And Then She Kissed Me
By Jeremy Spencer
Copyright 2004

All rights reserved.  This story may be downloaded for personal use, but any posting to a website, free or otherwise, is strictly forbidden. If you have found this story somewhere other than my page (http://www.asstr.org/~Jeremy_Spencer/) or at Storiesonline, please let me know by filling in a feedback form at either place.

Author's Note: The following is a fictional story. In it, fictional characters have hot, sweaty, unprotected, fictional sex. They live in a fictional world without fictional diseases. You do not. Be careful. All characters in this story are old enough to know what they're doing. Now, on to the show!

*****


Getting a phone call at three in the morning isn't something I would recommend if you're looking for a way to wake up that's gentle on the nerves. The ringing jarred me awake and I waited a moment, expecting Angie to pick up before my sleep-addled brain remembered that she was with her mother.

"Hello?" My voice was thick and raspy, and I hoped to God the caller had a good reason for getting me up at such an early hour.

"Mr. Daniels?"

"Yes... who is this?"

"I'm sorry, sir. This is Mercy Hospital in Apple Ridge. This is Mr. Daniels?"

"Yes. What is it?" I asked, aware of the worry I could suddenly hear in my voice. Apple Ridge was halfway between our home in Black Ridge and Stapleton, where Angie's mother had moved after Angie started college. Angie had said she wasn't sure when she was coming back, and to be honest I hadn't been all that sad to see her go at the time.

Married life had been a tough adjustment for us, and I was beginning to wonder if we'd made the right decision. I knew it was a foolish thought, because every couple goes through a rough stretch, all our friends said so. At the time, it had been a relief to be on my own again at least for a few days, but the thought of Angie in the hospital wiped that all away in a heartbeat.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Daniels. There's been an accident on the interstate, and your wife is in critical condition.

"Wait a minute. Are you sure you have the right Daniels?"

"Keith Daniels?"

"Yes... oh God... it's my wife? Angie?"

"Yes sir, I'm sorry sir. I don't know any particulars, just that she was involved in a car accident and was flown in an hour ago."

"An hour?"

"Yes. There was some confusion as to her identity."

"What? Jesus, start over. How is she? Why was there any confusion?"

"She was unconscious when she came in, and... I'm sorry sir, there's no delicate way to put this, most of her clothing and all of her personal effects were lost with the car."

"Oh fuck... I'm sorry... what happened? Just tell me what happened." The nurse didn't know enough to tell me anything, and I waited an agonizing few minutes while a police officer who had been on the scene and was still hanging around the hospital was called to the phone.

He went on to tell me that Angie appeared to have been driving alone in the country, when her car was sideswiped by another vehicle at an unmarked intersection. The other driver had been killed instantly, the car a twisted wreck in the middle of the road, but Angie had survived, and her car had skidded off the road.

The impact was violent but not remarkably serious, he said. The other driver would have easily survived, but had not been wearing a seatbelt and broke his neck attempting to fly through the windshield. Angie wasn't hurt with the impact, and would have been fine, but in trying to gain control of the vehicle, she had driven onto a farm property and ran into an above ground fuel tank, which exploded onto the car.

"Oh Christ," I moaned. "How is she? When can I see her? I can be there in ninety minutes."

"Sir," the officer interrupted. "I'd advise you to stay where you are. We'll send someone to get you. There's no rush, Mrs. Daniels is in surgery and will be for the next few hours." My heart was a lump in my throat and I felt my world crashing down on me. I sat back on the bed and took a few deep breaths before continuing.

"What kind of surgery?" I asked, fearing the answer.

"Reconstructive. I'm sorry I don't know any more at the moment."

The officer said a car would come to get me shortly, and he hung up. My hand was shaking as I put the receiver back on the cradle, and I happened to glance at our wedding picture, taken only three months ago.

Knowing I had a while to wait I dressed and headed to the kitchen. I needed a drink.

*****

I was a freshman in high school, and I hated every minute of it. I was the definition of geekiness, and none of the upperclassmen, or most of my friends for that matter, failed to remind me of it at any opportunity. The fact that I had hair that couldn't be managed with all the hairspray in the world didn't help things much, especially in tandem with what were easily the thickest pair of glasses in school.

