The Last Race by cm Longily

Lois shook her arms and her legs as she prepared to run race for the Gold. She looked down the track to the bleachers where her dad and brother set. She couldn't see them. but she knew they were there. They had been at every race she had run since the very beginning. Reaching to the amulet around her neck that had some of her mom's ashes. Everything was just right.

She looked over at the girl from Jamacia. They had been running neck and neck. This was it. The winner of this race would take home the gold medal.

In the bleachers at the finish line sat Louis Beck and his son Bill. Waiting, to cheer Lois to victory.

"You see her?" Bill asks his dad.

Louis handed the binoculars to Bill, and said "Yes, look, she has the amulet. She can't lose."

"You, ok?" Bill asks.

"Never better." Louis replied.

Lois shook her arms and her legs as she prepared to run the race for the Gold. She looked down the track to the bleachers where her dad and brother sat. She couldn't see them. but she knew they were there. They had been at every race she had run since the very beginning. Reaching to the amulet around her neck that had some of her mom's ashes. Everything was just right.

She looked over at the girl from Jamaica. They had been running neck and neck. This was it. The winner of this race would take home the gold medal.

In the bleachers at the finish line sat Louis Beck and his son Bill. Waiting to cheer Lois to victory.

"You see her?" Bill asks his dad.

Louis handed the binoculars to Bill, and said "Yes, look, she has the amulet. She can only win."

"You, ok?" Bill asks.

"Never better." Louis replied. 

‘All the years, training for this very moment. If only Caroline could be here. But, in a way she is, Lois had the amulet.’ Louis thought. 

“You have someone in the race?” The man next to Louis asked.

“Do what, yes, yes. My daughter. In lane two.” he said.

“My daughter is in lane three.” the man replied, then said,” She is going to win the gold today.”

Louis looked over at him, and just smiled. 

They had been in Paris since Lôis' first race. They hadn’t seen much of her. Since the athletics had to stay close to their quarters. They didn’t want to take the risk of someone kidnaping them, or worse. 

But after she wins the gold medal, then they can see all the sights together. 

Louis took the binoculars from Bill and stood to see what was going on. It seemed like forever since they came out onto the track. Lois must be so tense. As he looked, he could see her walking around, stretching and getting ready to run. Looking very calm.

Lois had run the race in her head a thousand times, since walking out onto the track. The gun fire to start. The adrenaline rush, the wind through her hair, the pounding of feet on the track. The finish. She had won all the time. Now, it was time to do it for real. 

‘Calm down,’ she thought, ’do what you know how to do. That is run! Run and win!’ 

She didn’t look around, straight down the track. The noise of the crowd was gone, it was just her and the track. 

The call to get in the starting blocks. 

“Get Set!” 

“False Start!”

Lois stands, she doesn't look to see who it was. She leans over and stretches and looks down the track. Nothing going on around her matters. All that matters now is that 100-meter track and the finish line. Being the first across the finish line.

The call to get in the starting blocks, again.

“Get Set!”

The explosion of adrenaline, she never heard the starting gun. She just knew. 

The focus, the finish line. 

The pounding of the feet on the track. Or the pounding of her heart. She didn’t know which. 

Then it was over. The crowd cheering, 

The announcer saying she had just set a new world record. 

Her teammates hang the American flag over her shoulders.

She looks up in the bleachers at her dad and brother cheering for her. Tears of joy running down her cheeks. 

As she looked at her dad and waved the flag over her head. A cold chill ran up her back. He was waving his hands and cheering. Then his face changed, it lost all of its expression. His hands fell to his side, and he slowly began to slip to the floor. Like a balloon deflating. Her brother was down by his side. He looked at her and shook his head.

‘This can’t be happening,’ she thought, ’not now!’

Then everything began to spin, and Lois felt like she was falling down a hole. Then darkness.

She was cold, so cold.

‘Is this what it’s like to be dead?’ she thought, 

She could see light, bright light threw her eyelids.

‘They say you will see a bright light.’

She moved her arms and legs. Everything seemed to work.

Slowly she opened her eyes. The light hurt her eyes; she blinked a few times. 

“Ah, you are awake.” someone said. 

A lady all in white walked up beside her.

“Is the light too bright?” She said, “I will close the drapes.”

Lois took a deep breath, then asked. “Are you an angel?”

The lady looked back at her, smiling, and said.” No dear, I’m your nurse. You are in the hospital. You passed out after the race.”

“I’m so cold.” Lois said.

“Let me get you a heated blanket.” the nurse said, walking to a cabinet in the corner.

