The Perfect Stranger

Chapter 6: Jackson

It’s been two weeks since I heard the accident involving who I thought was my neighbor. It turns out, the blonde chick is my neighbor and the black guy in the knock off suit was apparently the fiancee of the woman in the white dress. The

blonde chick was her best friend who he was sleeping with. Apparently, according to the fiancee, the woman in the white dress found out about the affair just before she ran into traffic and landed herself in this little predicament. What a crazy night. I thought my night was bad, but clearly her’s is worse than mine.

It’s also been two weeks since I’ve been back to work. I honestly don’t know what came over me. Since the night of the accident I made the decision to stay with her at the hospital. I mean I don’t even know her and here I am sitting here in the hospital. For the first few days I kept telling myself I just wanted to make sure that she’s okay and then I was going to go home and go on about my life. That I’m only here until her next of kin arrives or her significant other comes barging in demanding to see his injured fiancee, begging for her forgiveness. How- ever, after the whole thing happened, he walked the hysterical blonde chick back inside before running over to the crime scene where I was already helping. He came over to me very angry demanding to know who I was and why I was so close to his injured fiancee. I explained to him, Eric, that I worked in security and that I was a trained EMT back in the day. I also let him know that a ambulance had been called and was on the way if he wanted to wait with her and go to the hospital. And, that’s when he explained to me the situation.

The one where he seemed to have been caught cheating on his fiancee. He said that he had been seeing her best friend for almost five years and that he couldn’t be with her because she came from a different type of “lifestyle” and his mom wouldn’t go for that. He told me it was bullshit, and it was really because she was white. God forbid the races mix and the world becomes a more beautiful colorful place, I mentally rolled my eyes, “be a man”, I thought. The thought that people still think like this really pisses me off. Anyway, he said he really did love Lizzie and didn’t mean for any of this to happen. However, it needed to because he was really in love with the other girl and couldn’t marry Lizzie now. He told me that he wasn’t going to go to the hospital with her right now because he didn’t want to give her false hope if she woke up during the ride over. He gave me his number and told me to give him a call if she woke up. Then, he turned and disappeared inside the apartment building.

I mean what an asshole. I practically had no choice but to go with this injured woman to the hospital. Her asshole of a fiancee was having an affair with her best friend for years, and then when she gets hit by a car, he uses it as an excuse to run away from her into the arms of another woman. Crazy and complete bullshit.

Of course, I didn’t have to wait long until the rest of her family was contacted. At least the fiancee was not completely worthless and was able to contact her parents and her sister to give them my number. But, apparently, one of her parents doesn’t live in the state and the other just so happens to be on a vacation cruise out of the country. Her sister, unfortunately, is eight months pregnant and on bed rest until the baby is due. So, she was not able to come to the hospital. She does ex- press her concern for her sister’s well being and says she’ll be in contact everyday. I promised to call her and giver her daily details of her condition.

So, here I am, two weeks later, sitting with a stranger instead of working. I mean don’t get me wrong an impromptu vacation was definitely what I wanted, but this was not what I expected it to look like. But, when you’re missing work to sit in a hospital room with a beautiful stranger, it’s a little less exciting. I’m not go- ing to complain about it though. She doesn’t have anyone here with her. Her par- ents are out of the country and her sister is bedridden with child. Then the piece of s**t that she called her fiancee, never even gave a crap about her in the first place.

I couldn’t just leave her to wake up and have no one but the hospital staff to greet her. I called my assistant and told him to reschedule my meetings and post- pone the case with the difficult client. Now, to come to think of it, this ordeal does have another positive side. It gives me a break from one of the most difficult, almost-senior citizen clients I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. It’s the little things in life to be thankful for.

It’s almost one in the afternoon and the nurse just finished her rounds. I go to settle back in my chair and pick up the local newspaper to do a little reading to take my mind off the last couple of days. I hear rustling in the bed in front of me and then a small voice. It’s raspy from not having been used for the past few days. Immediately, I’m on my feet next to her bed. She seems surprised to see me and I don’t blame her. I am a stranger, only seeing each other in passing briefly.

“Don’t speak.” My voice is as gentle as I can muster. “You’re okay. You’re at Lake County Hospital. My name is Jackson. Jackson Daniels. I brought you here almost two weeks ago. I don’t want to alarm you more than what you must be al- ready, but you were hit by a car. You have been in a coma for almost two weeks now.”

The words rushed out of my mouth and I must’ve laid too much on her at one time. Her eyes are stretched open as wide as she can get them and her mouth is agape just so slightly. Oh wow, she’s beautiful. She’s gorgeous, even with all the wires plugged into her. Stop it. I shouldn’t be thinking this. I don’t know this woman and for all I know she could be crazy. I mean she did decide to go for a run in the rain and into the street with her head tilted to the sky. Not to mention, she was completely dressed to the nines. Hmm, maybe I should have mentioned that to the hospital staff and maybe the police.

“This position is uncomfortable. I want to sit up.” I’m brought back from my realization by her voice which is still raspy from being under for so long. She’s ask- ing me for help to sit up in her bed.

“Of course, I think there are some buttons on your bed to help you sit up a bit.” I lean over to help her press the button into a comfortable position and then to help adjust her slightly. When my hands make contact with her small frame I swear I felt a little sizzle in my fingertips. Hmm, I think being in this hospital with a stranger is making me looney.

Sitting up seemingly, gave her a better angle to assess herself. She seems to be okay from what she is seeing and how she is apparently feeling. Her face scrunches slightly in pain but she soon recovers and turns her gaze on me. Her eyes are now more clear and are the most amazing shade of brown, a deep chocolate color. A perfect offset to her caramel skin and thick curly hair.

I notice her brow furrow and her pouty lips part to ask me something. More than likely, she’s going to ask me who I am and how she got here. Possibly, if we know each other, but the truth is, I have no clue who she is. The only things I know about her is that she has a shitty fiancee, her parents are out of the country, and her sister is expecting a child through a difficult pregnancy, I presume. Oh, and did I mention, that she has a shitty fiancee.

Before she can ask me the obvious question, we’re interrupted by a petite blonde woman in a nurse’s uniform. She must be the new nurse on duty. I remember the last nurse saying she was getting off duty and a new nurse should be by soon. This must be her. “Oh, Miss Franklin, you’re awake. I’m glad.” She notices that she’s taken out her breathing tube thingy and makes a comment. Introducing herself as Nurse Dixie before she goes on to do her rounds of checking vitals and going over every- thing that has happened with her assigned patient, Miss Franklin. Hmm, I’ve seen her in the same building that I live in and have passed her on so many occasions and I never knew her name until this accident. I mean she is gorgeous. I’m not really the type of guy to just walk up to a beautiful woman and start a conversation, especially one like Miss Franklin.

My attention is brought back to the present by the feeling of warmth tickling my spine. I look down and notice that she’s looking at me, both her and nurse Dixie.

“Miss Franklin, there is some other news I’d like to discuss with you, but it is a little more personal than the events of your accident. Maybe, you’d like to discuss this in privacy?” Nurse Dixie turns to me as she finishes the last part of her question. That’s my queue to exit. I turn to the mesmerizing woman who I brought into this hospital and excuse myself. I wish I would have gotten her first name.

“Miss Franklin, may I call you Lizzie?” I hear the nurse ask on my way out. Liz- zie. Lizzie Franklin. I shut the door to the room and head towards the exit and out- side to my car. Pulling out my phone, I dial my best friend and colleague’s number. Now that she’s awake, it’s time to find out more about this Lizzie Franklin.