Without further ado...
Cold.
Chaos.
Pain.
Odd things to feel and hear since I was dead, wasn't I? I'm not sure what I expected heaven to be like, but those things didn't fit in with my notion of the afterlife. For a split second I considered the possibility that I hadn't made it to the pearly gates, and I was in Hell. I wouldn't be surprised if I was, in fact, in Hell given some of my life choices, but all things considered I expected Hell to be a little hotter. Right now I wasn't hot at all. I was freezing. If I was stuck in some kind of shitty purgatory I was going to haunt everyone who ever pissed me off in retribution.
"Breathe, dammit!" someone yelled from above me. Their voice sounded strained, yet familiar. My mind was working painfully slow, and felt disjointed from my body.
Who wasn't breathing?
I felt incredible pressure slam into my chest and I coughed out a ragged breath in response. If I thought I was in pain before it was nothing compared to now.
"Jo…can you hear me? Baby, open your eyes. Please."
There was that voice again. It sounded so stricken and desperate I wanted to do anything in my power to ease their suffering. I tried to do what the voice asked and open my eyes, but my eyelids felt like 50-pound weights. I heard the voice begging me to not give up, to keep fighting.
Using willpower I didn't know I possessed I cracked my eyes open. The world seemed to be spinning at too great a speed because my vision was nothing but a blur. I saw a face swim into view above me and I blinked my eyes repeatedly trying to focus. I could see the person's lips moving, but couldn't make out their words. They seemed so familiar that I felt instantly better knowing they were with me. I could feel their hand wrapped around my own squeezing gently as they continued to talk. A hand brush down the side of my face intimately, and I pushed the pain aside wracking my brain to place the figure looming above me.
Then, like clouds parting on a rainy day, it came to me.
"Owen," I croaked out. My throat felt raw and damaged.
"I'm right here baby. Just hold on," he said giving my hand a squeeze while gazing down at me. I kept my eyes locked on Owen as he spoke to someone nearby. I didn't know what was happening and I didn't care, I just needed Owen here with me holding my hand.
Keeping my eyes open proved too big of a challenge. I was so tired that all I wanted to do was let sleep overtake me. It felt like every part of my body hurt except the hand Owen was holding. I focused on the feeling of his hand in mine as he rubbed soothing circles on the back of my hand. He was my lifeline, the only thing tethering me to this world.
Suddenly, I was lifted and my hand was ripped from Owen's. The agony in my chest reverberated all over my body causing me to call out. Bile bubbled up in my throat and I felt my body dry heaving of its own volition. My breathing was coming in short, raspy pants that were excruciating. I didn't know how I ended up in this much pain, but I just wanted it to stop.
"Owen," I choked out blindly reaching for him, but I think I only managed a pathetic twitch of my fingers. I felt tears spill out running unchecked down my face. If I wasn't sitting on the precipice between life and death I'd be embarrassed about crying out for someone, but I couldn't muster the energy to care.
I felt someone grab my hand. "I'm here Jo. You're on your way to the hospital," Owen told me. His calm, reassuring words washed over me lessening my anxiety.
"Please...don't…leave."
"I'll never leave you Jo. I can't…I can't say goodbye to you because I simply can't live without you. Do you hear me? I love you, so you have to make it through this. Do you understand? You have to fight. You have to live," Owen whispered to me lightly touching his lips to mine.
I held onto his words trying to keep them in the forefront of my mind. He was here, he wasn't leaving, and he loved me. Probably because I was experiencing yet another near death experience the thought didn't terrify me like it normally did.
I focused on the sound of Owen's voice and the feel of his hand in mine as I faded back into nothingness.
X X X X
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
The incessant sound of medical equipment combined with the smell of antiseptic greeted me when I regained consciousness. I opened my eyes, blinking a few times to clear my vision, and found I was in a sterile, white hospital room at the emergency clinic. I had about six different wires and tubes attached to various parts of my body, my wrist was heavily bandaged, and the left side of my chest felt like I'd been run over by a Mack Truck.
I wiggled my fingers and toes experimentally and was relieved to find them in working order, if not somewhat painful. In my experience, pain anywhere was better than nothing. Some of the cuts and bruises on my arms looked slightly healed, and I wondered how long I'd been here. The dark room and moonlight filtering in through the window told me it was nighttime. There were a couple of vases with slightly wilted flowers sitting on the table next to the bed on my right. I could just make out Claire's impeccable handwriting on one of the cards. I would bet my salary the oversized teddy bear sitting in the corner was Lowery's doing, and the basket containing an assortment of candy was from Barry.
