Debbie Newman closed the door of her apartment and leaned back against it for almost two minutes, savoring the memory of the kiss Dan gave her before leaving. Tomorrow he would be instructed to kiss her by the pastor. Then they would be one. They would no longer go their separate ways each night. She could spend the whole night in his arms and feel like this forever. She finally broke free from her thoughts and went to bed. Less than an hour later a ringing phone interrupted the dream.

There were many calls like this one in the last few weeks. This one was from the organist who had called once at just after midnight. She wanted Debbie to verify the list of songs she would play tomorrow. Tomorrow would be the end of the life of freedom Debbie had enjoyed, or so her friends had told her. She was quite ready to give up that so-called freedom for the companionship of a man like Dan. She was not giving up anything. She knew she was getting something valuable. The first thing would be a new name. It would no longer be Debbie Elizabeth Newman, DEN as she had been called in school. She would now be Debbie Elizabeth Bane, DEB. That was the name her father had called her. Her new initials would serve as a reminder of him.

Her father would not be there to give her away. Her mother would not be there to stand and watch her come down the aisle. They were gone, the victims of a drunken driver three years ago. How she hated drunken drivers. One of them had taken so much from her. Due to a legal quirk he went free. Now she had no living relatives closer than one second cousin who lived two states away. Only a few of her friends and his parents would be at her wedding.

Dan was a dream come true. They met in the elevator six months ago and she fell for him. He was handsome, kind, considerate and loving, everything she had wanted. Tomorrow would be a big day. She walked to the bedroom, undressed and fell into bed. In minutes she was fast asleep, dreaming of Dan and her wedding.

Four hours later the phone next to her bed abruptly brought her from that dream. It was Dan’s father.

“Dan was in an accident. He’s hurt real bad.”

“Where is he?” was the only response she could make.

“Memorial. We’ll stop for you on the way.”

“Please.” Was the only response she could make as she cradled the phone. Fifteen minutes later they were on their way to the hospital.

Later she was unable to really remember the time at the hospital. It was as though she saw it through a haze. She remembered seeing Dan so badly hurt and then hearing the howl of the monitor as the assault of his injuries on his system took its final toll. It would be several days before she would be totally aware of anything. Months later she was unable to remember the funeral.

Two weeks after the accident the evening paper opened the wound again. The driver of the car which had hit Dan would not be charged. How could someone take a life and not be responsible? She would never understand that. She went to the library and found the back issues of the paper. In them she read the account of the accident. The driver had seen someone walking on the road. He claimed to have unsuccessfully tried to miss the person. In doing so he had lost control of the car and hit a tree. The driver of the car had been badly hurt but would recover. Dan’s car had been found nearby, out of gas. Apparently he had gotten out to walk and that careless driver had killed him. Now he would get off scott-free, just like the man who killed her parents.

Hatred welled up within Debbie. According to the paper, he was still in the hospital. She would go there to see the man who had taken so much from her. “He was drunk. If he were sober he would have been able to handle the car,” she told herself. “He must pay.”

For what she was planning she could not risk being recognized. She needed a disguise. A brunette, she bought a blond wig and a pair of tinted glasses. Appropriately dressed, she went to the hospital. It took some time to obtain his room number and find the room. She had no idea what she would do but she had to see this killer. She walked up the hall past the room several times. His legs were in casts. His right arm was in a cast. Stitches covered portions of his face. He had gotten off easy. He deserved to die. She would kill him.

“No,” she thought, “I could never do that. Maybe there was another way. He needs to suffer.”

As she stood at the door to his room a nurse came up behind her and said, “You can go in. He’s just resting.”

She had to go into the room. The nurse would be suspicious if she did otherwise.

She walked to the bed. He was asleep. Debbie turned to leave but the nurse could see her from the room across the hall. She was trapped. She couldn’t leave until the nurse couldn’t see her. She didn’t want to arouse any concern. Before she could leave the figure in the bed stirred and opened his eyes.

As Debbie turned to leave he called out, “Can you get my water for me?”

She was trapped. She got the water and held it for him as he drank. “Thanks,” he said. “Who are you? I thought you were a nurse.”

“I just got in the wrong room, sorry,” she blurted out without thinking.

“I’m glad you did. I thought you were a nurse. I haven’t seen anyone as pretty as you in months. I’m kinda alone here. My folks are in Nebraska. They were here for a few days then they had to go home. I haven’t had a visitor since.”

