Hello! did you guys miss me? i mean the story? will you guys love me again, now that i updated? hehehe. Jokes. sorry for the delay, just had a bit of a confidence issue... :D anyways sorry for the type errors. oh and btw, if ever i happened to have a big head in the future, blame livefortheday! lolz! :D
Joey couldn't remember when she arrived at the hospital; she couldn't even remember the ride. All she was aware of for the moment was she found herself shaking, holding the crying Ruby in her arms as she herself try to process everything in her head.
Joey tried to reason out why what happened happened but, found no reason at all. She was thinking of how she woke up with Charlie that morning and agreed to meet up again for dinner after settling everything and now… now, she found herself praying for all she was worth for the woman she loves to survive.
How can this happen? Are we… am I being punish? Is this the karma for what we… I did; going after someone that was already with someone? Joey questioned herself; I should've come with her. I shouldn't have let her go alone.
"Where is she? Where is my daughter?"
Ross asked frantically as she entered the emergency followed by crestfallen Angelo.
Joey was pulled out of her thoughts by the frantic voice of a familiar man. She turned her head, and found Ross going hysteric with the desk nurse.
The nurse was about to ask the name of Ross's daughter when Ross saw her other daughter, Ruby clinging onto wedding planner; Joey. Ross without a second thought rushed towards her younger daughter with Angelo not far behind.
"Ruby what happened?" Ross asked towering over Ruby who has her face buried in the crook of Joey's neck.
Ruby slowly turned to look up and see her father, but found herself unable to answer; she felt like if she said it herself it would make it truer and so she just resumed her position in Joey's arms.
Ross saw emptiness in her younger daughter' eyes and was quickly reminded of Charlie's look when his wife passed away. Ross was then hit with pang of guilt and longing to be the one able to give Ruby the comfort and strength that the young woman obviously needs.
"Ms. Collins, what happened?" he asked Joey instead.
Joey was surprised to be addressed by the man with politeness but, decided not to put much thought in to it as it wasn't important to her at all; not even this moment; especially not the very moment.
"Something about a bunch of teenagers driving around under the influence of alcohol," she said timidly.
Ross nodded, keeping himself in place, fighting off the anger that is seeping in his veins, thinking a bunch of idiot teenagers caused her daughter to fight for her life.
Angelo remained silent and started pacing in the corridor. There was a lot going in his head and although part of him wants to head down to the station to charge over those kids that caused this havoc, a bigger part of him wanted to stay; to wait for the update regarding Charlie's state; to stay, to see her beloved Charlie.
-4 hours later-
Joey was still seated in her chair beside the younger Buckton fighting off tears. Ruby was still clinging on to Joey for support and comfort, sobbing softly. Ross was seating across from the women, his face buried in his hands. And Angelo was seated on the floor, head down, leaning against the wall.
No words were being exchange; there was just silence and soft sobs from Ruby.
Clock's hand continued to tick, seconds turned to minutes and minutes to hours. And finally, the door to the theatre opened, revealing Rachel in her operating gown.
All four automatically came to life; all stood up at the same time and approached the Doctor but it was Ross that spoke for them.
"How is Charlie?" he asked.
"She's out of danger," Rachel said.
A various sigh of relief could be heard; but Joey kept holding her breath as her eyes glued it sight on to Rachel's gown, smeared with Charlie's blood. Joey was never scared of blood, but seeing the red stains on Rachel's gown and knowing who it belonged to made Joey's knees to buckle and her head to spin.
"Charlie is a fighter but, I'm afraid… we won't be able to guarantee when she'll wake up," Rachel added.
And that was the last thing Joey heard before her world turned black.
It has been 3 days since that fateful day and still everything seemed to be just a blur to Joey. She spent those 3 days in her garden; not working on it or anything, just looking at her garden as she tried to absorb the events. Charlie still hasn't woken up and since that night, Joey willed herself to not come and visit after she herself left the hospital once she gained consciousness after passing out. Part of her wants to be there and wait for her Charlie to wake up but, another part of her is scared, feeling that it might have been her fault. Joey feels, that she might not have been the stupid kid driving the car in drunken state but, Joey has a strong belief in bad karma and at the moment that was the only reason she can come up with for why the accident happened; thus she felt responsible for Charlie's suffering.
