8. Nova
8
NOVA
It’s hard to take a deep breath because there’s a weight on my chest. I’m so tired that I want to go back to sleep but I fight against the darkness, opening my eyes.
The weight over me isn’t Aiden’s big body like I’d hoped. This is some type of drywall. It takes me a moment of glancing around to remember what happened. I was standing here with him when he suddenly lunged for me.
Panic rises in my throat, and I yell his name. Angling my head, I spot him about a few inches away from me. There’s some type of drywall pinning him. At least, it’s not across his chest the way mine is.
I yell his name again as I struggle against the rubble that I’m trapped under. I keep calling his name as the temperature drops. It’s not just debris we’re under, it’s snow too. The cold wetness is seeping through my clothes and chilling me to my bones.
After what feels like an eternity, Aiden finally stirs. He lets out a low groan then says my name.
“I’m here. I’m to your r-right.” I’m shivering at this point. My body aches all over and I’d give anything to be back in the employee’s lounge with Aiden like we were this morning. “Are you t-trapped badly?”
He manages to sit up and the sight fills me with relief. He can move and that means he’s alive. He’s OK.
“I’m trapped, but the drywall caught on one of the shelving units. I just have to dig my way out,” he explains. He tries to reach for me but we’re still too far apart. “Shit, you’re buried. Are you hurt?”
“Not t-too bad.” I don’t want him worrying about me. I doubt he can do anything to change this. But just knowing he’s OK has comforted me.
“Alright, I’m going to get us out of here, angel. I need you to stay with me. Can you do that?” His voice has changed. It’s taken on an authoritative yet calm note. I wonder if this is how he talks to the people he helps in emergencies.
“I’m scared,” my voice comes out in a wail. Why didn’t I stay in the lounge? Without me here to distract him, Aiden would have had the bucket empty and been on his way back to me before the ceiling collapsed.
“I know you are. But you’re being really strong and brave. You already…woke…me…up.” He grunts between the words, and I can hear him moving rubble. The air is filling with a swirl of dust from the debris.
“At least, we’ll both die surrounded by books. That’s a comfort, right?” If I have to go, I’d want it to be with Aiden anyway. Granted, I’d rather it be after we’ve lived a good life together.
“No, we’re going to make it out of here, but I need you to tell me a story. What’s your favorite teenage memory?”
I smile despite the situation we’re in. “Don’t laugh. A Jonas Brothers’ concert. My brother saved up all summer to be able to afford tickets for me. I was so in love with Nick Jonas. I was going to marry him. What about you? Who was your celebrity crush?”
He chuckles. “Britney Spears. She made me damn glad to be a man. How about favorite TV show from when you were a teenager?” He grunts and I hear more rubble shifting.
“Is everything OK?” I swallow, worried that he might get more hurt in an effort to free himself.
“Everything is fine,” Aiden’s voice is calm. “But I could really use the distraction right now. So, keep telling me things about yourself. Can you do that for me?”
I nod then realize he’s probably not looking in my direction. I start telling him everything I can think of about my life. Mainly, it’s silly things like the fact that I like the brownies from the middle of the pan and that I won’t drink hot cocoa unless it has those mini marshmallows in it.
“You’re about to hear a loud noise, but everything is fine. I’m just moving a few more things,” he warns.
It sounds like metal is scraping against something, and I close my eyes. I will myself to think of being somewhere pleasant. But I can’t do that. Even if I’m cold and scared, there’s still nowhere I’d rather be than with Aiden.
Then suddenly, he’s beside me. He’s breathing hard and he looks exhausted. He puts a hand to my face. “I’m here, sweetheart.”
“Is it bad? Can you see how to get me out?” I try to take a deep breath but end up choking on debris in the air.
“So, what I’m going to do first is lift up the drywall that’s on you right now. It’ll make it easier for you to breathe.”
He stands and walks around, surveying the damage. Then he disappears from my line of sight.
“Where are you?” I ask, a note of panic that I can’t disguise in my voice. I don’t want to be left alone. It’s cold and I can see the sky darkening through the hole in the ceiling.
Immediately, he moves closer to me again. “Listen, there’s a joist over there. I can use it for some leverage. You won’t see me but I’m still right here.”
“You’re not going to leave me?”
