Lunch? Hadn't I been on my way home at night? Was it the next day? How long had I been unconscious?
I watched him retreat and felt myself relax a little. I turned to the nurse.
"Is it true that I'm not seriously hurt?"
"You're being held for observation because you did take quite a blow to the head. You were also cut in quite a few places by the shattering glass. But, so far, no major complications, and all those lacerations are expected to heal without too much damage or scarring."
"Thank you," I said to her. She nodded.
"Are you okay? Your heart rate's a little..." She glanced at the machines again. "It dropped once he left. And I know we say men make our hearts race, but even one as good-looking as that shouldn't have this kind of effect. Unless there's another reason he's making your heart rate spike?"
I stared at her. How did she know to ask that? Was it written on my face that I knew this man, and that I was keeping a huge secret from him? She smiled gently, as if maybe I didn't quite understand her.
"What I'm saying is, if this man has hurt you in the past..."
"Oh," I said, finally realizing her worry. "No, no, that's not the case at all. I, um... We had... I've met him before, in very different circumstances. It was just a shock to see him here. The whole thing is a shock. But we're not, um, involved. And I have no reason to think he'd hurt me."
"Okay," the nurse said. She didn't sound completely convinced. I decided to redirect to a more pressing matter.
"Can you tell me what hospital this is? It's a little... To be honest, I think there's probably been a mistake. I can't pay for this."
"Oh, he didn't tell you? He's paying for everything. A private room, a consultation with some plastic surgeon to be sure your face doesn't scar, and of course all your bills."
"All my bills..." I trailed off. I didn't understand. Did he recognize me? But surely that wouldn't compel him to pay for everything.
The nurse was looking at me with concern.
"Sorry," I said. "I just don't understand."
"Well, it's a bit strange. What with you not being related. Normally, even letting him see you is kind of against hospital protocol. But apparently, he's quite well off. Money talks in hospitals just like everywhere else." She shrugged. "And I guess he felt guilty."
"Guilty?" I asked.
"Because I caused the accident," came his voice from across the room. He was standing in the doorway. "I came back because I realized I should have asked if you wanted anything. For lunch."
I wondered how much he had heard. The nurse's expression suggested she wondered the same thing, and she quickly murmured that all my vitals were fine now and hurried out of the room.
"I'm not really hungry, thanks," I said. He took a few steps into the room and just looked at me. "Please, don't feel like you have to stay here. Go have your lunch." I needed him to leave again. I needed time to think.
"Like I said, I caused the accident." Oh. He wanted to talk about that. No, that wasn't a priority for me. His guilt was way down my bullet list; it might not ever make it to a top priority.
"I don't... It's fine. I mean, I guess it's not fine. But the nurse said you're taking care of all my bills, and that I'll be okay." I looked at him, wondering what his priorities were. Surely if he'd recognized me, he would have said something? I remembered that my face was at least partially bandaged. And I probably looked a lot different after five years of motherhood and a car wreck than I did after two days of pampering and a few orgasms.
Maybe he was worried I'd sue him.
"I don't have fancy lawyers or anything," I said. "So don't worry about me coming after you for damages or whatever. I don't have time to pursue something like that, anyway."
My brain was starting to work again, and it was telling me that top priority now was absolutely limiting all our contact as much as possible.
"I'll take care of whatever you need. I'll replace your car. If you're missing work, I'll compensate you." He looked at me, almost desperate, and I wondered if he truly just did feel incredibly guilty.
"What I need right now, honestly, is a little bit of time to myself. Would that be okay?" I didn't want to make him angry, but I really did want him to leave for a while.
"Of course! I have some things to take care of, anyway. I'll give you some space."
He left, shutting the door behind him and leaving me alone with my thoughts. Too many thoughts, really. Would he really pay for a new car and lost wages? How much documentation would I need for that? Because technically I was only a part-time flower shop employee, but maybe he didn't need to know that...
I suddenly realized what I was doing and snapped myself out of it. It might be tempting to try to get some kind of compensation for the accident, and if it truly was his fault then maybe that would have been the fair thing for everyone involved. But I knew something he didn't know.