Combine my less than stellar looks with a schedule that included calculus and advanced economics, not to mention band and choir, and I was the butt of more than a few jokes.

If it wouldn't have been for Angie, I don't know if I would have made it out of my social hell.

Angie and I grew up next door to each other, and for most of our elementary school years the two of us were inseparable. Whether it was racing toy cars on the sidewalk or dressing up our stuffed toys in baby clothes, if one of us was doing it so was the other. I remember one time in junior high my mother commenting, "that Angie is sure a nice girl," and the idea stunned me.

Angie wasn't a girl! She was my best friend, and that was that, and I was sure she felt likewise. We told each other all our secrets, and neither of us had hinted that we had any kind of feelings for each other, so the obvious assumption was that we didn't.

Things began to change after that, possibly because of my mother's comment, or possibly I was just growing up. When we got together now, I was acutely aware of just how much of a woman Angie was turning out to be. Playtime together became more and more difficult, and if I hadn't known better I would have sworn she was dressing to tease me, but Angie wasn't that kind of a girl.

Or so I thought.

It was the homecoming dance, and I didn't know enough to realize that the uncool kids really didn't go to the big social events, especially without a date. I was unpopular and without a date, and as a result spent much of the evening sitting at one of the tables, far away from the dance floor, drinking punch.

I'd had no luck finding a dance partner, and it was beginning to stick with me that all of the girls I had asked to dance had turned me down cold, without so much as an "I'm sorry." I was beginning to contemplate heading home when I felt someone stop and stand in front of me.

"Hey Angie," I said.

"Hey yourself. Wanna dance?" I looked at her quizzically. Surely she wasn't serious?

"Really? You want to dance... with me?" I asked. She nodded. "What about Bobby?" Bobby was our grade's sports star, and although he was a nice guy, I didn't like him. He was dancing with Angie all evening, and I hadn't had so much as a chance to ask her to dance, much less the opportunity to say hello. Obviously he was the enemy.

Angie grimaced. "He's off with his friends. C'mon! I wanna dance with you." She grabbed my hand and I allowed myself to be pulled onto the dance floor.

I had spent enough time watching the other kids dancing and having fun that I knew the basics, and held my arms out to Angie. She gracefully slipped into my embrace and the two of us began the typical back and forth motion that marks many junior high dances, awkward and unsure of ourselves.

"So have you had a good time?" she asked. I shook my head.

"Not really. No one wants to dance with me," I said, full of self pity.

"That's not true. I wanted to dance with you," she answered, trying to act slighted, but her grin gave her away.

"Nah, that doesn't count... you're a good friend. You almost have to dance with me," I said.

As we had danced our bodies had slowly filled the original gap we had left between us, and as we swayed to the music our thighs would occasionally touch. I was aware of the swell of her breasts under her white cotton blouse, and tried not to stare.

"Keith. Look at me," Angie chided, and I snapped my head up, afraid I'd been caught ogling her boobs. That wasn't the case though. "You're a nice guy," she said, and I felt a burning sensation as her chest came in contact with mine as the two fiery points of her tits pressed into me. "A lot of girls would be happy to dance with you." I was suddenly short of breath and could only nod.

We danced another song together after that, our bodies moving closer and closer until at last Angie's arms were tight around my neck, my own hands resting on the gentle swell of her ass. I wasn't aware I had an erection until I felt Angie's hips push against mine, and I suddenly felt pressure where before there had been none. I felt my bulge pressing against her midsection and knew she certainly must feel it too. Embarrassed I tried to pull away, but Angie held tight.

"Is that for me?" she asked, a small smile playing across her lips. I nodded and was relieved when Angie ducked her head, resting against my chest. I felt her sigh, her pear-sized breasts pressing hard against my chest. I unconsciously wrapped her tighter in my arms and as she shifted against me, I could feel my head spinning with all the new sensations.

I thought we were done when the song ended, but the DJ announced one last song, and Angie showed no signs of breaking our embrace.

"What about Bobby?" I asked again, concerned she might want to dance with him.

