The innocent one

ventisei

****Present****

"We've got a pulse."

The ambulance driver pulled up to the hospital and doctors immediately started running outside. I followed them into the building still clutching Cashmere's hand.

"Sir, you can't come any further." The doctor put his hands up to stop me.

"Listen Dr.......Lawson. Do you know who I am?"

"No." The older man seemed confused.

"All you need to know is that if she dies, I'll kill you and your entire family."

He gulped nervously.

"That's all."

I turned around and headed to the waiting room where all of our friends were waiting. I still hadn't seen her dad and if I did I would probably just beat the hell out of him anyways.

"This is all your fault." Grace yelled running over to me. When she got closer to me she jumped up slapping me in the face. "If you hadn't of been gone all weekend, Cashmere would have never gone into the woods looking for you."

I clenched my jaw in anger. I would never hit a woman, but I'd make an exception for grace. I knew it was my fault, but grace was the one who Cash texted letting her know where she was. If the girl hadn't of been so drunk maybe she would have told someone, and who could forget the fact she gave Cash cocaine.

"Let's stop playing the blame game." Ali walked over and pushed grace away from me.

"Then who's fault is it then?" She yelled.

Everyone was silent. We were blaming each other because it's hard to blame the girl who's in surgery clinging to life right now.

I walked to the other side of the waiting room away from everybody. I needed some kind of peace and listening to these people worrying wasn't helping.

After we assembled the search party we headed into the woods to find Cashmere. We all split up and headed in separate directions, but despite having a large search party by dark no one found her. The police were calling off the search and telling the volunteers to head home.  I wasn't going to let that happen though. I offered a thousand dollars to anyone who would stay and ten thousand to anyone who found her. The money didn't matter. I would have given someone all of the money in my bank account if they led me to her.

Everyone ended up staying. Then a few hours later someone said they found her. I ran back towards the cabin and saw them putting her in the ambulance. She was so cold. She couldn't stop shaking no matter how many blankets they covered her with. The paramedics kept shouting about things like no pulse, oxygen levels unstable. I couldn't comprehend anything. All I knew was that she could die.

"Sir."

I woke up from my nightmare realizing the doctor was standing in front of me. His fingers were shaking as they clutched his clipboard. I stood up ready for the bad news.

"She was hypothermic. We put her on ecmo to rewarm her body. She's being moved to a room now if you would like to see her."

"She's alive?"

"Yes."

For the first time I felt relief. I didn't even realize how tense I had been.

"Hey baby." I greeted her softly.

She was hooked up to so many machines with tubes connected to various parts of her body. The hospital gown falling loosely off her small shoulder. I ran my finger over her bandaged cheek. Most of her skin had come off and she had another surgery planned for tomorrow to fix it.

"Baby."

Her eyelashes fluttered open. Her features softened when she first saw me, but then she jumped up and scooted away from me.

"Cash, what's wrong?"

I started playing with her hair. She always loved that.

"Don't! Don't touch me. I know you killed someone." She said angrily.

"Delirium is very common with hyperthermia."

I hadn't realized the doctor had stepped inside the room. Cashmere probably hadn't either.

"Don't mind me, just here to change some bandages."

He started pulling the bandage from Cashmere's cheek. A huge hole was there instead of her skin. I've seen worse, but I had to look away. It's different when you see the person you love the most is suffering and you can't do anything about it.

"I'm sorry, but we're going to have to cancel the skin grafting tomorrow."

"What?" Cashmere and I both yelled.

"Well, Um, it's just that another patient is more  in need."

My eyes stayed on cashmere the entire time. At first she seemed mad. Now she was starting to cry.

"Let's talk outside doctor."

I walked into the hallway waiting for him to follow me. As soon as he stepped outside I shoved him into the wall wrapping my hands around his neck.

"Listen up. You're going to do the surgery tomorrow. You're going to do a good job. If you don't I'll take away everything you love. I know your mom lives nearby. Your kid goes to a private school an hour away."

After I learned he was Cashmere's doctor I pulled his file just in case I needed it. Hurting a kid was a bit harsh, but I had to get my point across.

"Good news baby. You're having the surgery tomorrow."

I wiped the tears away from Cashmere's cheek.

"Sorry I thought you killed someone. I'm going crazy."

"No baby you're not."

In time I would tell her the truth. She would probably be mad that I let her believe she was crazy, but I didn't know if she could handle the truth.

"I texted Grace. Did she look for me?"

Her big eyes seemed so innocent and sad. I didn't want to tell her the truth and make her more upset but I've lied enough.

"She didn't see it until the next morning, then we all looked for you, but it's never going to happen again. Get some rest baby, you need it."

I leaned down and kissed her cheek. After a few minutes she fell asleep and I made myself comfortable on the sofa beside her bed.