The Price of a Secret

15 | THE AWAKENING

Simon felt his blood drain from his extremities. A tremor ran through his body. He couldn't lose her again. Death, that stealthy lover, couldn't take her away yet.

He had always imagined when they would meet again, but in all his daydreams, he never thought he would hold her almost lifeless in his arms. Desperation took hold of his mind. He couldn't think straight. What were the next steps again? How could a captain fail like this in a rescue?

Liam approached, noticing his captain's bewilderment, and helped with the extraction.

"Captain, immobilize her neck. Let's get her on the stretcher".

Simon had no reaction. He knew what he should do, but his muscles wouldn't move. They just kept him fixed in front of his almost-dead beloved.

"Captain?"

"Oh, yes. Let's go".

Snapping out of his trance, he managed to immobilize Elizabeth on the stretcher and gave instructions over the radio for the helicopter to descend.

"Do you know who she is, Captain?"

Staring fixedly at Elizabeth's pale face, he replied:

"Yes. A friend from the past".

The past. Ah, how he wished it were in the past and that it would stay there. For years, he had struggled to bury her deep in his heart, but now that she was here, he realized he had failed and was failing even more, perhaps unable to save her. How could she come back into his life, only to say goodbye? This wasn't right.

In moments, the helicopter arrived, and Elizabeth was connected to the hospital equipment. Simon decided to accompany her, something that wasn't routine. Usually, he preferred to stay at the accident scene to coordinate the rescue and search for evidence of what had happened. But on that day, nothing else mattered to him. Only her.

Once at the hospital, he couldn't feel parts of his body. Paralysis took over. He needed to know if she would be okay. They stabilized her pressure in the helicopter, but Elizabeth still arrived unconscious at the hospital. Who should he call? She must have a husband, for she had a baby. He didn't have the strength to go after that. Seeing her so vulnerable was difficult enough. Confronting the one who loved her now would be even worse.

"Accompanying Elizabeth Williams?" the doctor asked.

"It's me. I conducted the patient's rescue. The family hasn't arrived yet", Simon said, getting up from the chair and approaching the doctor.

"Good evening. I'm Dr. Phillip Coners, the physician in charge of Elizabeth's care. The patient had a serious motorcycle accident in a ravine, but fortunately, she's conscious, and we've already spoken to her. However, she suffered a concussion and has a severe burn on her left leg".

"Yes", Simon whispered. He couldn't form full sentences.

"At the moment, we're taking all necessary measures to ensure proper treatment. Regarding the concussion, we expect the symptoms to decrease gradually with rest and appropriate care. As for the burn, our team is committed to treating and monitoring the healing process. With time and proper care, we hope she'll recover".

Relief washed over his body, bringing his reasoning back to the surface.

"Is there anything the family can do for her?"

"At this moment, it's essential for her to receive a lot of emotional support. Your presence and encouragement can have a significant impact on her recovery. Also, strictly follow the treatment plan, maintain a healthy diet, and ensure she gets adequate rest".

My presence, he thought. He didn't believe his presence could help her in any way. In fact, he imagined she would run away as soon as she saw him, if she could.

"Would you like to see her now?" the doctor asked.

Ah, how he would like that. But would it be prudent? How would she react? Could it worsen her recovery process?

He tried to say no, but his mouth only whispered, "Yes".

Entering Elizabeth's room, she was sleeping. Her countenance was peaceful, the true image of an angel, just like that first night. He couldn't help but notice that she hadn't changed at all. She remained as beautiful as before. A feeling of gratitude flooded his soul. He had never considered himself very religious, but he found himself thanking God for saving her.

Standing by the bed, he remained there for a long time. No words were necessary. Just her breathing was a consolation. Living in a world where she didn't exist was more unbearable than living in a world where he couldn't have her.

He tried to get closer, but he felt his heart racing. Being so close to her unsettled him. He couldn't believe that all those feelings were still there, intact. When he got closer and touched her hand, he felt a shock through his body. How was it possible to feel the same way as five years ago? This was madness.

As soon as their fingers touched, Elizabeth opened her eyes. Startled, Simon stepped back quickly and looked around.

"Simon", she whispered.

Just as he was about to reply, the door to the room opened abruptly.

"Oh, there you are. Have you met? Elizabeth, this is Simon Marks, our new security guard. Simon, this is Elizabeth Williams, my wife".