be safe, bambina

chapter 4

"Carina...hey. Are you hearing me?" Dr. Shepard said.

Every word that came out of the doctor's mouths sounded like they were underwater, everything was muffled.

A hemorrhagic stroke? It couldn't be. It was just a fire...no one even knew how it happened, Miller didn't even know what happened. He said he saw her face down on the ground...oh my goodness the pain she must feel right now. I can't even think straight I just want her to be okay.

"Yes, I hear you...I just don't understand how this could have happened," Carina snipped back. "I don't understand how this could have happened to my wife, but no one else, and also...that no one knows how it happened or what exactly brought this on and all I want for her is to wake up and explain and that can't happen right now."

The room went silent.

She was clearly upset and frustrated, hell even pissed off at the entirety of the situation.

Why didn't Miller just pick her up anyway? Why did no one push past her stubbornness and help her when they saw she needed it?

"Carina, what can we do for you right now?" Hunt asked.

"What I want right now is for all of you to just leave me alone with her," Carina said, pointing at the crew, Shepard and Hunt.

As everyone gathered their things and left the room, Carina huddled next to her wife, nuzzling her head right next to Maya's and draping her arm over the pillow. She wasn't on the bed with her for fear she would hurt her further, but sitting next to the bed, cuddling as close as she safely could.

"Bambina, I know you can hear me...I told you to be careful...," she whispered. "All I want you to know right now is how much I love you...and I will not leave your side until you are safe. For better or worse, I choose you, forever. I am not going anywhere."

Many hours had passed and Carina did not move a muscle. She continued nuzzling next to her wife's head, which was bandaged up to ensure no further bleeding. Carina was lightly playing with Maya's hair, twirling a loose strand between her pointer finger and thumb.

Andy, Vic, Miller and Montgomery were just stationed right outside the door, watching Carina break into tears next to her wife.

"Shepard and Hunt need to go over the recovery process for her before Maya wakes up," Andy said.

"Right now, what Carina needs is to be alone with her wife and not have us invade that privacy," Vic said, walking away from the threshold.

Everyone followed suit except Miller.

He lightly knocked on the metal frame and Carina ushered him to come in.

"She's still sleeping and she needs her rest," Carina said.

"I promise I will be quiet. I am here for you too, Carina," he replied.

He pulled a chair next to Carina, placing his left hand over Maya's.

"We are going to get through this, Bishop. I promise you. I knew I should have helped you anyway, and when you wake up, we can try and understand what happened. Everyone on this team is worried and we are not going to step away from your side in your recovery. 19 is a family, you are our family," he said, also nudging Carina.

As Carina was about to add to Miller's thoughts,

Maya's eyes started to flutter and she started to shift.

"We have to call Shepard and Hunt now," she said.