Through Thick And Thin

Chapter 11

The next day, the doctors decided that Melody should get up and walk around. She really didn't want to, but they'd mentioned blood clots and how they could be fatal. She may have felt like death, but she wasn't exactly feeling in the mood to greet the asshole face to face just yet.

Everyone had been avoiding her, and for that she was grateful. She was still having problems coping with her feelings, and David had been acting weird on top of it all. It was almost like he was relieved that she lost the baby. He didn't talk about it much, and while she knew that he didn't really know, it still pissed her off at how distant he was with the entire situation.

Speaking of the baby, the hospital had given her a porcelain urn with the ashes of what they could recover of the baby. They were never able to tell the sex, being that she was only a few weeks along, so they left the name up to her.

"Leila Michael Rosario," she had said quietly.

Michael did carefully let her know that Chris was in jail for assaulting Josh. The severity of Josh's injuries couldn't be overlooked, so they had to charge her cousin. Melody half wished that Chris had killed him, but that wasn't important now. He was going to jail, and Melody would be rid of him for good.

Melody stopped at the critical unit to take a breather.

So, she thought to herself. You lost your baby. You're probably losing your cousin, and you've alienated yourself from everyone who loves you. Everything that Joshua wanted. Good thing he's in a bed beyond those doors, or he'd kill you dead now.

Melody felt a surge of anger run through her, and before she knew it, she pushed through the doors and found herself asking for Joshua Reyes. She was going to face the man who'd made her life hell. The man who killed her child. The man who she hated beyond anyone else in the world.
 She planned out everything she was going to say as she followed the directions the charge nurse had given to her, and when she saw the room number, she squared up her shoulders and pushed the door open.

Oddly enough, however, her anger faded at the sight that met her eyes.

Josh was asleep. His head was bandaged, and he had a chest tube coming from the blankets. He looked so pathetic and vulnerable that every bit of ire in Melody disappeared. He'd gotten his karma. Chris really did mess him up.

"Ma'am, only family-" a nurse who was changing his bandages began to say.

"'s ok," Josh moaned, peering at her through his heavy lidded eyes. "Why are you here, Melody?"

Melody shook her head.

"I don't know," she said. "I was going to see if there were any dirty needles around to stick you with, maybe infect you with the flu or something, but I changed my mind."

"You won't have to worry about me much longer," he said, closing his eyes again. "I'll probably be going to prison."

"I know."

"Are you still...?

"No. I think you know that."

Shock went through Melody as she saw a tear fall from his eye. He looked her in the eye, and Melody couldn't look away. His gaze was full of remorse and sadness. Genuine this time, not the manipulation that he used to put her through when she doubted him.

"I'm so sorry. For everything. I didn't mean to...well, I did, but it doesn't matter anymore. I won't bother you anymore. I promise."

Melody nodded as he drifted back to sleep. Her eyes fell on the tattoo he had gotten for her on his arm, and her heart ached for the briefest moment. Once upon a time, she did love him, after all.