His Secret (l.h)

Chapter Forty-Five

I had spent so many days
Without your response,
I had grown accustomed
To the ghost of you

L.H

Sirens wailed through the lonely and quiet street until it reached the busy roads of Los Angeles. The colours of blue and red were so vibrant in the pink skies and flashed across windows and lit up passing rooms. Having no idea that a mother, a wife, a daughter, a friend, was lifeless in the moving vehicle. They moved quickly and kept up with the compressions. The world continued. The city stayed the same. People passed by with only a glance. Not a second thought.

Luke nervously bit at his nails as Eliza walked through the door, her eyes bloodshot but she kept a poker face and forced a smile when she saw the now calm Elizabeth. "Hey flower." She whispered softly, her eyes scanned over Elizabeth and if she were to squint, she was staring at Maeve.

The lump in her throat grew but she quickly swallowed it back down at the single thought of her best friend. "You should go." Eliza whispered, her back to Luke, because she knew if she looked to his pained face, her heart would only break even more.

"Thank you, Eliza." Luke choked out and Eliza closed her eyes and pushed back her tears.

Eliza waited until his footsteps became quieter and when the door finally closed. Her shoulders slumped and she knelt to the floor and stared down at her hands. She stared until her vision became blurry and the warm tears rolled down her cheeks. Her lips trembled but she held back her sobs, her cries that she knew would be loud and hurt her throat and lungs.

Luke kept his composure as he drove down to the hospital and he hated that he wasn't already with her. But if he got there in time, then maybe, everything would be better.

Inhale. Hold. Exhale. So simple for him. For you. For me. But for her, it was painful. Hard. A struggle. A burning sensation that never ended in her lungs.

The hospital came into view, and as he pulled up in the parking lot. He immediately jumped out of the car and raced towards the entrance. As he ran, thunder rolled and the sky darkened and clouds loomed over the building. The wind picked up, and in that wind was wet. Puddles started to form beneath his feet, and the rain mixed with the tears on his face. For once, he was grateful for the weather.

Just as he was about to walk under the cover, he had turned his head where the vehicle was sat and the doors swing open and they raced out with a gurney. And as the gurney passed, the long wave of dark hair passed him and he followed after them.

"Are you Mr Hemmings?" The woman asked as she rushed along with the others.

"I am." He rasped out, his eyes wide and wild almost as he watched them take her into a room and they stopped him. "That's my wife. Please, I need to see her. She's my Mae. In sickness and in health, I vowed to be by her side." Luke protested, and the tears continued to roll down his cheeks. The blue in his eyes became dark with his eyes being bloodshot.

"Mr Hemmings?" A doctor walked out of the room and Luke whipped his head to the man. His brows furrowed and opened his mouth to say something. But nothing came out. Nothing but a choked sob. Please don't leave me, Maeve. Was the only words repeating since of his head, and each time, the words grew louder.

"I am Dr. Matthews. Maeve has been a patient of mine for several years now. Maybe we should sit down in my office and talk about Maeve's future steps with us." The man gestured and Luke nodded and as he passed the doors, his eyes glanced into the room. Only for his heart to break.