Chapter 113
1050 Words
Dean, Jim and Chris were standing by the elevator when the women stepped off. Kat and Jenny were both supporting Emma, who seemed about ready to collapse. Dean jumped forward, took Emma in his arms.
“You OK?” he said.
She shook her head, pale and shaken. “Not yet. Where is she?”
“They’re stitching her up right now,” Chris said, keeping his voice low, trying to keep them calm. “The doctor said she’d be out in ten minutes with an update.”
The women nodded and looked around.
“Where’s Dallas?” Kat said.
The men looked troubled.
“In the waiting room,” Chris said. “He’s – he’s not doing so well.”
“He blames himself?” Jenny asked quietly.
“Yeah,” Chris said. “Come on, this way.”
They all stood in the hallway, staring into the waiting room at Dallas. He was slumped over in a chair, his elbows on his knees, his head in his hands. His huge body looked diminished, somehow, and he was the very picture of despair and helplessness.
Jenny would never know what made her do it; all she knew was that she couldn’t stand to see this good man so hurting and broken.
She walked over to Dallas, sat in the chair right next to his, and took his large hand in her small one.
The others exchanged stunned glances. Dallas stared up in shock, unable to believe that she was actually using touch to reach him, to comfort him.
“She’s going to be OK, Dallas,” Jenny said to him simply. “You both are.”
He blinked. And then, because it was Jenny telling him this – and she knew more about getting through and starting again than anyone he’d ever known – he believed her.
The doctor came into the room now, and Dallas jumped to his feet, still holding Jenny’s hand.
“How is she?” he asked.
Dr. Vickers looked around at the group. She was a shy, small woman, and she was suddenly surrounded by four extremely large men and three distraught-looking women. She cleared her throat.
“Some of the cuts on her face and torso were very deep,” she said. “Most of them required stitches. Even with plastic surgery, Ms. Jameson is going to be… permanently scarred, I’m afraid.”
The room was totally silent.
“Badly?” Emma said.
“I’m sorry, but yes. There’s one cut on her upper body that’s especially bad.” She hesitated. “It runs the whole length, from breastbone to stomach.”
Kat closed her eyes and swayed on her feet. Jim saw her, and reached out to catch her before she fell.
“Kat!” he said.
She held on to his upper arms, tried to catch her breath. Jim gently led her over to a chair and sat her down. He knelt in front of her and touched her leg.
“Kat?”
“Yeah. I’m OK.” Her eyes opened and Jim saw tears. “I just – it was a shock.”
“I know,” Dr. Vickers said. “I’m sorry.”
“Can we see her?” Emma asked.
“Actually, she’s asking for Dallas. Is that one of you?”
Dallas nodded. “That’s me.”
“OK, you can see her now, then I want to move her to a private room upstairs. Once she’s up there, the rest of you can see her. No more than two visitors at a time, though. Alright?”
“Thank you,” Dean said.
Jenny gave his hand one final squeeze, then Dallas followed the doctor out into the hallway. She led him to a closed door and stopped.
“In here.” She tried to smile at him, to set him a bit at ease. “Ms. Jameson is awake but she’s heavily sedated, so she may not make a lot of sense right now… she may well pass out in a few moments.”
He nodded his thanks, and went in. He froze when he saw Olivia lying on the bed, pale and small, her beautiful face bandaged on the left side. He came closer, and she turned her head, opened those amazing eyes.
“Dallas,” she said weakly.
“Baby.” His voice broke as he sat on the very edge of the bed and he took her hand. He found he couldn’t actually say one more word.
“Will you leave me?”
His brow furrowed. “No, baby. I’m staying right here.”
“I mean… will you leave me.” Her words were slow and slurred. “Now that I’m ugly.”
“Oh, my God, Olivia.” He knew what she was talking about now. “No way, sweetheart. You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve seen in the whole of my life.”
She touched the bandage on her face; touched her bandaged chest. “Not anymore.”
“Yes. Still.” His voice was firm. “Always and forever.”
Her eyes filled with tears. “Really?”
“Really.” He leaned down and kissed her trembling lips. “I’m not going anywhere, Olivia, and that is a promise.”
“You saved my life, Dallas.” Her eyelids drooped and with a huge effort, she forced them open again. “You promised to take care of me… and you did.” She fell silent as the drugs took hold, and she drifted off to sleep.
Dallas stared down at her, her words like a f*****g kick to the gut.
I took care of you? Oh, baby, you’re not thinking straight… I f****d this up totally. You'll see that soon enough, and then you’ll hate me. And I’ll totally deserve it.
Until that moment of realization, though, he’d stay with her. His time with Olivia was on a clock ticking down now, and he closed his eyes and tried to accept that thought. He knew that two things were clear. First, when she figured out that this was all on him, he’d dive into a vat of whiskey and not resurface for a week. Second, he had many, many long, lonely years of self-loathing to look forward to.
- Writer
