Unmistakable Love

Chapter 7-Invite me in

I woke up in a totally different room. There was a man standing in the doorway. I couldn't see his face because of the location of the window. His face was shadowed and he had a tall, muscular build, just like Donny.

My heart started racing, I gasped and couldn't catch my breath. The monitor beside me was beeping and the man ran away. But then, only seconds later, a nurse entered the room and so did the man. The nurse tried to reassure me. She told me that everything was okay. She told me where I was and why and the man got close enough for me to see his face.

My heart slowed down and I caught my breath, feeling so embarrassed. The nurse left after listening to my lungs and heart.

I planted my face in my hands, realizing my mistake.

Oliver came closer and had a very worried look on his face. Oh don't give me that, I thought, which was kind of cruel considering we were supposed to go on a date.

He took a seat on my bed, between my knees and my hips, which was kind of a romantic gesture.

"Felicity," He said, his soft eyes kindly leering at mine. He took my hand in his, and squeezed it. His hands were so warm and mine were so cold. He acted like he didn't notice and then we were cut off by a surgeon.

She was tall and blonde, and smiled at me when she stopped beside me. "I just have to ask a few questions," She said.

I nodded, not realizing what the questions were about. "Before the incident, were you drinking at all? At least 4 or more a day?" She said politely.

I looked at Oliver immediately. I felt so tiny and so ashamed. In that moment, I shrunk down. I felt like I was pushed back, slammed into the wall and was sitting 50 feet away from them.

I looked back at the surgeon through my cloudy eyes. A few tears jumped out of my eye and landed on my upper cheek, skipping the dip under my eye. I wiped it away and covered my mouth with my hand as my body shook with sadness. I nodded.

"Okay. How long had this been going on?" She said, which was the one question I really did not want to answer with Oliver here.

Whatever I said, he would use it against me. I say a month, okay thats not that bad. I say the truth, and I'm gone for good.

"Fel-ici-ty," Oliver spoke softly.

I sighed, removing my hand from my mouth and wiping away another tear. Im strong, I can do this. I remembered Thea's speech when she found out. Words of pure encouragement. I can do this.

I took a deep, refreshing breath. "Just over a year," I mumbled.

Ive been working for Oliver for a few years. I know that he felt guilty for not noticing. I was under his supervision most days and he never noticed. He never noticed when I started carrying a water bottle everywhere I went, or the days when I spent hours in the ladies room crying or throwing up. He never noticed the change in my routine or attitude. Not even the sad look in my eyes. Nothing.

"Okay, thank you. Based on what I've seen and from what I'm hearing, we need to book you and O.R. You need a partial liver removal and we will start you on an alcohol drip to wean you off of it. The surgery will most likely be this afternoon."

"Uh, okay." I said.

"How long is recovery?" Oliver asked like he was my husband or something.

"A few days here, and then a week or two of at home bed rest depending on how she feels. But absolutely no alcohol other than what we prescribe the dosage."

We both nodded, and she left the room. 

Now what.

---

I woke up from surgery alone. My gut was a little sore. I hoped I hadn't scared off Oliver when he found out how long this has been going on and now he knows that I have at least 4 drinks a day. Thats crazy, I know.

-
Recovery was slow and boring, but Oliver was there a lot. Thea even visited me. Those were my only visitors tho.

Its been days since the surgery, and today is the day I get released from the hospital.

The surgeon that operated on me, Dr. Stephenson, helped me into my wheelchair and wheeled me down to the lobby, where I told her I was meeting someone. I wasn't.

I dont know what my plan was, but I decided I should just go with the flow.

She left me by myself to 'wait' as she went to go help another patient.

When I was sure that she was gone, I wheeled myself out of the hospital and out into the sunny streets.

I wasn't supposed to be wheeling myself, and It hurt my gut quite a bit. I decided to take a rest. I was only a few meters away from the general area of the hospital though.

The warmth of the sun felt so nice on my dungeon, sun deprived skin.

But I had nowhere to go. I couldn't go back to my apartment, Donny probably knows where I live. I couldn't go to a hotel because I don't have my wallet and I cant go to my apartment to get my wallet because there's no elevators in my apartment building. Im screwed. 

I sat just off the side of the sidewalk for a long time. My mind was totally lost in thought. Donny, my daughter, my mother, Oliver.

Shoot, Oliver. He doesn't know Im not a patient anymore. He doesn't know that Im out of the hospital yet.

Just then I felt a hand on my shoulder. I tensed, took a shaky inhale, and didn't turn my head.

And then the man pivoted and faced me. I was so relieved when I seen Oliver's face. He crouched down to my level.

"What are you doin?" He said, curiously.

"I was released," I said, a boring tone in my voice.

"What are you doing sitting here." He clarified himself.

"Oh, uh... Not sure?" I said, slowly and carefully. I didn't want him to pity me and offer anything just because he felt bad.

He rationalized with me. He finally realized how I felt for that moment.

"Come to stay with me for a while? Theres a guest room in the east wing. Everyone is close to there in case something happens. Thea's room is just down the hall and so is mine. Theres guards 24/7. Its as safe as it gets."

I shook my head slightly and ran my hand from my forehead to the side of my jaw where I rested it there and leaned on the arm of my wheelchair. "I.. I don't want you to do this because you feel bad for me or because you feel obligated to. I want you to do this because you want to do this. I don't want to be th-"

"Felicity, I was going to do this anyways." He said, and stood up, walked behind me and grabbed the handles of my wheelchair. He pushed me toward a long, black limo type car, only smaller.

Opening the door, he gestured for me to climb in. He put the wheelchair in the trunk and then joined me.

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