Chapter 5
He woke abruptly as someone rudely shuffled against him. He moved his neck, carefully massaging the soreness now residing there. The while-walled surroundings momentarily startled him, but then the antiseptic smell wafted through his nostrils, and he groaned.
His gaze fell upon Caroline's chest, heaving methodically to the murmuring of the oxygen machine. Two clear plastic tubes were inserted into her nostrils. At least she looks peaceful. Too peaceful. Two trembling fingers drifted across her brow, smoothing a place where he planted a kiss. She felt cold, indifferent. Richard glanced at the nurse who adjusted various dials and knobs with reference to the clipboard in her left hand.
His watch informed him that it was 7:45 am. I need to call Annie, her parents, oh my gosh, her parents, her syndicator, her agent…..neighbors… With a sudden revival, Richard jumped from his chair, scouring his pockets and Caroline's purse for change.
He decided to dial Annie first. Hopefully, she would react with more sanity than he managed.
"Annie…" Why was this so difficult? After three attempts, she finally picked up. "Annie?"
"Yeah, who did you think it was?"
"Annie, this is Richard."
"Richard? Richie! Why are you calling ME? Are you starting to have feelings for me too?"
"No, I have to tell you something.." his words faded. With his palms, he nervously composed a cadence with the wood of the phone booth.
Annie immediately responded. For once, Richard's voice was not laced with sarcasm.
"What? What's wrong?"
"It's Caroline…Annie..she's been shot, and is in a coma. We're at St Vincent's. Please hurry." He broke off before she could reply, hanging his head as a sigh escaped his lips. Once again, he approached her room.
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Three days later, Caroline's hospital room resembled more of a crowded subway car than a tranquil place of rest. Richard remained protectively by her side, but felt fatigued and sore from his temporary residence. It was partly his guilt that kept him by her side, but also, a sense of obligation. From the point of their first encounter until now, he felt the need to be a shield to her. And though his usual temperament insinuated otherwise, he truly found himself captivated by her. And now she lay motionless, on the brink of death.
It was their unreciprocated conversations that kept him sane. To her lifeless face, he confessed the thoughts that coursed through his mind, the feelings that only recently surfaced among them, and small feeble words of hope. On the 3rd night, he knew it was time to leave. To his empty apartment. If only for sanitary reasons, he would have refused, but he did not want Caroline to see him in such a sorry state. Eyes sunken in, lips chapped, clothes laced with blood, and stubble that darkened his face.
Endless hours turned into days that transformed into weeks, and still, her condition remained constant. Annie had been his primary companion during this time, a surprising comfort in the midst of his turmoil. She was not ignorant to the guilt that pierced his stare, or the hollowness that adorned his words. Together, they held onto the hope that Caroline would some day regain consciousness.
"So Ritchie, what's the plan for the day?"
"Let's see…" he countered. "We can sit here, watch TV, and then…I'm only guessing here, sit some more?"
"Come on pooper scooper, let's go down to the cafeteria."
He grunted, but followed her out of the room.
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She felt herself swimming in a glassy lake. Each breath, focused and even. Though underwater, her lungs inflated and deflated with incredible ease. She flailed her arms and felt something pressing against her shoulders. She reached her hand to the water's surface, but met a solid wall instead. Her mouth opened to lash out against it, but her words were inaudible. She became even more hysterical, thrashing her body, calling his name.
It was 11:00 pm on November 17th, exactly three months since Caroline's arrival. Richard rested his hand on her shoulder, another futile attempt to coax a response. His fingers pressed into her flesh, tracing her name near the crook of her neck. His lips found her forehead, and he whispered the same simple words he had every night before he left.
"I love you, Caroline."
To maintain his finances, he played for a flimsy nightclub near SOHO. His fans consisted of drunken businessmen, depraved insomniacs, pimps and their subjects. The late hours were difficult, but at least it gave him a full day to spend at the hospital. And he faded into his music.
He rose from his chair, and approached the door when he heard her moan.
"Caroline?"
She wiggled her fingers in desperation.
" I love you, Caroline." These words reached her. Within her imagination, Caroline remained inside her liquid cage. Her head throbbed and her fingers ached. With all the strength she possessed, she extended her fingers again to the surface.
He put his ear to her
mouth. What was she saying? His heart
thudded to the sequence of her breathing.
"Mmmmppphhh…R..r..r..r…i..i.i..i…c..c..cc…hhh…a..a..a..r…r…d…!" It exploded in her ears, making her tremble inside. Her veins were ready to pop out from her skin. She felt her bones lurch and her stomach cave into her toes.
"Caroline!! Caroline,
please answer me!!!!"
I hear you,
Richard!! I hear you. The wall embraced her, silencing her cries to a whisper.
Her clenched fits combated its strength, as she glared into her
reflection. A mirror of liquid glass.
Richard stood at the other side, his eyebrows, furrowed with concern.
Again, he tried. His hands
roamed over her face and arms. He began to speak in rushed sentences, every
word a tidal wave of expectation. Two nurses overhead his babbling and hurried
to contact the doctor. Soon there were four people, than six, until Richard was
pushed to the corner.
She stirred again. Her
discolored cheeks began to regain their pigment. Childish babble escaped her
lips, each utterance sparking more panic within him. He clutched his stomach,
suddenly aware that he was not breathing. With a surge of adrenaline, he shoved
those hindering his path, and made his way to Caroline's side. He wanted to be
the first person she saw when she opened her eyes.
ONE MORE CHAPTER LEFT, I
PROMISE!!!
TO BE CONTINUED!!