She thought if she didn't pursue Charlie, Charlie wouldn't be on her way to break up with Angelo, thus she wouldn't be in that place at that time, ending her in the hospital bed with tubes in her body to help her with her life.
"Aren't you going to the hospital?"
Joey was startled to find Gaby seating next to her. Joey didn't realise that she was that deep in her thought that she didn't notice Gaby coming let alone sat next to her.
"What are you doing with yourself, Jo?" Gaby asked.
Joey shrugged.
"You don't' visit her and you're not even busy," Gaby pointed out. "Charlie needs you now more than ever, you know."
"Her family is there," Joey replied dryly. "… and Angelo."
Gaby turned sharply at her friend. She gets it that Joey is upset and worried but, she doesn't get Joey's logic at all.
"I thought you love her?" she asked annoyed at Joey's attitude and handling things.
"I do," Joey said. "I didn't say I don't."
"Then why are you here while Charlie's in the hospital fighting to get well?"
"Exactly why I'm here!"
Gaby frowned and eyed Joey, confusion written in her pretty face.
"We're brought up knowing the god's words," Joey started. "… the right and wrong; we did… I didn't something wrong and now Charlie's suffering the karma."
"I'm not following," Gaby said.
"Charlie's taken! She was getting married to Angelo for Pete's sake and yet… and yet I… I sort of... no; Not sort of; I did pursue her anyway! She ended up cheating on her fiancé because of me. We cheated on Angelo and now we're paying the prize; bad karma," Joey explained, tears in her eyes.
"Let me get this straight. You think that all this is your karma because you guys feel in love at the wrong time?"
Joey nodded.
Gaby nodded and then said;
"You're stupid!"
Joey turned sharply at her friend.
"How am I stupid?" Joey asked irritated. "How else do you explain what happened? If we didn't… if… she and I didn't happen, she won't be in that place at that time planning to break Angelo's heart!"
Gaby sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Joey, accident happens. It has nothing to do with her break if off with Angelo or you and Charlie falling in love for that matter. There was no other explanation other that it all happened because of some stupid idiotic teenager decided to drive in drunken state," Gaby explained. "Joey, you can't always give reason to what happened nor should blame yourself for something that has nothing to do with how you and Charlie felt/feel."
Gaby sighed again, placing her hand on Joey's lap.
"You guys might've had a bad timing falling for each other at the wrong time. But, like the accident, it was just happens. You didn't plan it, god knows you tried fighting it but, it was inevitable; you and Charlie are meant to be; you guys are bound to meed somehow, just happens that you met each other under a complicated situation.
"We could've waited till it was over with her and Angelo," Joey mumbled.
Gaby shook her head, trying to fight the urge to smack Joey in the head.
"Like I said, inevitable," Gaby repeated. "It's not karma, Joey. It was an accident. Stop beating yourself up over someone else's fault or I will literally beat you myself," she added.
Joey nodded, defeated by Gaby's thoughtful thinking as she smiled at her humour as well.
Silence once again descended and Joey couldn't decide if she should be grateful for the silence or not as the silence reminded her of the time she waited in the hospital. Shaking her head, Joey sighed heavily.
"I really should've come with her. I shouldn't have-"
Joey was interrupted by a hand hitting her in the head.
"Stop with the 'I should've' will you?" Gaby said annoyed.
"That was in the past. You should think about the 'now' and the 'now' is Charlie needing you! And I know that you're not asking but, I'm going to give it to you anyway and that is, I suggest you get your butt out of her and go see the gorgeous police officer or yours," Gaby said. "Who know, maybe sleeping beauty is just waiting for her true love's kiss," she added with a wink.
Joey couldn't help but giggle at Gaby's statement and then turned to smile at her friend. Gaby smiled back knowing what Joey's smile meant.
"You're always welcome," she said.
