The hours ticked by slowly. Both Wynonna and Nedley came in more frequently to check on Nicole. There had been no change since she had tried to wake up earlier. Waverly had moved to the window. She stared out at the sky remembering the two lovers lying underneath the stars making love just a few days ago. The world, though chaotic, had seemed simpler then. Who would have thought this is where they would be now. Waverly wiped a tear from her eye as she thought about how much she loved the woman lying in the hospital bed. There was so much she wanted to say. So much she wanted them to do. If Nicole made it and she didn’t hate Waverly, the brunette was going to do everything in her power to make their lives complete and happy.
Waverly was lost in her thoughts and plans when she once again heard the machines sound different. Looking back at them, she noticed Nicole’s heartrate was up once again. Her body was twitching and moans were becoming more frequent. She raced to push the emergency button again. This time, she was going to fight like hell to keep Nicole calm. Waverly pulled Nicole’s wired hand to her mouth and kissed her palm. She called her name over and over. She explained they were free and safe. She begged her love to return to her.
Nicole could once again hear Waverly’s voice calling from the distance. She tried so hard to understand what she was saying. She heard her name. She fought the blackness, but the pain was still there. She fought to open her eyes. They were so heavy. She focused on Waverly’s voice calling her name. She heard the word safe. Were they safe? Then a male voice came. Tucker? No. She heard Waverly say Nedley. It was Nedley’s voice. Then another voice. Female. Clearer. Louder. “Damn you, Haughtpants. Wake your ass up!” Wynonna. She was safe. She was with them. She pushed herself through the fog. She willed herself to open her eyes. She heard herself moan. She tried to speak but couldn’t. Something was stopping her.
“Baby, don’t try to speak. You’re jaw is broken,” she heard Waverly say. Broken. Tucker…..hit her. Nicole thought she was nodding. She couldn’t be sure. Finally, she could see a faint light through the slits of her eyes. Blurry. So blurry. Shadows over her. Waverly touching her face, her hands. “Come on, Haught. Open your eyes,” Wynonna barked from the distance.
“Nicole, baby, come on. Open those beautiful chocolate eyes that I love so much,” Waverly called. “EW. Gross!” Wynonna gagged. “Wynonna!” Nedley scolded. “What!?” Wynonna shrugged innocently. They were coming into focus. She could see Waverly. Her beautiful Waverly. “There they are…my beautiful chocolate drops,” Waverly said with happy tears flowing. Nicole moaned and tried to speak again. “No, Nicole, don’t try to speak.” Waverly instructed. Nicole batting her eyes trying to focus. She moved them to see Nedley and Wynonna standing around her bed. She tried to smile; she couldn’t. With her free hand, she reached up toward her face. Nedley stopped her and gently placed her hand back on the bed. “You’re jaw is broken and wired shut, Nicole. You can’t talk. Once you get woke some more, we’ll get you a board to write on. Okay?” Nicole nodded. “It’s about time you woke, Haughtpants. I’m getting tired of seeing this one all the time,” Wynonna said pointing at Waverly.
“You love me and you know it, Wynonna,” Waverly said smiling as the tears continued to fall. “UUGGG!” Wynonna said. Looking back at Nicole, she said, “Nice to have you back, Haughtshot. Pun intended.” Wynonna laughed at her own joke as she exited the room. Nedley just rolled his eyes. “I’m going to go. I’ll be back in a little while to check on you. Try to take it easy. You just got you back.” Nicole nodded. “I’ll find you a dry board so you two can talk. I’ll bring it when I come back.” “Thanks, Nedley,” Waverly said. Nedley nodded and left leaving the two alone.
Nicole looked toward Waverly and tears filled her eyes. She could still see the bruises on Waverly’s face and the scratches on the side of her head and arms. Waverly placed her hand on Nicole’s good cheek. Nicole tried to turn her head, but the pain was too much. Instead, she leaned her head into Waverly’s hand. “God, Nicole, I thought I’d lost you.” Nicole leaned harder against her lover’s hand. “I love you so, so much, Nicole.” Nicole reached up her good hand and motioned for Waverly. Waverly felt Nicole’s hand slip around her neck and pull her close. Nicole rubbed her nose against Waverly’s before leaning their foreheads together. Wynonna found them like this when she returned with the board. “Jezzz…you guys, get a room already,” she snickered.
Nicole shook her head at her friend. Waverly just rolled her eyes. “Here. Nedley said to bring you this. Now you guys can do something besides make googly eyes at each other.” Now that Nicole could communicate, she asked Waverly what had happened. Waverly explained, telling her that Tucker was dead. It was finally over. Waverly was quiet after this. She was waiting for Nicole to start blaming her. Nicole saw the shift in her girlfriend and inquired. “Nothing,” Waverly lied. Nicole shook her head. “Liar,” she wrote. Waverly didn’t want to upset Nicole, but she had to know. Now was as good of time as any. It wasn’t going to get any easier or better. “Do you hate me?” Nicole’s eyes went wide with shock. “What?” she wrote.
“Do you hate me?” “NO!” Nicole wrote in huge letters on the board. “But, Tucker, he said…..it was my fault….” Waverly said as her voice slowly drifted into silence. “NO!!!!” Nicole pointed again and again. She erased it. “I LOVE YOU!” She erased again. This time it took her longer to write. She finally turned the board around and allowed Waverly to read it. “When all that was happening, you were my rock. You, your love, that’s how I made it through. Don’t let that bastard make you think otherwise.” Waverly sniffed and wiped a tear. “But….” Waverly started again. Nicole grunted loudly and shook her head angrily at Waverly. She erased her board again. “NO! I LOVE YOU! I could and never will hate you. You are part of me. You are my….soulmate!” Waverly didn’t try to stop the tears. She sat on the bed leaning forward. Without a thought, she gently kissed Nicole. Although she couldn’t respond the way she wanted, she was able to lean in letting Waverly know just how much she wanted and loved her. It was that moment that Wynonna once again burst through the door. “AGAIN!?” she fussed. “Jezzz, you two are like rabbits!” They both laughed. They were getting used to Wynonna constantly interrupting.
