Love's Magic Collection - Books 1-5

Chapter 1-2

“Sure,” replied Daniel, rising to his feet. He took Mallie’s hand and they continued to talk as they walked slowly back up the beach. Mallie told him about her father’s accident and subsequent death.“It must have been tough,” Daniel replied. “I can’t imagine being without either of my parents. They sometimes drive me crazy, but it is good to know they are there when I need them. They must be going through t*****e now. Mom called my sister. She and her husband will be coming. She tried to reach my brother but he is in the Marines. All she could do was leave a message for him. I am glad my sister is going to be here for my mom. Dad tries, but he is just not an outgoing person. I know he feels things deeply, but he just doesn’t seem able to express himself. I know my parents love each other. This is so hard on them.”

“It must have been tough,” Daniel replied. “I can’t imagine being without either of my parents. They sometimes drive me crazy, but it is good to know they are there when I need them. They must be going through t*****e now. Mom called my sister. She and her husband will be coming. She tried to reach my brother but he is in the Marines. All she could do was leave a message for him. I am glad my sister is going to be here for my mom. Dad tries, but he is just not an outgoing person. I know he feels things deeply, but he just doesn’t seem able to express himself. I know my parents love each other. This is so hard on them.”“I don’t have any brothers or sisters. It is just me and my Mom. My mom has been through a lot. It has been just the two of us for the last ten years since my dad died. She has always been there for me. I know my accident has to be awful for her.” Mallie sighed heavily as she turned to Daniel. “Thanks for walking back with me. I had better go in now. Will I see you tomorrow?”

“I don’t have any brothers or sisters. It is just me and my Mom. My mom has been through a lot. It has been just the two of us for the last ten years since my dad died. She has always been there for me. I know my accident has to be awful for her.” Mallie sighed heavily as she turned to Daniel. “Thanks for walking back with me. I had better go in now. Will I see you tomorrow?”Daniel gazed into her face with a smile. “Yeah, I’ll be here. It will be good to see a friendly face.” He gave her hand a quick squeeze before releasing it. “Bye.”

Daniel gazed into her face with a smile. “Yeah, I’ll be here. It will be good to see a friendly face.” He gave her hand a quick squeeze before releasing it. “Bye.”“Bye,” Mallie replied as she disappeared.

“Bye,” Mallie replied as she disappeared.Daniel disappeared also, returning to his body and the sound of the machines and his mother’s prayers.

Mallie listened as her mother prayed for her recovery. She struggled to let her mother know she could hear her. She wanted to reassure her, but she could not make herself understood, she could not get through. It broke her heart that her mother had to suffer so.

* * *

Mallie was comforted to feel her mom’s hand still holding onto hers. The machines were still going strong with all of their sounds. The door opened and the doctor came in.

“Hello, Mrs. Wilson. How are you doing?”

“I am alright. Can you tell me what’s wrong with Mallie? Is she going to be alright?” Mrs. Wilson asked.

“Well,” the doctor replied, “she has some swelling around her brain. We have to give it a few days and see if it goes away by itself. If it doesn’t, we may have to operate. We can only wait and see.”

“It could get better by itself?” Mrs. Wilson asked fearfully.

“Yes, it could.” The doctor replied. “We just have to keep praying and hope for the best.”

“Yes, thank you, Doctor.”

Mallie was encouraged by what she heard. She could hardly wait until she could tell Daniel.

* * *

The doctor’s next stop was two doors down. He entered Daniel’s room with less cheer than he had entered Mallie’s.

Daniel’s mother looked up quickly at the sound of the door opening.

“Hello, Mrs. Grey.” The doctor said as he came to the side of the bed.

“Hello” she replied. “Has there been any change?” She asked hopefully.

“I’m afraid not. The results of the tests are not all back yet. There seems to be very little brain activity. The tests indicate he may have suffered a stroke. We are not sure if there has been any permanent damage yet. We won’t be able to run those tests until he wakes up.”

“He will wake up, won’t he?” Mrs. Grey interrupted the doctor with a question that she desperately wanted an answer to.

“We certainly hope so. We are doing all we can toward that goal. I’ll be back to check on Daniel later.”

The doctor abruptly turned and left the room.

“What a jerk,” thought Daniel to himself as the doctor left. He tried to communicate with his mother, but he could not get her attention. He thought about Mallie. Instantly, he could hear her thoughts in his mind.

What a jerk,”“Hi, Daniel, are you in your room?” Her thoughts were clear in his mind. It seemed as if they were together, face to face.

“Hi, Daniel, are you in your room?” Her thoughts were clear in his mind. It seemed as if they were together, face to face.“Yes, I am. How can I hear you so plainly?” Daniel thought back to Mallie.

“Yes, I am. How can I hear you so plainly?” Daniel thought back to Mallie.“I don’t know. I’m new at this. I just thought about you and there you were.”

“I don’t know. I’m new at this. I just thought about you and there you were.”“Can you hear me as plainly?” Mallie loved the sound of Daniel’s thoughts in her mind.

“Can you hear me as plainly?” Mallie loved the sound of Daniel’s thoughts in her mind.“Yeah, it’s like we are together. I love it. It has been so hard not being able to communicate with anyone.”

“Yeah, it’s like we are together. I love it. It has been so hard not being able to communicate with anyone.”“I know. I haven’t been out as long as you but it is scary. I am glad I am not alone anymore.” Mallie continued to send her thoughts to Daniel. “The doctor was just here. I don’t like him very much. He doesn’t seem to have any compassion for the patients or the people that are here for them. I am going to be much better at nursing than that. I have learned a lot, being a patient.”

