Seeing Grey in that bed is indescribable. She looks like she fell off a goddamn building. Her little fingers that poke out of the cast are swollen and bloody. I pull up a chair and move her hand with the cast in mine. Is she going to be al-fucking-right? Around her eyes it's purple and red. "Grey," I whisper. Her neck is in a brace, and what part is showing has bruises. I look away from her because I can't stomach it. "Grey," I stammer. She's struggling to breathe, so I get the nurse. She explains that Grey's left lung has collapsed. Blythe is nowhere to be found, not that I'm complaining, but when Lucille got in her car accident a few years back, you couldn't pry me from her side. I take a wet paper towel and clean some of the dried blood from her forehead. I never realized just how much make up she wore until it started to come off while I cleaned her face. There's several spots where you can tell she had been covering up old bruises. I also never realized just how many scars her hair hid. There are several clumps of dried matted blood in her hair I try to clean. The pillow is soaked in blood and it infuriates me. I take my frustration out on these nurses and demand that they send someone in here immediately to stitch these gashes up.
The kids and other faculty brought her several things. Cards, flowers, balloons, stuffed animals. Someone even got her a stupid fish. I shake some of the food in the water before having a seat beside her. "Grey, are you ever going to wake up?" I missed practice for the first time since I've been with the school to stay by her side. Her breathing is worse today, but the swelling in her face has gone down some.
"Well, I have some good news," the nurse starts.
Good news? Good news!
"She's not paralyzed, nor is her neck broken or fractured." She starts to remove Grey's neck brace.
"Why won't she wake up?" I don't listen to what she has to say and turn my attention to Grey. Oh my god, her fucking neck! "T- thanks," I murmur. I wait for the nurse to leave before hovering my hand over Grey's neck. It's unsettling how well the bruises match a hand. Fuck, does this mean he held her down while he hit her in the face? Or tried to strangle her? I pull my hand back as I plop down in the chair. Goddammit.
...
I open my eyes when I hear the rustling of plastic. "What's wrong?" Fuck, I'm groggy. How long was I asleep for?
"I'm going to change her catheter, dear. Why don't you step out and get some coffee?"
"Okay," I frown. I notice the clock in the hall. Jesus, it's three am. I'm fearful to leave her side. What if Blythe comes to finish what he started? Christ, what if the nurses are on his payroll?
"Coach Negan?"
"Yes?"
"My son is on your team. Shortstop."
"Oh. Right, Mills." I shake the doctor's hand.
"Is Lucille alright?"
"Yeah, she's home. Nurse Grey is in ICU."
"The redhead?"
"..yeah."
"She was brought in by one of the deputies. Found her off 91. Hit and run."
My forehead puckers. "What?"
"Blythe has been trying to find the son of a bitch that did it."
"I'm sure he has."
"Looking forward to another season, Coach. I need to get into prep for my next surgery."
I'm sure I look like some deranged psychopath as I stand in the middle of that waiting room. White knuckled, veins popping from my neck and forehead. If the nurse didn't come out at that exact moment, I would have left to kill Blythe. There's something I want to see, and wait patiently for the nurse to leave before I do it. I slide the blanket up to Gray's hips. Her inner thighs are bruised blue, red, and purple, as well as her knees. I quickly cover her back up before someone notices. "Grey, please fucking wake up."
"Wanna go to the city this weekend?"
"No, I'm busy." I wipe the rest of the shaving cream from my face, then get dressed.
"Oh?" She watches jealously as I put a spare pair of clothing in my bag. "Does this have anything to do with where you've been the last two nights?"
"Thought we agreed not to talk about it?"
"Yeah. You're right."
I caught her with her ex again, in my fucking bed.
"I love yo-"
I shut the door before she can finish speaking.
...
"Any changes?"
The nurse shakes her head at me.
"Oh."
"I'm sorry, dear."
Grey feels cold, so I cover her with the blanket at the foot of the bed.
"You can talk to her."
"What's the point if she's in a coma?"
"They say that coma patients can hear what's going on around them."
I tell Grey more about me than anyone knows. Oddly, talking with her makes me feel better. Well, the talking to her part, not sharing shit, because I'm really not all that interesting. I press the back of my hand to her cheek. She's still so cold. What if she's dying and they just don't want to tell me? I rub my hands against hers trying to warm it up. Her fingers twitch in mine. "Grey," I gasp. It's the only movement from her the rest of the night. I'm sure it's nothing more than just some muscle spasm, but I have to start thinking positive.
Blythe attends every home game, tonight being no different. I don't mind it while Grey is in the hospital because I know she's safe if he's here. He always sits with the Mayor. No doubt some kind of extortion deal. I feel indifferent about our win today because my mind isn't here. This isn't me moping about some stupid bullshit crush. This woman might actually die. I can't prove that Blythe left those marks, just like I can't prove that he did this to her, but I feel responsible not doing a fucking thing about it the first time I saw those marks. There's got to be some way to go about this without Blythe knowing. My eyes widen. That law book Grey had on the bus that day. She was trying to do something about it. Guess I should use the library for something other than fucking the librarian.
