The Moment Before You Fall

Thirty-seven: They Have Their Way with You

*** Abigail's POV ***

I wake up the next day before the sunrise. I'm honestly surprised I was able to fall asleep. As if Steph's situation wasn't bad enough, Benjamin was chased out of the hospital by his crazy ex-mother-in-law and then that backstabbing cousin tried to start shit with me. I mean, we're all there grieving loved ones we may never see again and this is the pettiness that you stoop to?!

I had just come out of Steph's room and having this deep, soul-searching conversation with Art. I was numb and just wanted the comfort of Benjamin's arms. I was surprised to find Jamar, but no Benjamin. He stood and embraced me.

"Benjamin headed back to work. He had a run-in with some woman." Jamar informed me.

"What kind of run-in?" I asked suspiciously.

"Her name was Marleen. She was cursing at him and spit on him." Meg told me.

"Oh hell! What was she doing here?" I asked starting to pull out my phone to check for messages. Benjamin wouldn't have just left.

"You are so incredibly selfish, making him come here, knowing what he's been through." A raised voice says.

I turned my head to check out whatever drama is transpiring and was nearly knocked over when a familiar redhead was directing those spiteful words at me. Savannah. I blurted out. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm supposed to be grieving my grandmother and instead I'm comforting my dead cousin's husband because you are too damn selfish to see how what you needed was affecting him." She hissed.

I recalled our last run-in and chose to be the bigger person. "I'm sorry for your loss, Savannah. And I'll catch up with Benjamin later. If he was upset about being here, he'll tell me."

"You don't deserve him." She delivered the statement with such venom.

"Who the hell are you, terrorizing someone who is grieving. Take your ugliness elsewhere." Carmen stood up for me.

Savannah scoffed and walked away without another word. I turned to Meg, Carmen, Jamar, and Jade to explain. "She's related to the same woman who bitched Benjamin out. They are Rebecca's family, Benjamin's widow."

"What a brat." Carmen muttered. I again went to pull out my phone, but Fran raced down the hall with hopeful news.

The doctors believed Steph would awake from her coma. She told us a bunch more details, but I was just so happy. It wouldn't mean that she was in the clear, but it would be a positive step in the right direction.

We spent the afternoon mapping out a schedule, a rotation so that Art wasn't by himself. We committed to it for as long as Steph, and thus Art, would be in here. By the time I got to my phone, it had died. I hoped that Benjamin would just come back to pick me up, but by seven that night I was starving and tired.

"Come on. I'll feed you and get you home." Carmen coaxed me. I said goodnight to Art and Steph promising to return after work. Art recommended that I bring Benjamin and I had to reveal why that might not happen, although I was sure Benjamin would do it if I asked. But Savannah's words resonated with me.

Carmen and I stopped for food and came back to my place. I didn't want to invite him into Benjamin's without asking Benjamin first.