"I don't care," she said, raising her eyes and looking into mine. "I'm having a much better time with you. You're a good friend," she said quietly as she again leaned into me. I felt her slide her hips against mine and I pulled back slightly, once more embarrassed, but Angie quickly positioned herself and again wrapped me in her embrace.

In all her moving around, Angie had managed to slip one leg between mine, while my right leg was pressed firmly against her crotch. I felt my dick give a surge as her smooth thigh began pressing against it, while at the same time Angie began humping her pussy against my leg.

Without any conscious thought, my hands slid further down her back, until both were grasping at her firm buttocks. I gave a quick squeeze and then panicked as I felt Angie start and her muscles tense, but she gave a little sigh and pressed more firmly against me.

We held each other after the final song was over, swaying to our own music until at last the lights were turned on. Angie looked up at me and smiled. I looked down, happy to spend so much time in her arms, and then she kissed me.

I froze, not having expected that, but finally melted into her arms, kissing back at her sweet lips. We managed to pull ourselves away from each other and Angie gave me a quick wave goodbye, with a promise that she would see me tomorrow. She went off to search for Bobby, and I made a beeline for the parking lot, hoping no one would see the bulge in my pants.

Riding a bicycle home with a raging hard-on is generally a very unpleasant experience, but I didn't notice a thing, I was so wrapped up in my time with Angie.

"How was it?" my mother asked when I got home. She always stayed up when I was out, and this evening was no exception.

"Good," I mumbled, wanting desperately to get to my room and relieve the tension in my groin.

"Sit down, tell me about it," she said, motioning to a chair.

"That's okay," I said. "It was fine. I sat around most of the night and danced a couple of dances with Angie. Goodnight!" Before she could respond I was out of the kitchen and in my room.

I closed the door behind me and within seconds was lying on the covers, my pants around my ankles as my fist flew up and down my erection.

I'd never had any personal experiences I could use as masturbatory material, and I kept remembering the feel of Angie's breasts against my chest, the way her ass felt in my hands as the muscles tensed and relaxed while we danced. I remembered the stray hairs that brushed against my face and the way she smelled. I felt myself rapidly approaching my orgasm, so rapidly that I had no time to grab my usual towel, and before I was ready the first burst of semen sprayed all over my stomach.

I lay there panting for a moment before sitting up. My shirt and chest were a mess with my sticky cum, and I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. Groaning, I reached down and pulled off a sock and quickly wiped myself clean. Collapsing back on the bed, I pulled the covers over my naked body and fell asleep, dreaming of Angie.

*****

True to the policeman's word, there was a quiet knock on door little more than hour later, and I wondered how quickly he had driven to get here.

"How is she?" were the first words out of my mouth, but the man in front of me raised his hands, shaking his head.

"Sorry, I don't know anything about it. I was just told to come pick you up. You'll have to wait to talk to the doctors. Sorry. Do you have an overnight bag with you?"

I did, and we were quickly off.

The ride to Apple Ridge seemed to last for hours. Visions of a burned and scarred Angie lying in a hospital bed ran through my head the entire trip. At one point I must have inadvertently moaned out loud, because the cop looked over at me sharply.

"Hey, mac... you okay?"

"Yeah, sorry. This is just so... I don't know what to think. The nurse I talked to seemed to think she was going to be okay, but I haven't talked to anyone who really knows anything, and she's in surgery right now, and I just don't know what to think."

"Can I say something?" the cop asked, and I nodded. "It's a real good thing she's in surgery, you understand that, right?"

"Why?"

"If it was hopeless, they wouldn't bother. The fact that she's there means there's hope. So hang your hat on that, remember that, okay?"

"Yeah." I sighed, staring out the window. "It's just... we've only been married a few months and we had a fight and she ran to her mother and... God... what if that's the memory she had of me, screaming at her to run back to mommy?" I started to cry and buried my head in my hands, trying to fight back the tears.

"Do you love her?" the cop asked, finally breaking the silence. I nodded that I did.

"Of course, it was just a stupid fight."

"Then you tell her you love her when you see her, got it?"

*****

After the initial shock of the homecoming dance wore off, I began to think more and more about Angie and me as an actual, honest to goodness couple. The thought scared me, but when I tentatively asked her out on a movie date the following week she accepted happily.

