10
Gareth felt the stabbing pain on his left side and back. What the fuck happened? His mind was so foggy. He could remember screams. Whose were they? His? No. They didn’t sound like his voice. Thinking harder. A woman. She was screaming for him to help her. He couldn’t. She was . . . scared.
His heart raced, and he turned his head, trying to find her, but all was dark. Where are you? No answer. Please tell me so I can help you. Still nothing. The more he struggled, the more confined he felt. Something was holding him down. Why were they preventing him from getting to her?
Tell me where you are. I’ll come to you. Just call out to me again.She needed him. He promised he’d be there.
The voices started again.
“His fever is still going up. Call the doctor.”
I don’t need a doctor. I need to help her.
“Also check his restraints. He was pulling out his IV again.”
Let me go. He tried to move again and the pain shot through his body.
Once again he heard her. “Gareth. Don’t leave me. You promised you wouldn’t leave me. You have to fight. You’re strong. I know you are. Fight for your family. Fight for me. Just . . . keep fighting.”
He was trying, but no one seemed to be able to hear him. No matter how much he tried, they all spoke as though he wasn’t there. All except her. Who was she? Why was he fighting for her? What was he fighting?
Gareth willed his eyes to open. They were heavy, so heavy. Just once, because he needed to see her. Pushing past the pain, his eyes opened, just a sliver. Everything was blurred and something was so bright it hurt his eyes. But then there was a shadow, a gentle touch on his hand.
“Nurse. He’s . . . he’s awake. Gareth’s awake.”
He tried to speak but only choked. Something was in his mouth.
She spoke to him again. “Please, Gareth. Remember your promise. You won’t let go of me. So fight. You can fight this. I know you can. Trust . . . me . . . trust me . . .”
The voice once again sounded so far away. His eyes closed again; the darkness that was once there returned.
I’ll fight. I’ll find you. I promise.
Brooke ran out of the hospital room crying. Half of her filled with joy that Gareth opened his eyes, the other half saddened that the medical team asked her to leave so they could put him back in his medically induced coma.
They said it was what was best for him so his body could fight a staph infection. She wasn’t in the medical field and no one was giving her much information. It was only what she overheard.
Brooke wasn’t family, and as soon as Gareth was loaded onto the medical evac jet, she probably wouldn’t know what was going on at all. It was slowly killing her to know that in a matter of a few hours, she wouldn’t see him again.
When she walked into the hallway, she saw Janet sitting there. “I thought you might like some tea and something to eat.”
“I’m fine,” she said.
“No you’re not. You won’t be any good to him if you don’t take care of yourself,” Janet explained.
“I’m no good to him now. Look at him. He has tubes coming out of his nose and mouth. He is strapped down so he doesn’t pull out his IV, or any other tubes, again. And what can I do? Nothing but stand there and hold his hand.”
“That might be all he needs right now. You’d be surprised how comforting that can be.”
“I can’t help but think that this is all my fault.”
“Brooke, you didn’t drive that truck into the house. And the man who did, had lost control of it. Nothing about this is your fault. It was just an accident. A very horrible accident.”
“But he took me there because he thought he owed me. He didn’t. I would’ve been just as happy at New Hope, where this wouldn’t have happened.”
“Gareth doesn’t seem like a man who does anything he doesn’t want to do. He brought you to that inn because he wanted to share something special with you. Hold on to that and let it be your strength through this. I’m sure, even though he’s in a coma, he’s holding on to it as well.”
I sure hope so.“You do know he’s leaving soon. They are flying him back to the States. His brother is going to accompany him.”