The Wedding Issue

Chapter Twenty Two - Act of Love

It's amazing what the human body goes through during impact. A mighty blow to the head can cause a severe concussion; temporary unconsciousness and confusion as a result of the brain being jolted around in your head. That's bound to leave behind a killer headache that could last for days.

The impact could also break almost any bone in your body. The collarbone, for instance, can be extremely painful when broken, making it impossible to move your upper chest. Even worse than a broken clavicle is a broken rib or two. It makes it hard to breathe – for life doesn't make that hard enough already. The jagged end of the rib could pierce your lung and cause it to collapse, or lacerate your spleen, seriously damaging it. Let's not forget the internal bleeding that it could cause.

Above all that are the obvious bruises and cuts marking your face and body and the whiplash caused by the force of the impact.

Genevieve managed to survive through all of that. Barely managed, I reminded myself. The doctors almost lost her on the operating table a couple of times.

He had no other choice but to keep her on a medically induced coma so that she wouldn't feel the tremendous trauma her body was under.

She seemed like she was sleeping peacefully. She didn't show any signs that she was in any pain, other than the obvious external injuries. She was just resting. I had to believe that she was just resting and enjoying her sleep, for my sake more than hers.

I examined the heart monitor like my life depended on it. It was beeping steady for now. Anytime the lines seemed like they were abnormal I'd call in the nurse only for her to assure me that nothing is wrong with Genevieve. It was normal for a person in her condition to suffer from an abnormal heart arrhythmia. I just wanted that monitor to read that she was still alive, and that she will make it through this, whatever it takes.

Her body wasn't healing as fast as I would've liked. She's been in this state for over a week now. The doctor said that she'll be making a full recovery. We just needed to give her body the chance to work its God-given miracles and hope for the best. All he asked of me was patience, something I reluctantly gave. I wanted her to wake up. I needed her to open her eyes and look into mine so that she could see how sorry I was.

It was all my fault. I followed her out of the club. I let go of her arm when I should've held on tighter. I let her slip; a weak moment of misjudgment, and now she was lying in this hospital bed because of me.

I could never forgive myself for what I've done.

'Killian', Claire's voice shook the evil thoughts away.

I looked at her, the other woman I loved, and started feeling guilty all over again. She has been nothing but supportive about all this. I haven't been home since the accident, and she, and her kind heart, dropped by every other day with a fresh pile of clothes and my favorite snacks. I don't think any other woman would be brave enough to do what Claire has been doing; letting her man sleep next to another woman. It was almost suspicious, if I didn't already know she was a good person at heart.

'How is she doing?', she asked.

'The same.'

'How are you doing?', she asked as she rubbed my shoulder.

I had nothing to say.

Actually, I had plenty to say. I simply lacked the courage to utter a peep.

'Honey, I think it's sweet what you're doing for her, but you've been here for far too long. I think it's time for you to come home. There's nothing more you can do here', she tried to reason with me.