South Bay Hospital, Sunset Beach
The hospital was eerily quiet as the group bundled in and approached the reception desk. They looked a mess, but none more than Ben and Maria who were still in their wet clothes, battered and bruised from the sea.
Vanessa took charge, explaining to the receptionist who they were and which of them needed help.
Gesturing to Ben and Maria, she explained 'they've just had an ordeal in the sea, and she…'. She looked over at Maria who was refusing to make eye contact with anyone. Instead, she looked around the room as if she was scoping out the easiest escape route. 'She's a little disorientated'.
'That's an understatement' Sara chimed in, eyeing Maria with suspicion.
'Shut up Sara' Meg responded immediately.
Ben was grateful for Meg shutting her down. The strip lights in the reception flashing above him coupled with Sara's voice were making his head swim.
The receptionist, Stacey, asked for their names and Vanessa looked to Ben to take over, 'Maria Torres Evans' he said.
The receptionist tapped into her computer, 'no one on our system of that name, she'll have to fill in some paperwork', she said with disinterest.
'She should be in there', Ben said, getting irritated. 'Can you look again? Try it without the Evans'
'Sir, I've looked under both names, like I said she'll need to fill in some paperwork and we'll get her seen to'.
'Does she look like she's in any condition to fill in paperwork?' he said, slowly losing his temper.
'Ben', Meg said softly, trying to make sure Maria couldn't hear, 'you had her declared dead remember? She probably isn't on their system anymore'.
Stacey raised an eyebrow, suddenly interested. 'Let me look in the files for the deceased'.
Ben flinched as she tapped away again.
'Aha got her, we'll still need next of kin to verify, this is a little unprecedented, though nothing should surprise me anymore in this town'. She printed off Maria's record and pulled out some more paperwork.
'Next of kin?' she asked.
'That would be me' Ben replied.
'Relationship to the deceased?'
'She's clearly not deceased Ma'am', Vanessa said from behind Ben.
'Okaaay, relationship to the once-deseased, now not-deseased?'.
Ben couldn't help thinking Stacey was enjoying this but he didn't want to waste his energy. 'I was…I am her husband', he said quietly, for some reason he sensed it wasn't a good idea for Maria to hear him say it.
'Fine, fill this in and take a seat, and you need to see a doctor too right?' she asked.
'No I'm fine' he said bluntly.
'Ben…' Meg started to say. He was soaking, and had cuts and bruises on his body from pulling Maria out of the sea.
'I'll get seen once Maria is sorted' he interjected. Meg had learnt quickly that he wasn't going to listen to reason tonight.
Gabi, who was still stuck to Maria's side, took her over to the plastic seating and made her way to Ben, who was hastily filling in the paperwork.
'We should call her family, I can do it if you like?' she said quietly.
Ben rubbed his head. Selfish as it was, he hadn't even thought about her family yet, 'yeh that would be good, thanks'.
Sara, Casey, Michael and Vanessa went off to speak to the police and make a statement about Derek while the others waited with Maria.
After what felt like a lifetime of waiting and pacing the reception, a nurse appeared, 'Maria?'.
Everyone looked up at her apart from Maria who was resolutely staring at a poster on the wall about paternity testing at the hospital.
'That's you sweetie' Gabi said gently, breaking her out of her trance.
Maria stood up uncertainly.
'Do you want someone to come with you?' Gabi said.
'Actually', the nurse interjected, 'we've just spoken to the police, based on the circumstances, the doctor would like to see Maria alone first'. Ben could have sworn she looked at him when he said it. After all this time, did people really think he was a danger to her?
'You'll be fine' Gabi reassured her, and she followed the nurse down the corridor, arms wrapped around herself.
Meg had been quiet for some time but once Maria had left, she felt like she could breathe again. Ben, noticing the change in her suddenly realised how tired everyone must be.
'You should both go home and get some rest', he said.
'I'm staying with you' Meg replied quickly.
'And I have to be here for Ricardo', Gabi said. 'I didn't tell them what had happened, just that they need to come to the hospital'.
Just as she said it, Ricardo, Antonio and Carmen arrived, worry all over their faces.
Ricardo rushed to Gabi, 'Gabi, what's going on? Are you ok?'
'Everything's fine' she said, looking at Ben, 'maybe you should be the one to tell them?'
'You should sit down Carmen' he said, anticipating what might happen when he revealed she was right all along. Maria wasn't gone.
'Just tell us Evans, what's this about?' Ricardo said shortly.
Ben paused and took a breath. This is the news he had wanted to give to Maria's family for five years. Yet now the time was here, he couldn't find the words.
'It's Maria' he began. He saw their eyes go wide with hope and fear. 'We've found her…she's alive'.
The Torres' were silent until Carmen whispered 'que?'
'What?' Ricardo repeated after his mother.
'It's true', Gabi continued, holding onto Ricardo's arm. 'It's a long story but she's here, she's with the doctors'
'Es cierto?' Carmen stepped towards Ben and grabbed his face tightly with both hands, 'tell me it's true!'
'It's true Carmen, she's home', Ben answered, holding her arms.
At that, Carmen collapsed to the floor. Her sons rushed to hold her up as she wept.
'I need to see her for myself, we need to see her' Ricardo said urgently. Antonio meanwhile was silent.
