Page 62 of Undefeated

Several of the articles were for first place running in long distance. I always liked running, it allowed me to clear my head. The habit of running has stuck with me and become one of the few things I now look forward to. A five mile run will clear my mind like nothing else can. I turned and looked at Shane.

“Fun, huh?” he said as he looked around the room at my things.

It was truly a step back in time, and rather overwhelming. I gazed at the foot of the bed, and wondered what was in the locker on the floor beside the foot of the bed. I knelt down beside it and placed my hands on top of the locker.

“Come here, babe. Let’s see what’s in here,” I said, pointing to the locker.

I placed both of my hands on the top of the lid.

Shane knelt down beside me and sat cross legged on the floor. He turned, put his arm around my shoulder, and pulled me close to him. As I leaned into his shoulder, he kissed me softly on the lips. I pressed my thumbs under the top of the lid as he kissed me.

“Babe, I’m so glad we’re here,” he said as our lips parted.

“So am I,” I responded as I took a deep breath.

He turned and looked at the locker as I opened the lid. A musty smell came out as it opened. My dresses, my shirts, my pants, my skirts - all folded nicely. I turned and looked at Shane, excited to see all of these things that I hadn’t seen in ten or more years. The rush of emotion was filling me.

“Babe, look,” I said as I sorted through the articles of clothing.

I picked up a dress from my sophomore year in school and smelled it. Holding it in my arms, I turned toward Shane. He gazed into the foot locker and rubbed his dog tags frantically with his right hand.

Something’s wrong.

His lip was quivering.

“Babe,” I said softly.

He started to stand, his hand under his shirt on his dog tags.

“Babe,” I said as I stood up.

Something’s bad wrong.

I heard a snap.

His hand came out from under his shirt, holding the broken chain in his hand. He turned and looked at me as if he were in a trance.

And as the dog tags fell from his hand, Shane Dekkar collapsed into a lifeless pile on the floor.

KACE. Having what we hold dear to our heart pulled from our grasp puts things - all things - in perspective. Not knowing when or if the object we love will be returned allows us to truly understand just exactly how deeply that object is embedded in our life.

“I need to know what’s going on,” I begged.

“I’m sorry ma’am. You’ll just have to wait until someone can see you,” the nurse responded.

“Is there someone else I can talk to?” I asked frantically.

“No. There is no one else. I’ll have a doctor come see you as soon as someone knows something,” she said over the top of the nurse’s station.

I put my hands on my hips, looked down at the floor, and wanted to cry. I refused to become weak. I needed to be strong for Shane. I looked up and down the hallway as I saw someone come running toward me. Thank God.

Ripp.

I held my arms out in front of me and flapped my hands.

As he picked me up from the floor and into his arms, I felt comfortable that I was not alone. I felt so helpless and incapable up until now. He hugged me and let me back down onto the floor.

“I got here as soon as I got the voicemail. You didn’t answer your phone,” he gasped for breath as he spoke.