Licking my lips, I turned my head to the left and stilled. Owen's massive frame was crumpled into a tiny hospital chair with his legs propped up on the end of my bed. His clothes looked rumpled, like he'd slept in them for days, his hair was a wild mess shooting out in all directions as if he'd been running his hands through it, and there was at least a few days' worth of stubble on his handsome face. The deep lines on his forehead betrayed his restful state. Only Owen could worry in his sleep.
"Owen," I tried to say, but my voice cracked with disuse. I sounded like a dying frog and tried to swallow, but my mouth was dry as a bone. Owen reacted as though I had shouted through a bullhorn, flying out of the seat and reaching me so quickly I had a hard time tracking his movements. Either he'd acquired superhuman speed while I'd been taking an extended siesta or I was on some serious drugs.
He stood next to my hospital bed staring down at me like he was afraid I'd disappear. I tried smiling, but I felt my lips crack they were so dry. Owen immediately moved to the end of the bed filling a small cup with water. He placed a straw in the cup bringing it to my lips so I could drink. It was the best thing I had ever tasted, and I drank like a dying man in a desert, greedily sucking down the ice-cold beverage.
"Easy. Go slow," Owen told me pulling the straw back, smiling slightly. I nodded at him as he took the cup away, placing it back on the tray.
"You look like shit," I told him weakly, taking in his disheveled appearance. Owen's booming laugh filled the hospital room and my heart.
"Yeah, well, you aren't looking too hot yourself hero," he responded smiling bright. I returned his smile, reaching up to grab his shirt. I needed physical contact with him, and he seemed to need it too.
He leaned forward kissing me softly, "You scared me to death."
I tried to pull him closer, attempting to sit up, and felt a stabbing pain radiate throughout my left side. Gasping in agony I fell back against the bed closing my eyes against the ache in my chest. Well, that was certainly a mood killer.
"I'm going to get the doctor," Owen said urgently.
"Wait," I panted, breathing through the pain. "Please, wait just one minute."
"Jo, you need to see the doctor."
"I know…I just…I need to know what happened first and I don't want to hear it from a stranger."
Owen froze beside me his eyebrows scrunching in thought, "You don't remember?"
I looked up at him trying to think about the last thing I remembered.
"I was at the I-Rex paddock," I told him, my voice shaking slightly. He nodded in agreement his eyes urging me to continue. "I was watching…taking notes again, I think."
"Do you remember anything else?"
The tone of his voice told me I was missing quite a lot, but the harder I thought about it the further away the memories felt. I couldn't actually remember being at the I-Rex paddock that day, but since I was either there or at Owen's these days it seemed like the logical conclusion.
"No. I…I can't remember," I confessed. The frustration of not knowing what happened made my eyes fill with unshed tears.
"Shhh, hey, it's OK," Owen said soothingly, sitting down on the edge of the bed.
I swiped the tears away with my uninjured arm closing my eyes, "How long have I been here?"
"Five days."
My eyes flew open finding Owen's. Five days! I'd been unconscious in the hospital for five days. What the hell happened to me? I was on the verge of losing my shit. Someone needed to start talking. The machines in the room starting beeping faster and faster as my heart rate accelerated.
"Jo, you have to calm down. I'll tell you everything, but I need you to keep it together," Owen told me smoothing the hair out of my face.
My eyes locked onto his and I swear I was holding his hand hard enough to break bones. I felt myself breathing in and out in time with Owen as he steadily whispered to me. When I finally calmed down enough Owen proceeded with the whole story.
"Five days ago you were at the I-Rex paddock like normal. You were getting ready to leave for the day when one of the paddock workers was attacked and injured by the I-Rex. He was hurt pretty bad, but you saved his life by clamping the artery in his arm stopping the blood loss," Owen told me calmly searching my face for any recollection.
I delved into my mind for any memory of the actions he had just described and came up empty. I remembered none of what he said, and it was seriously freaking me out. The I-Rex had hurt someone? I was there when it happened? Is that how I ended up in the hospital? What happened to me?
"But…what…how did I end up here?" I stuttered, my panic level rising. I had so many questions I didn't know where to start.
Owen's gaze softened and he scooted closer to me on the bed, "Baby, it's going to be OK. Do you trust me?"
I swallowed the lump in my throat nodding. Owen brought my hand to his lips kissing my knuckles. It felt like he was apologizing for what he was about to tell me.
"After you got Enrique to the clinic Claire called you to her office. She wanted to get the full story so she could brief Mr. Masrani. She had Dr. Wu in her office when you arrived," Owen said the last part quietly, watching me for any reaction. "She said the two of you had a disagreement, but she didn't know exactly what it was about. You left right after that and on your way home someone hit your car knocking you off the side of a cliff."
When Owen finished I just stared at him as he looked at me expectantly. It was like he thought he could will me to remember something, but there was nothing there.
"Do you remember arguing with Dr. Wu?" Owen asked softly.
