Walk With Me

60. Always Here

"I'm going to turn the lights off, okay? I'm still right here. I just need to step away for a second," he says beside me. I manage to nod, the movements becoming easier as I pull myself out of whatever deep sleep I seem to have fallen into.

I can see the room fall darker through my eyelids. And after another painful breath, I attempt to open my eyes again. When I do, when I actually force them open, I'm met with those ocean blues I can't seem to get enough of. And as if those eyes weren't everything, his smile lights up the whole room.

"Wh..." the words attempt to scrape their way through my throat, getting caught along the walls.

His hand is quickly back in mine, the other resting against my face. "You're in the hospital," his voice is quiet, something dropping within his words.

My eyes are still connected to his, locked on and not ready to let them go. I remember a lot about last night. Vince's threats, the struggle to gasp for the smallest bit of air, and the pain. The pounding ache in my head.

I slowly nod, feeling the weight of my eyes taking over. I let the warmth of his touch and the sea of blue drift me back to sleep.

There's a few flashes of memories woven into the dark relaxation of sleep. I remember my brother by my side, saying something about my level of pain. I remember a nurse smiling at me, saying something about getting plenty of rest. And I remember Tommy in each one of those moments, his hand always in mine. It's his comfort and presence that has allowed me to drift in and out, to relax. I know that as long as he's by my side that everything else is okay. At least enough for me to let the sleep take away my day.

By the time my mind finally wills itself to officially join the land of the living, I can hear his voice beside me. It's soft, calm. The soothing tones tempting to drift me back into sleep, but then I hear it. I hear her name across his lips.

"Yeah, Mia, Mommy is okay. She's still sleeping."

I can still feel his fingers laced between mine, the small gesture still giving me butterflies even as I pull myself from sleep.

"Oh yeah?" he questions, the smile evident in the sound of his voice. "I think she's going to love that...She did?" his voice picks up, a small laugh falling from his lips now. A laugh that has a smile pushing its way onto my face.

I slowly open my eyes, the act much easier this time around. I can see the back of his head, his body turned away from me as he talks quietly into the phone.

"Yeah. I think we're coming home tonight. There are a couple more tests your uncle is going to do just to make sure, but it sounds like we'll be there later, okay?"

Tests? I still don't know exactly what happened. I remember last night, up until I was lying on the floor beneath Vince. Everything after that is a blur. I do remember Tommy. I remember his voice, I remember his hand in mine. I just don't quite know how I got here, what the damage is.

"I promise to tell her as soon as she wakes up...Yeah, I will call back next hour...Okay, have fun...I love you too."

I watch as he ends the call, his eyes lingering on the screen. He's tired. My eyes travel his body now, taking in the rest of him. Something I haven't quite been able to do yet. He's still in his t-shirt, the one he wears under his uniform. I continue to travel the length of him, taking note in the lower half of his body still painted in uniform. He hasn't gone home. And if I had to guess, he hasn't even slept. He's been here, holding my hand. The one memory through all of this that has stuck with me.

When he turns back to face me, that smile I love so damn much spreads across his face.

"Hey, baby," he whispers, scooting in closer to me.