I wasn't sure what had gone on between her and Bobby, and wasn't sure I wanted to know, but being with Angie made me happier than I'd ever been before, and I didn't give him much thought. There was one scary confrontation with him and what seemed like half the football team, but Angie stuck up for me, and any problems I had seemed to disappear.

It's amazing what happens to a guy's confidence when he has a pretty girl on his arm, and my high school years seemed to fly by. By the time our junior prom came around, the two of us were one of the "old couples" of the school.

As often as I had been allowed the privilege of touching Angie's beautiful body, or feeling her hands on my penis as we kissed and groped in the back seat of my car, my heart stopped when I watched her come down the stairs in her prom dress. She had dressed in a tight maroon number, all billowy and sleek. It was sexy as hell without being slutty, accenting her femininity without being ostentatious, and I suddenly felt numb all over just looking at her.

"Close your mouth son," Angie's father warned good-naturedly, laughing at my look of awe. "You're liable to catch a fly doing that." I snapped my jaw closed with an audible snap and Angie looked at me, a big smile on her face.

"You... you look beautiful," I stammered, and Angie blushed at the compliment.

"You do too," she said, looking me over. I clean up pretty nice, I guess, and the tuxedo and shiny leather shoes certainly helped, but I felt like a toad next to her, and told her so.

"Nonsense," she said, giving me a quick kiss on the cheek as we waved goodbye to her parents and headed to the dance. "I never feel more beautiful when I'm with you. I love the way you look at me, and I think we look good together."

"If that's true," I answered softly, "then it's all because of you. You're easy to look at," I said, my entire world swelling and becoming a better place to be as her smile seemed to light up my car.

We danced and ate and did everything a couple is supposed to do at their first prom. We made sure to get lots of good pictures so my parents, who were away visiting relatives, could relive the experience. It was late when we finally left the hotel where the prom had been held. I looked at my watch and saw that we had just under an hour before Angie had to be home at midnight, and asked what she wanted to do.

"I don't need to be home until two tonight," she answered happily. "Let's go out to the pond."

The two of us had discovered "our" place a few months before while giving a classmate a ride home from school. An old quarry had filled with water, and we would often swim there during the hottest part of the summer. It was also one of our favorite spots to park, and I felt my dick jump in my slacks at the thought of two hours alone together.

I pulled off the path and turned the car off, leaving the auxiliary power on so we could listen to an oldies station. I turned to Angie only to find she had slid over and was hovering inches from me.

"Do you love me?" she asked, staring into the deepest part of my soul. I found I could barely speak, which I had found to be a regular occurrence in Angie's presence.

"Yes," I squeaked, my head nodding vigorously.

"Good. Me too," she murmured as her arms found their way around my neck. I was about to say just how much I loved her when she pulled me close, and then she kissed me. As always I felt an electric spark as our lips met, and we spent many minutes just kissing as our tongues explored together, slipping and sliding against one another.

I had dropped one hand to Angie's front and was happy just squeezing her soft breasts through the slick material of her dress. I could feel the nipple, firm and erect against my palm as she moaned into my mouth. My cock was erect, and Angie squirmed against it, pushing me closer to her hot, wet center as she sat on my lap.

Breaking the kiss, Angie leaned away from me, grabbing for her purse. Finally finding what she was looking for, she handed me a tiny foil packet, blushing slighly. I looked at the condom with surprise, and my eyes looked up to meet hers.

"Angie?" I asked, not daring to hope what this might mean. She nodded silently.

"Do you want to?" she asked, biting her lower lip between her teeth. She looked gorgeous, beautiful, shy and unsure and I knew at that moment that not only did I love her, but I was in love with her, and always would be. I nodded quickly, afraid my voice would betray my nervousness, and before I could move, Angie had slid off my lap, and was quickly shucking her shoes and hose to the floor.

"Wait," I croaked, watching as she undid the buttons running down the side of her dress. I could see the soft skin underneath, and wanted to touch her, wanted to feel her smooth body in my hands. "Let me."

