"I'll take care of you"

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"A COMA?!"

to be continue:

"A COMA?!" It didn't feel like I've slept for long. "H-How long have i been in the coma?" I ask him slowly, unsure if i really wan to hear the answer.

"Sixteen Weeks." he answer in a cold voice.

More than three months. Nearly four. "Wow....That's a lot... I missed the whole season."

"Yes. You were in a coma whole Autumn long."

"That sucks, because I love Autumn." I say and he chuckles.

"Gosh, how much I've missed your voice, Maine." he says to me, grinning.

I return his grin, "I missed you too." I say as he takes and laces his fingers with mine before he kisses my knuckles.

"You have no idea how fucking scared I was to lose you. We all were."

I smile at him, "I'm sorry for ruining your birthday night by the way."

He looks at me like I am out of place, "Don't apologize. You did nothing wrong. If you want to give someone the fault, then give it to the idiotic driver who hit you. It's not your fault, you hear me?"

I nodd, "Still I wish I weren't such a burden to you."

He smiles at me softly, before he rest his forehead against mine. "Taking care of you is not a burden. Being in the same room with you is not a burden. If anything , it's a relief. A relief because I know where you are. A relief because I know you're okay, or somewhat okay."

"I am glad to hear that I'm not a burden to you." I say and smile a little to him.

"You could never be a burden to me, Maine." he say in a strict voice into my eyes. "I've missed you so much that it hurt." he whispers into my ears before he kisses my cheek.

I close my eyes, enjoying being so close to him again. I open my eyes again and look directly into his eyes. Gosh, if only I could once read his eyes. If only once I could really see how he is feeling.

"Did the doctors say anything to you?" i ask him, destroying the silence between us.

He shakes his head, "They are not allowed to." all they could tell me was that the surgery went well. You had some internal bleeding and your liver got damaged a little bit, but that would heal by itself. You also have several broken ribs, which explains your pain in your chest."

"Who operated me?"

"Doctor Morgan."

"Is this the hospital your mother is working at?"

He nodds.

"Did your mother tell you anything about my health condition?"

"She only said that you should be the one to tell me. I have no idea by that and it drives me crazy-- for sixteen weeks now."

I nods and smile at him softly.

I sigh and brush my hair, feeling the pain in my chest. There is no easy way to say this.

"I'm a former leukemia patient, Richard."

"Cancer?!" He ask me worried.

"But you-"

"I am no longer suffering from cancer. I had it for five years. It started when I was six until I was eleven. I fought it and won. But of course I still have to get check ups every six months. Due to the chemo, I am not able to consume alcohol like normal,healthy, human being.My liver is damaged from the radiations." I explain to him, "The time in the hospital teaches me a lot. Out of five years, I've spent at least four and a half years in one of these hospital beds. I know exactly how all these transfusions look like, because I've been connected to them before."

He was in silent. His eyes are filled with fear,worry and shock. I didn't know I had that kind of effect on him. "Who knows your past condition?"

My family of course. And Patricia. They are the only ones. I told it to Patricia,after I passed out as I got home from a college party. She was beyond worried about me, but understood as soon as I explained her my health condition. From then on, she has always kept an eye on me. She knows exactly what to do when I look a little pale. She knows exactly what to say to my doctor when I'm choking blood. She knows exactly how to react when I faint. Because she's like a family.

"Is that why you were in the hospital during graduation ceremony."

I nods. "Yes. I chocked blood because I drank too much."

He squeezes my hand softly, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"As hard as it may sound, but we were just a fling, Richard. A short but intense, fling. A relationship so fragile,that I didn't want to break it by worrying you."

He nods and let go of my hand before he rises from the chair to look out of the window. "You're right."

"I know I am." I assure him and lift myself up, although it hurts like hell.

"I can't be a part of your life, Richard. I don't belong to your world."

His head turns around, but before he can respond the doors open.

A man dressed in a lab coat walks in. She has red hair and green eyes. He looks at him and he seems to know exactly what's he's doing.

"Miss Mendoza, nice to see you're awake." he says to me, smiling a little.

I smile at him.

"I'm Dr. Morgan. I've operated you."

"What did you have to patch up inside of me?"

He smiles at me, "Your liver was quite damaged, but we manged to fix that. the same goes for your kidney. One liver collapsed because a broken rib slit it open, but it's fine now. Your pelvis was broken as well, but it healed already."

In sixteen weeks it should have healed, since I've done nothing but.....Sleep.

I nodd, "What about the scar at my head? What did the CT say?"

"No brain damage, thankfully. You've been thrown through the air quite a few meters."

I nodd again, "When will I be able to leave?"

He looks at my chart, before he looks at my EKG, "It seems it was all fine. How about we just watch you for this night and release you tomorrow morning if everything stays the same."

I smile at him, "That sounds pretty damn nice."

He returns my smile and laughs a little, "Good. You should get some more rest." he says and looks at Richard, "Visiting hours have ended a while ago, Mr. Faulkerson."

Dr. Morgan sure doesn't like Richard. Maybe he knows that her mother's affair with the Director of the hospital. Maybe that's why he doesn't like him.

"I'll be leaving in a few minutes, Dr. Morgan." he says nodding, in a strict voice.

The doctor nodds before he looks at me again, "A nurse is going to come soon to disconnect you from the transfusions. See you tomorrow morning then."

"Goodnight, Dr. Morgan." I say to him before he closes the door. My eyes wander over to Richard, who picks up his jacket from the armchair. "He doesn't seem to like you."

"I've been ignoring the stupid visiting hours for weeks now, of course he doesn't like me. But nurses love me, which is why I was able to stay overnight each night anyway."

"A lot of barriers you had to break down there, Mr. Faulkerson." I say with a soft smile on my lips as he walks over to me.

"There is no barriers I wouldn't break down for you, Miss Mendoza." he says to me.

I smile back at him, "What time is it anyway?"

"Three in the morning." I say watching him close the door of my room. With a smile on my lips, I close my eyes and fall back asleep. But this time, I don't dream the same scene.

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"I'll take care of you" by: Steven Curtis Chapman