Chapter 13
AVA
A va heard Elizabeth’s voice cut through the noise in her mind.
Everything was dark, and everything hurt, but Elizabeth was there.
She couldn’t feel anything, but there was a pressure on her, somewhere.
She could feel Elizabeth’s touch, though she couldn’t explain it.
She could hear Elizabeth’s voice, but didn’t understand the words, except the last ones.
She wanted to scream out, she wanted more than anything to tell Elizabeth that she loved her, too, but her body would not let her.
She couldn’t respond. Everything was so heavy.
She fought against the shadows with everything she had, but she was so tired. She knew t hat if she allowed herself to rest then that would be it, that would be the end and she would never see Elizabeth again. She just had to hold on a little longer. She begged her body to just hang on.
Something happened around her, she couldn’t explain what, but something.
She felt a sharp pain. She wanted to look at herself, but she couldn’t even open her eyes.
The shadows coalesced around her again and she tried to shove them away, but she found that she couldn’t.
I love you, Elizabeth, I’m so sorry , she thought as the shadows enveloped her.
Warmth surrounded her and she lost herself to the darkness.
A rhythmic pulsing found it’s way into her consciousness. She tried to ignore it, to go back to the darkness, but it was persistent. She tried to turn away from the noise but couldn’t. She opened her eyes.
“She’s awake,” Ava heard someone shout.
I’m alive! The thought practically shouted from her mind. She blinked a few more times, the light from the room flooded her vision , searing painfully, but she was alive. She tried to move her hands, but pain like she’d never felt before shot through her.
“Let’s get you off this vent, honey,” Ava heard a voice say.
She recognized Kellie, the head nurse. She tried to open her eyes again; this time the light didn’t penetrate quite so deeply and shapes started to emerge.
Ava gagged as someone pulled the tube from her throat, the contracting muscles sending bursts of pain through her.
As she gasped for air, she felt a warm hand on her own.
She recognized the touch. Straining with effort, she turned her head to find Elizabeth sitting at her bedside looking down at her.
Ava had never seen such a beautiful sight.
Elizabeth’s light-colored hair fell around her face, the dusting of gray giving it a sliver highlight.
Her eyes were bright and watery, and the lines on her face were deeper, but she looked happy, elated even.
“Welcome back,” Elizabeth said, her voice catching. Ava noticed a tear slipping from the corner of Elizabeth’s eye. “You scared us for a while there.”
“Wh-what happened? How long…” Ava found th at she didn’t even have the strength to finish the question.
“You don’t have to talk, Ava,” Elizabeth said. “Be patient, you will feel better soon.”
Things started coming back to Ava in bits and flashes. She wanted to ask about the other patients, about how they figured out how to stop the virus. Was it permanent or was this something they still needed to finish? Ava’s forehead creased in worry, and even that little bit of movement caused pain.
“It’s alright, Ava,” Elizabeth whispered. “You’re safe, it’s over.”
Ava slowly turned to see who else was there. Kellie was next to her and pushed some medication through her IV tube. Ava felt warmth spread through her, but the pain subsided. Her mind grew foggy and panic started to seize her as her eyes tried to drift closed.
“You can sleep,” Elizabeth said, though her voice felt far away. “I’ll be here when you wake up. I love you.”
I love you, too , Ava thought, but couldn’t make the words form as her consciousness escaped her once again.
The next time Ava opened her eyes, the pain had dulled.
She looked around the room. It was dark, and the machines had been silenced, though they still pulsed their life-affirming numbers and codes with dim light.
She rolled her head to the side to find Elizabeth sleeping in a chair next to the bed.
Pain still grasped at her, but she reached over and touched Elizabeth’s hand.
Elizabeth moved slightly, her eyes fluttering open. “Hey,” she said softly and turned to Ava. “How are you feeling?”
“I hurt,” Ava answered honestly, though it was not nearly as difficult to speak. “How long have I been asleep?”
“Almost a week,” Elizabeth said with a chuckle, “you missed all the fun.”
Ava furrowed her brows. “What about the others?”
“They’re fine, most of them have gone home already,” Elizabeth said with a soft smile.
She went on to explain how they had found the drug trial and the struggle to get them to share the medication, how they tested it and found that it worked, but that it needed help from the other medication to slow the virus enough to get the job done.
Ava felt that Elizabeth glossed over how close she had come to death, and a small niggling of guilt crept though Ava as she realized how close she had come to giving up.
“It’s gone then?” Ava asked, her throat tightening.
