deep breath in yet. I had to content myself with singing with her in my mind, while we gazed at each other with adoring eyes.
April dropped in every day for an hour or so. When we told her that the first words out of my mouth to Beth upon awakening were "Marry me", April burst into tears as she exclaimed:
"It's about goddamn time!!!"
Beth told April her reply, "At once and forever!"
"Sooo, 'at once' kinda means like now?" April said in a hopeful voice.
We both nodded our agreement.
"Really?" April asked, "Here, in the hospital?"
We both nodded again, grinning this time.
"Docs say I'm not ready to leave yet, but neither of us are willing to wait any longer!" I said with a wink of my left eye.
"Oh, you two are beyond belief! OK, we need to start making plans, toute suite. We need rings, cake, dresses...oh, and I bloody well better the maid of honour!"
Beth laughed, "Well, with you telling half the city you were, who else could it be?! Besides, you know I wouldn't have anyone else in the world."
"OK sweetie," April turned to Beth, "You and I are going shopping...NOW!"
We both laughed at April's sense of priorities, and take-charge attitude, although the latter was no surprise to either for us. So off they went, arm in arm, giggling and laughing, while I lay down for a much-needed nap. April was enough to tire anyone out, let alone someone trying to recover from massive injuries.
I had given Beth my credit card and asked her to choose the engagement and wedding rings of her dreams, regardless of cost. She insisted on my input, so on Facetime, we shopped together. Since I couldn't surprise her with a formal proposal, Beth wanted to surprise me with my wedding band, to which I readily agreed.
April had a ball.
Now you may think that since we've only been together physically for just over a month, with a near death injury time out, we should give it more time. The thing is, when you know, you just know. Beth and I knew. April knew. Sam knew. Mandy, assistant manager at the cafe knew. My kids knew. By now, even the staff at the hospital knew. What more proof do you need?
And so, in a quiet ceremony, in the hospital chapel, we were married. Sam, a retired Presbyterian minister, officiated. April was Beth's smiling, teary-eyed maid of honour. Beth had asked Mandy to be as a bridesmaid to her excited, squealing delight.
I'd flown my sons and daughter, for the wedding ceremony, with both my boys as my best men. They were ecstatic to see Dad so incredibly happy after the past couple of years in sadness and misery. The whole medical team that had worked on me were all invited, and all managed to get backups for themselves so they could attend. They swore they wouldn't miss this day for anything.
Beth looked radiantly beautiful in a simple A-Line Crossed V Neck knee length white chiffon wedding dress. I wore a dark blue Indochina suit with open collar.
Our vows are burned in my memory, for they showed how attuned we are to each other. We wrote them down and gave them to each other to read aloud, sight unseen.
Beth, reading my vows:
"My dazzling and beautiful Elizabeth, from the moment I saw you singing online, I knew I had found someone extraordinarily special. I didn't think I'd ever find love again, but you came along and obliterated that thought. Despite our rocky start, we finally came home to each other. You sparkle with an inner light; your singing touches my very soul. I've known love before, but never this deep. I've had musical partners before, but never a musical soulmate until you. You have brought such joy into my life, and literally saved me from death. You bring out everything in me that I can and should be. We will always be DUO - Destined Unto One - one singer with two voices. Now, we are Delivered Unto One."
Beth gasped and started crying at this, looking at me with wide eyes. She could barely go on.
