“Preston, can you hear me?” The familiar voice was back.
Yes.
I want to scream from the rooftops. I am here. I can hear you; I can hear her. I just need my damn body to catch up and let me open my fucking eyes.
I was shouting at my body to let me do this, let me open my eyes just so I could see her. I needed to see her.
“There! Did you see that?” Her voice was warm.
“No, I didn’t. What was it?” The doctor asked.
“His eyes fluttered.”
I heard the doctor’s footsteps crawl closer to me, a hand wrapping in mine.
“Preston, can you try and open your eyes?”
I am trying, dickhead.
“I saw it, well done Preston. Give it five and try again.”
I did. I gave it five.
And then it happened, I finally saw something other than the blackness of the insides of my eyelids. The slither of bright light slipping through, yet it wasn’t enough. I needed more. I needed to see my Sunshine.
Inhaling deeply, I opened them a little wider this time. My eyes landing on hers, our gazes locking. I felt my heart swell, the rush of love that swarmed me.
“Sunshine,” I crooned, my voice raspy and hoarse.
“Preston,” she sobbed, and with help from the nurse she threw herself into me, her body laying over mine as her tears soaked into my chest.
“I’m right here, baby.”
Her head lifted slowly from my chest; my eyes softened as I looked over her beautiful face. My thumb pad gently traced over cuts and bruises, as if tracing a map. My heart ached, I hated that she got hurt.
“I, I…” she stammered over her words as her red rimmed eyes filled with tears once more.
“I know baby, I love you too.”
Once I had been given a drink, I was sitting up in bed while Skylar sat in the chair next to me. I had been asleep just over a week, the doctor explained that I took a blow to the head from the collision which caused a small bleed on the brain, but my adrenaline spiked and kept me going until I knew Skylar was with the doctors. Once my subconscious knew she was safe, my body gave in.
Her small hand was tucked inside mine and that’s where she stayed. She was doing well, her wounds were healing, the bruising would eventually fade. All being well, we could be discharged together in a few days. Skylar would leave in a wheelchair and in six to eight weeks she should be out of her cast. It took her a few days to come round to the idea, she was annoyed that she may be in a wheelchair for Harriet’s wedding, but as me and Harriet both said, her health is more important than sitting in a wheelchair for the day.
“Hi Skylar,” a young nurse walked in. “Let’s get you up and to the shower. See if we can get your hair washed. You’ll feel so much better,” she smiled at Skylar as she helped her up from the chair and sat her into her wheelchair.
“Don’t go anywhere,” she whispered as the nurse began to wheel her towards our bathroom.
“Wouldn’t dream of it, baby,” I crooned back at her. My throat was still sore, my voice a little hoarse from the tube that was put in when I was intubated.
Once I had spoken to the doctors, I had us moved to the private wing of the hospital and demanded that Skylar stay with me. I didn’t want her out of my sight, even her going to the shower with the nurse made me anxious.
Slowly reaching over for my phone from the side table, I glanced at the screen and saw two missed calls from Tabitha.
I wanted to see her, she was my next of kin. But I couldn’t have her here, not until I knew what was going on.
Eyeing the bathroom door, I smiled when I heard the shower turn on. Clicking Tab’s name, it literally rung once before she answered, her own voice hushed and filled with concern.
“Preston? Are you okay?” she asked.
“I’ve been better,” I smirk as I look at my bitten to shit nails. “This has got to be quick, Sky is in the shower. I know we haven’t spoken since the day of the crash, a lot of shit has happened as you probably guessed…” I trailed off.
“I know, I called the hospital for an update after our call ended and I wish I could be there for you both. When I heard the nurses rush over to you through the phone it took everything in me not to come to the hospital, but I had to respect your wishes. I will stay away. I don’t know who to trust or if anyone is following me…” I heard a door click, then her footsteps clicking along the tiled floor.
“I know you do, but you’ve got to keep safe, we all have.” I nibble the inside of my lip. “Tab, do you know whose car it was?”
The silence was deafening, her heels still clicking along the floor.
Another door clicked closed.
“Tabitha.”
“It’s George.”
The phone slips from my hand and hits the floor yet again.
