Chapter 92
In the dark
When Riley awoke the first night, she was screaming.
In her mind, she was underwater, drowning. She looked up and saw Gray, heard the dolphins' clicks growing louder, and then... nothing. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't escape the dream. It played over and over; drowning, Gray, dolphins, then silence. It was an endless loop.
When she finally woke up, the doctor explained that sometimes the brain couldn't separate reality from the coma state. She'd be okay, but it would take time.
She'd been in a coma for a week. A week!
Gray had filled her in on everything, and as he spoke, a part of her mind whispered, you've heard this before, you know this story. Yet she couldn't distinguish what had truly happened from the fragments that her brain had conjured while she was unconscious.
Her throat ached, her ribs throbbed, but the nurses had been incredible. They'd moved her every few hours to prevent bedsores, and Gray... she knew he had been by her side the entire time. Even though it was just beyond her grasp, she was sure he had whispered that he loved her.
She glanced at him, sleeping beside her. Her body was so tired, but her mind said she'd slept for years. Eventually, her eyes fluttered shut, and she nestled closer to Gray. He gently rested his hand on her leg, careful to avoid her sore ribs.
When everyone arrived the next day, her heart swelled with joy. They were all here! Her parents had just gone to get lunch, promising to bring her something. The IV fluids weren't enough; her body craved real sustenance.
"Grayley!" Declan's voice rang out, and Riley couldn't help but laugh internally.
She watched the lively scene unfold, though she could only nod and croak out one word: Bear.
Her beloved companion. She knew Marta and Gray had been taking care of him, though Marta had pretended she needed Gray's help to keep him occupied.
She appreciated it, Gray needed to feel useful during this time.
Before long, they were gone, and it was just her and Gray again.
He brushed back the stubborn lock of hair that had fallen into her face.
"They're a lot, but they've missed you so much." He was sitting on the bed beside her, his eyes filled with relief.
"Riley, I thought I'd lost you." A tear slipped from the corner of his eye, and she reached up, catching it on her finger.
She motioned for him to come closer, and for a moment, his eyes widened. He thought she was going to kiss him! She shook her head with a wry smile, her lips tight. Gray laughed, "What do you need, my love?"
Then everything stopped. She held her breath, and so did he.
Gray gently cupped her face, resting his forehead against hers. "Riley, I will not pretend I don't love you. You don't have to say it back."
She punched him in the arm before motioning for her notepad.
Jerk! she scribbled with a grin.
I can't say it right now—no fair! She wrote on the notepad.
"Okay, okay, speed writer! I'll wait until your voice comes back. No need for hostile writing!" He pulled her into a gentle hug. "Now, what did you want to ask?"
Riley scrawled just one word on the paper: Shelley?
Gray sighed. He knew she'd ask eventually, but he'd hoped it wouldn't be so soon.
"You'd better sit down for this. It's so crazy, even I'd say it's a lie if I didn't know it was true."
As Gray recounted the events, Riley's eyes widened in disbelief.
After Shelley fled, she had headed east, unaware of the reef. She'd run the boat aground, high-centreing it on the coral. The coast guard already knew about her escape, and they found her quickly.
"And here's the wild part — she was swimming! She ditched the boat and tried to swim to shore. I don't know how she thought she'd leave the island. Every way off: plane, boat, catamaran knew not to let her board. Plus, she had no ID, no wallet and her luggage is still at my house!"
Gray shook his head, continuing the story.
The coast guard had taken Shelley to the police, and Cam had pressed charges for stealing the boat and the research, as well as impersonating someone, among other things.
With Riley in a coma, the police had been waiting to see if they would add more serious charges.
"Your waking up is a relief for Shelley. They'll reduce the charges related to endangering you. She lawyered up immediately, but we're not on the mainland. There's not much her lawyer can do, and the island isn't letting her go. She'll face the charges here."
Riley felt a wave of nausea. She had never liked Shelley, and Shelley had proven to be dangerous and unhinged.
But the thought of this ruining her life weighed heavily on Riley's heart.
Shelley needed to face justice, but she also felt that sending her back to the mainland might be a better fate.
The prison on the island was much harsher than anything Shelley would face back home.
"Oh, I know that look. You don't want her to go to prison, do you?"
Deep down, he didn't want that either. Shelley had to face the consequences, but was prison the right punishment for her?
Gray held her close, burying his face in her freshly washed hair.
Shanti had returned as promised, and together, she and Gray had restored the shine to Riley's hair, which had grown dull during her time in the coma.
Shanti had even given Gray tips on how to make the head massage more relaxing—minus the bubbles.
Riley had sighed contentedly throughout, and Gray had been grateful to bring her that small comfort.
"The doctor says only a few more days and we'll get you home," he spoke into her hair. "Bear's been unbearable, honestly! He keeps side-eyeing us like we stole you, sighing at the door. We're working on training him to be gentle when he sees you. Marta's doing a great job. You'll be proud!"
Gray kissed the top of her head, and Riley felt a sense of peace wash over her.
"Gray?" she rasped, her voice weak. He looked down at her, waiting.
She swallowed and whispered, "Will you stay?"
He took her face in his hands, kissed her gently, and murmured against her lips, "Riles, there's nowhere I'd rather be.."
And he knew she wasn't just talking about staying that night at the hospital. She wanted him to stay on the island with her, and he knew it would be the easiest decision he would ever make.