Chapter 11 - How many nights does it take to count the stars?
Five days later.
Abe wakes up slowly. After five days in his medical tank, his brain scan shows normal, so the doctors decide to cut his sedation. He opens his eyes confused. He already knows he's in the med tank. He sees Hellboy and Dr. Krauss watching him worried. He's kinda disappointed, she is not there. She. The only memory his mind brings back is the scene he saw while he was inside her mind. They intertwined in the library floor. He asks for her.
- Haven't seen her for days, pal. - Hellboy is smoking.
- What happened? - he asks with a weak voice.
- I was hoping you could tell me.
The memories were returning slowly.
- We were practicing her control on her powers. It was my fault. I should have known better than to push her while she was tired and frustrated. She lost control.
- She turned your brain into mush, pal. And your stronger than her.
- No, I just have more practice.
- You had actual brain tissue damage, Agent Sapien. You should be more careful. - Krauss said seriously.
- I underestimated her powers. And overestimated her control. Where is she?
Hellboy and Krauss looked at each other. That's what it took for Ethan to come barging in. He pointed at Abe.
- You asshole. You think you can keep pushing her around like this? - he was walking furious in the tank's direction.
- Calm down, pal. - HB says while holding Ethan back.
- Calm down? You guys go to hell. Sam didn't leave her room in five days. She hasn't eaten anything. We don't know if she's even ok in there. You guys treat her like shit when she do anything wrong. You are pathetic hypocrites.
John was watching the scene by the door. He didn't say anything. So they all knew he agreed. Hellboy carries Ethan away.
- How are you felling Abe? - John asks.
- Perfect. - he answers. And starts to take the needles and cords connecting him to the machines.
- What are you doing, Agent? - Krauss exclaimed worried. - you don't have medical leave yet!
- I'm giving myself a leave. - he pushed his body out of the tank
- You can't do that, pal. - Hellboy says entering the room.
- Ethan is right. I have to talk to her. And you can't stop me.
Sam was laying down in her bed. She didn't know for how long. But she could know if it was day or night by the movement outside her door. Ethan, John and Liz would come eventually and knock but she never answered. They brought food for her. The first time she opened the door after some time and took a sandwich from the tray in the floor. She ate but it felt like eating sand. After that, she didn't bother getting up from the bed.
Her wrist was getting worse, she knew. It hurt and burned all day. The bandage was too tight. But at least, she was felling something. And she deserved the pain. She didn't want to think about the pain Abe was in. She tried to capture thoughts from the people who were passing by her door, to know how he was, but without success. She didn't have the guts to leave her room, because she couldn't handle the library or the medical wing. She knew at some point she would have to. Manning or Krauss would come and drag her out. But for the moment she liked being left alone in her stupor.
She was listening to music in her phone since that night. The battery would die and she would plug it in. Then out. Then in. She would take sleeping pills sometimes and fall asleep and wake up and not know how much time went by.
She had found a very comfortable position for her head and was dozing off when the knock came. It's had been a couple of days she was not acknowledging them anymore. She didn't move, just tried to ignored it. But it came again and again. Til it stopped. It would always stop. She was dozing off again when she listened the lock on her door being unlocked. Damn. Damn. Damn.
She sat down while the door opened.
- What the hell, Ethan? Damn it!
It took a moment for her to realize it wasn't Ethan. She blinked blindly at the strong light coming from the corridor and the silhouette against it. She had her breath taken away from her, when she noticed who it was. Tears flood her eyes immediately. But she didn't cry. She wanted to run to him, but she was scared he would push her away again.
- Sam. I'm so sorry.
Then she couldn't keep herself from running to him. She ran and hold him tight, wrapping both her arms around his neck and crying copiously.
- Oh, Abraham. I'm so so sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
She sobbed against him and keep apologizing as a prayer.
- Please don't cry, dear. - he tried calming her down, caressing her hair which was a mess.