Angie looked at me and turned, and with trembling hands I slid the material off her shoulders, baring the smooth expanse of her back, covered only with a satiny blue bra strap. Angie lifted her hips off the seat and helped me slide the dress the rest of the way off and suddenly she sat there, clad only in bra and panties. I swallowed, trying to get rid of the lump in my throat.

Like any teenage couple, we had made out numerous times, but always fully clothed. I had on a couple of occasions managed to feel her breasts through her bra, and any groping below the waist had always been through layers of clothing. This was the first time I was going to see my lover in all her glory, and my cock was pounding in my pants at the thought, demanding to be set free.

I hate to admit I fumbled, but I did, but I finally managed to undo the clasp of her bra, sliding the cups off the pert cones of her breasts. I sucked in a breath as I saw the pale flesh, capped with nipples already hard with her excitement. Angie looked up at me shyly, suddenly nervous, and I smiled in reassurance at her.

"You're beautiful," I whispered, reaching out to stroke her cheek. "I love you. Every bit of you."

"Thank you," she said, kissing my hand. "Now hurry up, I want to see you," she demanded.

I quickly threw my jacket and shirt into the back seat, but had trouble getting out of the stiff leather shoes. I finally kicked them off and started to unbutton my slacks. Angie watched as I lowered the tuxedo pants to the floor of the car, the obvious bulge of my cock pushing against my underwear.

Angie quickly removed her panties as my own underwear found its way to the floor. It was dark in the car, the only light from a halogen light above the quarry, but I was able to make out the dark outline of her pubic hair. I smelled the sharp tangy odor of her arousal, and my nostrils flared at the spicy scent.

The two of us were soon awkwardly back in each others arms, and we both gasped at the new sensations of naked flesh rubbing against naked flesh. Angie's nipples seemed to burn a trail as she rubbed against my chest, and I could feel the wetness of her pussy as her ass rested against my cock. She groaned, rubbing herself more firmly against my erection, gasping as my hand found a hard nipple.

Not wanting to rush things, I slowly dropped my hand down her front, teasing her navel and sliding even lower as I brushed through the first curls of her pubic hair. I waited there for a sign, receiving it as Angie parted her legs further, allowing me easy access to her cunt. I felt her heat before I reached my goal, the wetness under my fingers slippery and sticky. I reached her wet folds, and lightly teased over the slippery flesh as Angie moaned against my side, covering my neck with moist kisses.

My cock was hard, and I twisted under Angie to free it, and it bobbed up, trapped between our bodies. Angie reached down and grabbed at my shaft, and I tensed, knowing it would take very little to have me cumming in her hand.

"Wait," I gasped, as she began stroking my shaft. Her warm fingers felt good, too good, and I needed to warn her. "If you keep that up, I'm going to cum."

"Mmmm hmmm," she hummed, never stopping her motions. I threw my head back against the car seat, still toying with her pussy, our hips pushing up against each other's hand. I was the first to go, my cum erupting from my cock, coating her hand and my chest, and I felt as her pussy clamped down on my hand shortly afterward, seemingly trying to trap me inside as she shook with her own climax.

We made love that night, slowly and unsure of ourselves. I tried not to hurt her, but Angie would have none of my sympathy.

"It's going to hurt," she said, "but I want to experience everything. I want to remember everything, always."

She straddled my legs and I found her tits at eye level, within easy reach of my mouth. I suckled first one, then the other as Angie's hand grasped my cock. It had not taken long for me to recover, and she swabbed the head of my cock, encased in the condom she had brought, through the wet folds of her pussy.

I moaned as I felt the heat wash over me, even before reaching her wet cunt, gasping as she dropped down on me, the feelings almost indescribable as the tip of my cock inched into her pussy. I felt the head of my cock bump against an obstruction, and knew that I had reached her hymen.

"Go slow and it might not hurt as much," I said, watching as Angie concentrated, her face a mixture of pleasure and pain as my prick stretched the entrance to her womanhood. She shook her head and with a small cry dropped her weight down fully on my cock, as I speared through the tender membrane.

She stopped instantly, as my erection spread her folds in ways she had never before been stretched. I stopped and waited as she adjusted to me. For her own sake as well as mine I found myself willing her to remain motionless. Her pussy felt like millions of fingers grasping at my cock, and I breathed heavily, knowing I would again be very quick on the trigger if she moved too soon.