I dropped my eyes from him, fixing them on our joined hands, "No."
Dr. Wu and my disdain for each other was legendary so the possibilities were endless for why we could have been arguing. Obviously it had something to do with the I-Rex, but the details eluded me. Dr. Wu pushed my buttons like no other. His smug, reckless disregard for ethical behavior made me want to knock out his front teeth on the regular. I didn't judge people based on race, religion, ability or gender. I based it on whether or not they're an asshole, and Dr. Wu was a First Class Asshole.
"My accident wasn't really an accident, was it?" I asked not making eye contact.
"No, probably not," Owen responded grinding his teeth. I could tell the idea of someone launching me off a cliff made him homicidal. Well, he could get in line on that one. The big question was who wanted me dead the most?
"Any ideas?" I had a few, thousand.
Owen laughed, "Oh, we've batted around some definite possibilities. The problem is the list is a little too long to be of any use. As it turns out you have a tendency to rub people the wrong way."
I gave him my best 'I'm not impressed' face, but truth was he was right. I have a hard time being nice to people I'd rather throw a brick at instead. I tried to be good, but as it turns out I get bored pretty easily. Whatever, I refused to water myself down just because other people couldn't handle my awesomeness at 100%.
"Anyways," I said dryly. Figuring out the who or why behind this whole tragedy could come later. "What's the damage?" I asked him gesturing to my body.
Owen stiffened, instantly sobering. I could tell I wasn't going to like what he told me next.
"You have a Grade 2 concussion, broken wrist, some bruised ribs, sprained knee, and more bruises and cuts than I can remember," he said drawing in a deep breath, "The worst of your injuries was your spleen. It was ruptured and you needed emergency surgery. They were able to repair it, but it was touch and go for a while. You needed a blood transfusion and they thought it was best to keep you in a medically induced coma for a few days to let some of the swelling in your brain subside."
Yeah, that sounded like a pretty shitty day.
"So, not too bad all things considered," I said trying to lighten the mood. It didn't work.
"No, it's very bad. When I found the Jeep at the bottom of that cliff you weren't breathing. I had to do CPR on you for three minutes before you started again. Three minutes! Do you have any idea what it's like to think the woman you love is dead and there might be nothing you can do about it?!"
By the time he was done his breathing was coming in shallow pants and he looked like he was reliving a nightmare. I didn't know what to say. I knew what it was like to watch people die, but I'd never been in love with anyone before so I'd never experienced the kind of loss Owen was referencing.
Slowly, I pulled Owen towards me until our foreheads were resting against each other. I closed my eyes breathing in his unique, masculine scent. His hands came up to cradle my face as he tipped my head back slightly pressing his lips firmly against mine. The kiss started out slow, almost timid, as if we were both asking for permission from the other. His tongue slid along my lower lip and I couldn't stop a moan from slipping out. This spurred Owen to action as the kiss took on a fierce kind of possession as he nipped at my lips. My hand slipped behind his neck as I pulled him closer to me since I was unable to move. I'm wasn't sure why I was spared death at the bottom of that cliff, but I wasn't going to take anything for granted, especially when it came to our relationship. Owen was practically on top of me when I heard a not so subtle throat clearing from the door.
"Guess this explains why your heart rate and blood pressure are through the roof."
Owen and I stilled, looking at each other trying not to laugh. It seemed not even life threatening injuries could keep us from mauling each other like teenagers. He lightly kissed my forehead before standing up and turning towards the doctor with as much dignity as he could muster. Since I was currently sporting a backless hospital gown I figured I didn't need to worry too much about dignity.
The doctor was a tall, thin man with broad shoulders and a pronounced forehead. A long white coat covered his green scrubs, and a stethoscope hung haphazardly around his neck. The skin under his eyes looked almost purple with sleep deprivation. This guy was in needed of a nap and Starbucks; I wasn't sure in what order.
"Sorry, pain medication lowers my inhibitions," I told the doctor. Well, that and Owen was too good looking to leave unmolested. Owen choked on a laugh beside me as the doctor just shook his head coming to stand on the other side of the bed.
"I'm Dr. Kondrat, the attending surgeon here, can you tell me how you feel? Besides horny." he asked using the stethoscope to listen to my heart while looking at each of the monitors I was currently hooked up to.
I ignored the last part of his statement. No good would come from going down that road.
"Um, pretty good considering. My pain is manageable right now."
"She can't remember anything leading up to the accident," Owen supplemented for the doctor.
I cut my eyes towards him, but he looked completely unfazed by my death glare. Traitor.
"Temporary amnesia isn't uncommon with the type of head injury you sustained," Dr. Kondrat said finishing up my cursory examination, "It's possible, with time, you will be able to remember what happened."
