Author's Note: Hey, everyone. Yes, it's been a while. Why, you may ask. I'm pissed at Ed. You see, Counselor Eals is pissed at writer Eals for being naive enough to create this storyline. Also, since the last time I wrote for this story, Inmates took a counselor and three C/O's hostage and murdered one of the C/O's. No, it was not my institution, but, as the inmate loving media won't tell you, we did have riots at my institution the next Monday. Yeah, sucking in pepper-ball spry for six hours while serving soup to ingrates sucks beyond the telling of it. I spent about three months in the "pissed-off" stage of grief (apparently someday I'll enter those other stages?). And then my boss called medical on me twice in two months (gaaaaahhhhh!). In fact, I was part of a delegation to the National Holocaust Museum to discuss the history of inmate treatment and the tour guide came away with not "you should think about how you treat inmates," but, "you all need therapy." You CANNOT MAKE THIS STUFF UP. Yes, it's friggn' sucked, dudes. Anyway, here's a more cheerful chapter for you. *Happy Face Emoji*
The Crown V. Edward Lane
Chapter 5: Animal Crackers
St. Patrick's Hospital
Sam grinned as he entered Jules' room and found her awake. Ever since her coma, any sight of her hazelnut eyes filled his heart with joy beyond measure.
"Hey, sweetheart," he enthused, "Animal Cracker? The monkey gets to wear pants (!)." he exclaimed proffering the box he'd just bought from the vending machine for his "brunch."
Although her voice was still groggy and slow, Jules was speaking in complete sentences again. This state filled Sam's heart with even more joy.
"No, thank. I'm good," Jules responded with a smile. "Still full off that Ensure and saline IV I got an hour ago," she ended with a wince and her right hand to her head.
"Jules, you okay?" Sam asked with concern as he rushed to her side.
"Awwfff," Jules breathed out as if there was little need for concern. "It's just a little headache."
"Just a little headache, huh?" Sam inquired and smiled. Yes, he thought, yes, this is it.
Sam leaned in, took Jules' hand and directed, "Marry me," with strait, serious eyes.
"What?" Jules asked in confusion, a confusion that was far different from the confusion she'd been feeling since she had awoken from her coma.
"Marry me," Sam said again, this time with bright eyes and a smile.
"Is this just because—" Jules began.
"No, Jules, no," Sam cut her off with a slight laugh and a head shake, throwing his box of Animal Crackers to the side as an afterthought. "Nothing is 'just' with you." He took both of her hands in his and chuckled lightly. "You're not 'just' the most beautiful, intelligent, frustratingly amazing human being I've ever know." He paused to kiss their conjoined hands. "You're not 'just' the only person I've ever loved the way I love you." Sam smiled a hundred watts worth of light, "You're not 'just' anything; you're the reason I exist."
Jules looked at Sam askance, not in ambivalence or confusion, but in absolute incomprehension. "Sam, what…"
Sam smiled and leaned in to become five inches from her face. "Marry me, Jules," he cajoled. "I don't want you to be 'just' anything; but I do want you to be my wife."
Jules stared at Sam in absolute amazement. She thought of all they'd been through; the media tower, the gun shot, the break-up, the reunion. Hypothetical extreme hiking for a honeymoon. Almost bleeding out. Anthrax. Near death. For them both. Again, and again, and again… "Yes," she breathed softly and stared him straight in the eyes, "YES!" she enthused with joy.
Sam kissed her softly on the lips, "you have no idea how happy you make me, do you?" he asked with a smile and hug.
"I have an idea of how happy you make me, so that's something," Jules replied as she snuggled into Sam's embrace.
Sam laughed, "You know, I'd planned to do this at the top of a mountain in Vancouver a couple of days ago," he ended by kissing her cheek.
"Hmmm," Jules leaned in to Sam. "That would have been the cheesiest piece of shit proposal ever," she chuckled.
Sam laughed to himself, I knew she'd say that. "Jules, I just proposed to you in a hospital bed. Can you spell Soap Opera?"
Jules just chuckled again and leaned farther into Sam's embrace. "So we're a cliché; sue us."
Sam just smiled in response: this was the woman he loved; this, this simple moment of joy and contentment, was the moment he knew that whether by God or the universe: this was just the place he was supposed to be. This was the definition of happiness.
Additional Author's Note: I'm traumatized, people. Just leave a darn review. *Happy Face Emoji* : )