Loving, Mr Waters

CHAPTER FOURTY-FOUR

THANDO
The first thing I notice is how painful my eye is as I try to open my eyes. I try again when I hear someone talking but can't make out who the voice belongs to. After what feels like a lifetime I finally crack my eyes open taking in the surrounding around.
Where the hell am I?
"Wh-where?" I murmur trying to speak but fail.
"Thando?" I hear someone calling my name but can't see who that is with how blur everything is. "Thando, can you hear me?"
"Water." I say to the person and not a second later I feel a glass of water on my mouth. I drink the whole glass and peel my eyes open coming face to face with Matthew who's examining me closely.
"More?" He asks and I shake my head but wince as I feel pain.
"Where am I?" I ask him still confused about my surroundings.
"Hospital." He tells me and I frown more confusion. "Let me get a doctor real quick." He tells me as he leaves me alone.
Not long a doctor walks in examining me and checking the IV.
"Everything looks okay, you can all have a moment with her but like I said she still needs rest."
"How are you feeling?" The doctor ask.
"Other than my eye that is throbbing everything is bearable." I answered noticing Matthew is now near the window, very far for my liking.
God I forgot we called it quits.
"I'll send the nurse with pills that will help with that. Excuse me for now." The doctor leaves and suddenly the room is quite.
My eyes found Matthew who is staring at me with but not saying anything.
"I'll get your parents." He tells me already opening the door.
I want to scream and tell him it's him I want instead. The door open and my parents walk in.
"Oh my baby." My mom is the first one to kiss my forehead as she wipes away her tears.
"I'm fine mom."
"I know baby, I'm just grateful to have you back."
"Your mom is right, I'm so happy to see your beautiful face." My father tells me as he also kiss my forehead.
"How are you feeling?"
"I feel fine." I tell her. "Really mom." I add to assure her when I see her watching me closely.
"Do you remember what happened?" My dad ask.
"Yes but I don't want to talk about it." I answer as I avert my eyes from both of them.
"Matthew told us what happened." My mom says.
"Everything?" I ask wanting to know how much he told them.
"Everything."
"Please don't hate him and blame him." I plead to my parents not wanting this incident to change their perspective on Matthew.
"Of course we don't, if anything I have much more respect for him for telling the truth instead of lying." My dad tells me.
"He's always been a noble man, it's one of the things I love about him." My mom says as she looks at me. "But I'm angry at you young lady." She points her finger at me.
Oh, I knew this was coming.
"I suddenly feel tired." I fake a yawn but of course she doesn't buy it.
"I know you and Matthew are together but I'll leave it for now. We will have this conversation again young lady."
"Yes mom."
The door opens and this time my friends, Matthews parents and Matthew come in holding balloons and flowers.
"These are from us to you." Jasmine tells me as she puts everything on the table across the room.
I listen as everyone talks, ask questions and answer a few. I feel Matthews gaze on me and turn to him, our eyes lock on each other for a second before he looks anywhere but me.
"Alright we will leave you to rest and come back tomorrow. Do you want us to bring something?" Kayla asks after everyone bid me goodbye.
"Some real food would be really appreciated." I tell her and she nods before she takes everyone with her except Matthew.
"Are you not leaving with them?" I ask him as he approach me.
"No, I'm sleeping here until you go home." He takes a chair and sit beside me.
"I'm just gonna drink these pills and sleep for a bit."
Why is he not saying something?
"I'll be here." He tells me as he hands me the pills and helps me drink water.

"No." I scream as sweat covers my body trying to fight Miranda chocking me.
"Thando" I hear Matthew calling my name in the distance but fail to open my eyes no matter how hard I try. "Baby, open your eyes. Come on, open your eyes for me."
I open my eyes abruptly my heart racing and come face to face with a disheveled Matthew.
"It was just a bad dream baby, I promise you're safe now." He wipes away sweat on my forehead.
Concern is written all over his face as he sits next to me and take my hand in his. "Want to talk about it?"
"I dreamt of Miranda chocking me."
His eyes close as if he's in pain and when he opens them their glossy with unshed tears.
"I'm sorry you had to go through all of that. It kills me to see you lying here in pain knowing that I'm the reason."
"It's not your fault I got shot Matthew."
"Of course it is." He shakes his head adamantly. "My ex attacked you because of me."
Matthew suddenly stands up, letting go of my hand and I want to cry at the loss of his warm hands.
"What if?" He looks at me. "What if she actually did succeed in killing you? What then?"
"But she didn't Matthew. Proof of that is me here safe and alive."
"I wouldn't ever been able to live with myself if you didn't make it Thando." He tells me as one tear run down his face followed by more.
Oh God, I can't handle this version of him.
I open my arms. "Come here, please."  but he shakes his head.
"Very well. I'm coming to you then." I try to stand up but don't get far as he comes and stand in front of me.
I open my arms desperate to have him close. "Let me comfort you, please."
Matthew sits next to me and I immediately wrap my arms around him while we both silently cry.
Matthew holds me tighter in his arms. "Please know that if I could reverse time, I would take those bullets instead."
"Good think you can't then." I tell him as he pulls from our hug.
I stare at him glad I'm here with him after I almost died.
I miss him so much and just wish we could be together again.
"Is she really dead?"
"Yes."
I close my eyes and get the image of Miranda falling down on my carpet her blood all over it.
"I promise to help you recover step by step from the trauma you've just experienced. No matter what it takes Thando, we will get through this together."
I nod unable to form any word still in disbelief.
"Your food got here not long ago. You need to eat." He tells me as he stands up and take a plate that consist of veggies and fruits.
With no restrain I gladly open my mouth as he feeds me all the while staring at me.
"I have go and do something quickly ."
I want to ask him if he will be coming back but stop myself.
"I'll be back just now."
I nod not looking at where he's standing and after a bit of silence in the room I think he's already left when he suddenly appears in front of me and kiss my forehead before disappearing.