The Next Chapter (Sequel to A New Story)

14 ~Maria & Daniel~

The panic attack followed by crouching over the toilet had set back Maria's healing. Within an hour after the emotional breakdown, exhaustion hit her like an ocean wave and took days before it receded. She had fallen asleep leaning against Daniel; and, when she awoke hours later, she found herself comfortably positioned in the bed. He was slumped in a chair a few feet away, asleep.

Maria was scared to admit it to herself, much less to Daniel or anyone else, but she was terrified of being alone anymore. Daniel seemed to pick up on it; and, despite having his own hotel room right across the hall, he insisted on staying by her side when she slept, day or night.

The nurse Daniel had hired came by every morning and evening to check on her, to be sure her breathing exercises were progressing as hoped, checking on her bandaged wounds and ribs.

What she could remember of those first few weeks after the incident, he only disappeared for a few hours at a time, and only when she was up and in the living room spending time with Katie and the girls. He'd come back freshly showered. Sometimes it looked as if he might have slept a few hours, sometimes still appearing sleepless. She worried over him, but he insisted he was fine.

She stayed in her hotel suite for the entire first week, spending most of her time in bed. After a few days she started walking in circles around the living room to regain strength, but that got boring. Then they took walks up and down the hotel hallways, flanked at the front and back by several of their private security detail. She wasn't sure if it was that Daniel was that worried about their safety as much as it was an attempt to help her feel safe.

Every day had its difficulties. She found herself almost daily struggling with how much she was having to rely on those around her for her physical needs and she hated herself for being so emotionally unstable. She'd snapped at pretty much everyone—Anna, Ella, Katie, JP, Helen, even John. It all bothered her, but it seemed to bother her the most when she snapped at Daniel. He was her safety, her lighthouse in the storm, and she battled against him when she felt the most unstable. She always apologized later, and everyone was understanding, but she hated that they had to be. She hated to feel so out of control of her own emotions.

Every time they came back to the hotel room after a walk, she felt the weight on her chest. She couldn't seem to take in a full breath. Her hands would start trembling. It terrified her—walking back into her own space. Terrified that someone—that he would be there. At Daniel's orders, the security guards swept the room every time they came back, even if Katie and the girls had stayed behind in the room. It helped a little, but Maria quickly learned that when dealing with anxiety and panic, practical knowledge of one's safety didn't always make one feel safe.

Now, two weeks after the incident, as she and Daniel walked down the hall of the hotel, she felt restless. No matter how terrified she was of going back into her room when they returned, she was tiring of the same scenery. Daniel seemed to notice her irritation. "What's wrong, love?"

She sighed. "I'm tired of seeing these walls every day."

He stayed quiet for a moment, and she could see the wheels turning in his head. "And what do you want to do about that?"

She considered his question. As she thought about it, he watched her tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. He smiled and waited, just like he'd been doing since she woke up in the hospital—waiting ever so patiently, encouraging her, but not pushing her. She knew what he was hoping for.

"I'd love to get fresh air, but—"

"You always have loved being out in the fresh air—even if New York's air isn't all that fresh," he said with a smile.

She nodded. "I just don't know if I'm ready to be around... people..."

He smirked. "Are we not people? Me? And what about Joe, Dan, Pete, and Gary, here?" He said playfully as he motioned to their security detail. She glanced and saw the men smiling.