Chapter 49
Chapter
Forty-Nine
Her heart rate started to spike, and then I felt her hand move. It was so small. If I hadn’t of been so focused on her, I might have missed it, but then I heard it, the small moan she let out. I wasn’t the only one who heard. The room is full of people. Doc Saunders was not happy when we all strolled in here after he moved her from recovery, but everyone wanted to see her and be near her. He finally gave in, telling us that we weren’t allowed to be a nuisance to the other doctors and nurses and that we needed to ensure Marissa got plenty of rest. She still wasn’t out of the woods, but he was hopeful.
Twenty-one hours since surgery, and I was starting to think she was never going to come out of it, but as I stand here, stroking her face, telling her that I’m here and that she’s safe, I finally start to feel a little hopeful myself.
“Move, please.”
Doc Saunders pushes through the crowd of people at the door and he walks up the other side of my woman’s bed, checking her monitors before pulling out a small light and shining it in each of her eyes. As he pulls back to a standing position, he looks at me and smiles. “It’s still early, but it looks like she’s trying to come around. I understand you all want to be here, but I’m going to ask that you all wait in the waiting room, only two in here at any one time. I don’t want her overloaded when she wakes up.”
“With all due respect, doc.” Nitro steps forward. “The waiting room’s just a little too far. But we will wait in the corridor, and before you get all worried, I promise we’ll behave and stay out of everybody’s way.” He smiles at the doc, who doesn’t seem too pleased but gives Nitro a nod anyway. He knows he won’t win this one.
Feeling like the chair is just a little too far away, I take a seat right on the edge of the bed facing my girl. Nitro moves everyone out of the room, barking orders at them to stay quiet and stay out of the way or he’ll kick everyone out, before coming back in and re-taking up his position against the wall by the door.
Doc Saunders continues to check my girl over, making notes on her chart as he goes. When he’s done, he turns to look at me. “She’s a fighter this one; she’s coming around a lot quicker than I would have expected. Just be patient, coming around from any surgery is hard enough, but add in the head injury makes it a lot harder.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s positive that she’s coming out of it on her own and started coming around so quickly. But I need you to understand that it could take days for her to come out of it. And there might be repercussions from the head injury…”
“Ok. Erm.. I need you to tell me what to expect.”
“I can’t tell you what to expect because everyone is different. There are so many factors to consider. I’ll get the nurse to bring in some leaflets about head trauma so you have a little more information. But for now, understand that it may take her a few days to come around, and when she does, she may not be herself. Everybody responds differently to head trauma; some have no side effect, and others have many. Only time will tell.
Be patient, and aware that she may be sensitive to light, sound and touch. She may struggle to understand, it may take her longer to process thoughts, and her speech may be affected. Don’t push her, and don’t finish her sentences. I know it’s a lot to take in, but read the leaflets when you get them and ask any questions to myself and the nurses, ok?”
I swallow the massive lump in my throat and give him a nod before turning back to my girl and placing a very gentle kiss on her forehead. As Doc Saunders leaves, Nitro comes to take up his position before pulling up the other chair and taking a seat.
“You don’t have to stay Prez.”
“I’m going nowhere, brother.”
Someone touching my head has me jolting awake. At some point I’d moved from the bed back to the chair and then fallen asleep when I placed my head on the bed next to her.
“Shit,” I whisper as I realise the hand running over my hair is Marissa’s. “Firecracker, you’re awake?”
Eight days I’ve waited for her to open her eyes fully. For eight days, I’ve sat by her bedside, hoping and praying for her to wake up. And never, not once, did I think she would smile at me the way she just did.
“Let me go get the doc,” I tell her, turning to grab someone, but she squeezes my hand, stopping me before I have a chance to go anywhere.
“Please don’t leave me. Not yet,” she croaks out as tears fill her eyes.
I nod. “I’ll stay.” I pull my phone out from my pocket as I sit on the bed next to her and drop a text to Tongue, who’s out in the waiting room, telling him she’s awake and to grab the doc.
Tongue arrives with Doc Saunders in seconds. He tells her it’s good to see her awake as he asks her questions while he’s checking her over. Tongue stands in the corner, never taking his eyes off her like he’s afraid he’s imagining it.
I look at the doc as he smiles at Marissa and then at me. “Everything looks good. We’ll need to continue to monitor you, but I’m happy. I’ll leave you guys to talk. That button right there.” He points to a button on the side of the bed. “You need anything, just press it and someone will come through.”
“Thank you.” We both say at the same time. He gives us a nod and then leaves. The moment he does, Tongue rushes over and bends down, hugging Marissa as gently as possible. Then he whispers something in her ear. She chuckles and then grabs her ribs in pain. “Sorry,” he mutters before turning and leaving. Weird little fucker.
“What did he say?”
She smiles at me and shakes her head. She taps the side of the bed, indicating she wants me to lay with her. “I’m not gonna tell you what he said. Lie with me?”
“I don’t think that’s…”
“Please?” she pleads quietly.
“I know you don’t really want to be around me, but I just need you right now, just for a little while.”
I gently climb onto the bed beside her, and she pulls herself over, curling into me.
“Baby. We’ve got a lot to talk about, and I know you’ll probably never forgive me. But I’m not leaving you. I’m an arsehole, and I fucked up, but I promise I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you. If you’ll have me.”
“Wrath…”
“Not now, baby. We’ll talk when you’re a little better. For now, rest. I’m not going anywhere.” I reach down and place a kiss on the top of her head, and she curls further into me.
“Thank you,” she whispers, and a few seconds later, I feel her body relax as she falls back into sleep.