"Luke!" My voice tore out of my throat, I ran to him and raised his heavy body off the floor, the side of his head was spilling with blood, "It's cuddles, I'm here, please wake up." I cried and shook him---
The sound of my phone ringing snapped me back to reality. I noticed my surroundings and began it sinking in that I'd been wandering in the hospital hallway for hours,
I pulled myself through and made my way towards the waiting room, as soon as I walked in my eyes traveled to Frank who was standing in the middle, as worried as I was.
He hurried to me,
"Are you alright?" He asked, taking pity on me.
I burst into tears, not able to make out the words to explain how I was feeling at the moment, Frank pulled me close, wrapping his arms around me.
I clasped my arms around his, clinging tightly to him as I whimpered.
He stroked my back, whispering.
"Everything is going to be okay."
It was soothing to the ear, and the fact that I had someone who completely understood what was going on was also very comforting.
He pulled apart and helped me sit,
"Stay here, let me go check on him."
I nodded and watched him leave.
He returned a few minutes later with a cup of coffee which he handed to me, I shook my head, "It's gonna be a long night, you need to drink this."
I smiled nervously, accepting the cup and taking a sip. Frank came and sat beside me on the bench, huffing in frustration.
"He's going to be okay?" He tried to assure me again. I don't respond, I've never been one to dwell on hope in frantic situations. I always wondered how people do it, be so calm, I never could. "Jeez, I knew Luke was completely crazy for you but I never imagined he would actually try to kill himself to prove it."
"What did the doctors say?"
"I'm not gonna lie, Jane, he's condition is critical, and he lost a lot of blood. Who knows how long he's been lying there?"
Tears overwhelmed me again,
"I should have checked on him--" I choked. Frank reached and held me, whispering.
"Luke has issues, nothing to do with you."
I pulled myself through and just in time the doctor appears out of the door, we both jump to meet him,
"How's Luke?"
He sighs,
"Congratulations, the surgery was successful. Honestly, it's a miracle he's alive, in so many years of practice, I have never witnessed anyone survive a bullet through the head, especially in such a close range.."
"Would it affect him?" Frank waves in.
"We can't say until he wakes."
"Can I see him?"
"Not today, I advise you two go home, get some rest and return tomorrow."
"Thank you." Frank says. The doctor just smiles and leaves us, "C'mon, I'll take you home." Frank
led me outside the hospital and inside the parking lot. We trotted around the parking lot in silence, each of us overwhelmed with the day we've had.
He helps me into the car and turns around to do the same before driving out of the parking lot and into the main road. The rich lemon scent of the car engulfed me, and I curled back on the seat, looking out of the window, counting houses and trees with a deep sense of relief.
After a minute of awkward silence, Frank says.
"Are you still going through with the divorce?"
I froze for a bit and then muttered.
"I don't know.."
"Were you even going to leave him?"
I don't respond to that and he snickers in disbelief.
"You know after what happened between us, I always wondered what you saw in him, I understand he's been through a lot, he had an awful childhood, like 60% of children in America, but Luke Hampton is not a saint, to the rest of the world he might be this great philanthropist but to the people who really know him, he's a monster, a selfish bastard, I love him to the moon but that's the truth.....I always questioned how he got such an extraordinary woman to be his wife, what did he say to her to make her stay? how does such a man have everything right, and still fuck it all up?"
There's a deep silence in the car as he pauses for a bit. I stayed glued to the seat, trying to make sense of everything he was saying.
"Why Luke, Jane? you're fucking gorgeous, I'm dumbstruck at how beautiful you are, even right now, you could get any man you want crawling at your feet, but yet you choose to stay with the worst of them, a man who's caused you nothing but pain, it's almost like you enjoy being constantly belittled by him."
Silence.
"Maybe there's something wrong with me."
