“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.
Chapter
Fifty
I’m so tired. I know I’ve slept for days, but I just can’t seem to stay awake. Wrath was true to his word and has not left me since I’ve been here. Every time I’ve opened my eyes, he’s either on the bed holding me or on the chair right next to me holding my hand.
It broke my heart when he lost it and kicked me out of the clubhouse. I knew I was falling for him, but I hadn’t realised just how much until that moment. Every time I’ve woken up, he’s apologised; he keeps saying that, he was an arsehole and that he knows I’ll never forgive him. I’ve not put his mind at ease, because the truth is who knows if I would have forgiven him. I can’t think about that right now. I’m still healing physically; the doctors have said that they think I should be able to go home in a couple of days. I think Wrath may have something to do with me being kept here. I asked last night why I was being kept in, and they just said I needed to stay in for observations. I’d heard him talking to Nitro, saying that he was worried about my head injury and that he wanted the doctors to give me another MRI just be sure that I was healing ok.
I blink a few times, letting my eyes adjust to the bright lights. A wave of panic rushes through me when I realise that Wrathisn’t in the room. Nobody is. This is the first that I’ve been truly alone since the attack. My body starts to shake, and my heart starts to race. Heat prickles over my skin, and I think I’m going to vomit.
