MADMAN'S HAVEN

47

"I am very sorry to interrupt. The patient is awake," The short woman all dressed in white informed where she stood in the doorway to the small, squared company room.

I couldn't believe her words, but almost jumped off the chair as soon as they left her mouth.

"How does he seem?" I remarked in concern as I followed the lady's steps towards Brandon's hospital room.

"He is exhausted and very inebriated by the drugs, but he is talking and seems to understand where he is and why," She responded.

All I could do was exhale loudly with relief as a lump vanished my belly. I held back the tears this time, managed to keep myself stable as I wanted to appear so in front of Brandon.

"He asked for Nurse Frazier, I presume that is you miss?" She added, and looked back at me walking slightly behind her.

"Yes, I am his treater," I nodded as I replied.

My heart skipped a beat by the information that he asked for me, but increased in pace as I realized he must have been so worried waking up like that, not knowing at all what happened to me and if I was still alive myself. He couldn't know if Donald attacked me right after bringing him down to stupor.

I wanted to get there faster. Hold his hand tightly and tell him that I was okay, tell him that he was going to be okay and that Donald was now forever gone.

"He does not show much of being in pain," The nurse stated like there was something wrong with him, but I just smiled as I was told the complete opposite. Something was not wrong, something was perfectly right. He was being himself, refusing to show any weakness like he was made of stone just as usual.

"He is not very good at that," I remarked.

Nervously I stepped inside the commodious room, and along with my entrance, the aquainted face turned in my direction and immediately locked eyes with me.

Now I had to fight against the tears stinging behind my eyes. I couldn't be too sentimental in front of Dorothy and the nurse. My shock was settled after all and there was nothing left to cry about for a normally distant nurse caring for her patient.

"Beverly?"

The weak voice spoke my name like I was an angel approaching him, and my stomach ached as I laid eyes on him. He was destroyed. It physically hurt me just to look at the bruises and wounds covering his face and body.

"Hello, Brandon," I whispered gently and sat down on the chair beside the bed. He instantly reached for my hand, and all I could do was look at him while waiting for his inspection to end.

"He didn't hurt you?" He mumbled, almost like he couldn't believe seeing me this intact. I smiled at him, and stroked my thumb carefully over his blue, swollen knuckle.

"No, he didn't," I replied. Brandon's expression didn't change, just as waited, but I could read in his eyes that the amount of pain decreased a lot.

Dorothy and the hospital nurse stood quietly in the room a distance away, both looking at Brandon. Even though it was a psychotic murderer lying in front of them, they still looked pleased about him finally being awake. It made me warm, and reminded me that these two women chose the same profession as me, meaning they did it for the same reason, to help people, to save people, no matter who they were.

"I want a moment alone with Nurse Frazier," Brandon suddenly cautioned, and I widened my eyes along with the nervousness entering my body. It was a difference between demanding Frank to leave us alone during our sessions, and asking the strict hospital chief about it.

"We both know that is not going to happen, Barlowe," Dorothy replied confidently.

I hesitated for a while, before I decided to give it a try myself.

"It's okay, Ms. Schwartz. He can not hurt me," I uttered shyly, and allowed her a moment to think it through. She crossed her arms, and looked at me like I was out of mind. But I knew she could understand deep inside, that allowing him a moment with me alone, would be to her advantage.

He was too weak to hurt anyone.

"This is an absolute exception. Ten minutes!" She hissed, not being proud of her decision. I hid the smile wanting to take over my face, and looked at Dorothy to give her a slight nod.

"Thank you, chief," Brandon ironically muttered through a grin, and Dorothy looked back at him with a sneaky smile, pleased about the two words that just left his mouth. It didn't matter if he didn't mean it, she was just surprised he was actually able to use those words at all.

"You're welcome," She remarked formally before leaving the room along with the nurse.

The privacy embraced us as the door to the room closed, and finally I could lean forward to kiss the torn-down person in front of me. His lips were swollen and dry, and Brandon creased his eyes as I fondled them with mine.

I let go as I noticed I was hurting him.

"I'm sorry," I murmured.

Brandon looked at me with a straight face, and reached for my head only to pull me back and meet with his lips again. I giggled by the movement, and carefully continued with kissing him. He didn't care about the pain caused by the soft touch, he wanted to feel me just as much as I wanted to feel him.

"I thought it was over," He suddenly whispered against me, and like so many times the previous hours, my heart broke into pieces.

"But it wasn't," I responded.

He gently lifted his arms to cup my face in his hands and feel me even closer, and by now I could almost sight a tear building up in his eye.

"I love you so much," He sniffled, and my whole body got fulfilled by his heavy devotion.

"I love you too, Brandon,"