A/N: I've been away, for a very long time. Hope you guys didn't give up
on this story..... here is the next chapter..... please review and let me
know what you think.
"Caitie....." he silently uttered to himself. He took the now empty chair that sat beside Caitie's bed. He gingerly stroked her hair, letting his had slightly brush against her porcelain skin.
"I'm afraid.....Caitie..... I'm so afraid right now. I'm afraid that I'm going to lose you..... I'm afraid I lost myself."
The figure resting in the bed appeared blurry to Jamie, as tears once again slipped down from his eyes.
"The things that happened.....they cannot be changed," Jamie stated as he continued his monologue.
"Remember all those times Caitie? Those times in high school? The time we went to the prom together..... those times in college..... the late night café visits..... the times when I needed you..... you were always there for me."
Jamie gently took Caitie's hand in his. He repositioned the IV, making sure it was not disturbed.
"Caitie..... I love you. I always did. It just..... took too long for me to state it verbally." He stroked her soft hand with his finger.
He noticed how small her hand looked in comparison to his.
*
Val watched Jamie from outside the hospital room. She was taken aback by the events that occurred within the last few days. Disbelief still remained on her face. "I'm glad he's dead," she finally stated.
Tyler returned a questioning look.
"Val....." he began.
"No. I know. I know how horrible that sounds. I can't imagine the pain Alec's parents feel....." she started to rationalize.
Val gazed deeply into Tyler's intense stare.
"He was not a good person..... he wouldn't have stopped there..... now..... Caitie is safe..... or at least, she will be, once she's fully recovered."
Tyler didn't know how to respond. He was surprised at the lack of compassion he felt when he had heard about Alec. He always considered himself to be the 'nice guy'..... yet he couldn't not help but feel..... relieved..... but most of all..... he felt like retribution had taken place.
Tyler put his arm around Val, as she rested her head against his shoulder. What startled Tyler a bit was.....Val---her reaction. He had always considered her the compassionate one.....something that was clearly displayed all those years as an EMT..... all those times..... when she treated patients.
"Am I a horrible person?" Val asked quietly.
"No honey..... of course not..... not at all."
Before Val decided to accept or reject that answer, Jamie left the room.
Val stood up quickly. She walked over to Jamie and gave him a look of sympathy. Jamie knew she had heard about everything.....it was in her eyes. Val wrapped her arms around him. Jamie reluctantly hugged back.
"She'll be okay....." Val said. "You'll be okay. The charges will be dropped." Jamie let himself go for a moment-he let himself believe the comforting words being spoken to him. Soon enough, the reality of his logic had quickly set in. He broke away from Val's embrace.
"I need..... to stop at home."
Val nodded in agreement. Tyler immediately rose to his feet. "I'll take you."
"Thanks."
*
Jamie entered his apartment. He checked his answering machine. 27 messages awaited. As he let the machine play the messages he was greeted with recordings of concerned and panic friends fill the room. All of a sudden, an unfamiliar voice, took Jamie by surprise. The autopsy report was back. Jamie grabbed the keys to his car. His destination----the police station.
*
Tyler reached for his ringing cell phone from his jacket pocket.
"Hello?" he answered in a tired voice.
Val's elated voice screamed from the other end. "She's awake! She's awake! She's conscious!"
A wave of energy hit Tyler. "Are you serious? Since when!"
"Hank is checking up on her now. She started to stir.....and suddenly, her eyes just fluttered open. She was a bit disoriented, but that's to be expected. She recognized me and everything!"
"Man! This is great!" Tyler exclaimed. "Did you call Jamie?"
"I tried, but couldn't get through."
"I'll stop on over, I just dropped him off. He'll want to see her," Tyler stated as he re-entered his car. "I'll see you soon."
After hanging up with Val, he headed over to Jamie's apartment, only to find that he wasn't there. Tyler tried calling Jamie on his cell phone.
"Yeah?" greeted a tired voice.
"Where are you?" Tyler asked curiously. "I just dropped you off a little while ago; I figured you'd be sleeping."
"I'm on my way to the police station.....what's..... going on?" Jamie asked.
"She's awake."
Jamie pulled over to the side of the road. He began wondering if this conversation was merely a figment of his imagination.
