Love Is A Crime

What if I was to lose you?

It wasn't much longer before a nurse entering the room caught Macarena's attention, provoking her to look up from her hands.
"Macarena Ferreiro?" the nurse called, standing near the door. Maca's heart skipped a beat when she heard her name. This was it.
Immediately, although her legs were trying to keep her where she was, she stood up. For a moment, she forgot how the lady would know her name, until she remembered filling out the form when she arrived. A form to state who she is to Zulema. She circled 'Partner'.
Barely able to stand from her shaking legs, Maca finally said the words she was dreading to say for so long. "How is she?" The question almost didn't leave her mouth; reluctance hitting her hard.
The pause of silence before the nurse replied seemed to linger on for hours. Macarena was desperate to know the answer, but a part of her did not want to hear. What if it's bad news? She can't live without the brunette. The anticipation was almost unbearable, as her palms became sweaty and her head started pounding.

"Miss Zahir has undergone surgery and is currently recovering in the ICU," the nurse replied. A wave of relief ran through the blonde as she closed her eyes.
"So, she's ok?" Maca confirmed.
"Yes. She's fine," the woman said.
"Can I come and see her?"
"Yes, follow me," the nurse smiled before walking out of the waiting room, an impatient Macarena quickly following behind.

Upon entering the ward, the nurse stopped and looked around, confused.
"What? What is it?" Maca asked with worry, trying to follow the nurse's gaze around the room.
"She's not here. She's been moved," said the nurse before walking over to a colleague. "Where has Miss Zahir been moved to?" Maca heard the woman say. Fear arose inside of the blonde again, as she waited by the door, her feet stuck to the ground.
The nurse came back over, her face more relaxed than before.
"It's ok. I've just been informed that she has been moved to a private room; no need to worry," she smiled again before telling Maca to follow her.
Down the corridor, were multiple private rooms that were all occupied. Zulema was so close, but the blondie didn't know which room until the nurse stopped outside room 102.
"She's in here. I'll give you some time," the nurse rested her hand briefly on the blonde's arm, a sympathetic smile on her face.
Smiling back, Macarena entered the room. Her heart immediately broke. Seeing Zulema like this made her heart bleed. She looked so small and fragile. She's never seen the brunette look like this before. So helpless.
She lay completely still, under a deep sleep. Macarena couldn't suppress a smirk when she noticed her blonde wig was still in place. The brunette obviously bought very decent quality wigs a few months ago for their heists.
Macarena slowly edged her way forwards toward the bed, walking as though this wasn't real; as though she wasn't here right now, staring at a hurt Zulema in a hospital bed. Surely this was just a bad dream.

No.

It was very much real. She looked so helpless and fragile. This did not look like the Zulema that Macarena has always known.
Standing by her bed, she studied her face. The sight of Zulema like this brought tears to the blondie's eyes. She quickly wiped her hand across her cheek, erasing a tear drop that had fallen. Maca sat on the chair next to the bed, not taking her eyes off Zulema.
"Zulema," she said in a quiet voice, hoping it was loud enough to wake her up.

No response.

She tried again and again. But the brunette wouldn't wake up. A few moments later, Maca took an impulse and grabbed Zulema's hand and held it in her own. Her cold, wrinkled hand.
Although they had slept together, they were not sentimental nor intimate. But there was a connection between them that they both knew was there. Something that bonded them; made them feel loved. They knew they had feelings for each other; they couldn't deny that. But they had not yet expressed this to each other. They did not kiss when they had sex. It was not so intimate. But oh how they wanted it to be....

A few minutes later, Macarena was taken by surprise as she noticed Zulema starting to wake. She felt her cold little hand move in the grasp of her own. Maca immediately released her hand so she wouldn't know that she was holding it; what would Zulema think? Adrenaline raced through her body. She was so happy Zulema was awake.
"Maca?" Zulema whispered quietly, her voice tired and muffled. She turned her head slowly to see that Maca was sat close to her.
"Sí sí, soy yo. Estoy aquí," Maca responded in a calming voice but with a hint of urgency as if Zulema would fall unconscious or asleep again. "Cómo te sientes?" There was almost panic in her voice. And she was still angry. Angry that Zulema jumped in front of her; 'it should have been me, it should have been me to take that bullet!', kept racing through the front of her mind.

"Shit, but...I'm glad you're here," the weak Zulema said. She didn't look at Maca.
"Of course I am," the blondie smiled sympathetically. "Joder, Zulema. I thought I lost you," she continued, the tone of her voice turning more serious and upset as she bowed her head.
"But you didn't. Would it have been so bad?"
"Yes! I can't bear the—," Maca realised she was saying too much. But was she? Maybe she needed to say this. "Never mind. As long as you're better now, that's all that matters." The urge to clasp the brunette's hand in hers again was growing stronger.
Caught by the tiny smile emerging on Zulema's lips, Maca stared; her heart warming from seeing that smile again. But she was suddenly pulled from her gaze when she realised something. Something that made her stomach turn.
"Zulema...we need to get out of here," Macarena said with seriousness in her voice. Zulema looked at her with anxiety but also trust. She trusts that Maca will get them both out safely. "And it needs to be now. They're gonna start questioning us about the bullet wound and there's nothing we can say that won't get us into trouble," she explained.
"Vale. How do we get out?" Zulema asked, applying all her trust on to the blonde woman beside her. Her partner in crime.
"I have an idea...we need a wheelchair..."