Madison

I can hear voices, I feel strange, and I am in so much pain all over my body and my head hurts like crazy. Why does it feel so hard to open my eyes? What the hell is going on? Where am I?

There's something warm and calloused holding my hand, I struggle to open my eyes, but I can definitely hear voices. Is that my mother's voice? And Henri's? I try my darndest to move my fingers, but it feels like such an effort. Now I'm just frightened, something has happened to me, and I have no idea what.

I try again, then I feel a squeeze back, "Madi, Madi. Are you awake, talk to me Petal." I know that low voice, it's Alex. My eyes flutter but God they feel so weighted down that I still struggle. "Madi, darling open your eyes if you can. Or if you can hear me beautiful, move your fingers."

Okay that I can do, I move my fingers and I hear crying. I hear my momma's voice. "Is she awake? Has she finally woken? Oh my gosh, we need to get a doctor in here quickly. Henri, please run out and let someone know."

Doctor? I am guessing I am in a hospital and Alex is with my parents, okay so this is all weird. Maybe the doctor can give me something for all this pain, my head is throbbing. What happened to me? I flutter my eyes again and manage this time to open them slightly.

Enough to see my gorgeous fiancé sitting by my bedside with both his hands around mine, his eyes are red with dark circles under them. "How long have I been here?" I manage though my throat is painful and dry, my voice sounds like a croaking frog.

"Petal, oh my gosh, Petal you're awake." He takes my hand to his lips and kisses them; his lips are soft like pillows.

"Barely, I hurt. What the hell happened to me? Did I have an accident?"

"Wait, you can't remember?" He now looks concerned as his eyebrows furrow together and his eyes have that overly worried look in them. Dad stands on the other side of the bed, I move my head gingerly because everything is so damn sore.

"Hey kiddo, how's my favorite girl?" He bends down and kisses my cheek. "It's so good to see you opening your eyes. We missed you, baby girl."

Missed me? "Er, how long have I been out for?"

"Three days, Petal." Alex says, I turn to look at him and now he's smiling. There is that mega watt smile I fell in love with, the one that can make you feel dizzy and like you're the only woman in the universe. It sends comfort through my body.

I can hear doors swishing open and my mother's voice, "Doctor, she's opened her eyes, she's awake." Okay so my mom sounds pretty excited.

"Three days!?" Shit, what the hell.

"Let me take a look can you give me some space please." I hear a gruff voice saying. I guess he is talking to Alex and Dad a since they're both flanking me. Alex kisses my fingers and places my hand down on the bed as if I am china and will break.

The doctor stands over me and takes a look. "Hi Maddi, good to see you awake. How do you feel?"

"Sore, pained, what happened?"

"You had an accident, a bad car accident. You have some broken ribs; your leg is broken and you took a nasty cut to the head and were concussed. You've been out for three days. I just need to do some quick tests with you right now."

I nod as he takes a small torch out of his white coat. "Just going to take a look at your eyes, okay?" I nod and let him shine it first in one eye then the other, zeroing it in and moving it back. Kinda like when you have an eye test in the ophthalmology clinic. Not so bad but the light stings my eyes a bit.

"Is it normal to sting?" I ask.

"You will be sensitive, it was a bad knock to the head, but the good thing is there is no damage. Your leg and your ribs will take a few weeks and then you'll be as good as rain. We will of course run another scan on your head. I will check with my nurse. I think we've got you booked in later today."

"And when can I go home?" He smiles.

"Let's not run before we can walk, Miss Lane. It's going to be at least another five days. I need to be totally happy with everything before we can even talk about letting you home."

He runs some more tests, checks my pulse and feels my glands then nods. "All good, you're doing really well, Madison. You're a fighter for sure. Right, I'll go check on the scan with my nurse and let you know. In the meantime, try to sip on the water but mindful only small sips. You could be sick if you try too much too soon."

"Talking of which, I feel hungry, like starving. When did I last eat?"

"You've been on a drip, so we'll take it easy, and I'll have a nurse bring you something light and kind to the stomach."