Angie made a tiny, tentative motion, sliding up my prick, grimacing as my cock pushed against her sensitive folds. She paused again, waiting once more as she adjusted to the new sensations. Soon, Angie was able to thrust against me with less pain, and the two of us found a comfortable rhythm, fucking at each other gently, our mouths tangled together in another kiss.

It was over too soon, of course, and I don't think Angie came. I offered to use my fingers again to get her off, but she was too sore she said. I feared I had hurt her and started apologizing.

"Don't," she said. "I loved it. It was marvelous, and it's only going to get better." She threw her arms around me, burying her head against my shoulder and I held her until it was time to go home.

*****

Finally the drive was over. I thanked the driver and rushed into the hospital, frantically looking for a nurse.

"Excuse me," I said, grabbing at someone I hoped could help me. "Where's my wife?" The doctor shrugged out of my grasp and continued on his way, pointing at the nurse's station I hadn't seen.

"They can help you," he said over his shoulder.

"Hi. I'm Keith Daniels. My wife is here somewhere. Angie Daniels."

The nurse punched the name in the computer and we waited while the file came up on her screen.

"Doesn't look like she's out of surgery yet," she said. "Have a seat. While you're waiting you can fill these out." She grabbed a pile of patient information forms, insurance forms, all asking medical history and other things I knew I didn't know, and pointed me toward a waiting area.

"Wait a minute," I protested, unwilling to be pawned off this easily. "How is she?"

"We don't know yet," the nurse said. "As soon as she's out of the operating room someone will let you know."

"How long is that?" I asked, looking at the mountain of paper I was holding. If she was in there long enough for me to fill all of this out, it could be a long wait.

"I don't know," the nurse replied. The phone rang and my opportunity for more questions ended, and sighed as I took my seat, ready to wait for however long it might take.

*****

Much to our dismay, college choices had meant that Angie and I would be studying in different parts of the country. Our parting in the fall was teary, but we promised to write and call and see each other as often as we could, although we both knew it would be difficult.

Trouble started almost immediately for me. Gary Sanders, my roommate, was quite the ladies man, and I found myself having to fend off attempt after attempt on his part to set me up with someone new. I protested, saying that I had a serious girlfriend, but he shrugged it off.

"Forget her!" he said. "I'm sure she's a nice girl, but she's not here, and Linda is." Linda Wolverton was the newest girl he was convinced was perfect for me. Against my better judgment, I agreed to go out on a date.

"But just one," I said firmly. Gary threw his hands in the air in defeat.

"Fine. But try to have a good time, okay Keith?"

I agreed that I would, and the date was set up.

Linda was a nice girl, and as I found out, not shy in the least. We had gone to dinner and dancing, and as always happens when I find myself in the arms of a beautiful girl, my cock sprang to attention. My hope that she wouldn't notice was short-lived, as I felt her grind against me.

"Nice she said," reaching a hand down to cup my length. I groaned and tried to free myself, but she had a firm grip on me, squeezing and pulling at my shaft through my jeans, and I feared making a scene.

"Let's just dance," I said, trying to pull her arm away.

"Fine," she pouted, but teased me mercilessly the rest of the evening. I was miserable, thinking of nothing but Angie the entire time, but tried to play the gentleman.

"I had a nice time," I lied as I walked Linda to her dorm. She leaned against the door and laughed.

"I know you did," she answered, flowing against me. Her arms reached around me, and she leaned up, tilting her head up. And then she kissed me. I tried to break away, but her lips were so soft, and I hadn't seen Angie for months. I needed this, and my struggle was short lived.

When I finally got back to the dorm, Gary leered at me, looking at the lateness of my arrival.

"How was it?" he asked, wagging his eyebrows up and down.

"Fine," I mumbled and went to shower. I felt dirty, and needed to talk to Angie.

Angie cried when I told her what had happened, convinced I was going to leave her. She brightened when I apologized again and again, swearing I would never do that.

She confessed then to dealing with temptations of her own, but she too swore she would be faithful. I think I knew right then that I would spend the rest of my life with her, but nothing could have prepared me for the idea that her life might only be a few years from ending.