Karen steps inside the dugout, interrupting my train of thought. "Do you want to come over tonight?"
"Thought I made myself pretty clear that I don't want anything from you."
"I'm sorry about Grey."
"Why are you apologizing to me? I'm not the one on a ventilator-" I frown, having a seat on the bench.
"I know, I went to see her."
"Why won't she fucking wake up? How do I live with myself knowing I could have done something?"
"You can't help her being clumsy and falling down the steps. It's just one of those freak accidents."
Is it really that easy to manipulate this entire town into thinking it's just some freak accident? Why don't they see the bruises on her?
"Negan?"
"Go home, okay?"
"What about you?"
"What about me? This isn't about me."
"It's affecting you. Do you even realize that you won today's game?"
I shrug my shoulders.
"Baseball is everything to you. Don't throw it away on some girl. You'll regret-"
"The only thing I ever regret are the times I emptied into you." I get a certain satisfaction from hearing her sobs.
Every day I buy Grey a piece of cheesecake from the hospital cafeteria in hopes that she'll wake up. Today ends the same as all the others. With me eating it.
"See you tomorrow, dear."
"Yeah," I murmur at the nurse, starting for the parking lot. I do a double take, then backtrack. Where the hell is my bike?
"Seems you were parked illegally," Blythe smirks, slowly removing his glasses.
"Bullshit, it was right fucking here."
"Not the way I see it."
"Where's my bike?"
"Had it towed up to the station. You can get it out of impound on Monday. Oh, wait, I almost forgot." He's written me a ticket. "Stay the fuck away from my wife."
"Keep your fucking hands off her."
"That sounded like a threat." He rests his hand on his handcuffs. "Yeah, that's more like it," he snickers at me backing up some. "You have a nice day now, Ned."
I watch him speed off and crumble the ticket up. "Fuck!"
...
I hate riding in the goddamn car. I'm too fucking big and I feel like my knees are in my chest. I hit my fucking head trying to get out of the Spanish teacher's car. "Thanks for the ride."
"Thanks for the, well, you know," she smirks, biting her lip.
I actually feel a little used right now whoring myself out for a goddamn ride. The front door opens before I even get to the entry way. "I tried calling you six times. Where the fuck have you been?"
"I just got home. Where is your bike?"
"Someone from work is in the hospital. I wasn't thinking clearly and parked in a fire zone."
"I made you curry chicken."
"How the fuck did you have time to make food if you just got- never mind, I don't feel well. I'm going to bed."
"I know what will make you feel better."
"Not in the mood." I have a seat on the bed, and pull my boots off.
Lucille rubs my back. "Talk to me."
I don't want to talk. This Grey thing is fucking with my head. What if he fucking kills her? He's threatened by me, obviously. Making up lies to have my bike towed. I know it's a warning, but it will not keep me from her.
I feel in my front pocket, then reach inside to grab my marker from practice earlier. Signing my name on her cast would be fucking stupid, so I write 'Darkness' on it instead. "God, I miss you. What if you don't fucking wake up?"
"Hey, Baby," Lucille smiles.
"H- hey." Oh, fuck. My eyes shift between the two of them.
"I went by the school to bring you some lunch. They said you were here." Lucille stands at the foot of the bed as she looks Grey over.
The look on her face is exactly what I thought. What I didn't want.
Her eyes well up. "She is pretty."
"I didn't want you to find out like this-"
"Do you love her?"
"No, but you should know that I do care for her."
"Is this where you've been all week?"
"Yes."
"She's the Sheriff's wife. Is he the one who impounded your bike?"
I give her a slow nod.
Lucille starts to cry.
"I'd never put you in danger."
"It's not that. You answered all my questions without a single hesitation. Yet, I lose track of the lies I tell you about him."
"I don't want this to happen to you, Lulu."
"What do you mean?"
"Blythe beat the shit out of her, and this isn't the first time."
Lucille touches her fingers to the cast. "But, it looks like she was hit by a car."
"That's one of the rumors. What's that one you always used to tell me?"
"Negan, I don't-"
"Answer my goddamn question!"
"St- stairs, the stairs."
I open one of the cards and shove it close to her face.
"They think she fell down the-" Lucille presses the tips of her fingers to her lips.
I lift up the blanket and show Lucille all of Grey's bruises. "He did this to her. Look. Look!"
Lucille sobs into her hand as she takes Grey in.
"It took Grey for me to understand why you still love him after everything he's put you through." She doesn't deny loving him, and I don't question it. "He's not going to ever change, and this is his fault. Grey's situation is complicated because of who Blythe is. There is no excuse for yours. Do you understand me?"
She nods her head.
"I want to hear it. I've been patient with this shit long enough. It stops today."
"Y- yes."
I pick my backpack up off the floor.
"No. Stay with her. I'm going to fly up and see my sister for a few days. Do some thinking."
"I love you more than anything, Lucille."
"I love you, too," she smiles.
I have no doubt in my mind that she's going to visit her sister this time. Seeing Grey in that bed made Lucille realize this could have easily been her. I press my lips to Grey's forehead. "Thank you." Grey unknowingly saved Lucille's life that day.