He closed the door, guided her to her bed and sat her down. She still sobbed so he held her tight. After a while, she started crying less. He pushed her back and cleaned her tears.
- I'm so glad you're alright. I thought... I thought... - and she sobbed again, leaning against his chest her hands on her face.
He was shushing her while caressing her back, when he noticed her hand on his chest.
- My God, Sam! You're hurt!
- It's nothing. - she said weakly.
- It's definitely not nothing. - she took her hand in his gently. It was reddish and purple. Looking really swollen. He started losing the bandage.
She just stared at his hands working.
- What happened? - she whispered, watching him. - I don't know what happened.
- I pushed you too hard. I'm sorry. - he said, but paid attention only to her badly swollen wrist. - You have to go to the medical ward, this is bad. Your circulation is compromised. You shouldn't have let it get to this state.
She pulled her hand away from him.
- I don't want to go there. I want you to tell me what the hell happened!
Abe sighed.
- I don't remember everything, but I pushed too far. I saw the walls of the room in your mind shattered and you threw me away both mentally and physically. When I came to my senses, you had me thrown against the tank...
- Oh my god. - she put her head in her hand.
- It didn't hurt as much as surprised me. You were at the floor. And then... It was like throwing someone while in handcuffs with them, our minds didn't disconnect so when you pushed me away it was so strong that your mind came with and... pushed inside my mind.
- Pushed? Seemed like I torn you open. I hurt you. - she put her hand in his face.
- I can't say it was very pleasant. But I can't remember much after the pain.
She closed her eyes. But he didn't give her time to escape this time. He grabbed her hand and saw what he wanted.
- I did this? - he asked astonished - I'm so sorry.
- It's nothing really. - she took her wrist from him again.
- This is far from nothing. Let's go. I have to get it checked.
She stood up and paced.
- I almost destroyed your mind. And you're worried about my damn wrist? - she screamed.
- I'm fine. I'm stronger than it seems. - he said calmly.
- Well, it didn't seemed like it in the last few days, while you were passed out in the medical tank... - and she started crying again.
He stood up and stopped her pacing, holding her by her shoulders.
- Listen to me. I am alright. You are not. And it's all my fault.
She looked up at him.
- I was not your fault. - she whispered.
- Please, just let me take care of you. - he whispered back.
- Ok.
So he took her unharmed hand and led her to the medical ward. They passed by, and all the agents, Hellboy and Krauss just stared at them. Abe just pushed by and entered another medical room and closed the door without saying anything to anybody. He pointed to the medical table and she sat on it.
- Well, they certainly think is my fault. - she says holding her wrist.
- They are wrong. - he said while picking up things around. - And I'll certainly talk to Hellboy and Doctor Krauss after this. They should have never blamed you. And left you alone for days.
- Hey, I'm not a baby. I can take care of myself.
He came to her with a large bowl full of freezing water and ice cubes.
- Well, it definitely doesn't seem like it.
He said while holding her purple hand up in her face. Then he plunged it on the bowl, making her jump and shriek. She tried to fight it, but he just held her hand there.
- That hurts! It's cold! - she cried out.
- You should have thought about it before. Don't put it out.
She stared at him angrily. And pouted. But obeyed. He walked away and returned with more supplies. He took her wrist out of the water and started testing its movements. It hurt at lot.
- Every time you bring me to this room it is to torture me. - she complained.
- Well, I don't remember being unpleasant that first time. You were almost naked after all. - he said.
She looked startled at him while he took a portable X-ray machine to her wrist. It took a moment for her to realize he was mocking her. She pushed at him lightly and he laughed. Sam blushed severely. But couldn't leave it like this.
- Well, if you'd prefer it, I could undress, doctor. - she says while leaning in, closer to him. And it was his time to blush.
He put her hand back in the freezing water and she hissed.
- I don't think that would agree with my medical ethic. - he said matter-of-factly, trying to hide his embarrassment.
- You're the doctor with the worst bed side manners anyway. - she says annoyed with the cold water burning in her skin.
