A little bit latter, Chris slowly walked down the hallway for the
surgical floor, Lona leaning against her, swaying slightly as the sedative
started to have a stronger and stronger effect.
"I can't do this, Chris," Lona whispered when they finally stopped outside of a slightly cracked door. She could see Elmer laying there in the bed, pale with an IV dripping blood into his arm. There was a small bandage on his head and she could see another on his shoulder, the edge of it just peaking out from beneath the hospital gown's collar. Lona felt tears starting to well up once more at the sight of him like that and she forced herself to turn away from the doorway, pulling away from Chris and staggering across the hall to collapse in a heap in the floor.
"Lona?" Chris hurried over and dropped to the ground by her friend, gathering Lona against her once more. She looked at Lona with a very worried expression. She was normally so cool and collected and to see her reduced to this, to rocking back and forth like Mona Klingerman and crying.... Chris understood that what Lona had gone through was terrifying to say the least but she just couldn't help but be frightened as she looked down at her friend. All she wanted to do was to help Lona, to be able to do something to get through to her and make her realize that this was going to be okay but it seemed like everything that she tried wasn't getting through at all.
"It's my fault that he's in that bed." Lona whispered as she sobbed. Deep down, there was a little voice trying to whisper to her, to tell her to stop blaming herself but Lona pushed that voice away. How could it not be her fault? If Elmer hadn't loved her so much.... "Why,
Chris? Why in the world does he love me? I've never encouraged him. I've never done anything to make him willing to do something like this!"
"Lona," Chris paused before speaking. She definitely wouldn't consider herself an expert on love. Hook was about the best relationship that she had ever had and that still was so new. She had to try something to help Lona though. "Lona, you don't do something to make someone fall in love with you, I don't think. It's just something that happens. And like it or not, it looks like Elmer really does love you."
"He shouldn't. He should find someone his own age," Lona said with a shake of her head. Yes, that was it. Elmer needed someone his own age. When he got better, she would sit down and go through everyone in this hospital until she found someone for Elmer, someone better than her.
Someone who would treat him better than she had ever treated him. "Chris,
I've treated him so badly and...."
"Lona, I don't think Elmer feels that way or he wouldn't still be going after you." Chris said with a slight smile as she gently patted Lona's back before scrambling to her feet and pulling her friend up also.
"Now, come on. It's time for you to get in there and see him. You'll feel better when you can see for yourself that Elmer's just fine. You know,
he's going to be up and annoying us again in no time."
"I can't, Chris." Lona shook her head and turned away from the room. She wanted to run down the hall, far away from this and from her guilt but her legs were trembling and so unsteady that she was sure she would fall flat on her face if she tried.
"Lona." Chris hated to do this to Lona, knowing that her friend really didn't need this now but not knowing what else to do. If Lona could just see Elmer once, then she was sure that that would be the best medicine for both of them. "Lona, Elmer got shot trying to protect you. Don't you think that the least you can do is to visit him for a few minutes and say thank you?"
Lona stared at her friend in shock, as if Chris had just slapped her.
"Lona, come on. You owe Elmer this." Chris said as she took Lona's arm firmly and led her across the hall and into the room. "Just a few minutes. You owe him a few minutes."
"Elmer?" Lona slowly stepped away toward her friend and moved over to Elmer's bedside rather tentively. She shook her head as she stared down at him. He was pale, but otherwise he looked basically normal. How could he look normal after.... She stretched out a hand, touching the small bandage on his head softly. "Elmer, I'm so, so sorry." She whispered as she collapsed into a chair at his bedside. "Why did you do it? I'm not worth it." Suddenly tears started to pour down her cheeks once more. "I'm so sorry, Elmer. Please, please be alright."
"I can't do this, Chris," Lona whispered when they finally stopped outside of a slightly cracked door. She could see Elmer laying there in the bed, pale with an IV dripping blood into his arm. There was a small bandage on his head and she could see another on his shoulder, the edge of it just peaking out from beneath the hospital gown's collar. Lona felt tears starting to well up once more at the sight of him like that and she forced herself to turn away from the doorway, pulling away from Chris and staggering across the hall to collapse in a heap in the floor.
"Lona?" Chris hurried over and dropped to the ground by her friend, gathering Lona against her once more. She looked at Lona with a very worried expression. She was normally so cool and collected and to see her reduced to this, to rocking back and forth like Mona Klingerman and crying.... Chris understood that what Lona had gone through was terrifying to say the least but she just couldn't help but be frightened as she looked down at her friend. All she wanted to do was to help Lona, to be able to do something to get through to her and make her realize that this was going to be okay but it seemed like everything that she tried wasn't getting through at all.
"It's my fault that he's in that bed." Lona whispered as she sobbed. Deep down, there was a little voice trying to whisper to her, to tell her to stop blaming herself but Lona pushed that voice away. How could it not be her fault? If Elmer hadn't loved her so much.... "Why,
Chris? Why in the world does he love me? I've never encouraged him. I've never done anything to make him willing to do something like this!"
"Lona," Chris paused before speaking. She definitely wouldn't consider herself an expert on love. Hook was about the best relationship that she had ever had and that still was so new. She had to try something to help Lona though. "Lona, you don't do something to make someone fall in love with you, I don't think. It's just something that happens. And like it or not, it looks like Elmer really does love you."
"He shouldn't. He should find someone his own age," Lona said with a shake of her head. Yes, that was it. Elmer needed someone his own age. When he got better, she would sit down and go through everyone in this hospital until she found someone for Elmer, someone better than her.
Someone who would treat him better than she had ever treated him. "Chris,
I've treated him so badly and...."
"Lona, I don't think Elmer feels that way or he wouldn't still be going after you." Chris said with a slight smile as she gently patted Lona's back before scrambling to her feet and pulling her friend up also.
"Now, come on. It's time for you to get in there and see him. You'll feel better when you can see for yourself that Elmer's just fine. You know,
he's going to be up and annoying us again in no time."
"I can't, Chris." Lona shook her head and turned away from the room. She wanted to run down the hall, far away from this and from her guilt but her legs were trembling and so unsteady that she was sure she would fall flat on her face if she tried.
"Lona." Chris hated to do this to Lona, knowing that her friend really didn't need this now but not knowing what else to do. If Lona could just see Elmer once, then she was sure that that would be the best medicine for both of them. "Lona, Elmer got shot trying to protect you. Don't you think that the least you can do is to visit him for a few minutes and say thank you?"
Lona stared at her friend in shock, as if Chris had just slapped her.
"Lona, come on. You owe Elmer this." Chris said as she took Lona's arm firmly and led her across the hall and into the room. "Just a few minutes. You owe him a few minutes."
"Elmer?" Lona slowly stepped away toward her friend and moved over to Elmer's bedside rather tentively. She shook her head as she stared down at him. He was pale, but otherwise he looked basically normal. How could he look normal after.... She stretched out a hand, touching the small bandage on his head softly. "Elmer, I'm so, so sorry." She whispered as she collapsed into a chair at his bedside. "Why did you do it? I'm not worth it." Suddenly tears started to pour down her cheeks once more. "I'm so sorry, Elmer. Please, please be alright."