The call came at 12:01am, waking him from a dead sleep. He fumbled for the phone, knocking it off the end table and on the carpet below. He groaned and looked down at the number that was calling. Community Hospital. His blood froze as a million possibilities ran through his head. He scrambled for the phone, sleep the farthest thing from his mind, almost as if a bucket of cold water had been thrown on him. He answered and listened to the voice. His heart stopped. Of all those million possibilities that ran through his head, one near the top of the list was true. He said he would be right there and threw the phone at his bag. Scrambling into his clothes and fighting with his shoes, he tossed some extra clothes in the bag with his cell and was out the door in less than a minute.
He could barely remember the drive, not even to this day can he recall exactly how long he was on the road. It seemed like he got in his car and got out, already at the hospital. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him and pushed his way past the few people at the main desk that were there at this time of night. He asked, wanted, demanded, an update. The woman at the desk had seen this before and was ready for him. Her calm, soothing voice helped take some of the panicked edge away from his. He calmed down as she said that it was fine and he could go in now. He walked down the corridor, past an endless hallway of doors that all looked the same. Each doorway brought him closer to his destination. Each step made him tremble more than the last. Finally he was there, staring at the numbers on the door, hearing the light crying on the other side. He wanted to open the door and rush in, but his mind had frozen his body. He struggled to control the raging emotions of anger, fear, and happiness, each fighting to burst forth.
He opened the door and looked at her, his heart in his eyes, pushing the tears down his beard-covered cheeks. She looked up, fear in her eyes. Fearful that he was going to leave her. Fearful of what he was going to do, going to say, not going to say, not going to do. He took the scene in with a single glance and walked towards her bed. Each footfall taking an eternity to complete. She raised her bandaged wrists, covering her face with her hands as a torrent of fresh tears erupted from her. He gently lowered her hands, taking them in his own. He glanced at the bandages and looked back into her glistening eyes. Every word he was going to say was unneeded as she understood the deeper words that he was saying. I'm glad you didn't succeed. I don't want you to leave. I'm not leaving. I will always be here for you. All the words that his eyes spoke to her and all the words his lips could have said to her meant little, only the words his heart softly whispered into hers mattered. I'll always love you.
1 comment:
Wow, this as so moving. It left me in tears. It was really nicely written :)
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