WORK IN PROGRESS: Challen and Addy

Chapter 3 (Challen): I Didn't Believe Her

Copyright © 2024 by GroveltoHEA

Walking up and down the hospital corridor the next morning after managing maybe one hour of sleep in total, I kept Addy's room in my sight at all times. When I could catch the nurses heading into her room, I begged them to ask my wife if she'd see me. The answer was always no. I could feel them making assumptions about the kind of man and husband I was to have been banned from my wife's room.

They weren't wrong.

The hours passed, and I watched my phone, knowing Addy's parents would be here soon.

That call I'd made to them last evening after I'd gotten kicked out of her room had been uncomfortable as hell. The calls to my family weren't good, but the call to her parents had been the absolute worst.

"What happened?" her father had demanded.

"She was riding her bike and was hit by a car."

"Oh, my God, Challen! Is she OK? What's wrong with her? Did she need surgery?" her mother began crying. "When did this happen?"

I answered the only one I could. "Three days ago," I said, and my voice was hoarse with shame.

"Three days – and you're only calling us now?" her father yelled.

Here we go.

"I just found out."

"How the hell did you just find out?" His tone was scathing.

"Addy...I was at work for three days straight handling an overseas emergency."

"You should have been at home handling your wife's emergency!" her father snapped.

"You weren't worried when you didn't hear from her? For three days?" my mother-in-law asked, and I could see her trying to process this.

"Addy and I had a fight before I went...before I got called into work. I texted her to let her know and she didn't text back, so I figured she was angry and wasn't responding, and that made me angry so I just focused on fixing the problem at work. It wasn't until I finished and came home that I realized she was missing."

"Your wife doesn't text you back, son, you keep trying to get in touch." My father-in-law was definitely pissed. "Three days. Three fucking days. Why didn't the hospital contact you right away?"

"Addy didn't have her wallet with her, and her phone...they don't know where it is – it was probably lost when she got hit. It's not at home. She was unconscious until the third day so they had no idea who she was. I knew something was wrong when I got home, so I called the police, and they realized the Jane Doe in the hospital was Addy, based on my description. She'd just gained consciousness on the third day before I got here."

Her mother wasn't even trying to pretend to keep it together at this point. She was openly sobbing.

"My little girl was alone in the hospital for three fucking days because of you, Challen."

"I know," I said quietly. "And I feel horrible about –"

"I'm not interested in how you feel, boy. I'm interested in knowing Addy's condition. What's wrong with her? What injuries did she sustain?"

Oh, fucking hell. This call was about to get a lot worse.

"I don't...I don't know," I admitted.

"HOW THE FUCK DO YOU NOT KNOW WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOUR WIFE?" he bellowed.

This was already going downhill fast and it was about to get worse.

"I got to the room not long after Addy woke up. The doctor was about to tell me what her injuries were and she stopped them. She told them not to tell me anything and had me forcibly removed from her hospital room when I refused to leave."

Her mother continued crying and her father was silent for a moment. When he spoke again, his voice was lethal.

"That must have been some fight for her to be so mad at you that she had you evicted from her hospital room the minute you walked in. Normally we want our loved ones around us when we're in that kind of situation. We want motherfucking comfort and reassurance from them. What the hell have you done, Challen?"

I started to answer, but he cut me off. "Never mind. I'll give you time to try to come up with whatever lame excuse you want. You text me the hospital name, number and her room number and I'll get the information on my daughter's status. We'll get the earliest flight out and get there tomorrow. Now I'm going to go comfort my wife because that's what husbands do."

Half an hour later, he'd texted me their flight arrival time the next day with a terse text.

We'll get to the hospital on our own. Your ass better be there when we arrive.

While I waited, even though it was late, I'd texted my boss that Addy had been in an accident, was in the hospital and I wouldn't be in the rest of the week. He texted back that he hoped she got better soon and asked for the hospital name and her room number so the company could send flowers. He told me he'd let the team know.

Flowers. I didn't think there were enough flowers in the world to fix this.

I also took care of getting the hospital our insurance information, and after calling everyone in my family and telling them to wait until the next day to come, I began my vigil outside her door again, constantly being refused admittance.

"Could you remind her that her parents will be here in two hours?" I asked a nurse, and all she said is, "She's aware."

That meant her parents must have gotten through to her.

My mother texted and said she was on her way. She'd been disappointed and saddened when I'd explained everything to her the night before, including how Addy and I had been having trouble for a while and all the ways I'd let her down.

I don't know that she'll let you in the room, Mom, I texted.

Well, I can sit with you, Challen. It's easier to wait with someone.

I asked a nurse to ask Addy if she'd let my mother come in and see her, and the answer was also no, which surprised me because Addy loved my mother. She was probably afraid that my mother would report back to me.

My mother arrived twenty minutes later and I told her Addy wouldn't let her in. Her eyes got teary and she pressed her lips together, then looked me up and down.

"You look like hell, Challen, and I love you, but you're rank. Since Addy won't let me see her, I'll run home and get you some clothes to change into. Definitely some deodorant. Maybe you can try to wash up in the bathroom."

I gave her my keys to the house, and she was back in no time with fresh clothes for me and some toiletries, shampoo and a towel and washcloth. "Go clean up. I brought you some coffee and food. Go, Challen! I'll keep watch."

So, by the time her parents arrived, I had finished cleaning myself up, eaten and was now working on the lukewarm coffee. My mother didn't make me talk, but she sat with me silently, her hand occasionally patting my knee.

I'd been tracking her parents' flight, so I knew they'd landed and were on their way here.

"Do you want me to go fix up the guest bedroom for them, Challen?" my mother asked. "Make sure the house is ready for her parents?"

"I don't know if they'll be willing to stay there with me, but just in case, that'd be great, Mom. Thanks."

She kissed me on the cheek and gave me a mom hug. "It will be OK, son. I promise," she said.

But I didn't believe her.

Especially because not long after she left, Addy's parents arrived.

And right behind them was Jennifer.