Joey remained smiling at her beautiful blonde friend and then leaned in to wrap Gaby in a tight embrace. Gaby hugged the raven-haired woman back and nods. After a while though, Gaby reluctantly pulled away from the embrace, not wanting that simple gesture of gratitude from Joey gets to her when it shouldn't. She still loves Joey to bits, but as always and would be, Gaby knows where she stands.
"You should go and visit Charlie now," she said.
Joey nodded and was on her feet in no time.
"I want to hear how she's doing so you better hurry before visiting hour's finishes," Gaby added.
Joey nodded again and smiled before jogging away.
Angelo sat quietly on the chair beside Charlie's bed in uniform, holding his beloved's hand.
"I'm sorry, Charlie," Angelo kept repeating as if chanting while holding Charlie's lifeless hand.
"I know you heard and I know that when you wake up, chance are you'll break if off with me. But, please Charlie… I love you. I hope you understand that I'm just that desperate that I'd be that low just so we could be together; just so I could be with you. I know it was selfish of me, but… we belong together Charlie. I know you'll see it give it a time and I know you believe it too or else you wouldn't give us a shot, let alone let it go this far," Angelo wiped the tear that escaped his eye.
"I love you Charlie," Angelo whispered watching at the brunette's motionless body in the bed.
"Please wake up, Charlie." He added now fighting back more tears.
According to Rachel, Charlie is out of danger and would wake up whenever she's ready. But like the rest that cares for Charlie, Angelo couldn't breathe out a sigh of relief until he sees Charlie's blue eyes again.
"Love, please wake up," he repeated kissing Charlie's hand.
"Ade, you can come out now," Gaby called out.
Not a second pass and Aden came out from one corner of the garden looking sheepish.
"How did you know?" he asked as he joined Gaby in Joey's gazebo.
"I could smell you," Gaby teased. "I caught a glimpse of your blonde spiky hair."
Aden nodded.
"Why didn't you join us?" Gaby asked.
"I didn't want to intrude," Aden answered. "I mean, I could hear what you guys were talking about and by the sound of it… you could hand Joey's issue alone, so yeah…"
It was then Gaby's turn to nod.
"Gabz…"
"hmmm…"
"How do you do it?" Aden asked turning to face his friend who was busy staring at the wholeness of the garden.
"Do what?"
"Be so selfless? How are you able to push Joey to Charlie when you love her too," Aden asked while thankful that Gaby wasn't looking at him. Because then he's free to admire the blonde's beauty.
Gaby shrugged.
"It wasn't easy as it looks but, I know I won't have her. She's not mine to have. I had my chance and I threw it away and now I'm too late," Gaby said sadness evident in her words and voice. "It's not right to sabotage what they have just because I want to claim back the chance that is had once had and lost. It wouldn't be fair."
Gaby then smiled to herself and then turned to finally face her friend.
"Like you said, I love her; thus I have to let go," she said. "Besides, they belong together… Charlie and Joey," she added.
Aden smiled.
"You really are a good person, do you know that?"
Gaby shrugged again.
"Yeah I know," she said acting smugly. "I'm great like that," she chuckled.
Aden continued to smile and gaze at the oblivious Gaby thoughtfully. Gaby continued to chuckle oblivious to her friend's meaning stare at her.
"Ga-"
"C'mon, let's go," Gaby said standing up completely unaware to what she unintentionally interrupted. "Josie's due to leave to city," she said pulling Aden to his feet.
Aden sighed secretly and let himself be dragged back to through the shop and to the house.
Joey tentatively entered Charlie's hospital room and relief flooded her when she found that no other visitors were there but, also got her heart broken at the sight of the still beautiful Charlie but looking very fragile in the hospital bed.
Joey walked silently towards Charlie's bed, after placing the bouquet of mix primrose and yarrow flower on Charlie's bedside table, and carefully sat herself on the edge of Charlie's bed taking hold of the woman's hand.
"Hi, Charlie…" Joey whispered while caressing the woman's hand.