- Well, in this case... - he just struggled and stared at her, pretending to wait. She laughed loud.
- Ow, I would totally do it just to pick at you, if I wasn't feeling so down. Don't think I wouldn't.
He smiled and started bandaging her. Very loosely and much more comfortable this time.
- Try to move it around and back and forth sometimes to help with circulation. - He took an ice pack and put on a towel. - keep it on ice for a couple of hours a day, don't put it directly so your skin doesn't burn. And try to keep it up.
- Alright, doctor.
He put her hand against her chest and put the ice pack on it, guiding her other hand to hold it.
- Thanks. - she said.
He was very close. Leaning with his hands beside her hips.
- And I'm sorry. - he says softly, his head held down.
She put her hand on his face and made him look up at her. He was usually taller than her, but while sitting in the medical table she got almost at the same height as him. So they looked at each other's eyes.
- I forgive you if you forgive me. - she says softly as well.
- I forgive you.
And they kissed. The kiss was soft and sweet. Her hands got around his neck in a beat. She couldn't help not holding him to her. As if she was scared he would run away. Abe smiled while kissing her. She opened her knees and pull him closer to her. He took his hands from the table and put them in her back, accidentally reaching beneath her blouse. The position brought his hips between her legs and their bodies very close. She opened her mouth so he would kiss her deeper and he did. Abe didn't feel like the first time. He didn't feel nervous. He felt confident to know a woman so amazing and beautiful wanted him so much. And he wanted her too, so much. He hoped she couldn't actually feel how much. This never happens with him. He had never felt like that. He'd never felt passion and desire and want like this.
Their kiss became more desperate, more intense. He put his hands on her thighs and she trembled. He pulled her closer, by pushing her hips to the edge of the table. So their upper bodies touched completely. His hands returned to her back and pushed under her shirt up to her bra. She moaned and threw her head back, breaking their kiss. He started kissing her neck and kept caressing her naked back beneath her clothes.
Sam was feeling overwhelmed. She never expected this reaction from him. He was kissing and licking her neck in all the right places while exploring her back. She could only hold into his shoulders so she wouldn't fall apart. Then unexpectedly he trusted his hips against hers. She moaned loudly and he grunted against her neck. Sam felt all her skin break in goosebumps, she locked the grip she had on him while gasping for air.
This moment, a loud knock sounded, shaking the opaque glass window and door and scaring the hell out of them. They jumped back. Actually, Abe jumped back separating them. They were breathing hard. Abe opened the door. While Sam rearranged her blouse and took the ice pack that had fallen to the floor and put it back on her wrist.
Doctor Krauss walked in seeming furious. Apparently, he had been knocking and they didn't listen. He proceeded talking energetically, gesticulating fast with his hands. Sam hoped Abe was paying any attention to whatever lecture he was giving them, cause although her eyes were glue to Johann she didn't listen to a word he was saying. She was concentrating hard in calming her breathing down, while her chest waved up and down fast. Her hand holding the pack of ice against it, hoping it would cool down her emotions. She didn't dare take her eyes from Johann in case she would find Abe's. So she kept staring at him, and hoped he would take her wide eyes and hard breathing as result of his energetic speaking or sudden arrival.
Johann Krauss finished his lecture and left. Sam realized she was nodding at him, agreeing to whatever he said, as a child you do. When he finally disappeared through the door, she looked around and realized Abe looked as lost as she felt. He was breathing as a fish out of water and she found it cute. She smiled and walked to him, he kept staring at the door. But when she approached he turned his gaze to her. She didn't have the courage to ask him what Johann had said. She thought she would look like an idiot. She couldn't ask him to continued from where they stopped. As embarrassed as they feel, they couldn't keep pretending nothing happened between them. Sensing he was more embarrassed than her, she decided to take the lead to break the ice. So she pushed against his chest and raising on her tip toes gave him a peck on his lips.
- Medical ethic, ham?
She smiled broadly at him and walked away. Leaving him dumbfounded in the room.