Till death do us part

Chapter 39: Life is beautiful - Present time

Cora's POV

"Ok," The nurse said as she had just checked another item on the checklist. "Try your right foot." She said and looked at Rose's right foot.

Rose looked at her foot as well and tried to move it around. I could tell by the look on her face that this task was difficult for her.

"Well done, Rose," The nurse said. "Let's try your right arm this time."

Rose nodded slowly and moved her right hand without any problems. She smiled and looked at the nurse. "My arms are fine. It doesn't hurt to move them."

I smiled when I heard that and looked at the nurse.

The nurse was smiling as well. "That's good to hear," She wrote some things onto the checklist before looking back at Rose. "Let's try to sit up."

Rose gulped, she was clearly worried. The closest she got to sitting up was laying in her bed with her back straightened.

"Come, Rose," I said and helped her get up slowly. "Take it easy."

"Au, no," She pushed me away. "It hurts," She held her chest. "I can't do it."

The nurse was writing down things before putting the checklist aside. "Your ribs are still healing, Rose," She said. "It's going to hurt for a while, you have to take it easy but try."

Rose took a deep breath and nodded at me, allowing me to help her again. "Slowly, ok?" She asked as I got a hold of her.

"Of course, Rose," I slowly helped her sit up. I could tell that the movements were hurting her, I could see how much energy she was putting into getting up. I tried my best to have her do as little as possible. And then we finally got her up. I smiled and looked at her. "Rose," I smiled more. "You did it."

Rose looked at the way she was sitting. She then looked at me. "I did it," She smiled more. "We did it, Cora."

The nurse smiled. "This is amazing indeed," She patted Rose on the shoulder. "Good job, Rose."

Rose smiled and looked at the ground. She then looked at the nurse. "When will I be able to walk?"

"Not yet, Rose," She got serious then. "Remember, your left leg is completely broken."

As if she had forgotten that, Rose looked at her left leg. She felt the plaster slowly. "Right..."

"But I can give you a clear for a walk outside," The nurse suddenly said. "I'll get you a wheelchair and you can go for a walk with your wife," She then looked at me. "If you two want that."

I smiled then. "We'd love that."

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Getting Rose in that wheelchair was an adventure on its own. The nurse had to get more people to help us. Because Rose's left leg was completely broken, the leg had to be supported all the way. That meant that the wheelchair had an added thing for her leg. It made it more complicated to get Rose in it. And every time we tried to get her in, the wheelchair moved around. I tell you what, those things are a great invention but they can be so annoying!

Finally, after a lot of work, Rose and I left the room. I couldn't help but look at Rose as this was the first time she left that room since she had gotten here. The first time in weeks!

We took the elevator down and carefully made our way towards the exit of the hospital. Rose was looking everywhere in awe. She had that curious look on her face, the look she always used to have.

It was amazing to see how happy she was, how free she seemed to feel, how human she became. Especially when we got outside.

"Wow..." Was the word that slipped her lips.

I smiled and stopped the wheelchair. I had Rose enjoy the view. And, secretly, I wanted to enjoy how Rose looked now.

After a few minutes, we continued our walk to the beautiful nature that was right behind the hospital. I often wondered why they would make parks next to a hospital, I guess they did it for patients like Rose.

We walked around the tiny park before stopping near a bench. I took a seat and had Rose with her wheelchair next to me. I let out a breath. "This is nice." I looked at Rose and saw how she had her eyes closed. I smiled at her and just observed her. I just wanted to enjoy this moment. This carefree moment.

Suddenly Rose opened her eyes. As if she caught on I was looking at her, she looked straight at me. "Life is beautiful."

I raised my eyebrows. "Do you think so?"

"I know so," She looked in front of her again. "There are so many things we take for granted. When we don't see them or hear them anymore," She then looked at me again. "We miss them. We finally realize then how beautiful it was."

I gulped. "I guess so."

"Before today, I almost forgot how it felt to have the sunshine on my skin," She let out a content sigh. "Or that soft spring breeze that's filling my lungs with clean air," She breathed deeply in and out. "Or the sound of birds, signalizing us that there's new life happening all around us," She nodded slowly before looking back at me. "Life is beautiful."

I smiled then. "That's one way to look at things," I paused a bit. "I don't think many people think about that stuff as you do."

"I know," She kept smiling. "It's why I'm thankful for the accident," Her smile disappeared for a split second when she spoke about the accident. "It taught me what's truly important in life."

"And that is?"

She looked at me as if I had asked a stupid question. "Us," She simply answered. "You, me, and Hope," She smiled a bit. "I should've tried harder to be a good mother and a good wife."

I reached for her hand then. "You tried your best, Rose," I squeezed her hand a bit. "That's all Hope and I could've asked for."

She slowly nodded.

I gulped a bit. "Rose," I looked down then. "Now that you're bringing this topic up yourself," I paused a bit, looking for the right words. "How do you see our future? I mean," I looked at her. "What's next?"

She just looked at me. She didn't seem to understand my question.

"After this," I motioned to the wheelchair and the hospital. "What's next?"

"Uhm, going home, I guess."

I slowly nodded and looked away.

"Cora," She squeezed my hand this time around. "Why do I get the feeling there's something you need to say?"

I sighed deeply. "I'd love for you to come home, Rose," I then looked at her again. "But we have to keep all possibilities open, you know?"

She frowned a bit. "I... I don't understand."

I gulped and looked down. "We have to realize that it is possible," I paused then, I was so afraid to hurt her. I didn't want to hurt her, especially after all the hard work she put into her recovery. But I had to say it. "It could be possible that you never get home, Rose."

When I had said that, she looked away.

"I hope you can just come home but it's like you said, there's a lot more to do. We have to make sure you get healed and you get your memory back."

She didn't respond to me, she kept looking away.

"Rose," I pulled her wheelchair to me, making her look at me. "I just want us to realize that that's a possibility, ok?"

She slowly lifted her head to look me in the eyes. She then nodded.

"I love you, Rose," I showed her a small smile. "And I'm so proud of all the work you did here."

She smiled a bit. "I love you too, Cora."