On The Other Side

Chapter 41 - A Fresh Start

GEORGE
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"You should go grab some coffee," Nick says "Stretch your legs."

Clay came out of surgery over eight hours ago. He lost a lot of blood and had to have a transfusion, and I've refused to leave his side since.

I shake my head. "I'm not leaving until he wakes up."

Nick sighs, but he knows there's no talking me out of my decision. He walks to the door. "I'll bring you a coffee, then."

I watch as he exits the room. He's been at this hospital the entire time I have, even though there are probably job-related things he should be doing right now.

I never saw them take Pablo out of the bedroom last night because I was too worried about Clay to care what happened to him. But I could hear him.

The whole time I was pressing my hands against Clay's chest, waiting for the paramedics to arrive, Pablo was behind me yelling. "Let him die! He deserves it!"

I never turned around to acknowledge him or his words. I continued to try to help Clay while they pulled Pablo out of the bedroom.

The last thing I heard him say was "This is not over yet!"

I don't know what's going to happen next with Pablo. I'm certain there will be some sort of trial, but I honestly don't want to testify.

I'm afraid if I testify, he'll get off easier than he should. Because it's obvious that he's been developing symptoms of schizophrenia. But if that's the case, he'll more than likely be sentenced to a high-security mental health facility than a prison.

And I want him to pay. I want him to pay for every single thing he's ever done and I want him to pay forever. In a prison. Where he'll rot with men who are as evil as he is.

I grip the arms of my chair and whisper to no one "I'm done thinking about you, Pablo."

And I am. He's taken up way too much of my life and I want to focus on the future. On Nick and Karl. On Clay.

There are tubes and wires and IVs hooked up to him, but I'm somehow still able to find an area on his bed where I can fit if I curl up just right.

I crawl onto the bed with him and I wrap my arm over him, lay my head on his shoulder, and close my eyes.

Several minutes later, Nick's voice pulls me out of my slumber.

"Coffee."

I open my eyes and he's sitting on the chair by the bed, holding a coffee out to me. It's probably the fifth cup I've had since Clay came out of surgery, but I'm pretty sure I'm good for about a million more if it takes that long.

Nick sits back in his chair and takes a sip of his coffee, then grips it with both hands and leans forward.

"Clay's got this. He's strong." Nick says.

"That's the sexiest thing about him." I whisper "He's strong."

Nick shrugs "I don't know...he's got a great ass."

I laugh for the first time in forever. I nod and look at Clay. I put my coffee on the bedside table and then lean in and give him a peck on the mouth.

I've made sure to kiss him every chance I get, just in case I don't get many more chances.

When I pull my lips from his and start to rest my head on his pillow, I hear a quiet noise come from his throat. Nick leaps out of his chair at the same moment I lift my head back up.

"Did he just make a noise?" Nick asks, his voice full of disbelief.

"I think so," I whisper.

Nick waves his arm towards Clay. "Kiss him again! I think it woke him up!"

I do. I kiss him lightly on the lips again and there's no mistaking the noise Clay makes this time. He's definitely waking up.

We both stare at him for a moment while his eyelids flutter open and then shut, several times. "Clay? Can you hear me?" Nick asks.

Clay finally forces his eyes to open, but he doesn't look directly at Nick. Instead, his eyes move painfully around the room until he's looking at me, curled up at his side.

He stares for a moment, and then with a weak voice he whispers, "Even when you're far away, next to me is where you stay."

Tears immediately form in my eyes and I have to choke back my cry.

"Oh, God," Nick says. "He's not making any sense. This isn't good. I'll go get the doctor." He runs out of the room before I can tell him that Clay is perfectly fine.

I lift my hand to Clay's face and touch his lips. I whisper, "We have, we have a different kind of love." My voice cracks with relief, with happiness, with gratefulness.

My lips meet his and even though I know this isn't good for him and he's probably in a lot of pain, I hug him wherever I can and kiss him in all the places I can reach on his face and neck.

I wrap myself around him, careful to keep my arms and hands away from his injuries. I lie quietly with him while the tears roll down my cheeks.

"Georgie," he says, his voice gravelly. "I can't really remember what happened after I fucked everything up."

I lift myself up on my elbow. "You shot Pablo's gun out of his hand and then I ran over to you and put pressure on your wound until the paramedics got there," I say quietly.

He tries to force a smile. "God, I love you so much."

I smile "I love you more."

He struggles to lean forward in order to kiss me, but it takes everything in him. He's only five centimeters away.

A mere five centimeters between breath and life.

When I close that five-centimeter gap and kiss him, I know I'm closing a chapter. A really dark chapter that I've been waiting for too long to end.

And this kiss is just the beginning of a whole new book. A book where maybe miracles happen and we get to heal from everything.

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