"Girlfriend?" You ask from your spot next to Carmilla. It was the second time she had mentioned a girlfriend, which confused you, because iyou/i were her iwife/i.
She looked over at you with one brow raised, a look you normally took comfort in. "Yes, Ell Cooke. She works at the café on the corner of Mels street."
You feel your stomach drop. Carmilla had mentioned her before; it had taken her three months before opening up to you one night after having too much bourbon. She had broken Carmilla's heart.
You knew that there had been a good possibility for Carmilla to suffer from memory loss after going through the windshield, but you didn't expect her to forget you. She looked at you like you were her doctor and only her doctor. Not like she had been married to you for over a year, and dated you for over four.
You opened your mouth to respond, when LaFontaine spoke up. "Dr. Hollis, can I see you in the hallway for a moment?"
When you go to tell them to wait, they glare at you, "Now."
You nod, following them out, and giving Carm one last look, as she sat in her bed and looked around the very bare room.
"You can't tell her you're her wife."
You whipped your head around to face your colleague and best friend. "Excuse me?"
"You can't tell Carmilla you and her are married," They repeated, "At least not yet."
"And why's that?"
"You're just going to scare her and confuse her even more. If I remember correctly from all that you've told me, you're all she's got left."
You sigh, looking back towards Carmilla's room. "And what happens when she finds out that her supposed girlfriend cheated on her five years ago?"
"Then you'll offer for her to stay with you, just like you did the first time." LaFontaine said simply.
"That was from an ad on a bulletin board she found outside of a café."
"And you became roommates, and then soul mates."
You rolled your eyes.
"You can do that again, you just have to flash her the ol' Hollis charm, and she'll fall in love with you all over again."
"She has to, I don't know what I'd do without her." You said quietly, looking down at the wedding ring. "She's my heart."
LaF nodded, "I'll get her ring from her possessions before she sees it."
You sighed, "I guess I should take mine off too."
"It's probably for the best."
You slip it off of your ring finger, and into your coat pocket. You weren't too sure you could pull this off, but you had to. LaFontaine was right, Carmilla didn't even remember you, how was she supposed to love you like she used to?
centerXXX/center
centeriuThree Days Ago/u/i/center
"I don't know what you want from me!" You shouted from the kitchen, throwing dishes into the sink.
"I don't want anything from you, Laura," Carmilla said from the doorway, "I just want you to love me for all of me. To love me for all of my broken pieces and fuck ups."
"You forging a check with your dead father's name on it is illegal, Carm! I can't love you for breaking the law!"
"We needed the money," Carmilla tried to reason, "We're already a month behind in rent, and my father has a bunch of money still in his savings!"
"That your mother owns!"
"Oh so what, I should apologize that I'm not involved with my mother anymore? Should I apologize for ignoring the mother I have when you don't have one at all?"
The sound of something shattering rang out through the air.
A gasp.
You spun around, a part of a broken plate in your hand. "That is crossing the line!"
Carmilla looked guilty, immediately regretting her words.
"Get. Out."
"Laura-"
"Get the ifuck/i out of my apartment!"
"I'm sorry, that was-"
"I mean it Carm, get out. I don't want to even look at you right now."
"Where am I supposed to go?"
"I don't know, why don't you just hide in your studio like you normally do. Maybe if you had a real job like the rest of us, we'd be able to actually afford the rent." You clenched your eyes shut, quickly turning away from her, and gripping hard onto the kitchen counter. You shouldn't have said that, but yet it appears that both of you had said some harsh things tonight. Maybe things you've wanted to say for a long time.
The sound of footsteps leaving the room echoed up into the high ceiling, the front door slamming shut.
centerXXX/center
You let out a nervous breath, remembering the late night call that woke you from a nightmare, only to throw you into an even bigger one.
You remember blindly getting dressed and rushing to the hospital.
You remember finding Carmilla on a stretcher covered in blood with a bunch of nurses and interns around her, prepping her for a surgery that she may not even survive.
But she did survive. And you were about to tell her that you're her doctor and not her spouse. You were about to lie to your wife for the first time in your entire life, and you weren't supposed to hate yourself for it.