She nodded, then turned and left without saying anything. As she rode down in the elevator an idea formed in her mind. She would make him pay for her suffering. He had killed Dan. He was alone and lonely.

The next evening she dressed and went to the hospital to visit him.

“Hello. My name is Donna Nailor. I kinda stumbled into your room by accident yesterday. My friend had gone home and I had the wrong room number.”

“That was my good fortune. I’m Brad Birch.”

“I thought I at least owed you an explanation.”

“You didn’t owe me anything but I’m glad you came back. It really gets lonely here. I like to read but I can’t seem to get any books. I just got my left hand out of the bandage and so now I can turn the pages. I’m tired of the TV.”

“What do you like to read?” Debbie forced herself to be nice. It’s all part of the plan she told herself.

“Anything.”

“Maybe I could get a few books for you. I have a library card and a small library at home.” Her plan was working already.

She talked with him for a few minutes, then said good-by and left.

In about an hour she was back with a half dozen books under her arm. She placed them on the table then chatted for a few minutes and went home.

The visits to the hospital became routine. By the time he was ready to go home Debbie had become a part of him. He had fallen for her. She had to be very careful though, playing the double role. It was too easy to answer the question, “What is your name,” without thinking. She must never forget or her plan would be destroyed.

A few days before he was to leave the hospital he asked for her address and phone number. She had avoided the question several times before. If she gave him the number he may be able to get her real name if he became suspicious. She would have to handle this, somehow.

That evening Sharon, a girl Debbie had worked with called. She was looking for a place to stay. Did Deb know of an apartment that was available? She had found one but it was too small. An hour later a confused Sharon was being offered Debbie’s apartment. Debbie would be taking the one Sharon had thought was too small. Debbie made only one unusual request. Debbie’s phone would be left in the apartment and she would continue to get her mail there. Sharon thought that to be a little strange but for what she was getting she would not ask many questions.

In a few days Debbie moved to the new place. The phone and the apartment were officially registered to a Donna Nailor. The phone in Sharon’s apartment was forwarded to the phone in her new apartment. It took a few dollars to obtain them but she obtained a complete set of false ID including a driver’s license. She could now be Donna. Donna would avenge her loss. Then Donna would no longer exist.

It would have been almost impossible for Brad to not fall for Donna. He was a decent guy but he was not the handsome hunk. Girls had never fallen over him and certainly not one as pretty as Donna. Slowly she became so much a part of his life that he could not imagine her not being a part of it. Donna spent evenings with him, helping him do his exercises, bringing him books and in general doing anything to make him more comfortable.

By the time six months had passed he was back at work and most of the injuries had mended.

One evening Donna was greeted by a smiling Brad who was carrying a small box.

As he held it, he looked at her and asked, “Will you be my wife?”

Without hesitation she answered, “Yes.” The first portion of her plan was totally successful.

Brad was ready to get married now but Donna wanted to wait. They compromised at six weeks. Donna needed the time to prepare her exit. Brad’s parents would be the only guests at the wedding. She could not invite any of her friends. The only person in the world who knew Donna Nailor was Brad. She would have to go through the motions of preparing for a wedding. He must never suspect anything.

Debbie visited Sharon about two weeks before the big day. She told Sharon she was having some problems with her lease and may need a place to stay for a few days. “Come over any time you need a place,” Sharon answered.

Donna arranged to take two weeks off work. She planned to take a vacation and be away to reduce the risk of being recognized.

The night before the wedding was difficult for Debbie. Her memory of Dan kept surfacing. Each time it did she told herself again, “He must pay.” She kept herself busy moving her things into a public storage. By ten she was done with all but one suitcase. She retired but was restless and slept less than a half hour.

When morning came she put the last of her things into the car. When she left the apartment today Donna would cease to exist. She called Brad to ask some question about the wedding just after 2:00. She overturned a chair and the coffee table she left in the apartment then she walked out of the apartment and drove away. She had planned to leave town but remembered she should remove the phone forwarding. Sharon was not at home so she waited and called later. It was 5:30 PM by the time she was ready to leave. The wedding was set for seven. She must leave soon before she would be missed.