"She's awake," Tyler repeated after enduring a long silence.
"I'm on my way....."
"Caitie....." he silently uttered to himself. He took the now empty chair that sat beside Caitie's bed. He gingerly stroked her hair, letting his had slightly brush against her porcelain skin.
"I'm afraid.....Caitie..... I'm so afraid right now. I'm afraid that I'm going to lose you..... I'm afraid I lost myself."
The figure resting in the bed appeared blurry to Jamie, as tears once again slipped down from his eyes.
"The things that happened.....they cannot be changed," Jamie stated as he continued his monologue.
"Remember all those times Caitie? Those times in high school? The time we went to the prom together..... those times in college..... the late night café visits..... the times when I needed you..... you were always there for me."
Jamie gently took Caitie's hand in his. He repositioned the IV, making sure it was not disturbed.
"Caitie..... I love you. I always did. It just..... took too long for me to state it verbally." He stroked her soft hand with his finger.
He noticed how small her hand looked in comparison to his.
*
Val watched Jamie from outside the hospital room. She was taken aback by the events that occurred within the last few days. Disbelief still remained on her face. "I'm glad he's dead," she finally stated.
Tyler returned a questioning look.
"Val....." he began.
"No. I know. I know how horrible that sounds. I can't imagine the pain Alec's parents feel....." she started to rationalize.
Val gazed deeply into Tyler's intense stare.
"He was not a good person..... he wouldn't have stopped there..... now..... Caitie is safe..... or at least, she will be, once she's fully recovered."
Tyler didn't know how to respond. He was surprised at the lack of compassion he felt when he had heard about Alec. He always considered himself to be the 'nice guy'..... yet he couldn't not help but feel..... relieved..... but most of all..... he felt like retribution had taken place.
Tyler put his arm around Val, as she rested her head against his shoulder. What startled Tyler a bit was.....Val---her reaction. He had always considered her the compassionate one.....something that was clearly displayed all those years as an EMT..... all those times..... when she treated patients.
"Am I a horrible person?" Val asked quietly.
"No honey..... of course not..... not at all."
Before Val decided to accept or reject that answer, Jamie left the room.
Val stood up quickly. She walked over to Jamie and gave him a look of sympathy. Jamie knew she had heard about everything.....it was in her eyes. Val wrapped her arms around him. Jamie reluctantly hugged back.
"She'll be okay....." Val said. "You'll be okay. The charges will be dropped." Jamie let himself go for a moment-he let himself believe the comforting words being spoken to him. Soon enough, the reality of his logic had quickly set in. He broke away from Val's embrace.
"I need..... to stop at home."
Val nodded in agreement. Tyler immediately rose to his feet. "I'll take you."
"Thanks."
*
Jamie entered his apartment. He checked his answering machine. 27 messages awaited. As he let the machine play the messages he was greeted with recordings of concerned and panic friends fill the room. All of a sudden, an unfamiliar voice, took Jamie by surprise. The autopsy report was back. Jamie grabbed the keys to his car. His destination----the police station.
*
Tyler reached for his ringing cell phone from his jacket pocket.
"Hello?" he answered in a tired voice.
Val's elated voice screamed from the other end. "She's awake! She's awake! She's conscious!"
A wave of energy hit Tyler. "Are you serious? Since when!"
"Hank is checking up on her now. She started to stir.....and suddenly, her eyes just fluttered open. She was a bit disoriented, but that's to be expected. She recognized me and everything!"
"Man! This is great!" Tyler exclaimed. "Did you call Jamie?"
"I tried, but couldn't get through."
"I'll stop on over, I just dropped him off. He'll want to see her," Tyler stated as he re-entered his car. "I'll see you soon."
After hanging up with Val, he headed over to Jamie's apartment, only to find that he wasn't there. Tyler tried calling Jamie on his cell phone.
"Yeah?" greeted a tired voice.
"Where are you?" Tyler asked curiously. "I just dropped you off a little while ago; I figured you'd be sleeping."
"I'm on my way to the police station.....what's..... going on?" Jamie asked.
"She's awake."
Jamie pulled over to the side of the road. He began wondering if this conversation was merely a figment of his imagination.
"She's awake," Tyler repeated after enduring a long silence.
"I'm on my way....."