*****

I was sitting there, the unfinished paperwork spread out on the short waiting room table, when I saw a shadow cross in front of me. I looked up and a doctor I hadn't seen was standing there, a grim look on his face. I rose quickly and shook his offered hand.

"Dr. Wagner," he said by way of introduction. "You're the husband?" I nodded.

"What's happening?" I asked, my concern bordering on panic. "No one can tell me anything, they keep saying wait for the doctor, wait for the doctor. She was in surgery... how is she?"

"Calm down," he said, waving me to my seat. "Let's sit here and talk."

I collapsed back in my chair, exhausted from waking up so early, exhausted from driving in the middle of the night, exhausted from waiting and worrying. Exhausted.

"Your wife is in critical but stable condition. The accident itself caused a few broken ribs and a fractured femur in her right leg, along with some internal bruising, but that in and of itself would have been minor."

"Minor?" I choked, sweat beginning to form on my forehead. "What's minor about that?"

"Nothing, nothing, but the collision and subsequent fire from the gas tank on the farm caused far more serious damage." the doctor wrung his hands together, and I knew then that what he had to say wouldn't be good. He was too nervous to be bringing me a happy progress report.

"Go on," I said, closing my eyes as I listened for the bad news.

"Your wife..."

"Angie."

"Angie was trapped in the burning car for quite a while. The fire was slow to spread, thank goodness, but by the time the fire crew was able to get her out, the fire had... she's pretty much lost the use of her legs. It's too soon to say, but the loss may be permanent."

I started shaking as I listened to him tell me all the things that had gone wrong for her. She had spent too much time in the cauldron of the burning car, and seventy percent of her body was covered in burns. It was too soon to say what this might mean for her hearing or eyesight or other delicate organs. When he started talking about the possibility Angie might be unable to have kids, I lost it and ran for the nearest trash can.

I was hunched over, hands on my knees, the rotten smell of last night's dinner wafting up at me, when I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Take this," the doctor said, handing me a handkerchief. I cleaned up as best I could, then took a short trip to the bathroom. I stared at my image in the mirror, bedraggled, unkempt and in need of grooming. Was I ready to face my wife? I remembered looking at our wedding picture before heading to the hospital. That was the image I would have to have in my mind, I decided. Think of positive things.

I took a deep breath and left the bathroom. The doctor was still standing there, a concerned expression on his face. I walked up to him, sounding far more assured than I felt.

"Let's go," I said. "I'm ready to see her."

*****

"I'm ready," I said, trying to take deep, even breaths. My tuxedo was suddenly too tight and I pulled on the collar, trying to loosen the grip it had on my sweaty neck. I looked over to where Bill Carter, my best friend all through college, was sitting, a grin on his face.

"Nervous?" my best man asked. I grimaced, of course I was nervous.

I only planned to get married once, and this was it.

"Yes I'm nervous. Obviously. But I'm ready. Let's go."

I headed to the door, pausing while Bill gathered his jacket and the ring, and we headed for the side of the sanctuary. The minister met us, smiling as he saw the state of nerves I was exhibiting.

"It's going to be fine," he said.

"Try to make it short?" I asked hopefully, my hopes dashed as he laughed.

"I'll try," he answered, patting me on the shoulder. He opened the door and the three of us walked out to await my bride.

She was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen, and the service went by in a blur. I remember bits and pieces of the reception, the mocking toasts, the rattle of spoons against glasses demanding, as if that was necessary, that I kiss my new wife.

Suddenly all the guests were gone, and I carried Angie through the door of our hotel suite. A bit to my surprise and disappointment, we had changed out of our wedding clothes.

"What's wrong?" Angie asked, concerned that I appeared upset.

"Nothing," I laughed. "I've always had a vision of unwrapping my new wife from her wedding gown on our wedding night." Angie laughed along with me, as a sultry look came over her face.

"Maybe later," she said, wrapping her arms around my neck. "How would you like to unwrap me from an old pair of jeans and a sweatshirt, Mr. Daniels?"

"I would like that very much, Mrs. Daniels?"

