Eames crossed the intensive care corridor and headed for Goren's room, which a nurse had indicated to her.
Arriving at the door, she took a deep breath, entered with a heavy heart, and closed the door behind her.
She stopped dead in her tracks, leaning against the door with her back, in front of the vision of Goren lying in that hospital bed, where large numbers of wires were connected from his body to the monitor.
There was also the respirator, whose mask was positioned over his mouth, helping him to breathe...
As well as the feeding tube, which was at the level of his nasal passages, and fed him.
My God...
This vision was so hard.
It crushed his heart.
How could a man of Goren's fiery temperament...
could be lying there in that hospital bed, so motionless.
Eames didn't like this vision of Goren.
She hated it.
She would have given anything to have her annoying, know-it-all partner.
But not this inert, seriously ill man.
Eames felt so helpless in the face of Goren's condition.
There was nothing she could do to help him.
If she could, she would even have given him half an organ to save him.
But that was simply impossible.
And faced with this injustice, Eames was totally helpless.
My God...
Eames had to try to regain his composure, and above all, his courage.
Having made up his mind, and above all his courage, Eames moved away from the door and towards Goren.
But by his side, Eames could no longer contain her distress.
The distress she'd been holding in all night, and which now just had to surface.
And Eames knew she couldn't hold it back this time.
The tears rose to her cheeks, running down her cheeks, she fell to her knees, her legs no longer holding her, took his hand in hers, squeezed them tight, and burst into tears, screamed, letting out all her grief.
She lowered her face to Goren's hand, drew her lips to his long, slender fingers, stifling the cries of her despair.
- You can't leave me like this... The tears spilled down her cheeks, cascading, unstoppable. What am I going to do...
Eames was in so much pain.
She didn't know what to do.
Nor which God to beg to save Goren.
The doctor had told him it wouldn't be until tomorrow morning if he had any chance of survival.
And then...
If Goren didn't make it.
If his heart stopped beating and wouldn't start again...
What would become of her without him?
Goren was part of her life.
He was an important person to her.
Eames needed Goren by her side.
And to carry on.
She couldn't bear a second loss.
- Please Bobby... Her voice broke, and she burst into tears again. Don't leave me...
For three-quarters of the night, Eames cried her eyes out, until, exhausted and weeping, she fell asleep, her face resting against Goren's hand, which she held preciously in her own.
- Madame...
A distant female voice was speaking.
Could it be she was being addressed.
Eames must still be in a dream.
Or worse, in her nightmare.
And so she had to imagine this voice, like everything else that had happened during the night.
Eames would wake up, and she'd see Goren on his two legs, in excellent health, and he'd be this know-it-all, talking to her about all sorts of theories.
And nothing she'd ever experienced would be real.
At least, that's what Eames hoped from the bottom of her heart.
- You've got to wake up.
Wake up.
Good God...
That insistent voice.
So it was her we were talking to.
But what did this woman want.
If Eames wanted to know, she'd have to force herself to get up.
So grudgingly, and grumbling, Eames opened her eyes.
But she stopped grumbling when her eyes met Goren in his hospital bed, and that gloomy room.
Her heart stopped and her blood ran cold.
My God…
So it wasn't just a nightmare.
It was reality.
- Are you all right...
At the whiteness that had just painted itself on Eames' face, the woman became concerned.
Eames turned his face towards the woman in question who was speaking to him.
The woman was wearing a white coat.
She was a nurse.
She had long copper curls, big emerald eyes, was of medium height and build, and was pricking Goren's IV line with a syringe.
The nurse raised her face to her and gave her a gentle smile.
At the nurse's smile, Eames felt a little hope come over her.
- Goren... He...
- Yes... He spent the night.
The nurse was touched by Eames.
She'd seen this little blonde woman stay by this man's bedside all night, never letting go, never leaving his side.
She must have really cared for him.
Goren had spent the night...
That meant...
Her words looped around in Eames's head, until they really sunk in.
Name of God...
Eames felt an immense relief.
She felt her legs failing her, but fortunately she was on her knees, which were already on the floor, otherwise she would have collapsed.
It was wonderful.
If Goren had made it through the night, that meant he was in no danger of dying.
- He's been saved... The nurse's smile diminished. But he's still in a coma.
At the nurse's words, Eames looked at her, feeling his hope wane.
Still in a coma...
So that meant...
That there was still a long way to go.
And above all, there was no proof that Goren would ever wake up.
Oh no.
It couldn't be possible.
Anything but this.
Why was the nurse telling him good news, only to give him bad news later.
- But he's off the hook.
Out of the woods...
Yes and no.
Eames knew that sometimes people never came out of comas.
Or that it could take years for them to come out.
And if that was the case with Goren...
What could she do?
Eames felt powerless again.
Had she known...
She would never have proposed this meal for four.
Especially since it was she who had insisted, and had succeeded in making him give in.
He hated this kind of evening.
If Eames hadn't been so insistent...
Goren wouldn't have come, and he wouldn't be in that cursed hospital bed.
It was all his fault.
And no one could tell him otherwise.
Why had Goren had to give in to his whim.
Because it was a whim she'd had.
But on the other hand, Eames had wanted to get to know her boyfriend, and for Goren to see her boyfriend, to tell him what he thought.
And what a serious mistake she'd made.
A mistake that had led to a violent argument between them and a serious road accident.
If only Eames could go back.
And erase it all.
But that was impossible.
You can never go back.
- If there's anything you need...
Eames shook her head in denial, watched the nurse put the syringe away, and walked to the door, put her hand on the handle, but stopped, and turned to Eames.
- I'm Betty... Don't hesitate to call me.
Please call me.
Good God.
This nurse, this Betty, was really very nice.
Eames really liked the way she was.
To offer to help...
And not to insist.
- Thank you very much.
Betty nodded, opened the door and left the room, closing it behind her, leaving Eames with Goren.
Eames took Goren's hand in his, intertwining his fingers with hers.
- Do me a favor Goren... I want the mister I know everything.
She felt her heart break, tears welled up in her eyes, she clasped his hand in hers with all her might, and burst into tears.