As the nurse tucked the warm blanket in around Lois. She tried to set up.

“No. You need to lie still. In your condition.” the nurse said.

Lois moved her arms and legs again, and asked,” Did I break something when I fell?”

The nurse patted her on the arm, smiling and said,” No, dear, you are pregnant.”

Lôis' mouth dropped open. And she sat straight up in the bed.

“What, How, I can’t be……?” she said, fall back on the bed.

The nurse smiled and said, “Surely, by now you have figured out how this happens?”

Lois laid for a while, then set up in the bed again. 

“Of Course, I know how……” she said.

The nurse laid her back down, saying, “Dear, you need to lay down and calm down. The doctor will be in to see soon. So, you stay laid down, please.”

Lois took a deep breath, and said,” My dad, how is my dad?”

“Like I said, the doctor will be in, in just a moment. You need to relax, take some deep breaths and relax, please.”

The door swung open and a tall slender, older man walked in. He wore a white coat with a stethoscope around his neck.

“How is our patient, Marie?” he asked the nurse.

“She is a little confused and agitated, Dr. Lance” she said, patting Lois on the arm. “I think she has a lot of questions for you.”

“What is this about me being pregnant. That can’t be right. And where is my dad and how is he?” She said, setting up in the bed.  

“Marie, why don’t you raise the head of the bed. If Miss Beck insists on setting up, at least she might be more comfortable with the head raised.” He said, “Now for your first question. Well, you must have had relations with a gentleman in the last couple of months. Or we have another case of Miraculous Concepcion. In either case, you are two months pregnant. And should not have run that race. You could have harmed the child, and yourself. We have everything under control, and it looks as though you and the child will be fine. If you will rest and calm down.”

Lois started to say something, but Dr. Lance put his finger to her lips.

“As for your father. He is just fine.” he said, “He is just down the hall. Your brother is with him.”

Lois took a deep breath, and said,” But with all the tests they run on us? How could they miss something like a baby?”

“I don’t know.” he said, “but, there is a young man that wants to see very much. Marie, let him in now.”

Marie opened the door and motioned for him to come in.

“Jes!” she screamed," OH, my God!”

Jes Harper her fiancee walked in with a large vase of yellow roses and a package of gummy bears. 

“How you doin’ Babe.” he said. 

He set the roses on the table and gave Lois a hug and a kiss.

“OH, my God!” was all Lois could manage to say.

“You can only stay for fifteen minutes.” Marie said, “Then Miss Beck has to rest.” 

They didn’t hear a word she said.

Marie smiled and started to leave, when the door burst open. And her dad forced his wheelchair into the room.

“Dad!” her brother shouted,” You can’t just bust the door down…”

“Don’t tell me what I can’t do!” her dad shouted, “I’ll damn well go to see my daughter if I damn well want to. Now let go of my wheelchair.! And you young lady get out of my way!” 

“Dad!” Lois shouted.

“Jes?” Louis said, “When did you get…. What are you doing?”

“Mister Beck, you must stop shouting." Marie said, “Your daughter needs to stay calm. Or you will have to leave.”

“Don’t tell me what I have to do. I want to know how my daug….!”

“Mister Beck,” Jes interrupted Louis, “I am putting an engagement ring on your daughter and my future wife’s finger. And I might add very near future. We are going to be married here, Tomorrow morning.” Turning to Lois,” If you will have me? "Lois shook her arms and her legs as she prepared to run the race for the Gold. She looked down the track to the bleachers where her dad and brother sat. She couldn't see them. but she knew they were there. They had been at every race she had run since the very beginning. Reaching to the amulet around her neck that had some of her mom's ashes. Everything was just right.

She looked over at the girl from Jamaica. They had been running neck and neck. This was it. The winner of this race would take home the gold medal.

In the bleachers at the finish line sat Louis Beck and his son Bill. Waiting to cheer Lois to victory.

"You see her?" Bill asks his dad.

Louis handed the binoculars to Bill, and said "Yes, look, she has the amulet. She can't lose."

"You, ok?" Bill asks.

"Never better." Louis replied.

“OH, yes I’ll have you!” Lois said, as she wrapped her arms around Jes’s neck.

“Will somebody tell me just what the hell is goin’ on around here!” Louis said, looking around the room.

“Daddy,” Lois said, “You are going to be a grandfather!”

“Well, how the Hell'd that happen?” Louis said.

Marie put her hands on her hips and said,” Doesn’t anybody in this family know how babies are made?” And turned and walked out of the room shaking her head.