"Thank you, Doctor." He nods and smiles then leaves me.

"Madi, honey we were so worried." Mom gives me a hug mindful not to hurt me. Bless her, she must have been worried sick.

"I'm going to be okay, but what actually happened. I can't remember anything about an accident."

"A car hit you, the police are trying to locate the driver. They picked up the vehicle via the road cameras and traced the number plate. Only it turns out the SUV was stolen, and they suspect it was a drunk driver. They're on it, Madi. Whoever did this to you will pay," Alex tells me.

"Don't you get involved, Alex. I need you here by my side, not going round beating some loser up and getting yourself put behind bars."

He lowers his face and kisses my lips ever so gently whilst mom moves to the side still holding my hand.

"Hey sis," I hear Henri. "Glad you're back with us, missed you." She comes over, Dad lets her squeeze in. I feel tired again and want to close my eyes. Is this normal? I guess it must be. God, I am exhausted.

"Hey Henri, sorry I scared you all."

"Nonsense, honey. It wasn't your fault. You were just on the wrong road at the wrong time, that's all. None of this is your doing."

"The house, I was going to look at the ranch house," I remember now.

"You were, I'm so sorry, Petal. If I hadn't pushed for you to go and take a look none of this would have happened." I can see guilt on Alex's face.

"Don't be silly, I was itching to go see it. Now it'll have to wait until I get out of hospital only, I fell in love with the pictures and I know we'd be happy there."

Alex beams, my mom clutches his arm and gives it a big squeeze. "I was kind of hoping you'd fall in love with it, because I," he coughs and blushes. "I bought it for you."

"Alex, what? Are you serious? That place cost millions."

"For you Petal, I'd buy the moon if I could."

I sigh and rest my head back on the pillows as Henri looks at Alex in awe. It's cute.

"And the doctor says the baby is okay. We're going to be parents, Petal. You and I with little Madis running around."

"A baby," I whisper.

"Did you know?" He asks me. Mom is smiling from ear to ear like the cat who got the cream. She clasps her hands together and my father looks so damn proud of me right now, my heart swells.

"I was planning on picking up several tests after I'd been to view the ranch house. But oh my gosh, Alex it's positive then?" He nods, tears in his beautiful blue eyes.

Alex drops his mouth back down to mine, and whispers in my ear, "you are the most amazing woman that has ever walked this planet, Madison Lane. You make me so damn happy, and I cannot wait to be a father and share our child and watch you being a mommy."

I can see my mom is crying those happy tears. "Mom you're going to be a grandma finally and daddy you will be a grandpop." He squeezes my other hand.

"Hey, don't forget me," Henri says with a huge grin on her face. "I'll be an aunty. I can't wait. You better be warned, I am going to spoil your baby to heaven and back."

We all laugh, this is the best thing to wake up to. I can't even begin to tell you how happy this makes me, my heart is enriched with all the love of these people, my family and my beautiful fiancé standing by my side. The gratitude I feel is overwhelming to receive and feel so much love and happiness and to know I am carrying Ales Stone's baby.

Now all I need to do is recover quickly and get back on my feet.

"Life is going to be perfect, Petal. I am going to love you being pregnant and watching our baby grow inside of you."

"Ha, what you mean is you're going to witness me not being able to see my feet, right?"

Everyone chuckles. "You are going to be an amazing mother, Madi," Dad says like a proud cockerel. "And I can't wait either to hold your baby in my arms and sing to it."

Daddy has a good singing voice; he would always sing me a song at bedtime after our story time. His voice can send you off to sleep dreaming on a fluffy cloud. Our baby is lucky to have such wonderful grandparents to love it, and with Alex as a daddy it will have the most amazing life.

"I love you all," I say choked with emotion.

"Oh, honey, we love you too."

"I think we need to let you get some rest, Petal. You must be exhausted and with all this excitement."

"Yeah, I am a little bit tired. Thanks, baby daddy." I say, Alex chuckles but I can see him puffing out his broad chest. I literally cannot wait to see him holding our baby.