Her Secret Affair

Chapter 17

"Oh no, oh no, oh no," a woman cried outside the car. "I didn't see you, I'm so sorry. You just stopped out of nowhere," she cried out in panic to the unconscious bodies. She dialed 9-1-1 and the paramedics were on the scene within minutes.

Joseph slowly regained consciousness as the paramedics placed him on the gurney, "Brie, Brie," he called out, attempting to get up from the gurney. "Sir, calm down. Let us take a look at you," the paramedic said as he flashed a torch in his eyes, while the other strapped him on the gurney.

"I need to see her," he cried.

"Your wife is being attended to. Calm down, you will see her once you have both been examined by a doctor."

They wheeled him into the ambulance, and he caught a glimpse of firefighters cutting the car to get to Brie as they closed the ambulance door. His heart aching and tears streaming down his face, the ambulance drove away.

**********

Two hours later, Joseph was released by the doctor. He had gotten stitches where he had hit his head against the window. Other than some other minor cuts and bruises on his arm and shoulder, he was fine. "Can I go see Brie now?" he asked the doctor.

"She is still sleeping. We had to sedate her. She dislocated her shoulder and bruised her ribs, both from the impact of the seat belt. She also had to get stitches on her head, she seems to have hit it against the steering wheel. She will be kept here for a day or two under observation, just for us to monitor the possibility of internal bleeding, although it doesn't look like there is any."

"Is my son outside?"

"Yes, he arrived with an elderly lady, which I presume is his grandmother, a few minutes ago."

"Ok, thank you, Doctor."

"Joe, son, what happened?" his mother cried the moment she saw him, hugging him tightly.

"Ouch."

"I'm sorry, did I hurt you? Where is Brie?"

"I'm fine, mum. Brie is in another room. She might be here until Monday or Tuesday. I'm going to her now," he said as he picked up his son in his arm, slightly grunting as a result of the pain the movement caused in his shoulder.

 "You ok buddy?" he asked Nicholas.

"Daddy, is mummy going to heaven? Jacob always said people who stay in the hospital go to heaven," he asked referring to his preschool friend whose great-grandfather passed away recently.

"Mummy is fine. The doctor just made her sleep for a bit 'cause she needs to rest, ok? Soon, she can come and rest at home with us," he kissed him softly.

"I had someone grab your things from the car," his mother said as they walked into Brie's room. Her left arm was in a cast, all the way from her shoulder and past her elbow. She was dressed in a hospital gown, stitches just under her hairline on the side of her forehead. Her eyes closed, she looked so peaceful. 

Guilt washed over him. He shouldn't have been driving so fast. He placed Nicholas at the foot of the bed and walked to Brie's side. Talking her hand in his, he slowly kissed her forehead. "I'm so sorry" he whispered to her.

Brianne woke up the next day, still groggy from the anesthetics. Nicholas was in her room, playing with his car at the foot of her bed.

"Hey baby," she smiled.

"Mummy," he said as he was about to jump on her chest, stopped just in the by his father.

"What did we discuss this morning Nicky?"

"Not to jump on Mummy."

"And why is that?"

"Because we want the doctor to let her go home," he repeated.

"Now, you can go up to her carefully to give her a kiss," Joseph said following in after Nicholas, kissing Brie softly on her forehead.

"Hey, how are you feeling?"

"Like I got ran over by a truck."

"Close enough. We got hit by a car. You dislocated your shoulder and bruised your ribs. You should be able to go home tomorrow night if the x-ray comes out clear tomorrow afternoon."

"And you Joe, are you ok?"

"I'm ok. Just some cuts and bruises. No big deal. We really miss you," he told her.

They sat quietly together, enjoying Nicholas' endless chatter. 

**********

Monday morning, as Brianna slept, Nicholas sat playing his car as usual at the foot of the bed. She had been given a mild sedative, as she had been having trouble sleeping in the night. He hadn't wanted to go to school. Instead, he wanted to spend the day watching his mum because he was still worried she might go to heaven.

Bzzzzz. Bzzzzz. Her phone vibrated on the bedside table. Nicholas crawled down the chair and picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Nicky?" a man's voice came through the other side.

"Yes, it's me. Who are you?"

"How are you, buddy? It's Frankie. Remember me?"

"Hi, Mr. Frankie. I was just playing with my cars."

"You do not have school today?"

"No, I'm just watching mummy. The doctor made her sleep again."

"Doctor?" Frankie's knuckles turning white as he grasped the back of the chair in front of him.

"Yes. Mummy is in hospital. She and Daddy crashed the car."

"Ok, Nicky. Keep watching after your mummy ok? I have to go now."

"Ok, Bye-bye Mr. Frankie." And as any normal three-year-old would Nicholas went back to his cars, forgetting the call ever happened.

Frankie, filled with anguish picked up his phone again, "Adam, please find out what hospital Brianna Lancaster is in immediately," and hung up. Adam was used to these kinds of calls, the ones with no pleasantries. He got to work and messaged Frankie 10 minutes later.

A: St. Marys. Room 409.

"Melanie, I'm stepping out," he called out, grabbed his keys, without waiting for an answer, and drove off in his car. He had been waiting all weekend to call her, deciding today was safer because she would be at work. He hadn't thought much when Nicholas picked up, he just figured she took a day off. His heart almost stopped when the boy had said she was in a car accident.

The hospital wasn't far from his place and he made it there in 10 minutes. He paused for a moment, as he got out of the car, wondering what he would do when he got to her room. It had been three weeks since they had last been together. He hadn't expected to see her on Saturday, hand in hand with Joseph. 

He took the elevator to her floor and walked directly to her room. Stopping by her door, he saw Nicholas engrossed in his car, his mother sleeping next to him. His heart ached to go to her. He saw her stir on the bed, slowly waking up, smiling as she sees her son. With a forlorn look on his face, Frankie left the hospital.