“I know. I haven’t been out as long as you but it is scary. I am glad I am not alone anymore.” Mallie continued to send her thoughts to Daniel. “The doctor was just here. I don’t like him very much. He doesn’t seem to have any compassion for the patients or the people that are here for them. I am going to be much better at nursing than that. I have learned a lot, being a patient.”“It sounds like we have the same doctor. I wanted to grab him and toss him out the door. He upset my mom and she doesn’t need any more stress.” Daniel sounded as if he could get up and give that doctor a piece of his mind.

“It sounds like we have the same doctor. I wanted to grab him and toss him out the door. He upset my mom and she doesn’t need any more stress.” Daniel sounded as if he could get up and give that doctor a piece of his mind.Mallie laughed softly. Daniel grinned. He liked the sound of Mallie’s laughter. It made him feel good inside.

Mallie laughed softly. Daniel grinned. He liked the sound of Mallie’s laughter. It made him feel good inside.Mallie listened as the nurse came in again and finally persuaded Dana to go to the cafeteria for something to eat. Dana resisted, but she finally decided that she needed nourishment. She reluctantly followed the nurse from the room, after one last look back at Mallie.

Mallie listened as the nurse came in again and finally persuaded Dana to go to the cafeteria for something to eat. Dana resisted, but she finally decided that she needed nourishment. She reluctantly followed the nurse from the room, after one last look back at Mallie.“How do you feel about a walk on the beach?” She asked Daniel. “My mom just went to the cafeteria for something to eat.”

“How do you feel about a walk on the beach?” She asked Daniel. “My mom just went to the cafeteria for something to eat.”“I’ll meet you there. My mom and dad are talking to each other. They will be occupied for a while.”

“I’ll meet you there. My mom and dad are talking to each other. They will be occupied for a while.”In a flash both Daniel and Mallie were on the beach facing each other. Daniel grinned at Mallie as he reached for her hand. Mallie grinned back and they turned and began to walk up the beach. They walked slowly, talking softly to each other. They were just enjoying each other"s company as they walked, holding hands, smiling at each other often, and getting to know each other. After a while they turned and started back.

In a flash both Daniel and Mallie were on the beach facing each other. Daniel grinned at Mallie as he reached for her hand. Mallie grinned back and they turned and began to walk up the beach. They walked slowly, talking softly to each other. They were just enjoying each other"s company as they walked, holding hands, smiling at each other often, and getting to know each other. After a while they turned and started back.“I’m glad that we got a chance to meet,” Daniel smiled down at Mallie.

“I’m glad that we got a chance to meet,” Daniel smiled down at Mallie.“Me, too,” agreed Mallie. Giving Daniel’s hand a quick squeeze. Mallie disappeared from view. Daniel grinned as he followed and was soon in his bed.

“Me, too,” agreed Mallie. Giving Daniel’s hand a quick squeeze. Mallie disappeared from view. Daniel grinned as he followed and was soon in his bed.* * *

While Daniel and Mallie had been walking on the beach, Dana and Mary had been in the cafeteria getting some much-needed nourishment. Both ladies were too stressed to eat much, but both knew they had to eat. Their tables were next to each other, but they were both so deep in thought, they were not aware of anyone else. The nurse, who took care of both Mallie and Daniel, came into the cafeteria. She smiled to see both ladies there,eating. She walked over to their tables.

“Hello, Dana and Mary,” she greeted both ladies. “I am glad to see both of you here. You needed to get out of those rooms for a while.” She pointed to Dana, then Mary. “This is Dana Wilson and this is Mary Grey. You both have children in comas. Daniel is two doors down from Mallie. I hope I haven’t over stepped, but I thought that you two might help each other.”

The nurse quickly departed to get her own lunch.

“What happened to your son?” asked Dana.

“He had an aneurysm and collapsed at work. He is an attorney. What happened to your daughter?” asked Mary.

She was struck by a car. She was on her scooter on her way home from college. The boy in the car turned the corner and did not see her until it was too late. He is fine, but Mallie has swelling on her brain and is in a coma. We are waiting for the swelling to go down to see if she will need an operation. I’m sorry about your son. Is he going to be alright?”

“We don’t know. All we can do is wait and see. It is very frustrating. I am sorry about your daughter, I hope she will be alright.”

“Thank you. Do you live here in Denton?” Dana asked.

“Yes,” replied Mary. “My husband owns the hardware store. We were very proud when Daniel decided to be an attorney. He was so happy when he passed the bar exam. I can’t imagine what caused the aneurysm.”

“Maybe the doctors will figure it out,” replied Dana. “Mallie is in her last year of nursing training. She has worked so hard.”

“What does your husband do?” asked Mary.

“My husband was killed ten years ago. He had an accident at the lumber yard where he worked. I work as an office manager at Bob Jenkins’ real estate office.”

“Oh,” replied Mary. “You have had a rough time. I will keep Mallie in my prayers along with Daniel.” She looked at the food left in front of her. “I don’t think I can eat another bite. I think I’ll get back to Daniel’s room.”

Dana looked at her own plate. “I don’t think I can eat any more, either,” she said. “I think I will head back upstairs.”

The two ladies disposed of their trays and headed for the elevator. They were both anxious to see if anything had changed in their absence.