"Sorry I didn't visit you these past days. I was… well… just like what Gaby said, I was being stupid," Joey admitted. "Charlie, I don't know if you can hear me but please… open you eyes," Joey pleaded tears welling up her eyes.
Joey pressed the back of Charlie's hand on her cheek and decided to try something she hoped would work.
'All I am, all I'll be…'
Joey started to sing, hoping that Charlie would hear her and wake up, remembering Charlie mentioning falling in love with her voice that even in her deepest of sleep she would wake as she would never ever want to miss out on hearing her sing.
'Everything in this world, all that I'll ever need,
Is in your eyes, shining at me…'
"I missed seeing you blue eyes; I miss being with you. Charlie, please… please wake up," she said.
'When you smile I can feel, all the passion unfolding,
Your hand brushes mine… and a thousand sensations,
Seduce me 'cause I…'
Joey turned Charlie's hand, palm against her cheek as she leaned on to it and relish on the warm feeling that Charlie's unresponsive hand still provides.
'I do, cherish you,
For the rest of my life, you don't have to this twice,
I will, love you still,
From the depths of my soul, it's beyond my control
I've waited so long… to say this to you,'
Joey pressed her lips in Charlie's hand; her eyes although cloudy with tears never left Charlie's close ones.
'If you're asking, do I love you this much..
I do…'
Charlie could feel her heart beat a little faster that the normal rhythm and then from somewhere, she could hear a voice; singing. Charlie listened carefully, she thought the voice was nice; beautiful and even the song. Charlie continued listening until she felt herself being drawn to where the voice was come from and as she moves she suspects she's coming to it closer as the voice gets clearer; and it was then Charlie noticed how familiar the sound of the voice was to her. She could feel her heart beating more and she wondered.
'In my world, before you
I lived outside my emotions, didn't know here I was going,'
"Am I singing this song? Is the song made for me?" Charlie asked herself as she continued to listen, never once questioning where she was and what she was doing there.
'Till that day, I found you
How you opened my life, to a new paradise…'
Joey could feel a sod threatening to surface from her. She was crying now, unable to stop her tears as she recall her life before Charlie and her life with Charlie; she feels that even though she knows that Charlie would live, those hours that she waited in the corridor with Ruby in her arms, those hours that she could only hold on to hope that Charlie would make it, those were the second worst hours of her life. She didn't want to experience it again; she didn't want to re-live a life when she felt like she'll lose Charlie; she didn't want to re-live the thought of living a life without Charlie as she knows she'd rather die.
'In a world torn by change, still with all my heart,
Till my dying day…
I do, cherish you
For the rest of my life, you don't have to think twice
I will love you still…'
Joey paused as she wiped her tears away, still holding onto Charlie' hand.
"No! Why did it stop? Don't stop… continue singing please," Charlie said looking around at the dark place she's in, looking for source of the melodic voice.
'From the depths of my soul,'
"ahhh…" Charlie sighed and smiled as the singing continued.
'It's beyond my control
I've waited so long, to say this to you
If you're asking, do I love you this much…
I do…'
Joey stopped and again plants a kiss on Charlie's hand.
"Wake up, Charlie," she whispered. "I love you." She said as she moved and leaned in to give Charlie's lips the softest feather like kiss.
The singing stop and Charlie was protesting, asking why it stop. She turned around and around, searching where the voice came from and she didn't see anything and didn't anything. Charlie then panic, now realising the darkness around her; she felt lost and alone now that the voice is gone and with that, Charlie opened her eyes.
Joey glanced back up to Charlie after kissing the brunette's lips and gasped, seeing Charlie's ever beautiful blue eyes, open and staring blankly at hers.
"Charlie," she breathes. "You're… awake," she said finally able to smile genuinely that she's sure reached her eyes.
The song's title is "I do" the singer: i cant remember! :P
to the Australian readers, do we have a new PM yet or was it a hung vote?
BTW... i was reading the past reviews i had and boy i missed those nick that i dont see anymore... and also Carrie... are you still reading? When will you update your "Right Kind Of Wrong?"