Unexpected

Chapter 15: Hospital 2.0

Walking into the hospital, Norman goes to the counter and waits for an young woman to answer his questions.

"Hello."

"Hi, um, I was wondering if Emily Kinney was admitted here?" The nurse doesn't look up until Norman clears his throat.

"Oh my God! Yer Norman Reedus! You're Daryl!" He tries not to roll his eyes, so he smiles instead.

"Yes...now about Emily- is she here? Came in with a hurt arm."

"Emily! Are you two together now! Oh I shipped Bethyl so hard! Mmmhm."

"Ms. I really need to know if she's here or not." Norman tiredly says and the nurse takes a deep breath.

"Sorry. Let me check the system." After a few minutes she shakes her head. "No. I'm sorry."

"It's fine. Thanks anyway." he leaves the hospital and drives to another one. On the way there, he feels terrible for hurting Emily. He hopes it isn't too serious. He hopes she will stay with him. Pulling in the next Hospital parking lot- Norman walks in and proceeds to the front desk. "Hi, I was wondering if a patient by the last name Kinney, first name Emily came in here?"

"Let me check." The young woman clicks away on her computer and then looks up at Norman. "Yes. Are you related?"

"She's my fiance." He lies and the woman clicks away again.

"You can go back- room 120."

"Thanks." Going back, Norman finds room 120 and inside Emily's left wrist is in a pink cast. Her eyes are puffy and she almost resembles a tiny child. "Emmy..."

"Not now Norman." Emily angrily says as she wipes her weeping eyes. He goes to her and puts his hands on her hips as she sits on the exam table.

"Emmy, I'm sorry baby. I honestly didn't mean to break your wrist. I'd never want to hurt you." His thumbs massage her hips and work their way under her shirt so they can touch her skin. It kills him that he messes everything up- even just pretending to be dead. Why does he always have to make her cry? It hurts him worse seeing those tears fall from ber beautiful blue eyes. It's like someone took a child's balloon and for no reason popped it in their face.

"I know..." Leaning forward, she lays her head on his shoulder and. He pulls her into a hug. "You suck..."

"I know... I keep messing this up." He plainly says with a bit of pain and she slightly frowns against his neck.

"Norman, yer trying..." Looking up at him, she grabs the sides of his face, forcing him to look at her. Their eyes are like a mirror- both reflect pools of blue, which mesh to cause a tidal wave of heavy emotion.

"I don't think it really matters much..." He looks down and she once again tugs his face up to look at her.

"It does matter." Spoken just like Beth, it catches his attention and she doesn't have to hold his face any more. "Yer trying. You've been trying so hard since the beginning....no one's ever done that for me. Every guy I've ever dated has hurt me far worse than you have. This was an accident because you just want to be playful- they always hurt me because they enjoyed making me feel like everything was my fault and that I never deserved love...but you Norman... You seem to love everyone unconditionally. What's sad is that you have been trying a lot harder than I have to make this work, and I'm sorry. I want this to work. I want to be yours."

"I've never tried hard enough with anyone before...but I knew from the moment I saw you that I wanted to make you my everything. You don't need to try hard, Em. You don't need to fear that I'll ever hurt you...obviously besides this one time, haha. I just want you to be happy."

"With you- I am." Leaning forward, she kisses his lips tenderly and herholds her closer.

"So, ya went with pink, huh?"

"Haha, yep. It's one of my favorite colors...I love you Norman."

"Haha that's good." He kisses her cheek and rubs her back gently. "Cause... I think people are gonna start knowing about us."

"What do you mean?" Emily sits up and looks at him with curious eyes and parted lips.

"I went to one other hospital before this one- the woman was nuts about us apparently. And then I had to lie and tell the receptionist here that we're engaged. So ya know- this'll be one big story." He says and Emily smiles and kisses his lips.

"Well...I don't mind. If you don't." She says and he pulls her closer.

"Certainly not. I love you- or else I wouldn't be here." He says and she giggles. "What?"

"Nothing...it's just, well, you said I was your fiance..."

"Yeah."

"And you said that you didn't mind those rumors getting started."

"I don't."

"And before you said your goal was to marry me one day." Norman smiles and Emily slides her fingers in his hair as he holds her closer.

"Of course."

"Well...why don't we just...elope?" He pulls back a bit and looks deep into her sparkling eyes.

"Don't you want a big wedding, with your family and friends there?"

"Norman- we're actors- we always have lavish, pricey things. More often then not- they become tarnished, deluted, and ruined. I don't want something lavish that says I'm yours, because I already am. I just want quiet, calm- us. No fuss. No big deal. Just you and me...and Mingus obviously." She pleads to him and he smiles widely.

"Emily Kinney, you never stop surprising me." He pecks her lips and then looks at her again. "So eloping... When and where?"

"Whenever you want. We don't have to rush. We don't have to plan. It's just you and me." Holding her closer, he kisses her neck and for once- he doesn't feel like he has to impress everyone. Being a celebrity can make you go insane for expensive things- and obviously for Emily- that gene doesn't flow through her body. It's a nice refreshing feeling that Norman wants to get more aquianted with.