Page 93 of #Lovestrong
Declan
Idon't know where everyone is, but I'm glad I was alone when I woke up and they removed that breathing tube. My head hurts like a son-of-a-bitch and I can't move. There’s a nurse checking my vitals while we wait for the doctor to come in.
"Ma'am?" My voice is hoarse and more a whisper than anything.
She turns toward me with a soft smile on her face. "Yes, Declan?"
I clear my throat a little. "I know this might sound stupid, but can I brush my teeth and have a glass of water?"
She chuckles and shakes her head. "Sure, honey. Hold on."
She disappears from the room and I lay my head back, staring up at the ceiling. Something shiny catches my attention and I turn my head further to find a gold cross on a long necklace hanging from my IV hook-up.
What in the . . .
Lifting my arms is like lifting a ton of cement. It's slow, heavy, and hurts more than I expect. The cross slides between my fingers and I run my thumb over the strange markings on the front.
"Declan, lay back. I'll get that for you," the nurse says, coming back in and rushing over to my side. She grabs the metal tray next to my bed and slides it over to me before using the push pad to sit the bed up and help me adjust.
"How long have I been out of it? What day is it?"
As she pours some water in a small dish and opens the toothbrush and paste, she smiles. "It's 11 p.m. on New Year’s Eve."
"Are you serious?" My jaw drops open. I've been awake, and alone, for over an hour, and I've lost weeks with everyone. Weeks of my life.
Lena. Oh no! I need to see Lena.
The beeping of the machine next to me quickens with my anxiety. The nurse looks from the machine to me, her eyebrows raised. "What's wrong, Declan?"
"I need to talk to Lena."
I'm startled when she actually laughs out loud. "You will. She hasn't left your side since the night they brought you in here. Your parents picked her up not too long before you woke up and almost had to drag her out of here to get her to agree to leave and get food with them."
Her words register and a smile creeps onto my face. I haven't lost her. She's been here all this time. I sit back and wince as pain radiates up my side. The nurse points at the toothbrush before heading over to a small table holding a needle and some small bottles. Just as I rinse my mouth and she clears the tray, an older gentleman in a white coat, purple button-down, tacky Christmas tie, and a stethoscope around his neck walks in and stops by my bed.
He smiles down at me and chuckles. "Welcome back, Mr. Harp. I'd say this is nothing short of a miracle."
Over the next hour, the doctor fills me in on everything— the accident, my injuries, and the antics of my Lena over the last several weeks. I smile until my face muscles hurt. The nurse gives me pain meds through the IV, and by the time the doctor stands up, I'm yawning, the medically-induced drowsiness kicking in.
"Doc," I say before he turns away. "Can you do me a favor?"
"Sure, kid. What's up?"
"Can you get that necklace and help me put it on? Something tells me she means for me to wear it, not admire it."
He takes it down and clasps it around my neck. I hold the cross in my hand and stare at the engraving. This thing is beautiful. Material things don't show love, but I know this gift came from her heart. It's meant to be a physical representation that she loves me, the same way that promise ring shows the world I love her.
A chorus of voices breaks my concentration and I look up as my family files into the room. Darcy doesn't hesitate a moment, and before I can brace myself, she perches on the side of my bed, her arms wrapped around me a little more tightly than is comfortable. I'm about to ask her to ease up until the sobs start. With my good arm, I hug her and rub her back.
"Knock that off, Darc. I'm okay."
After a moment, she pulls herself somewhat together and sits back to look me full in the face. "Don't ever do that to me again, Declan. We came into this world together, we go out together."
I smile at the line. She hasn't said it in years. When we were really little and used to be joined at the hip, that's what we used to say— in together, out together, never apart. Things with Darcy haven't been that way in a really long time, but maybe this is a new leaf for all of us.
After she gets up, my parents hug me, far more gently than Darcy did. When they step back, I finally notice the outline still standing by the door. I don't need to see her face to know it's my girl.
"Lena," I say as steadily as I can manage. "Why are you still by the door?"