She pulled her car on the interstate and headed out of town. In the confusion she had forgotten to discard the wig. It lay on the seat as a reminder of her loss. The time with Brad had served only as a reminder of her loss. The revenge she had planned for him had become heavy on her. It had brought no peace or satisfaction. At the first exit she pulled off and drove to the house of friends. She had no desire to be alone tonight.

Beth and Norm had been friends she and Dan had visited many times during their engagement. Now she needed to be near to them. She had not seen them since before the wedding. She found their house and knocked on the front door. Beth answered it and invited her in.

“Are you alright? Beth asked, “You look tired.”

“I didn’t sleep well last night. I still miss Dan.”

“That’s understandable. Norm, look who’s here.”

As the evening wore on Debbie noticed that Norm and Beth avoided any mention of Dan. At first she thought it was because of her presence but as time passed she realized something deeper was driving them. They diverted any mention of him. Finally she asked, “Why do you keep avoiding Dan? He was a friend.”

They looked at each other and finally Norm answered, “Dan was at a party with me the night he died. He didn’t want you to know and we didn’t tell anyone. He said he couldn’t drink after he got married so he was going to make up for it that night. I wanted to take him home and he put me off. I didn’t know he had left the party until much later.”

Beth chimed in. “I was on duty at the hospital in the lab when he came in. When his blood came down and he tested legally drunk, I inserted a sample of my own blood and ran the test again. I was trying to protect him. When He died I couldn’t change the test.”

“What about the other driver?” He was drunk too.” Deb asked.

“In the confusion Dan’s original blood test result got sent up with the file for the other driver. Initially the police thought he was drunk and that story was passed around the hospital. When we checked and found the test numbers were wrong, we found the right samples, he was found to be cold sober.”

Suddenly Debbie burst into tears and buried her face in her hands. After a moment she got up, grabbed her things and stormed out of the house. She tore out of the driveway and headed back the interstate.

By six thirty Brad was frantic. Debbie was not there. At seven fifteen he called the police. They told him that they could not take a missing person’s report till she was missing for two days. After checking out several places they frequented to check if anyone had seen her he headed to the police station.

The road was wet, she swerved to avoid a car that cut her off, they made momentary contact and her car started skidding. Then came the terrible crunch as the front left quarter of the car hit the lamppost and the car bent around it. She was knocked unconscious for a few minutes after the impact. When she came to the pain was terrible. The light pole was laying on the hood and the dash had pushed back and collapsed with her knees were wedged under it. She hurt all over.

A nurse who came by started first aide by controlling the bleeding. The EMT’s were there within minutes with the rescue squad. They worked for over an hour to extract her from the car. She knew enough to be aware that her injuries were grave and the concern in the EMT’s voices raised her concerns. It was obvious that they were not sure she would survive. When she was finally free she was put in an ambulance and they headed for the hospital.

After an unfruitful hour at the police station Brad was getting ready to leave the station in frustration when an officer called out to him. “We had an accident out on the expressway over an hour ago. Two cars were involved, one was a drunk that hit another car and rolled his car into a field. He hit another car and forced it into a lamp pole. That car had a lone female. What is the name of the girl you are looking for?”

“Her name is Donna Nailor. She drives a red Dodge.”

The officer shook his head. “The car is a red Dodge but it is the wrong name.” He looked down at the paper again. “Interesting, the initials are the same, DN.”

“Could there be a mistake in the name?”

“I don’t think so but if you like you can go out the interstate one exit, the accident is on the ramp. Take a look at the car. I’ll call the officer on site and tell him to let you look at the car to make sure. If it isn’t there when you arrive, check with an officer of call back here and ask where the car is being taken.”

In the ambulance she kept saying, “Tell Brad. I didn’t know. I don’t want to die without telling him I am sorry.” The EMT didn’t have any idea what she was talking about.

He drove to the ramp and pulled off near the car. He got out and walked up. The officer who was waiting for the tow truck told him to move on.

“The officer at the station told me I could look at the car. My fiancée is missing. We were to be married tonight. The driver’s name is wrong but I wanted to look. I wanted to see the car.”

“Take a look, but don’t move anything. I will be watching. She was in pretty bad shape. She may not make it. If she doesn’t this becomes a crime investigation.”

“No problem officer, I just want to see if this was her car.” The officer followed him and shone the light into the car. “Oh, God no.”

“What?”

“It’s hers. The blond wig. It is hers. And the sticker on the bumper, she loved cats.”

