Rising Dawn (Willy Wonka X OC)

Released

      My head spins with all this talk of the future. I've done the same thing for years and years. Work, eat, sleep, take care of my family in a grubby little house. Changing that life at all is scary, no matter how much better it will be. But this? He's talking about marriage. He's talking about forever. I feel my breathing quicken and the heart rate monitor picks up speed, beeping in time with my racing heart.

     Will looks at me confused, and I give him a deer-in-headlights stare. I like him. I do. But this is too fast. Too fast. The nurse runs into check the monitor. Too fast. Will reaches for my hand. Too fast. I yank it back and clutch it to my chest. Too fast. Now I'm dizzy. I close my eyes and curl up on my uninjured side.

     Words around me. People around me. New doctors. New nurses. What's wrong? Nothing outside. Everything inside.

     "...psychological...have to wait..." Calm words. Staccato footsteps.

     "...can't help her...family?" Sad words. Soft, padded footsteps.

     "No! You...help...now! You'll not...or I'll..." Angry words. Desperate pacing.

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Two hours later

     All my life, I've been taken for granted. I've been ignored. I've been abandoned.

     Will appreciates me. He pays attention to me. He comes running the instant I need him.

     I know how to be kicked aside. I know how to survive alone. I don't know how to be adored. I don't know how to be needed the way Will does. I don't know how to deal with the prospect of being married. It's confusing to say the least.

     "Dawn?" Hand on my arm. Other hand on the top of my head. "Dawn, I don't know if you can hear me this time. I think this is the fourth time I've tried to make you hear me, and I don't know if you're listening, but I need to tell you that I am sorry. I know that was quick. Too quick. It's a lot of change and I scared you. I'm sorry. I am so sorry. I couldn't live with myself if I scared you away, so please, please, please tell me you're still here." Will waits for a moment, focused on me before sighing dejectedly. I shiver in the cold air and open my eyes a sliver. He sees and is reinvigorated at my response to his words. "I promise I won't go so fast from now on. You don't have to make any permanent decisions if you don't want to. You don't even have to stay at the factory. You can leave whenever you want. I'll take you wherever you want. I'll-"

     "Will." He stops and leans closer. I just shake my head. "I just need some time."

     "Of course! Of course. I'll give you all the time in the world. Whatever you need." A beat. He smiles shyly and shrugs. "I don't really know how to do this. How to be caring. How to show my love the right way."

     "That makes two of us." I slowly uncurl myself and stretch out my aching limbs before wincing at the sharp pain it causes.

     Will leans closer on his elbow and caresses my cheek. "We can figure it out together then," he says in that low tone that makes my spine tingle.

     "I guess we can." I smile just as the nurse walks in with a clipboard loaded with papers for me to sign. It's a good thing I'm left-handed so I can sign the release forms and many, many others. She hands me a bag with my clothes that are still covered in a bit of blood.  After taking the papers and leaving for a moment, the nurse comes back in pushing a wheelchair and I prickle.

     "No. Absolutely not." I stare at her with a deadpan expression. I am not using that thing. It would make me look helpless. I refuse to be helpless when I can avoid it. Sure, I can't walk on my own right now without being in pain, but that's not going to stop me from trying. I push myself up and my head throbs. The thick white bandage is wrapped so tightly around my head that I can feel my pulse against it.

     "Well, I'm sorry, but you can't be up and about for at least a few days. You dislocated your hip and we got it back into place, but you don't want to throw it out again. Do you?" the nurse reasons. I open my mouth to respond that it's preferable to using that thing, but Will jumps in.

     "You know what? I'll carry you." I give him a skeptical look. Will gasps dramatically making me smile. "Don't insult me! I can manage it, the elevator's parked just out front."

     "Elevator?" the nurse questions.

     Will doesn't move his gaze from me as he responds, "Nickname for the car. Car's parked just out front."

     I struggle hard to suppress a smile. The nurse still looks confused. "There isn't parking out front. The car park is behind the building."

     Will doesn't even blink, and he still refuses to look at the nurse. "Ok, then it's illegal. Car's parked illegally out front."

     The woman huffs and leaves briskly after offering a short goodbye and get well to me. I sit up fully and Will wraps his overcoat around my shoulders wordlessly. I giggle as he swoops me up into his arms. "That was too easy. You are too light. The first thing we are doing when we get to the factory is finding you something to eat."

     "I'm fine, Will. You don't have to worry about me," I assure him, nodding as I do so for good measure.

      "How many times do I have to say it? You are not fine. But you will be." What do I say to that? That I'm not worthy of his care? That I don't need his care? I don't kniw how to respond so I don't say anything and he sighs. "Are you ready then?"

     I nod and lay my head on the soft fabric of his shirt and clutch the bag with my clothes to my chest as he carries me down the hall and down two flights of stairs. He doesn't even break a sweat. When we finally get outside the building, Will isn't even breathing hard. His muscles and my small form combined make for easy work of the journey. He nearly walks into the see-through elevator, but stops short of making me collide with the doors.

     I reach down and press the button to open them and he steps inside. The doors close behind us and Will sets me down on the pristine floor gently. He sits beside me and takes a joystick off of the wall to pilot us back to my house.

I know, this chapter was boring. And I'm sorry it took me so long to write, I was in a bit of a rut this past week. I hope you didn't hate it too much. Thanks for struggling through.
xoxo, Tilly