My Love From The Canvas

Chapter 2: Hi, my name is Patrick

Unknown POV

When we get to the hospital they rush Jamie straight into surgery, that’s what they told me. As I sit outside the operating room they ask for my name. I've never had one before I struggle to think of one but as I look down at Jamie’s book in my hand I blurt out “Patrick.” It’s the name of Jamie’s favourite character. “Would you like something to change into?” I look towards the voice and notice a woman with a kind smile and a messy bun wearing purple scrubs and crocs. Looking down I can see why she asked, I have a significant amount of Jamie’s blood on me. The thought of the fact that this is Jamie’s blood makes me nauseous and I am suddenly eager to wear anything but this so I accepted and went to the bathroom to clean up and change.

While getting cleaned up I look into the mirror and it occurs to me that I’ve never seen what I look like. I'm taller than most people I’ve seen, about 6’4” and tan even though I’ve never been outside before tonight. My eyes are blue and my jaw is lined with a light shadow of stubble. My hair is dark black and it comes down my forehead and a little into my eyeline.

When I’m done changing I come out, sit outside Jamie’s operating room and wait. A few hours later the doctors come out with Jamie on a gurney. One of the doctors comes up to me and says “We stopped the bleeding and removed the bullet.” I let out a sigh of relief as she continues “We’ll move her to the ICU for the moment until we’re sure she’s stable then we can move her to a room”.

“Thank you so much, Doctor” I feel a huge weight off my chest and I can’t wait to see Jamie.

They wheel her to the ICU and leave after hooking her up to a bunch of machines, I sit beside her and argue with myself before gently holding her hand. A little while later I realise that her family doesn’t know she’s here, she would want her mom and step dad to know, her dad passed away ten years ago, and her best friend Sophia who seems more like a sister. She wouldn’t want them to worry. I look through her bag for her phone again I have to clean some dried blood off of it before I scroll down the contacts until I see ‘Mom ♡♡’, I hit the call button and wait, she picks up after two rings “Baby, why are you calling so late is something wrong?” her voice sounds groggy and thick like she just woke up.

I clear my throat and say “Mrs.Jonas your daughter is in the hospital, she is in a stable condition but you should still come down she is in the ICU.” I tell her as calmly as I can. “Oh my god! Why is she there? What happened?” I can hear the panic rising in her as I hear her husband in the background asking what happened. I answer her before she can answer him though. “Your daughter was working late when some people broke in and shot her. Someone was uh...passing by and heard the gunshot and called 112. We’re at Hôtel Dieu Hospital, come as soon as you can.” I can hear the rustle of clothes as they get dressed. “I will, I will thank you”

“You're welcome.” I barely get the words out before she hangs up. After that I had a similar conversation with Sophia, that ended with her promising to be here as soon as possible. Half an hour later I hear three sets of frantic footsteps coming closer and closer. I step back in anticipation of Jamie’s loved ones about to enter the room.

Jamie’s POV

I’m sitting in my favourite place in the world reading one of my favourite books in the world for the third or fourth time this month. All in all a pretty good end to the day. As it gets to my favourite part out of the corner of my eye I see a shadow. It’s probably nothing but curiosity makes me check anyway. When I turn around I see three burly men all dressed in black. In my shock my book slips out of my grasp and thuds loudly on the marble floor, the sound echoing around the room, this has unfortunately caught the attention of the three scariest men I have ever seen although that may be the situation talking. They start to stalk towards me and I beg my feet to move but they won’t listen so they just get closer and closer.

I see one of them lift their arm but before I can take a proper look at what their holding I hear a loud bang and feel a sharp poke in my stomach I look down and see dark red blood flowing freely from my stomach I try to use my hands to stop the blood but it just seeps from between my fingers drenching them. My eyelids start to get heavy and when I manage to pull them open my back is cold and all I can see is the ceiling. My eyelids become too heavy once again and all I can do is feel, feel my head being lifted and placed onto something warm and comforting and feel my fingers slide apart as someone else's lace between them. I hear someone call 112. I don’t know whose voice it is but it sounds warm and comforting but not familiar. When he ends the call he whispers “No, please you can’t leave me, we haven’t even gotten to know each other yet.” and I feel his warm fingers gently brush my forehead.

