A kiss for Ree

Chapter 31

.....

At first, all I could hear was the gentle rhythm of my own breathing, soft, steady and the rise and fall of my chest like waves.

Whatever I was lying on cradled me in warmth and comfort, but there was a sharp ache tugging at my stomach, deep and insistent. It hurt. Badly. A lump formed in my throat, and before I could stop it, the tears came.

They gathered behind my closed eyelids, hot and heavy. I squeezed my eagainst the sting with my eyes still closed. The tears forced my lashes apart. The tears slipped free, trailing down my eyes in silence, as though even they knew how much it hurt.

The place I was felt alien to me but the first thing I saw clearly was the thin, clear tube snaking from a pole beside the bed, dripping slow beads of something into a soft bag.

My gaze followed it down, down to where it pierced ny skin, taped gently to the back of my hand like some fragile leash holding me. A drip.

"Hey" someone called.

I tore my glance to my right to see Ludwig seating close to me on a chair and he still looked good with his tousled hair and plain clothes.

I sobbed a little bit harder, of course he'd still look good even if it was my funeral. I shook the nonsense out of my head and tried to get up from the bed.

"Don't," Ludwig whispered from the chair.
"You're on pain meds. They said your liver's bruised. You need to rest."

"I don't want to rest. I want to see Omar" I yelped as I dragged the needle out of my hand. The pain stung me sharply.

"Ree, stop that" Ludwig was holding me as I struggled to get out of bed.

"Don't get up, you have to rest" he said. I still stubbornly struggled with him to get out of the damn bed. They've even put me in hospital clothes.

"Omar is fine" he said holding my shoulder.

My face snapped up to him, "Are you sure?. How do you know?. I can't take your word for it" I said through sobs.

"Well you just have to believe me. I made sure Omar is back at your house. He's back home with Levi and they're okay, I promise" he said, his voice soft.

"I wanna see him. I want to see him now!" I sobbed but slowly stopped struggling.

"As soon as you're discharged. Did you hear when I said your liver was damaged?"

"No" I sobbed loudly. Why always me?!. Why?.

"Ah geez, not again with the tears!" He huffed as I went into a full blown baby sobbing.

"If you cry, you'll be excreting stress on the organ you're supposed to be resting. Plus, you kinda look ugly when you cry."

What?. No, I don't. I've seen myself in the mirror. I cried even harder.

"Alright, get in here" he sat beside me and scooped me into his arms, into a tight hug which I couldn't resist since I really needed to get comforted.

"There there, crybaby Ree!" I almost laughed at his words. "Do they tissues here?. Oh perfect" he pulled away for a moment to grab a little box of wipes close by, "This should do."

He mopped my face with the wipes and still hugged me.

"I don't wanna be here. I want to be back in my house with Omar, Lila and Levi like old times. No dad, no business, no engagement" I sniffed, "I don't want any of this."

Maybe it was the tears, but I was really mentally exhausted. Too exhausted to even let Ludwig hug me after everything.

He sigh, "Well since it's all happened already all you have to do is own it and make it work for you. You can either let life control you or you can control it. Blow."