Sorry this chapter is short but more to come!
Bo dozed off a few times on the flight. She was exhausted, but the moment they touched down, her adrenaline kicked in. It didn't take more than fifteen minutes to exit the plane, find a cab and drive down the street to the Hilton. It was early. The sun was creeping over the horizon and Bo had been going nonstop for an entire day and night.
The elevator ride felt eternal. Six floors felt like six hundred. When the doors opened, she walked quickly down the silent hallway and located room 615. She knocked softly at first but then just kept knocking louder until she heard movement in the room.
"Lauren? It's me." Bo whispered, realizing that everything echoed in this hallway.
The door swung open to reveal a very worn and tired looking Lauren Lewis. Quick to react, Bo stepped inside, tossed her bag on the floor and closed the door without ever removing her eyes from Lauren's.
She instantly threw her arms around Lauren and held her. Lauren began to crumble, her legs giving out on her and her sobs overtaking her spirit. With strong arms, Bo held her there, whispering calming words to the woman who long ago captured her heart. She felt the weight of Lauren's terror bearing down on her soul as Lauren tried to catch her breath in between cries. Bo gently moved her to the bed and sat her down, never releasing her grip.
"I have you baby. I'm here. You're okay. Shhhhhh, it's okay honey. It's okay. Let it out."
Bo repeated similar phrases over and over until her sobs subsided and her breathing evened out. She rubbed her back hoping to help sooth Lauren's already frazzled emotions. Bo realized that Lauren was dressed in wrinkled business clothes and wondered if she ever changed once she reached the hotel yesterday.
Not wanting to rush or pressure Lauren, Bo just sat there, supporting her physically, emotionally and mentally. Lauren's slumped seated position on the bed eventually brought her to lie down, and Bo kept her gentle touch and soothing words a constant until Lauren fell asleep. Bo closed her eyes and the overwhelming exhaustion of the past 24 hours finally caught up with her as well.
After several hours, Bo awoke to a sudden movement next to her. She blinked a few times to see Lauren sitting upright, looking around the room and gathering her surroundings. Bo placed her hand on Lauren's, bringing her focus back to her, and her alone.
"Hey beautiful," Bo said through a still very tired and groggy voice.
"Hi," Lauren replied, showing signs of a smile for the first time since Bo had arrived.
They were fully clothed, lying on top of the covers where they fell asleep hours earlier. Bo sat up, trying to determine how long she had been asleep. Her body felt like it needed much more rest, but the time on the clock indicated they had slept most of the day.
Bo had thought about what to say, wanting to say the right thing, but she needed a moment to recompose her thoughts. She stumbled out of bed, regained her balance and moved to use the bathroom. She splashed some cold water on her face while in there and quickly came back to Lauren's side, now curled up in the middle of the bed. Bo lied down next to Lauren, who was just staring at her.
"You're really here," she whispered.
With a sleepy smile, Bo replied, "Yes I am." She twirled her fingers with Lauren's, feeling each finger and knuckle and the smooth skin covering it all. She remembered the pleasure those fingers brought her oh so long ago and felt a sudden wave of desire sweep over here. She took a deep breath and returned her focus to the present.
Before Bo could even start to recite the speech she prepared, Lauren surprisingly opened up.
"It felt like my worst nightmare, Bo. Hearing a loud boom sound, wondering what happened, and then the pilot announcing that we would need to land in Salt Lake due to an unforeseen occurrence. The ride was still rather smooth after that, which surprised me. I guess I thought a mechanical issue would have us pummeling towards Earth. That made me think we were hijacked, and since I was half sedated, I guess I just froze. I thought I would surely pass out and die, so I immediately began to monitor my own symptoms. Feeling my heart rate increase, knowing my blood pressure was continuing to climb higher and higher…the fear, the fear and the memories were just…they were just so much…"
Bo swallowed hard, knowing this was just the surface. She squeezed Lauren's hand tighter, grounding her back to the moment. "You're here with me and you're safe. And I wish I could take away this entire experience for you. I'm so, so sorry you are going through this."
Lauren let out a sigh and rolled her watery eyes.
"I feel like an idiot Bo. I couldn't even get off the plane. You would think that I would have been the first one off, but I froze. I'm a freaking doctor, but I froze. Doctors are supposed to stay calm through emergencies and always do the right things. But I, damn it, I couldn't even speak! My mind kept going back in time and I thought about…"
Bo waited for her to finish that thought but it never happened. She knew it would take some time. The loss of her father so young was devastating to her, and having a fear that has festered this long was enough to send anyone to the brink. Bo was certainly not a doctor or a therapist or anyone trained to help Lauren clinically, but she was willing to help her in any way she possibly could.
Bo's stomach growled, breaking the silence. Always the doctor, Lauren immediately went into caregiver mode. "Have you eaten anything recently Bo?"
She thought back momentarily to her cheese sandwich and ice cream impromptu lunch yesterday. It had been almost 24 hours.
"Not recently unless an entire day counts as recent, but I'm thinking it's time to eat something."
Lauren glanced down at her clothes.
"Well, I'm in the same clothes I was wearing when I left Toronto. My luggage is probably sitting in LA waiting for me, so what I'm wearing are the only clothes I have with me. Care if we order room service?"
"Sounds perfect," Bo whispered. She tugged on Lauren's hand to keep her close. "But don't deflect, Lauren. I can't possibly know what you're feeling right now, but I'm here for you. I'm here to listen and help in any way I can."
Lauren smiled and nodded her head before moving to the desk to get the room service menu.