“But her name is Debbie Newman.” The officer pulled the driver’s license out of the packet. “Oh, God. It says, Donna Nailor. But the auto is registered to Debbie Newman.” He turned over another card and looked at them together. “And there is a second driver’s license with Donna Nailor.” He looked at them together. “It is the same girl only one is blond, one a brunette. I wonder why she has two driver’s licenses with two names?”

Brad grabbed the one card and looked at it. He handed it back to the officer. “Where did they take her?”

“Memorial. She is in bad shape, take it easy, she may not be alive. Don’t kill yourself getting there.”

He ran to his car and headed to the hospital.

She was awake in the ER. They were punching her and taking x-rays. She kept trying to tell them to call Brad. They were looking for a next of kin so they could take her to surgery. As they were starting to get her ready he slipped into the ER and asked where she was. He identified himself as her fiancée and told them there were no relatives in the state. Dr. Bradley came out to the nurses station as he was identifying himself for the tenth time.

“Are you Brad?”

“She is asking for you. She is in critical condition, she may not live, she needs surgery and we can’t find anyone to sign and she is not responding to questions, she keeps asking for you. Can you go in?”

She saw him as he approached. “Sorry,” is all she could get out.

“Don’t worry about that now. You need surgery. We need to get you there. They need your signature to operate.”

The nurse handed her the form and she scrawled on it. She grabbed Brad’s hand a moment before she was taken to the OR.

The nurse gave him a room number of a waiting room on the fifth floor. He could wait for her there.

Three hours later a nurse came in and asked him to come with her. Two doctors he recognized were standing in the hall, they motioned him to a small room. They explained her condition was grave. She had broken ribs and both chest and abdominal injuries. The surgery had done as much as they could to begin the healing process. Her legs were also badly injured. They were crushed from just below the knees. They had been amputated while she was in the OR.

Brad seemed almost stoic in face of the information. “Where is she? I need to be with her. She was with me when I was here. I must be with her now.”

“She is in recovery. When we move her to a room the nurse will let you know. She will probably be in intensive care for a couple of days. She lost lots of blood.”

“Thanks. I will be here.”

Just after midnight Friday the nurse woke him. “She is in a room, you can go in to see her but only for a couple minutes. She is medicated for pain and may not know you.”

“No problem. She was there for me, I will be there for her as much as I can.” He spent the time allotted with her. She was really spaced out and very pale but he was sure she recognized him. Several times she tried to ask a question as if she were confused but could not frame words. He went out and waited till the next time he could be in. He slept between visits, the nurses promised to wake him when he could see her.

About noon she was starting to come around more and got out a “Hi” when he came in. After noon he went home, showered and changed clothes, then headed back to the hospital. He stopped at a store and picked up three magazines and a planter of flowers and took them along. She was sleeping when he went in. He placed the planter and magazines on the stand. She could not read them now but when she wanted them they would be there.

Beth and Norm came to see her just after he returned. He introduced himself to them. They talked for over an hour.

She slept most of the remainder of the day. He was at her side as much as he could till late in the evening, moving from the chair in the room to the waiting room and back as directed. He got up at nearly midnight, kissed her and left.

He was back Sunday at nine. She was asleep the whole morning. When he came back after lunch nurse told him they were reducing the amount of painkiller she was getting and she would have some pain. When he went in she was more awake and very restless. She kept saying, “Hurts.”

“I know. But it will get better.”

“I. Lied. Not Donna Nailor.”

“I know. But I love you. I don’t care if you are Donna or Debbie. In fact I like the name Debbie better.”

“But I. Tried to hurt you.”

“You made my life better. And when you found out you were wrong you tried to fix it.” He bent down and kissed her.

“Got hit by another drunk.”

Six weeks later.

Debbie rolled down the rehab hospital chapel aisle in her wheelchair. At the front Dan and Norm helped her stand on her artificial legs and take three steps forward for the ceremony. When it was over they helped her back to the chair. She was still a patient and had some time of but she had a pass from the floor to go there to be married and she had a pass to leave the hospital overnight. Her story made the newspapers and the best hotel in town offered their best suite for the night free.

In the room she changed into her night clothes and transferred from the chair to the bed. She sat and looked at him as he came over.

“I really don’t deserve you. I tried to hurt you.”

“Don’t you realize how much you have done for me? I was drowning in self pity the day you came to my room. You made a difference. How could I help but love you?”