Sometimes all you need is the feeling of loss to realize your real feelings. So feel the loss and Realize your feelings."
*******
It must have been about 9 in the evening. Walking through the whitewashed corridors Riley notices some of the nurses in hurry to tend to their patients. She turned around a corner and nearly was going to collide into the wheelchair of a kid. She apologized and noticed the kid was deathly pale and bald. Despite being in a wheelchair, he gave her a sweet smile and muttered It is okay before moving on. The person behind the kid nodded at her and advised them to be careful, she must be his mother. Another sign with room numbers mentioned turning right into a white-tiled corridor. Stopping midway she realized she had walked away from the main room. She turns around and walks backward.
An unhappy Riley stops in front of room 111 and glances carefully through the glass door, then steps inside silently, giving a curt smile to the nurse who was busy tending to Christian's wounds and had turned around maybe because of the door opening sound.
"Who are you, Miss?" The nurse questioned, careful to keep her tone minimal.
"I am the patient's wife." She answers and heads straight to the bed. The blue light streams on his face brightening up his injuries. Her breathing ceases a minute or two. The sadness kicked in and she found Her fingers stroking Christian's cut just about the brows. It seemed the person who would have hit him must have been wearing a ring or something sharp, otherwise, it wouldn't have turned into a cut like that. The sound of groaning breaks her heart even more. The nurse glances at her and says.
"Be careful, The wounds are still fresh."
Riley nods at her and retracted her palm back.
His cheeks were swollen and bruised, while he appeared deathly pale.
Looking at Riley with sympathy, Nurse in her white uniform sighs, her black eyes filled with pity. "Oh. Don't worry he is fine, except for some of the bruises."
"May I know what exactly happened?"
The Nurse's fingers pause on the injection she was injecting in the infusion bottle for a second and she answers injecting the medicine in. Her black eyes move towards Riley.
"Someone dropped him in our Hospital's parking area, we have no idea what happened to him."
Riley's face stiffen,
"Then How did you find my information to reach me?"
The Nurse's work was done so she turned towards her properly.
"He was carrying a slip with your phone number in his pocket."
Her face stiffened even more. He was carrying a slip with her phone number around.
"What happened to his phone?"
"He had nothing. It seemed more like someone robbed him."
The feeling of unease settled in her more. As she felt clogged in her chest. The explanation didn't feel right. No robber will leave him at the doorstep of the hospital. There seems something more to the situation she could think of, but for now, she needed to stay with him.
The Nurse packs her things in a box and says
"Let me know when he wakes up, I will ask the doctor to check his condition once again."
"Okay. Thank you."
"You are welcome. Take care of him."
"Will do. Thanks."
Smiling at her, The Nurse left. While Riley dragged the stool near his bed and sat down. Gazing at him quietly, she thought to herself who would do this to him. He wasn't even rich, nor did he have any family then who could harm him? Maybe I am thinking too much, maybe he was robbed and they left him here because they didn't want to kill him?'
She watches him sleeping uncomfortably in the bed silently.
Her gaze traveled from top to bottom and it stopped. Her brow clouds as she realizes he isn't wearing what he was when he left home. Her eyes narrowed deep in thought. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt. But now he was in a formal outfit, white shirt black pants.
'Why did he change into formal?'
'Maybe to collect his salary.'
'But you never saw him owning formal wear.'
'Maybe he would have kept it in his locker at the club!'
'What if he is trying to hide something?'
'No. He can not hide anything anyway. He told me about himself so much today. Anyway, He is just a poor man, what can he possibly hide?'
'Other than that he had risked his life for me, I shouldn't just doubt him because of a single outfit.'
Questions rang in her mind and she found herself defending him even in her thoughts.
Silence surrounded the room, but her inner chaos didn't. The few hours before this happened were the best she had had with anyone in years, They were so happy this morning and now he was in the hospital again. After he left for his office. She prepared the remaining lunch. She waited for him for two hours, but he didn't return. She tried calling him, but he didn't pick up. At that time, Riley realized how little she knew about the man. She didn't even have his Club's number. Neither she was aware of anyone who would know where he could be. The bubble of worry had surrounded her, and as a result, she ended up skipping lunch. Finally, when she was ready to call her parents to ask for help, a call was made. She thought it would be Mendicate, but she thought it was all wrong. It was a call from the hospital with a description of how the patient looked. She was shocked to the core and silently prayed to God.
'Please, God! Keep his injuries minor.'
'Please. Please Please.'
Tears fell on her palms and she realized she didn't want to ever see him in pain. She remained stunned like a statue realizing she was crying for him. To keep her emotions in check she walked up to the window on the left side of Christian. Darkness was sharpening the curves of the frolicking moon up there and her glazed eyes finally turned dry. There was a little garden, but due to very little lightning, she couldn't make out anything except for a few swings and trees.
"Riley." A nasal sound from the behind brings her out of her reverie.
The cold air mixed with the pungent smell of hospital disinfectant hit Christian's nostrils. The room was silent except for a few hiccups that were not his. He saw a woman's back beside his bed. Seeing the familiar back he exhaled. And finally called her even though it hurt him to even say her name. The pain jolted through his stomach as well as his face but it was still far lesser than what he had experienced in the past. A panicked Riley came to his aid immediately, her eyes red and he recognized she might have cried.
"Hold on Honey. Tell me what you need?"
Out of impulse, he wanted to say water, but the pain in his jaw made him flinch. He was unable to say a word that he wanted to drink water. He laid there pathetically and finally pointed towards the glass of water on the brown table. She held him up to drink water but he was unable to close his mouth as a result some water drenched his shirt. After three sips, he shook his palm to signal her he didn't want to drink more. It was anyway embarrassing. Staring at her worried face that was illuminated with blue light he clenched his palm and pointed to her phone on the table.
Understanding the intentions Riley gave him her phone. He typed slowly.
"What am I doing here? What happened to me? Can you tell me? I am sorry honey, My Jaw seems to be dislocated and I am unable to say a word."
Looking at the words he typed, Riley was stunned. Her eyes widened and she took another look at him weirdly.
"You don't remember what happened to you?" She sounded cautious and appalled by the situation.
"No." He typed. The last he could remember was him talking to Stuart in the room of the club. He tried to think but failed.
'How did I get here, who took me here, what happened to me, how long I've been here.'
Noticing no response from Riley, Christian frowned and typed again.
He could guess she had no idea what happened to him probably. So he chose to understand how much she knew. "How long have I been here?" And showed her the phone.
"I have no idea what happened to you. An hour ago I was called and told by doctors to come to the hospital as soon as possible. I inquired what happened to your nurse and she said someone dropped you in their parking area and a man saw you and brought you inside. Other than that they have no idea what happened to you."
"Dropped in the parking area?" His head throbbed in pain as he tried to recall what happened later to their talk. But he was unable to remember anything.
"Oh. I don't remember anything Riley." He typed and showed her this time.
Their interaction was interrupted as a devilishly handsome man with black hair and mesmerizing black eyes entered the room with an assistant behind his back who was carrying a notepad and a pen.
Riley snapped out of her deep thoughts and told the doctor about what Christian just told her.
The Doctor came forward and did his check-ups and then took Riley out for a talk. Christian glanced around and took in the deserted white schemed hospital bedroom. He shut his eyes, trying to remember what happened. Except for the scene where He and Stuart were talking, nothing came to his mind.