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7. First Words Spoken
Finn kept rubbing her hand and whispering encouragements to her as she started to stir. He looked at Dr. Berkeley for affirmation that things were moving in the right direction and he gave Finn a thumbs up.
Elle walked in and stood in the doorway, monitoring her progress. The monitors were showing increased activity and her eye movements were increasing. Finally, Lili let out a groan and twisted a bit in bed. She was still sound asleep but Finn was ecstatic, smiling ear to ear.
Leaning over Lili, Dr. Berkeley checked her heart and stepped back, pleased with her progress so far. More restlessness and another groan. Her eyelids fluttered and almost opened before she settled in again.
Her covers had come undone so Finn straightened them out and pushed her unruly hair out of the way. Just as he was sitting back down he heard, "Finn, Finn, where am I?"
"Lili, oh my Lili. You're in the hospital. D
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Protecting My Heart 8. Somethings Are Better Left Unspoken
You're safe now. You're safe now. His words swirled around her head as she continued to hold his hand. Lili thought, 'How could I be safe?' Even with Hal dead, she was traumatized by the abuse over the last three years. It could take a lifetime to overcome. Lili looked into Finn's eyes and politely smiled and patted his hand condescendingly and said, "I don't think that I'll ever feel safe with any man, even you, but I need to trust someone." She watched as Finn hung his head down and his forehead rested on her hands and she heard him whisper, "Please, Lili. Please give me a chance to take care of you. I will do my best to nurse you back to health." She remained silent and pulled her hand away from him. Truth be told… his touch terrified her because she trusted him. Why? There was no explanation, but she trusted him. She closed her eyes and started to cry. The tears flowed s
Protecting My Heart 9. The Power of Words
Several nurses rushed to Finn's side and one of them managed to revive him. After an initial screening he was whisked in a wheelchair down to the ER and they insisted on doing a full work up on him.He protested that he was fine and was just tired and hungry. Doctor Hill finally agreed that Finn was alright but insisted that he have a full meal and a few hours sleep before he would release Finn to care for Lili.When Doctor Hill left and he was alone, Finn mumbled, "It's okay doc! It's ok. I am checking out and going back to Philadelphia. I know when I am not wanted."He barely managed to speak the words as sleep took over his exhausted brain. Finn slept for seven hours and no one in the hospital dared interrupt his sleep. Finn was unaware of his newfound reputation; local hero. He had avoided the newspapers and the gossip stories that they wrote about Finn and his drug addicted past and his new life. &nbs
Protecting My Heart 10. Next Steps
Finn watched as Lili was getting restless sitting in bed. She was squirming and had yanked the sheets out and was making a mess. She whined, "I need to walk. "Elle is coming in a few minutes and she will show me how to properly help you out of bed and hold you as you walk. Be patient, my sweet." Finn said as he tried to calm her down."At least help me swing my legs over the side of the bed," she begged. He looked her in the eyes and in a dramatic fashion rolled his eyes and fluttered his long eyelashes at her. She laughed at his silliness and said, "Finn, I am glad we worked things out.""Hmmm, me too," he mumbled as he kissed her forehead. Finally, he decided to help her swing her legs over the edge of the bed for the first time and he couldn't stop smiling when he saw the look of excitement on her sweet face. Just then, Elle walked in and asked, "What are you two up to?
Protecting My Heart 11. Empty Rooms
It took several hours to calm Lili down from the latest tragedy in her life, but Finn stayed by here side and held her the entire time. As the tears slowed down, she asked Finn, "Can you go and see if there's anything left? Take pictures. I need to know." Finn was worried that this was not a good idea but finally agreed to go in the morning and discuss the damage with the fire marshall and Billy. In the meantime, he was able to get Lili to calm down and sleep for a few hours. Once he verified that she was asleep, he went to the visitor's waiting room and called Russel. "Hey Finn! How are you and Lili managing?" Finn let out a small laugh before he said, "Well, two steps forward and ten steps backwards." "What happened?" Russel asked with concern in his voice. He knew Finn well enough that something wasn't right. "Russ, Lili's house was burned to the grou
Protecting My Heart 12. Into the Unknown With You
Finn opened the car door and held his hand out to help Lili get out of the car safely. He noticed her expression and wasn't sure if she was going to like this place but once she stood in his embrace she said, "Before we go in, let's just stand here for a second. I want to take this moment in." She was right, this was a big and momentous occasion for them. They would be living together. Two strangers, getting to know each other without defined boundaries. He was scared but tried not to show it. He wrapped his right arm around her as they looked up at the red brick farmhouse with it's inviting wrap around porch and oak rocking chairs. It was really nice and way more than they needed but it was a safe place and they would make it work. "It's nice. Finn, it's nice." Lili was so excited and her innermost feelings were surprisingly positive and she wasn't afraid of Finn and being alone with him. H
Protecting My Heart 13. No Place Like Home
Finn managed to tear himself away from Lili and walked into the bathroom to run the bath water. He filled the tub with warm water and rose water bubble bath. As the room filled with steam he started to get scared that he was going to ruin this moment by saying something stupid or out of place. It wouldn't surprise him, not one bit, if he scared her off by saying something offensive. He wouldn't mean it, but sometime, well sometimes, he just said stupid stuff. With apprehension he shut off the water and walked out to where Lili was resting. She looked so comfortable as she sat there with her cocoa and wrapped in a old flannel blanket that bespoke of comfort and warmth. "Are you ready, my dear little one to feel the warm water on your skin?" he asked. Then he wondered if he said too much, as he scanned her expression for her emotions. Lili just smiled and commented, "Oh my, ye
Protecting My Heart 14. Ghosts from the Past
Around a week laterThe weather was beautiful and Lili really needed to get out of the house, so they planned to take a short walk and have a picnic underneath the willow tree about a few hundred yards from the house. The tree was up a slight hill and it would be a great test of her growing strength.Hand in hand, they walked the short distance and Lili was proud of her increased stamina and how comfortable they were becoming with each other in such a short time."How are you managing?" Finn asked as they were just about to the tree."All is good, all is good!" Lili stated firmly. She didn't want him to think she was a cry baby, just because every bone in her body still ached and the headaches were about the same; intense and at times overwhelming her senses.She was determined to get through this without complaining or taking any pain meds, but she did let him bring them along, just in
Protecting My Heart 15. Aftermath
Finn grabbed Lili and clung to her immediately upon closing their front door. Torrents of tears washed over him as his emotions fell apart. He couldn't pretend to be brave anymore. "Lili, oh my Lili, I am so sorry that my past brought you into danger. I don't know what I would have done if something happened to you today." He just clung to her and buried his face in her wavy red curls. Her scent as well as her touch slowly calmed him down. She was exhausted and needed to go to sleep but pushed through as she whispered, "Finn, of all the days, you finally felt I was strong enough to go on that picnic. If we weren't up there, well, who knows. See, somehow fate, God, your prayers, well they kept us safe. Right?"He just stayed silent, but walked her into their bedroom and tucked her snuggly under the covers and hopped in, from the other side. He whispered, "We can talk later. Can I just ho
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