Chapter Eleven

Rhiannon pulled into a slot in the hospital parking lot, one nearest the exit, and she and Legolas climbed out of the car. Rhiannon looked up at the building, and turned to Legolas.

"I don't want you to come in with me, just in case anyone who does not need to see you does… How are you at climbing?"

"Quite good." Legolas replied, rolling his eyes at her.

"Alright then. I'm going to go into his room, and look out the window for you. When you climb up to the window, I need you to be as careful as you possibly can. Don't let ANYONE see you, Legolas. I know you can do that, you've sneaked up on me often enough. Be silent, and try to blend in or something." Legolas laughed sardonically in response. " And I know the hospital is white stucco. Stop your cackling."

"I laugh, lady. An Elf does not cackle." Rhiannon fixed him with a look.

"I'm going in."

Rhiannon walked into the pristine building, and went up to the receptionist.

"Excuse me, but could you help me find a patient?"

"Name?"

"Adam Benson." The burly receptionist typed into his computer.

"He's in the critical injury wing. Are you family?"

"I'm… his fiancée." Just saying it made her sick.

"Okay. It's on the fifth floor." Legolas immediately went to her thoughts. Maybe she should just drop it. That really was a bit high to climb up.

"Miss?" The receptionist's voice cut through her thoughts.

"Hmm?"

"Are you alright? You look nauseous." The fact that she had absolutely no acting experience had landed her in Principles of Law as opposed to Acting in high school. She regretted the decision now.

"I'm fine. Just a bit nervous about seeing my Adam so hurt… Thank you for your concern." She turned to the elevator before her could offer to go with her.

She walked into the room with Adam's name in the little placate on a piece of blue paper. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw him there, face broken, yellow, black and blue with his bruises. There was cast and plaster covering his arms and one of his legs was in traction. He was on a breathing machine, and his heartbeat was being monitored. He looked to be asleep, and he was wincing in pain.
Rhiannon smiled faintly. It reminded her of the pictures they'd taken of her when she was still slipping in and out of consciousness. She went to the window, and saw two things. A large, tall pine tree next to the window, and Legolas leaning against her car. She waved and faintly saw his head snap up to the window. He crept to the tree, and jumped to the lowest branch. She watched the tree as he climbed, but it wasn't moving. She couldn't see him, which she acknowledged as good, but at the same time, she was terrified. She began to count how many laws they were breaking. She was on thirty-three when she was the sign on the lawn - "DO NOT WALK ON THE GRASS". She sighed and added that to the list, when a blonde head popped in front of her, causing her to jump back and fall.

Legolas climbed nimbly into the room and scooped Rhiannon up, placing a kiss on her forehead as he set her upright. She smiled and looked up at him seconds before he snapped his head to Adam, who was now looking at him with eyes widened in fear. He tried to reach for the nurse's call button, but Rhiannon snapped it up before he could touch it, and locked the door.

"Adam, I think it's time we had a little talk." She walked over to him, and bent over the side rail of the hospital bed, close to his face.

"You will not tell anyone about who exactly did this to you. Because if you do, I promise he will be back to do it again. And worse. And what's more, I will help. " Adam's eyes flickered over to Legolas, who was looking at him with a stony, yet challenging expression. "Promise me, Adam. Say it. Not that your word is worth shit in the first place." She was getting angrier, as memories came rushing back to her. He couldn't scare her anymore, not with Legolas behind her and Adam himself rendered immobile.

"Are you going to tell anyone who really put you in this condition?" Adam didn't move, possibly because it caused him great pain. She wanted it even more at the realization. She smacked him across the face, on the most pronounced bruise she could see, the yellow and green of an infection already mixed with the purplish blue of the bruise itself.
"You bastard. I'll ask you once more." She reached up and pulled the tube out of the bottom of the oxygen machine. Adam's breathing slowed unaided, and his heartbeat sped up from his fear. Rhiannon covered the tube with her thumb, cutting off his total air supply as he was still connected to them. Her heart was racing.

"Are you going to tell? Are you?!" Adam's head began to shake, mechanical beeps filling the room as his heart sped up faster.

"That's right, you're not. And do not forget it, you disgusting parasite." She wiped her fingerprints off with a tissue from the box near the bed and re-attached the tube.

"We had a lovely chat, didn't we?" Adam nodded. "It was only us, wasn't it?" Another nod. "You can go to Hell. I don't ever want to see you again. You're going back to that cage and your new girlfriend Butch, or even better, you'll die. But I will never see you again. I promise you that."
She unlocked the door and placed the call button back on the bedside table, when Legolas looked towards the door and immediately climbed out of the window. His fingertips had just disappeared when the nurse in her rubber shoes and cat-decorated scrubs came in and announced the end of visiting hours. Rhiannon patted Adam's arm, squeezing one of his bruises, and watched the tears come to his eyes.

"Don't worry darling! I'll keep you in my thoughts." She served him with a sugary sweet voice and a beaming smile. As she walked past the nurse, she turned and said, "Take care of him, won't you? I wouldn't ever want any harm to come to him."

Rhiannon's adrenaline was pumping rapidly as she walked past the receptionist once more. A tear slid down her cheek, but he reasoned it was from seeing her darling paramour in such pain. She made it out the door, and let out the breath she'd been holding since arriving at the first floor in the stomach-turning elevator, and went in a trot to her car. She slid into the driver's seat, looked at Legolas, who was already in the passengers side, and slammed her head onto the steering wheel, evoking a horn blast that echoed through the lot. Tears streamed down her face, happy tears, and she looked up at Legolas again.

"I am woman, hear me… whimper and sob." She ran her hands across her cheeks and started the car. "Let's go home."

But as they pulled out of the parking lot, a thought came to her and she asked,

"Did you roll your eyes at me earlier?"