'She's with the doctors' Gabi repeated.
'I need to see my sister Gabi!' he shouted.
'I understand', she said, taking him in her arms. 'But we need to wait, why don't you all sit down, I'll get everyone a drink'.
The group waited for another 20 minutes. Gabi did her best to explain the circumstances of Maria's return, but all of them were too overwhelmed to take it in.
Antonio sat in solemn silence, his hands clasped together in what could be assumed as prayer. Carmen left her drink untouched, too stunned to do anything. Ricardo paced the reception area, almost wearing a hole in the floor and accosting anyone that looked like staff for more information.
Meg meanwhile took some time out to call her parents and check on the rest of the group who had finished speaking to the police and had decided to go home to get some rest.
Eventually, a doctor appeared at reception, who seemed to want to talk to them.
'Are you Maria's family?' she said.
They all answered 'yes' in unison.
'I'm Doctor Estrada, I'm a specialist in dealing with patients with trauma'.
'How is she?' Antonio asked.
'We've given her something to help her sleep, she was exhausted and didn't say a whole lot. But she's been checked over and she's physically fine', Dr. Estrada explained.
Ben looked over at the clock on the wall, it was 2.45am. He hadn't realised how late it was.
'So we can't see her?' Ricardo said desperately.
'Not tonight, I'd recommend you go home and get some sleep, Maria will be out cold all night'
'Please Doctor, you don't understand that is mi hija, we haven't seen her in five years, we must see her to know it's her!'
Ricardo also began pleading with her.
Ben interjected, he would be doing exactly the same thing if he was in their shoes, 'look Doctor, can they at least see her face so they know it's her?'
Dr. Estrada paused for a second, and then took mercy on them. 'Ok…but just for a second, and you mustn't disturb her, ok?'
They all agreed willingly and followed her down the corridor.
Ben waited with Gabi and Meg in the waiting room. He suddenly realised how tired he was and put his head in his hands.
'You need sleep' Meg said, rubbing his back. 'You heard what Dr. Estrada said, Maria will be out all night'
'Yeh, ok. I'll just see if they need me to do anything else', he replied.
A few short minutes later, the Torres family reappeared clutching each other, joyful exhaustion all over their faces.
'It's her' Ricardo said to Gabi, tears brimming in his eyes. 'It's really her'. He pulled her in and they embraced tightly. After he let her go, she hugged Antonio too.
Carmen stepped to Ben and took his hands in her ring adorned ones. 'By the grace of God, she is home'. She touched his chest where his heart was, 'rest now, mijo'.
It had been a long time since Carmen had called Ben mijo - my son. For all her erratic behaviour, it couldn't be denied that Carmen could read people's emotions. Even someone as soldered shut as Ben. She wasn't telling him to sleep. She was giving him permission to let go of the torture he had put himself through for the past five years. It was what he needed to hear. For a second, he thought he might break down, but caught himself in time.
Carmen let him go and he turned to Meg, who was standing alone, unsure of her place in this celebration.
'I'm just going to find Dr. Estrada, and then we'll go', he said, rubbing her arm.
As he walked down the dark corridor, all the sounds he could hear were the distant beeps of hospital machines and his own footsteps. He found Dr. Estrada writing some notes in the semi-darkness outside a room he presumed was Maria's.
She looked up and smiled at him, 'I'm afraid I can't let you in', she whispered.
'No, of course, I was just checking if you needed anything else from me?'
'There's nothing else you can do tonight', she eyed the cuts on his head, 'though you should get those checked out'.
He'd completely forgotten about that.
Dr. Estrada closed her file, 'well good night, I assume I'll see you tomorrow'.
'Yes, good night Doctor', Ben watched her walk away and waited until he could no longer hear her footsteps. The corridor was deserted. There was no way he wasn't going to take the opportunity to see her face again.
With his hand on the door handle, he pushed it down gently so it didn't make a sound.
The bed was on the opposite side of the room, and in the little light there was, he could see her shape under the covers.
He walked up to her slowly, careful not to make a sound. She was lying on her side, facing him, the covers pulled up to her chin. A piece of hair had fallen over her face. He listened to her breathing for a few seconds. His hands shook as he gently moved the piece of hair away to reveal her peaceful face. He remembered how he used to love watching her sleep. Unable to help himself, his hand remained on her head, and he gently rubbed her temple with his thumb.
There was a slight noise outside and he turned his head quickly, but no one was there. Confident he was alone, he bent down and kissed her head once.
Reluctantly, he left the room. Out in the deserted corridor, he could still feel her skin on his lips and her hair on his fingertips. He clenched his fist, trying to keep it together. But it was no use. What he'd successfully hidden from Carmen couldn't be contained any more.
The tears came suddenly and he backed against a wall to steady himself as his body heaved with relief. Involuntarily, he slid onto the ground, placing his head on his knees as he cried silently.
Around a shadowed corner, Meg watched. She had seen him stroke her hair tenderly, she'd seen him kiss her. And now she watched as he cried. Interrupting him now would be intrusive, she thought. How could she possibly comfort him as he wept for Maria. The person she'd compared herself to for years. His first love. So she didn't, she turned away, pretending she hadn't seen a thing.
