My fighter is alive.
Tears press at the back of my eyes and I’m not ashamed to let them fall. My entire upper body falls with relief, as if the weight of the world has been released from my shoulders. My heart is filled with warmth and light as my soul feels restored.
“Can I see her?” I croak desperately.
Dr. Ambrose nods his head. “Family only for the time being. She’s still groggy from the anesthesia and may continue to be so for a few hours. Tomorrow we can allow friends visiting. I don’t want to overwhelm her with too much stimulation right after surgery.” I nod my head, not being able to trust my voice. “If you have any concerns please do ask me at any time. I’ll be making sure your wife is as comfortable as possible as we are getting her better,” he informs me and for the first time tonight I believe in his words.
She’s alive.
The love of my fucking life is alive.
Connor jumps up out of his seat and starts pulling at my hand with a beaming smile one his face. “Can we go see her, please? I want to see my sister. I need to see her.”
I take quick glance at everyone around me and they all give me the same encouraging look followed by an array of smiles.
Holding Connor’s hand in mine I rise from the chair and smile back down at him. “Yeah, champ, let’s go see her.”
I allow Connor to lead me as we follow Trevor and Dr. Ambrose down the hall to the patients wing on the right hand side.
We come to a stop at room number 312. I can feel my heart beating of my chest with the anticipation of seeing her.
Trevor knocks on the door softly before entering. Then, he says lowly to me, “I insisted for Gracie Mae to have a room of her own. She’s been through a lot and I didn’t want her under stress of being roomed with a stranger. Especially not after what she suffered.” His thoughtfulness does not go unnoticed and I do not let it go by without appreciation.
I clap my hand on his shoulder. “Thank you, Trevor. For everything.”
“No thanks needed. I’m just happy Hollows Point couldn’t add another tragedy.” In his voice I hear that he’s genuine, but in his eyes I see the sorrow of the tragedy Hollows Point did to him. He then turns to leave and so does the doctor after he rechecks the tubes and machines Grace is hooked to.
Stepping further in the room, with the door closed to the outside world, I see my woman for the first time since her attack.
And it’s fucking punch that knocks the air out of me.
An IV is hooked to her hand for medicine. A heart monitor is attached to her chest along with a pulse indicator on her pointer finger. Her left leg is propped up and wrapped securely in bandage wrap. Her shoulder is propped by pillows and securely wrapped as well. Discoloration covers her face as her lip is busted and her right eye is swollen shut. An angry color of red collars her neck from the strangulation.
A surge of rage rises inside me and I want to hunt down that fucker and kill him all over again. Except this time I would make him feel all the pain in the world before he met his end.
His death was far too quick.
Connor lets go of my hand and rushes to his sister’s side. He’s cautious of her wounds as he gently lays his hand on top of her pale arm. “I love you, sis. And I’m still so proud of you.” Bending down he presses a kiss to her forehead and gently sweeps away the stray strands of hair from her face.
He smiles at her. The smile I feared I may have never saw from him again. “It’s okay, Oak,” Connor tells me gently. “You can come closer; you’re not going to hurt her.”
I swallow. “Wasn’t afraid of hurting her, champ.”
He raises a brow. “Then what is it?”
How can I tell the kid that I can’t believe she’s alive after I suffered the loss of people I loved? How can I tell him that seeing her like this both kills me and revives me? How do I tell him that after all the pain I’ve inflicted upon myself over the years that finding Grace when I got back to her home was the most painful thing I’ve ever experienced?
How can I tell him that seeing her like that broke something inside me?
And how can I possibly tell him that seeing her like this, surviving, fighting, is reminding me of my days spent in the hospital doing the very same after the attack in Iraq?
“I guess everything is hitting me all at once,” I decide to say to him. He nods like he understands. And perhaps he does. He’s wise for his age. I swallow roughly. “And I just can’t believe she’s here.”
“Of course she is, Oak. We’re all a part of the future I see for us. No one was going to take her from us. And you made sure of that.”
I nod my head and finally move closer. I don’t stop until I reach the other side of her bed. Ever so gently I cradle the side of her face. And I swear I feel every cell inside me light up from just the sheer touch.
“I love you, Grace. And I promise you I’m never going to let anyone hurt you ever again.” I press a soft yet tender kiss to her bruised cheek. A tear slips down my face and falls on her cheek. Gently, I swipe it away.