“It is,” Elizabeth said with a smile. “You are going to be fine, you just need to rest and gain your strength back.”
Relief coursed through Ava and tears slipped from her eyes. Elizabeth’s brow furrowed in concern.
“What is it? Are you in pain?” Elizabeth asked.
“No,” Ava said, “well, no more than I would expect, I’m sore, but, no.”
“What is it then?” Elizabeth asked, squeezing Ava’s hand.
“It’s done, it’s over,” Ava said. “You… you have to go home.”
Elizabeth laughed gently. “That’s what you’re crying about, you think I’m going to leave?”
“Aren’t you?” Ava asked. She wasn’t even sure why her mind was taking her in this circle , she knew what she wanted to say, but struggled to form the words.
“Ava,” Elizabeth said and brushed her hair from her forehead.
“I don’t want your last image of me being in this bed like this,” Ava said, her tears flowing freely now.
“Ava,” Elizabeth said again, a slight smile pulling at her lips.
“Elizabeth, I…” Ava gulped in a breath. “I love you.”
A tear slipped from Elizabeth’s eye as she traced her fingers down Ava’s cheekbone. Ava almost held her breath as she waited for Elizabeth’s reaction.
“Ava, I love you, too,” Elizabeth said and leaned over to press her lips to Ava in a soft kiss.
Ava lifted her arm and ran her fingers though Elizabeth’s hair. Her light eyes were shining when she pulled back.
“I’ve already offered her a research position here at Phoenix Ridge,” Doctor Mars’ voice carried over from the door.
Ava turned to gape at the woman while Elizabeth smiled. “Are you serious?” Ava whispered .
“Yes,” Elizabeth answered. “There are some loose ends I will have to tie up in New York, but soon I will be here full time as a lead attending for the interns and residents.”
Ava blinked as she looked back and forth between the two women. Her chest felt as though it would burst with happiness. She fixed her eyes on Elizabeth. “Is that what you want?”
Elizabeth nodded, “We’ve talked about it at length for the last couple of days.” Elizabeth looked up at Dr. Mars as though they were finalizing some scheme. “I want to be here, I want to be with you.”
Ava choked back a sob, she couldn’t help it. Elizabeth leaned over the bed and wrapped Ava in a deep hug. She felt so warm, so soft, so perfect against Ava that she thought she would melt away in a river of happiness.
“First,” Elizabeth said when she finally pulled back, “We need to make sure you are feeling better.”
“We’ve been waiting for you,” Doctor Mars said with a smile.
“Waiting for what?” Ava asked, suddenly confused .
“We have a statement to make,” Doctor Mars said. “And some heroes to recognize.”
“You haven’t announced the cure yet?” Ava asked, her eyes going wide.
“You’re the face of this hospital, Ava, like it or not,” Doctor Mars said with a chuckle. “You were an integral part of this whole process, and we want you to make the announcement.”
“When?” Ava asked.
“As soon as you’re feeling up to it,” Elizabeth answered. “If you want, we can start working on it while you recover.”
Ava nodded slowly, she felt tired but elated. “I think I need some more sleep first,” she finally said.
“Of course,” Doctor Mars said. “I’ll talk to you again in the morning.” She gave a quick nod to Elizabeth and turned and left the room.
“I would swear that woman is psychic,” Elizabeth muttered and Ava chuckled.
“I wouldn’t bet against it,” Ava said, turning her full attention back to Elizabeth. She reached up and touched Elizabeth’s face again, and she smiled as she leaned into Ava’s hand. “Are you sure this is what you want? ” Ava asked. “This is… Phoenix Ridge is very different from New York City.”
“I’m not worried,” Elizabeth said with a smile.
“It’s not like we are trapped here, but this will be our home base.
I know you aren’t done making a difference in the medical world, and neither am I; we have a lot of life ahead of us, Ava.
I just want to make sure that you are in mine.
I love you. I love you in a way that I’ve never felt before.
Whatever comes our way, I know we will handle it. ”
“I love you, too, Elizabeth,” Ava whispered, though her eyes were growing heavy again. “I want to be with you, too.” Her lids settled and she struggled to open them again. When she did, Elizabeth was smiling down at her.
“Sleep, my love,” Elizabeth whispered and pulled Ava’s blanket up around her shoulders. “I will be here when you wake up.”
Ava closed her eyes, and she was content. A lot was left to plan for their future, but she wasn’t worried. She didn’t completely understand it; she and Elizabeth were so different that it should be terrifying. It wasn’t, though. Ava was happy as she drifted off to sleep.