Sweet Love

6

Joel rushed in the hospital like his life depended on it. There he was met by Aiden, who gave him the download.

"She is still in the OR. She sustained multiple injuries- so they said."

Joel nodded, trying to keep it together, as seeing her mother there and Jeremy, and out of respect to Elena, he kept all of his emotions inside.

Caroline, who rushed in like a tornado was chading her got to Aiden, all teared up. "Tell me it is not that bad!"

"We don't know yet." Aiden replied.

"What really happened? They said it was a crazy joyrider- I don't know that caused the crash on the highway"

"That's what the news say." Aiden replied.

Caroline, that had met Joel a couple of times in passing, but never really in any kind of social moment, now glanced at the driver. She could see how terribly worried he was about her best friend.

"She will appreciate you being here." Caroline slipped to Joel.

The man nodded a little at the blonde.

Even though, Caroline was her best friend, Elena didn't share about the day Joel and her spent together away on the beach. Or maybe she did? wondered. Did she say something to Caroline? His heart, his soul was now burning, wanting to know more. No. What could she have said? We had an afternoon off. We were having something to eat and just walked on the beach, talking about stuff from the childhood. Truth is that, there was something. That one moment, there was this something. They almost kissed. Does she feel something, anything?

The way Caroline gave him the look, left him with zillion questions swarmed in his head. Inside he screamed wanting to know more. But how can he ask her? It was absolutely inappropriate. Crazy thinking Joel, calm down. This was nor the time or the place. He swallowed hard and went to sit down in the waiting area.

And so they all waited nervously, all of Elena's closest family members, her staff, her friends, all waited impatiently to hear how the OP went.

A few hours later, the attendant came to Isobel.
"The OP went well. Ms Gilbert had sustained a head injury, but all her vitals are good. Still, we have put her in the induced coma. But you don't have to worry. This is just a precaution."

To Joel's surprise it was a person he knew quite well. Well, his girlfriend from first year of medical school, Alex Reid.

Isobel was beside herself hearing this news. Rose, who occupied the role of the butler of the house like Ans once did, tried hard to calm the woman down, as Isobel questioned Alex's expertise, demanding to see the Chief-of-staff.

Joel felt a great relief, like someone kicked a heavy stone from his chest that set on the moment he heard the news of the accident.

Rose, who managed to calm Isobel somewhat, went up to him and asked him to drive them home, as Elena could not receive any visitors, being in the closed up ICU. Without a word, it being his job anyway, he took Isobel and Jeremy back to the Gilbert Mansion.

When he returned that night to the loft, taking a beer out of the fridge, one picture after another of Elena from their first meeting till that afternoon when he left her at the house, just kept rolling over and over again. And again back to that look of hers when they were at the beach. Did she feel something for him? The question lingered after their day out on the beach. And they kept their distance, and didn't cross the line, he could see the twinkles in her eye whenever she spoke to him, no matter how brief it was, that she may feel something for him. Or maybe he was just imagining it. He sighed taking another swag of beer gazing out into the night.