41. Cooper
41
Cooper
I follow the doctor to the nurses station as he takes notes and checks boxes on Trinia’s medical chart before handing the clipboard off to a nurse.
“You gotta tell me doc. Is she really going to be OK? How serious is all this?” I can’t stop myself from asking even though I’m terrified of the answer.
“Mr. Cabrera.” The doctor raises his hands in an effort to halt my panic but his efforts are wasted.
“Is she going to need a transplant? Take mine. Are we a match? Test me.” I don’t even know what else she could need or what else could go wrong. I’m so far over my head with all this I can barely breath as I fist my shirt at my chest.
“Mr. Cabrera please. Come sit down.” Dr. Ahmed guides me into a private waiting room. Shutting the door behind me he continues. “Right now Katrinia is fine. Please try to calm down so you can understand me when I say my team and I have done everything we can. It won’t be a quick recovery, but the surgery was successful. We will keep her here to strictly monitor her for a couple more days and when the worst is behind her she will be released to heal at home.”
I sigh and nod, tapping my knee with my thumb before I ask one final question. “Can I stay with her?”
He smiles at that. “If that’s what Katrinia wants then I don’t see why not. I can have one of the nurses bring in some extra pillows and blankets. The sofa in the room pulls out, though…”
I notice when the doctor takes in my size. Questioning to himself if I will fit on a two seater pull out but I don’t even care. I would sleep on the floor if it means I don’t have to leave her side.
“Thank you doctor.” Rising to my feet I hold out a hand and he shakes it with a single nod.
Now alone in the room I pace as I try to reign in my emotions. I try my best to collect myself before I go back in and face Trin.
I feel my guilt as it digs its claws into my chest. Surrendering to it I turn the knob and pull back the door. Stepping out into the fluorescent hallway I spot Luna with her phone plastered to her ear.
“It looks like she will be fine.” She turns and spots me when I clear my throat, making myself known behind her. “Stella, Coop’s right here.” Luna pulls the phone away from her ear and whispers, “She wants to talk to you.”
Nodding, I reach for the phone and try to make my tone sound pleasant, “Hey Stella. Thanks for getting my brother out here.”
“That wasn’t me. That was Sebastian. You can thank him when you get back to town.” She almost tsks at my gratitude but then I hear, “Oh for Christ sakes woman! You are impossible. Just say you’re welcome and move on.”
Sebastian’s voice comes through clear as day in the background and Luna must hear it too. Grinning, she shakes her head as she slips a dollar into the vending machine. I finish up quickly filling Stella in and promising to keep her updated before I hand the phone back to Luna.
All I can think about is getting back to Trin.
Slowly pushing open the door my eagerness is replaced with nervousness. I find myself suddenly wondering if this changes things for her, for us. Wondering if maybe it should. Selfishly shoving those thoughts aside, saving them for later, I take a step inside.
She turns her head and her tired icy blue eyes instantly meet mine. Her lips curl up in a soft smile as Theo pushes up from the sofa in the corner and pats me on the back before leaving the room.
“Hey baby.” Trin whispers from across the room as I haven’t found the courage to take another step towards her yet. Her voice sounding rough and sleepy though draws me in.
Katrinia has this force about her, an energy. Maybe she once upon a time, in one of our past lives, put a spell on me. With her I may never know but from the first time I saw her, moving into the light gray house down the street, as Theo and I were playing catch in the driveway, I’ve been drawn to her.
Like a siren calls to a sailor. Katrinia has always captained my attention.
I reach for the cup of water sitting on her bedside table and hold the straw, watching her throat bob as she swallows sip after sip. When she’s finished I place the cup back on the table and take a seat at the edge of the bed.
“Dorogoy, I’m so so sorry. I don’t know how much you heard or remember about last night but I didn’t do what you thought I did. I never slept with her. Deep down I’ve always known, but regardless, I shouldn’t have ever been in that position. I’m so sorry I hurt you. I never meant to hurt you like this.” The words tumble out and I almost feel like I can’t stop until Trinia tilts her head to the side giving me a curious look.
“Are you OK? Do you need me to call a nurse?” I ramble as she reaches for my hand.
“You haven’t called me zhena since I woke up.” She claims and I suck in a breath closing my eyes for a moment.
I guess we are having this conversation now.
“Baby you don’t have to marry me. Just get better and we can talk when we get back to Massachusetts. Don’t feel like you have…” I’m cut off by a shockingly hard slap across the face.
“Don’t let them take any more from us Cooper. I’ve already missed 8 years with you. I refuse to miss out on one more second.” I look down at her in disbelief. Taken back that after all we’ve been through, after all I’ve put her through, that she would still even want to be with me.
“Trin, come on.” I sigh. “You’re medicated, in a hospital, after having heart surgery. Take your time. We don’t have to make any decisions right now.”
“Do you want to be with me, Cooper? Don’t you love me?” She interrupts, pushing down on the mattress as she sits up straighter. Even as she flinches against the pain.
“Of course I do. Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Good, because I want to be with you too. Always and forever Cooper. You are mine and I am yours. Hell, I would marry you right here, right now.” She cocks a brow like this is some kind of dare. A taunting competition of who loves who more.
“Right here? Right now? In a hospital bed, high as a kite on painkillers?” I tease in question.
“A hospital gown is still a gown is it not?” She waves her hand without the IV up and down her body displaying the lovely crinkled light blue checkered number.
“I guess so.”
“Then call the priest! Hospitals have priests, right? One of them should be able to marry us.” Her tone is so matter of fact I’m almost taking her seriously.
“You really want to get married right now? You don’t want to wait and plan it, or maybe go somewhere?” If I’m being honest, the idea of her actually being my wife sooner rather than later sounds better by the second.
“I couldn’t care less about a big wedding. Plus everyone I want there is already here.”
“What about Willow or your family?”
“Willow loves a good party but doesn’t care for weddings. She believes the institution of marriage is nothing more than the religious and patriarchal enslavement of women. We can always throw a party later and as for my family, I want the day I get to finally say ‘I Do’ to you to be about us, not anyone else.”
Reaching down I cup her face and kiss her lips. “I love your crazy ass so much.”
She giggles against my lips.