His expression softens. “No, sweet angel. I’ll never leave you.”
I sniff and take a shaky breath. “Do you see any spiders on me?”
“There are no spiders. Let me get the joist. Count out loud. By the time you hit a hundred, I’ll be back where you can see me.”
I do what he says, but I don’t even make it to fifty before he’s by my side with the long piece of wood. He positions it quickly, gaining me just enough leverage to take a deep breath without struggling against the drywall.
“That feel better?” He asks, watching me. I can read the worry and concern in his gaze. But there’s something else there too. He looks away from me before I can tell what it is.
I give him a nod. I’m still cold and wet. My toes are growing numb. My body is in pain but I’m counting that as a good sign. It has to mean I’m not paralyzed, right?
“Can you get me out now?” I ask.
“Yes. It’s going to take me a few hours and I need you to stay very still while I work. I don’t want to risk the rubble shifting and injuring you. Keep talking to me, OK? I could use the company.”
I don’t think I could move even if I wanted to. I’m pretty much pinned to the ground. “I’ve told you everything about me at this point.”
“Then tell me about the future. Where do you want to go on our first date?” He says as he lifts two heavy books off the pile.
“This is Nova?” A female voice asks, waking me from a deep sleep. I want to open my eyes, but my eyelids are so heavy right now.
“My future wife,” Aiden’s voice is strong and confident. My heart warms at the words. He didn’t leave me. He stayed with me until his friend Ben showed up and they could both dig me out.
“She’s pretty,” the female says again. “You have good taste.”
He practically hums. “I know I do.”
“Did they say when she would wake up?” A male voice asks.
Aiden rubs his thumb along the back of my hand. Just that simple touch is reassuring. I love that he’s comforting me even if I’m barely awake. “They don’t know. They’re hopeful it’ll be soon.”
“You should take some pain meds,” the female encourages.
“Not until she’s awake,” Aiden argues. “I want to be here when she comes to.”
It slowly registers that I should try to open my eyes and talk to him. Before I can do that, the darkness reclaims me, and I drift into a dreamless sleep.
I don’t know how long I sleep for again, but I’m woken this time by the sound of Aiden’s voice. “Hey, my angel. Can you hear me? I’m right here. I haven’t left you.”
I manage to force my eyelids open this time and I’m greeted by the sight of Aiden’s smiling face. He’s lying near me on his side and the relief that fills his face tells me I must have been asleep for a long time. It’s weird though. The couch in the lounge was never this warm.
“Thank God,” he murmurs and presses soft kisses to my knuckles. When he raises my hand, I see the IV in the back of his. That’s when I understand that we’re not in the library anymore. We’re in the hospital and his bed is pushed against mine.
“You have a needle,” I murmur. “I don’t like it. Are you hurt badly? You should take pain meds. I heard them tell you to.”
He chuckles then abruptly stops. “You have one too.”
I glance down at my other hand to see he’s right. I wiggle my toes. Or at least, I think I do. “Are we OK?”
“Yeah, you have a concussion. You’re down one spleen and have a collapsed lung. Doc says you’ll make a full recovery in a few weeks.”
Relief courses through me. That doesn’t sound like the best of news, but at least I didn’t lose any of my limbs. “And you?” I press, realizing he didn’t give me any details about how he’s feeling.
“One concussion, a broken leg, and two fractured vertebrae. It’ll be about three months, but everything should heal up without the need for surgery.”
“What about firefighting?” I know from the conversations we’ve had over the past week that it’s not just a job to him. It’s his passion.
“I’ve got a better than ninety percent chance of returning to it,” he squeezes my hand. “We made it out, sweetheart.”
Something occurs to me. “Did you know your back was injured when you moved all of that stuff off of me?”
He worked tirelessly for hours before Ben showed up. Even after that, he continued to move the debris. He never once took a break or complained.
“You were worth every moment of pain,” he quietly reassures. “I’d do it again without hesitating. I love you, Nova and that means I will always put you above myself. I’ll never leave you, angel.”
He cups my face and I lean into his touch. “For me, love always meant being left behind. But I don’t want to let that fear control me anymore. I need you and I love you, Aiden.”
He gives me a grin. “I know I’ve asked this one before but how do you feel about outdoor proposals?”