Our lovemaking was slow and loving, a product of years of practice, although the wedding night jitters were still there. This was the first time I had made love to my wife, after all. Before tonight she had simply been my girlfriend, my fiance... never my wife.

Too soon I felt her muscles spasm around my cock as Angie experienced the first orgasm of her married life. It wasn't much longer before I thrust deep inside her wet tunnel and my cock spurted my seed, coating her slick walls with my sticky sperm, and we collapsed against each other and quickly fell asleep.

The "honeymoon" for us had lasted a solid three months, but the unfamiliarity of living full-time with another person who was also used to being alone put a bit of a strain on our relationship. Angie and I had fought, our first fight as a married couple and she had two days before driven back to stay with her mother.

"I don't know when I'll be back," she had said as she left. "I'm going home. I'm fine, we're fine. I just need some time alone."

*****

I was a bundle of nerves as I walked into Angie's hospital room. I knew what to expect from having talked with the doctor, but it was still a surprise. Her face was covered with bandages, and I assumed the worst was still to come when they were removed.

Angie had been sedated after the surgery and wasn't able to recognize me for days.  I was hardly able to recognize her myself, under the maze of tubes and gauze and heavy bandages.

I waited for hours, days possibly, my entire life was in her hospital room, and I wanted to be there, the first person she saw when she awoke.  I nodded off when my body needed sleep, sometimes stretching out in the lounge, never fully rested of course, always anxious for the start of Angie's recovery.

One morning I woke up and found that many of the tubes had been removed.  The doctor said she could talk now, but she was still very much in pain, and our time together would be short.  I walked into her room, and saw that Angie was awake. Her eyes, bruised and swollen, lit up when she saw me.

"Hey baby," I whispered as I leaned in to kiss the top of her head. "I thought I'd lost you there."

"I'm sorry," she said, crying softly. "I didn't mean for this to happen."

"Shh... we don't have to talk about that. Not now, not later, not ever. It was my fault, and I'm sorry you felt like you had to leave."

Angie sniffled once, then was silent.

"What were we even fighting about?" she asked. I laughed, shrugging my shoulders.

"Must not have been important, I don't even remember."

The doctor quietly left the room, and suddenly it was just the two of us.

"How are you?" I asked. Angie shook her head, unable to look at me.

"Bad."

"The doctor said you should be pretty good. It may take a while, but everything should be alright."

"He did not. Don't say that. He talked to me, and..." Angie started crying again.

"Shh... Angie, we'll deal with anything that comes up. We'll be fine."

"But... but he said I may never walk again!"

"That's okay. I'm going to enjoy pushing you around on the dance floor." I could see her smile, but she was right. This was going to be hard, for both of us.

"He said I may never be able to have children. Keith, we may never have kids!" she wailed.  Angie had wanted nothing more than a houseful of kids, and this would be particularly difficult, I knew. Angie's family was large, tons of kids, and not being able to have any would be something we would not easily deal with.

"Then I'll have you to myself," I answered. "Besides, he didn't say that for sure."

"How can you even want me anymore?" she asked, and tears welled up in my eyes.

"What's not to love?" I joked.

"Look at me! God, I'm a mess. Every bit of me is scarred. I'm ugly, I may never walk again, and I can't have kids. Nothing works, nothing!"

"Angie, does this still work?" I asked, touching my hand to her forehead. She nodded. "Does this still work?" I asked, touching my hand to her heart. She nodded. "Do your arms still work?" I asked as I reached out to her. She took my arms and I hugged her gently, aware of the months and years of heartache and pain ahead of us.

"Yes," she sniffed into my shoulder, hugging me as tightly as she could. I looked her in the eye, leaning close, and kissed her softly on her accident-scarred lips. Our kiss was tender and gentle, and I knew it must have been painful for her.  I brushed away a tear from her eye, staring at the woman I loved, that would always love.

"I love you," I whispered, brushing my hand against her cheek.

"I love you too," she said quietly.

I'm not sure how, but as she said it a calm washed over me.  At that moment I knew everything would work out. Maybe not the way we'd planned, but the best that we could hope for.

"Then I have all I need right here.  You're all I've ever needed."

The End