"Possible?" I asked skeptically.
Dr. Kondrat took a deep breath before continuing. "Your body underwent an incredible trauma. You were found not breathing and unresponsive at the scene, and coded twice on the table during the surgery to repair your spleen. That is not something to be taken lightly Ms. King. You are very lucky to be alive, and there is a real possibility you won't ever remember the events leading up to the accident."
Wow, don't hold back on my account doc.
"So, I technically died three times?" That was a lot to take in. Owen's hand found mine and he gave me a reassuring squeeze. I licked my lips trying and failing to process the fact I had been dead a couple of times over the last few days.
"Yes, but despite that I expect you to make a full recovery. It will take some time for all your injuries to heal completely, but once they do you should be as good as new," he said filling out the chart on the end of the bed.
Unfortunately for me my time with Dr. Kondrat was just beginning. He called a nurse into the room and between the two of them I was poked, prodded and stabbed so many times I was starting to go a little psycho. When Dr. Kondrat shoved a pen light into my eyes I had to fight back a wave of nausea that rose to the surface. It felt like someone had shoved a red-hot poker into my head and stirred my brain around a few times. When I attempted to strangle him with his stethoscope in retaliation Owen stepped in to restrain me.
Phase two of this torture parade was Dr. Kondrat calling out a series of rapid-fire questions in an attempt to ascertain the extent of my amnesia. I felt like I was on an episode of 'Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader'. I hated to break it to the good doctor, but I didn't know what the square root of 121 was before I fell off a cliff and died three times. Inability to do math aside, I could remember everything from what year it was, to what I had been doing in the days leading up to the accident, but as soon as his questions zeroed in on the day of the accident it was like my mind hit a brick wall. It wasn't that I couldn't remember what happened. It was like there was nothing there to remember.
"Ok, I think that's enough for now," Dr. Kondrat remarked after another failed attempt to jog my memory, "As I said, your memory could return with time or you may never be able to recall that day in any detail. Don't push yourself."
This guy really knew nothing about me if he thought that advice was going to fly. Since I was exhausted, in pain, and really didn't want to talk to him anymore, I stayed quite. Sometimes silence is better than bullshit.
"When can I get out of here?" I asked him closing my eyes. I knew myself, and now that I was awake I had two days tops before I went batshit crazy from being here.
"Let's just see how you do before we talk about discharge. I still need to run some tests and make sure they all come back clean."
"So…one, maybe two days?" I heard Owen sigh beside me. Probably he wished I were still unconscious right about now.
"Simon was right, you really should come with a warning label," Dr. Kondrat remarked walking towards the door, "I'll see you in the morning. Try to get some rest."
He left without another word, my mouth hanging open in shock at his statement as Owen chuckled beside me. Sure, Simon had a pretty solid foundation for his opinion, but still, what a little shit.
"Do you think I'm a pain in the ass?" I asked Owen, silently daring him to answer with my eyes.
"No, I think you're crazy, not a pain in the ass," he replied giving me his 100-watt smile.
"I'm not crazy. I'm a limited edition," I huffed at him.
Owen leaned forward kissing me softly before sitting back down in his chair, "Yes you are Josephine and that's why I love you. Now get some sleep. We'll figure out the jail break tomorrow."
My eyes closed as the pain medication took hold, and I slipped back into oblivion, Owen's hand firmly in mine.
Rachel: Thanks so much for the review and for reading. I'm glad you like the story (and the intensity:) Hope you liked this chapter!
sarahmichellegellarfan1: Awesome! Glad you liked it...there was a lot going on for sure. Thanks for reading :)
Desert Vulpes Zerda: You OK? :) Hopefully this chapter helped some. Thanks for reading!
jahoney: Thanks for the review and I will definitely take your advice into consideration as I continue. I'm glad the accident was somewhat unexpected. Hope you enjoyed the aftermath.
Timeladytennant: YYYYEEEESSS! LOL! Thanks for reading and reviewing...hope this was to your liking.
angleicedg: You are correct, that was no accident. Now we get to see the gang in the aftermath and recovery. Don't worry...all will work itself out in the end. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing!
Mystery Guest: Hope your still reading and like the update. Thanks for the review!
19irene96: Hopefully this was soon enough for you and you like how it all went down. Thanks for reading!
BlueEyedPisces: I'm with you...Dr. Wu sucks! I'm sure he'll get his in the end. If not, I'll just make sure it happens here :)
MsRose91: I hope you meant "bad way to leave a chapter" in a good way:) Thanks for reading/reviewing, and hopefully you enjoyed this chapter.
twifan1987: I know, right! It was a lot to write too. Hope you are enjoying how it is all playing out.
god of all: Thanks! Hope you are still reading and like the chapter!