Daniel?
912 Words
A sharp pain ripped through my chest. I gasped for air.
My hand pressed against my ribs as I tried to sit up, but the stabbing sensation only intensified.
I had ignored the signs for weeks now, pushing them away, telling myself it was nothing. But today was different.
I reached for my phone on the nightstand, squinting against the bright screen. *9:00 AM.*
Swinging my legs over the side of the bed, I forced myself to stand. Every breath felt like glass scraping against my lungs.
“Daniel.” I called out, my voice barely in a whisper. "Noah?"
Nothing.
My face frowned.
I gripped the banister as another wave of pain shot through me.
*It was Saturday. Where is everyone?* The thoughts ran through me.
My fingers hovered across the phone screen as I dialed Daniel's number.
“Come on, please pick up.” My voice cracked.
"What?"
His voice cut through the line finally, cold and sharp.
"Daniel, I..." I winced, pressing my hand harder against my chest. "I don't feel well. Can you come home? I need to see a doctor."
"I am in an important meeting, Claire. Do not bother me.”
"Daniel, please. I really need…"
The line went dead.
I stared at my phone, tears blurring my vision. "Daniel?" I whispered to the blank screen.
Tears flowed down my cheeks. I gripped the banister, taking shaky steps down the stairs. My legs barely carried me, every step sent a jolt of agony through my body.
Halfway down, my phone rang.
I glanced desperately, hoping it’d been Daniel. It wasn’t.
*unknown number.*
"Hello?"
"Claire?"
I froze.
The voice was familiar. One I’d not heard in five years.
"Rowan?" I breathed.
"Thank God. Claire, are you okay? You don't sound good. What's wrong?"
The concern in his voice broke something inside me. "I... I don't…"
The room spun before the phone slipped from my grip, clattering down the stairs as darkness pulled me under.
*****
The sterile scent of antiseptic filled my nose while I struggled to open my eyes.
I jerked instinctively, but a hand pressed gently against my shoulder.
"Easy. You need to rest."
Hazel blue eyes stared down at me. His curly black hair fell over his forehead, exactly the way I’d remembered.
"Rowan?" I murmured, certain I was dreaming.
His smile was soft.
"I am here, Claire. You are safe now." He grabbed my hand carefully.
"How did you... What are you doing here?"
"Anita called me yesterday. She told me You wanted to come back to the industry." His thumb gently rubbed over my knuckles.
I swallowed once.
"I searched for your contact all these years.” He held my gaze. “Luckily some days back I ran into Anita at a convenience store and she handed it to me.”
I didn’t speak.
“You got married and completely disappeared from the spotlight Claire.”
Fresh tears rolled down my cheeks as reality crashed over me.
I had given Daniel five years of my life. I had sacrificed my career, my dreams, my identity.
"Claire." Rowan squeezed my hand gently. "Just focus on recovering, okay?”
"I can't believe you're here," I whispered.
His eyes locked onto mine with an intensity that made my heart leap. "Now that I have found you again, I am not letting you go."
The door opened before I could speak.
The doctor walked in.
"Ah, good. You're awake." He glanced at Rowan, his face carrying a relieved smile. "Good thing you brought your wife here in time. If you had waited any longer, the condition would’ve worsened."
“…you brought me here?" I stuttered.
Rowan nodded.
“I called out to you after I asked if you were okay, then after some seconds I heard a rough sound over the call. I knew something was wrong.”
My fingers clenched the bed.
“So I asked Anita for your address and drove straight there." His jaw tightened. "I found you unconscious at the bottom of your stairs."
Daniel had hung up on me.
But Rowan, someone I had not spoken to in five years, had dropped everything just to save me.
"Mrs...?" The doctor checked his clipboard. "Claire Johnson?"
"Yes.”
"You have chronic pleurisy. The inflammation around your lungs has progressed significantly." He paused. “Why didn't you seek medical attention when you noticed the early symptoms?"
My lips parted. No words came.
What was I supposed to tell him?
That I’d been too busy trying to be the wife Daniel wanted… until I forget to take care of myself?
"How critical is it?" Rowan’s voice tightened with concern.
The doctor's expression softened slightly. "Not critical yet, but it will become so if left untreated. She needs to avoid stress and strenuous work for the foreseeable future. Complete rest is essential."
"Whatever she needs, I will cover it." Rowan adjusted. "All medical costs, treatments, everything. Just make sure she gets the best care possible."
My pulse spiked.
He released his grip on my hand, now standing.
"Of course. I’ll prepare a treatment plan." Then he walked out, Rowan followed.
Their voices echoed down the hallway.
I tried to shut my eyes, exhaustion washing over me.
Suddenly, a familiar figure passed by my ward.
I blinked twice to be sure I wasn't imagining.
The figure stood tall. Broad shoulders. That particular stride that I would have recognized anywhere.
My heart hammered in my chest.
*Daniel.*
- Writer
