Love Affair in Venice (COMPLETE)

13: The Carlisles

"Vee?" Aiden groaned, trying to sit up.

Vanessa stirred briefly, still half asleep. She rubbed the grit out of her eyes and rubbed her sore cheeks and stiff neck. What a horrible position to fall asleep in.

Bright sunlight was filtering through the thin blinds, casting the whole room in a harsh orange glow.

Aiden winced, instinctively clutching his abdomen. "W-What happened?" He looked around, taking in the white room, the machines and all the tubes hooked up to his body. "Argh," he groaned, sinking back against the bed.

"You got shot," Vanessa explained, standing up and resting her hand on his forehead. "When you tried to stop the thief."

Aiden wanted to touch his face but the tubes were a mess and he had trouble moving. "My head is pounding. Ughh...I need...water."

"Okay, give me a few seconds." Vanessa pressed the call button for the nurse and grabbed one of the plastic bottles of water she had purchased last night. Unscrewing the cap, she tipped the opening into Aiden's dry mouth and he gulped down half the bottle in one go. After he was finished, she lay him back down and dabbed his cheeks with a napkin.

Setting down the bottle on the counter, she asked, "How are you feeling? Do you need anything?"

"Have my- my parents been contacted?"

Vanessa frowned slightly. Despite the nurse's protestations that visiting hours were over, she had fought tooth and nail to stay the night just so she would be the first person he saw upon awaking. And all he cared about was seeing his mommy and daddy. "I don't know. But I'll check."

The attending nurse came through the door and noticing that Aiden was awake, began checking his vitals.

"Have you notified his parents yet?" Vanessa asked.

The nurse shrugged. "We didn't have their contact information. You were listed as his emergency contact and you got here at the same time so-"

Vanessa ground her teeth. He hadn't even changed his emergency contact yet. She turned back to Aiden. "I'll call them right now."

Aiden let out a small smile. "Thanks Vee."

Out in the hallway, Vanessa called up Gerald on the disposable cellphone he gave her last night. His number and Lexi's were the only ones programmed into the contact list.

"Gerald, hi. I have a huge favour to ask you," Vanessa began.

"Yes....Vanessa?"

"Aiden wants to see his parents. They don't know he's been in an accident yet. I don't know their number and to be honest, I really don't want to speak with them right now. Could you please-"

"Say no more, Miss- I mean, Vanessa. I will notify them immediately."

"Thank you Gerald."

After returning to Aiden's room, Vanessa mustered a small smile. "Your parents will be contacted shortly. They'll probably be here soon so it's best that I-"

"No, stay," Aiden insisted. "I want you to stay."

"But Mr. and Mrs. Carlisle-"

Aiden's parents had never been particularly fond of Vanessa. They found her too headstrong and independent. Too career-minded for their son. They were an upper middle class couple who looked forward to grandchildren and a daughter-in-law who stayed at home to look after the kids and run the household; not work 12 hour days managing a multi-million dollar empire. They always told Aiden that Vanessa would never love him as much as she loved her company and that he would always play second fiddle to the business.