''It can't be… You can't be…''
Holly's machines started to beep and nurses came with doctor to the room.
''What happened?''
''She wanted some water and then she got upset over something….''
''Please leave the room… Let us do our job here…''
Gail left the room and was greeted by the women from the waiting room. She forgot about them.
''How is she? What happened?''
''She is... I don't know…''
Doctor came out of the room and came to Gail.
''She is stabile now. You may go to her.''
Gail went back to the room and noticed that Holly was still awake…
''You are here?''
''Yes, I am…''
''I thought I was dead or dreaming when I smelled your perfume…''
''No, it's me… You are awake and alive Holly…''
''Why are you here?''
''Nurse called me… You haven't changed your emergency contact…''
''Oh…''
There was some awkward silence.
''How long have you been here?''
''Few hours. I caught flight from Toronto and came here…''
''I'm pretty messed up? Am I?''
''You are…''
''I feel weird… Did they give me meds?''
''Yes…''
''Gail…''
''Yes?''
''Go home… I'll be fine… You need some rest…''
''I'll stay here… Sleep…''
Holly fell asleep and Gail took a nap in the chair. The girl entered the room and Gail woke up.
''I came to see her… She looks so peaceful.''
''She is drugged…''t
She picked up Holly's chart and went through it.
''Are you a doctor?''
''Not yet… I'm working on it. I was her student and then we started seeing each other…''
''Oh…''
''Yeh… She is something special. She has magic smile… When she smiles, everything gets better. I had semester with her in pathology and she was very nice to me. I had a lot of issues to spend time in the morgue. I was afraid of the dead bodies and she was very patient and helped me with it. I did my first autopsy three weeks after I started coming to the morgue and spending time with her. I was always afraid of that place because it's silent and creepy…''
Gail huffed…
''I always loved that silence… It's peaceful and quiet… There is not a lot of people and it gives you some piece and time to reflect.''
''Are you a doctor too?''
''No, I am a police officer…''
''How do you know Holly?''
''That is the story she has to tell, not me…''
''Oh…''
''You should have some rest. Go home…''
''I can't… I don't know if she is fine..''
''She will be… Go home and sleep. The worst is behind her now. She woke up and she was conscious. She knows who she is and where she is. Rest…''
Gail was very persuasive when it came to people. Girl picked up her things and went home with her mother. Gail's phone kept ringing and she was rejecting Steve's and Tracy's calls. She sent them messages saying she is fine and she will call when she could. They gave up after some time. She spent most of the night awake just looking at her. She was still beautiful. Her hair was in a cap so she was not sure if her hair was still long and beautiful as she loved it. She remembered how she could play with her hair for hours and that would always calm Holly and she would fall asleep. She remembered how happy she was when Holly was holding her and how much fun they had doing their thing on the weekends. She used to love their hikes and staying in that small cabin in the mountains. She remembered how Holly loved to ski with the boys on those dangerous slopes and how happy she was when Holly came back in one piece. She was sucker for danger and adrenaline, but Gail learned to live with it. She was so in love with her that she would take anything Holly offered. But she had the other side, side only known to Gail. She was very cuddly person and she couldn't stand not to be close and entangled with her whenever they had some time together. They slept so close that she believed edge of the knife would be wide for them. She loved do be big spoon and she loved to make love to Gail all the time. Some of their friends believed they were teenagers in grown ups' body. Gail missed her in so many ways. She missed her friend, her voice of reason, her confidante and also her lover. She missed having her close and being with her all the time. She missed the feeling of not waking up alone. Gail pushed the chair closer to Holly. She held her hand and fell asleep like that. She woke up around five when she heard Holly mumble something…
''…your hands are still so soft…''
''Holly?''
She opened her eyes and smiled.
''Hey…''
Gail smiled at her… That was the way she greeted Holly at the very beginning of their relationship when things were still confusing and not very clear between them.
''Hey, Holls…''
''I'm in so much pain and very hungry…''
''I'll see what I can do about it…''
Gail left the room and went to find a nurse. She was told that Holly could eat solid food but at this time of day it wouldn't be possible to find food out of the hospital. Gail went to cafeteria and got sandwich for Holly and some jello. She remembered Holly loved lemon jello and chicken salada sandwitch. She got back to the room and put the food on the table…
''Let's feed you Dr. Stewart…''
''Thanks... Officer Peck…''
''It's actually Chief superintendent now…''
''Wow! That was enormous leep…''
''Yes… A lot can happen in almost ten years Holly….''
There was awkward silence… Gail was helping her with the pillows and she leaned over Holly to adjust them. At that moment, Holly noticed her wedding ring around Gail's neck and Gail's ring on her finger. She touched her ring and Gail froze…
''You have it… I spent a lot of time searching for it in my bags and boxes…''
''You left it on the table… And I couldn't put it on my finger… I just…''
''You never took yours off?''
''No, it never left my finger since the moment you put it on it…''
''Why?''
''Because contrary to the popular belief, Gail Peck is not a cheater and she respects commitments she makes. I made my to you and I promised you to be your wife till the day I die and I'm keeping my promise… You broke yours… Nine years Holly…. Nine years….''
''I came back…''
''What?''