I force my eyes open so that I can put a face to the voice and woah this has to be the most attractive man I have ever seen or maybe I’m hallucinating which is a very real possibility. Even though his voice isn’t familiar, his face is. His eyes are bright blue with bursts of green and gold, his hair is dark black and glossy with little curls at the ends and if my hands weren’t so heavy I would try to run my fingers through it. As black spots cloud my vision my head falls to the side and I catch a glimpse of my favourite painting. The only thing missing is the main subject. That’s all I can get before the black spots overwhelm me and everything goes dark.

Patrick’s POV

All three of them rush straight to her bedside, not sparing me even a glance. They keep talking to her asking her if she’s okay but when she continues not to answer they all begin to look worried and as if only now noticing me they turn and ask “Is she okay?” Hope and fear are clear in their eyes.

“She’s still under the effects of the anaesthesia, she just came out of surgery an hour ago and she should wake up any minute now”. I repeat what the doctors told me last time they came to check on her.

They all breathe a collective sigh of relief then smile and say “Thank you Doctor”. Confused, I look down, realising I’m still in the nurse’s borrowed scrubs.

“Oh I’m not...” Just as I am about to explain I hear a slight groan. My eyes quickly find Jamie and I see her open her eyes then immediately close them trying to block out the harsh fluorescent light. I move to her right side as her eyes flutter open her parents and friend immediately crowd around her left side as her mom asks “Baby are you okay? How are you feeling?” She tries to talk but starts to cough. I turn and grab the water pitcher filling a cup and gently put it to her lips, her perfectly pink and plump lips. She drinks the whole cup before asking “What happened?”

The huskiness in her voice steals my breath for a second.

Sophia is the first one to answer “I got a call about an hour ago saying you got shot at work when some people broke in. I always tell you not to stay so late, and I bet you were reading too.”

Jamie bows her head in shame “I’m sorry guys, it was all my fault.” Sophia’s eyes fill with tears as she reaches for Jamie’s hand grasping it tightly in both of hers.

“Sweetie that’s not what I meant I was just so worried, thank god you’re okay I don’t know what I’d do with myself if I’d lost you” Jamie tries to bring her right hand over to cover Sophia’s but the various wires and tubes prevent her from being able to so she settles for a warm smile at her friend.

“Thank you Sophia, so do any of you know what actually happened to me?”

They all shake their heads, so I clear my throat and all the heads in the room snap to me.

Jamie’s eyes show a flash of recognition but she shakes her head. Everyone else's eyes look at me expectantly. I try to explain in a way that doesn’t make me sound crazy. “Um… I’m actually not a doctor. I was walking past The Pompidou and I heard the gunshot so I rushed in, saw her and called 112”. Her mother comes to the other side of Jamie and pulls me into a tight hug, squeezing the air out of me before releasing and saying “I don’t know how to thank you enough, you saved my baby”. A tear escapes her eye which she wipes away before sending me a watery smile. Jamie’s dad came up and clapped me on the back with tears in his eyes.

I feel a rush of anxiety as my body tenses. I've never had this many people really looking at me before. It's usually just absentminded stares. I look past Jamie’s parents towards her and see her looking at me with pure admiration in her eyes and the most beautiful smile on her perfect lips. Knowing that that smile is meant for me I begin to feel a big smile spread on my face.

Seeing this her eyes widen and she averts her eyes as a wonderfully pink blush flushes her cheeks. Which makes me smile even wider. When her parents go back to her side I walk up to her and put out my hand and say “Hi, my name is Patrick”. My heart pounds in anticipation of holding her hand in mine and having her speak to me for the first time. I see a small smile form on her lips. She softly puts her hand in mine and I immediately never want to let go. Her hand is warm and soft and so small I look down at the contrast of Jamie’s pale hand against my tan one. “I’m Jamie” I almost say ‘I know’ but catch myself in time. She continues “Thank you for saving me, I owe you my life”. I’ve never been this close to her before she smells like vanilla and chocolate and even though her hair’s a mess she looks amazing with all her unruly curls going in every direction, her long eyelashes brushing her cheeks and those freckles that have never suited anyone more. I stare into her eyes for as long as I can, willing myself not to make a fool of myself, then excuse myself saying I need to get a drink so that she can be alone with her loved ones which unfortunately does not include me. My hand still tingles where we made contact and my heart is racing. I wander around the hospital for a while waiting for my heart to return to its normal rhythm.