''I came back… You were at the Penny with some redhead…It looked like you had fun…''
''I never dated anyone… I was tricked into some blind dates, but I made it clear I was taken. I never hid the fact I was married and that I have every intention to honor my commitment. I am not a cheater… but I see you have a girlfriend, or should I say fiancée…''
''I… You met Irene…''
''I did… She is cute little girl Holly…''
''Gail… It's not like that…''
''What? You felt lonely? You wanted to have fun and she thought it would be an epic love story?''
Gail snorted at her…
''How stupid of her to believe you… But why do I complain? I was stupid too… I believed your lies, I believed you would never leave me, I believed we were forever, that you were different…THAT YOU LOVED ME….''
''I did… I think I still…''
''Oh, no… Don't you dare go there Holly… You don't go there….''
''How typical… Gail doesn't want to listen to someone stating their opinion…''
''No, it's not like that… Gail doesn't want to listen to bullshit my beloved Holly… Gail is sick of bullshit…''
Gail finished adjusting the pillows and she brought food to Holly. For some time they sat in silence. Around noon Irene came and Gail excused herself from the room.
''I believe you and girlfriend need some privacy Holly.''
''Gail…''
''See you later…''
During the time Irene was with Holly, Gail was being practical. She asked around about Holly's job, apartment and her health care coverage. It turned out that she would lose her job because she can't teach because of her injuries. She worked in the morgue of the teaching hospital and she had to work to earn her benefits and health care. With losing her job, she would lose place to live since she lived in university complex. The clerk told her that Holly's medical bills could go up to few thousand dollars. Good for Holly she was still covered with Gail's health plan and that she could get all the care she needs from it. There were perks of being married to very high ranked Peck. She gathered all the necessary forms and things legal services needed to take charge of her bills and all the things included. Gail Peck (Mrs. Stewart), was not an easy person to mess with. She was pit-bull when it came to her friends and family. She managed to get Holly all she needed. She was very capable person and she had no mercy. When she came back to the hospital, doctor was explaining Holly and her girlfriend the problem with money and her treatment.
''I'm sorry Dr. Stewart… It's not up to me…''
''I understand…''
''If this doesn't resolve, you will have to leave the hospital in day or two…''
Irene kissed Holly and promised she will do everything she can in these two days to keep her in the hospital and she told her she could come and live with her. Gail was pissed. That was HER wife and if anyone gets to take her home and take care of her, that would be her…not some two year old bitch…wife stealer. Gail got in so they could see her…
''It is resolved. Her treatment and all is being covered for the time she needs to be in the hospital.''
Irene was stunned… She had no idea how Gail managed it…
''Ms. Stewart… This is…hmm…''
''There is all the paperwork you need to keep her in the hospital until the day she is to be let out of the hospital.''
''How did you managed it? I tried all I could…''
''Well, you missed one important piece of paper…''
Irene looked surprised. Her mother had no idea what Gail talked about…
''I don't get it… We gathered all we had…all we were told to…''
Holly looked at the floor…She was embarrassed for this situation…
''Gail, let it go… Please…''
''Why? This is more fun...''
She turned to the girl…
''Can't you guess Irene?''
''No, I have no idea…I tried to get all that their legal service told me to…''
''And all your papers were beaten by just one of mine…''
''What is that…''
Gail smiled….
''Two words…. Marriage certificate…''
Irene jumped from the bed where she sat with Holly.
''What? Is that true Holly?''
Before she could answer, Gail did it for her.
''You see… Yours truly and I got married about some twelve years ago… She charmed me into dating her, making me believe she is better that all the people I dated and she promised not to hurt or leave me ever… See how that turned out… Someone dangled with a job offer in front of her, and it was more important than me and us… So, from personal experience, forget about marriage with her… You see what it did to me…Don't expect to be different… It's a nice lie to believe in…''
''Gail, please…''
''Please what Holly? What part of what I said was not true? Did you or did you not make me fall crazy in love with you? Did you or did you not got me to marry you on my birthday that is by the way today, so happy anniversary my beloved wife…''
''You twisted it all… You got it all wrong…. I regretted leaving but you never tried to reach me… How could I know that I was any different than Chris, Nick or any other person you dated? And when I did come back, I saw you with someone else…''
''What? You saw me sitting at the table with someone and you decided I was over you and cheating? Good job wifey… Nice of you to trust me that much… I married you Holly… I told you things I never mentioned to anyone before.. I loved you to death… I never let any of our friends say a bad word about you. I kept memories of our marriage alive. All of your things are still at the same place. I kept your last name on my legal documents and I never thought about dating anyone else…and the worst thing is that I would stay married to you until the day I die, because Gail Peck is a good man in the storm. She stands her ground and honors her promises. On the day I married you I said forever… You broke it… You broke me…''
And with that Gail left her room and went to the cafeteria. She took some herbal tea and went to the roof of the hospital. She started crying and she couldn't stop. Her phone was ringing and she answered.
'' Chief superintendent Peck…''
''Gail… ''
''Holly…''
''Come back…''
''I…''
''Please…''
Gail wiped her tears away and went down to Holly's room. Holly pointed to the side of her bed and Gail sat there. Holly smiled at her and touched her face. She kissed her forehead and lips.
''I missed you so much my love…''