Mysterious

Chapter 47

Bruno was led to the intensive care unit where he was led into a small glass room to visit with Arissa. He took her left hand that still had a scar on it from when he burned it the year before. He sat down next to her to talk to her. Everyone always said talking to people when they're in the hospital helps...even if they can't consciously hear the words.

"Rissy...even though you probably can't hear me....baby doll....you are so beautiful right now. You look so peaceful. And I love you. I need you to come back to me. Everyone needs you. I have to believe you're going to make it through this. But not having you by my side, even for a night, scares the hell out of me. I love you, so, so much." He kissed her on the cheek squeezing her hand turning around to leave the room as the nurse instructed him to.

"I can't stay with her, tonight?" he asked the nurse.

"No, Bruno. I'm sorry. We'll be here for her and will call you if there are any changes..."

"I...." Bruno paused, again trying to gather his thoughts. "I just need to...say good bye..." he stumbled through his thoughts. I just want to be with her when she wakes up..."I just want to be with her when she wakes up." he articulated his thoughts.

"Mr. Hernandez...we will call you when she wakes up. And you can come and sit with her tomorrow afternoon...."

"Bruno?" the nurse asked as he drifted in and out of his thoughts. "Bruno....I'm going to take you downstairs to your family..." the nurse told him.

"I can make it." he told her. "Thank you. I will be back tomorrow." he said in a flat tone.

**

"You're coming home with us..." Jamie told him.

"Phil took your car home..." his mother told him.

"I don't care...I just need to be here..." he said looking through his family.

"Brunito...please come to my house and sleep. Just for a few hours. We'll all come back with you tomorrow....and sit with her and you..."

He shook his head. "I'll stay here..." he told them.

"No. No. You're coming home. She needs to rest. And you know she stresses out when you stress out, Brunz. She can still feel that you're stressed out. You know that. You know grandpa felt everyone when he was sick...and we left and he started to get better..." his mother tried to find a way into his head.

"Okay...okay. I'll go. But I'm not promising you that I'll sleep..." Jamie held his hand as they walked toward the exit of the building.

"What the hell are all those cameras here for?" he asked them.

"A lot of the injured people were sent here...and I think..."

"Bruno! Is Arissa okay? Where was she? How is she? Is she going to go home soon? Bruno! We are praying for Arissa..." he heard voices yell at him as his family gathered around him.

"She's okay." he said quietly trying to hide his frustration and sadness over the situation.

He got into his sister's small car holding back the tears. "Why were they all out there? How did they find out where she was? Why? Why?! She's hurt. I'm hurt. I just need my family and her family and friends who support me no matter what...and to know that she's going to be next to me for the rest of my life...I just want to be Bruno Hernandez, husband to Arissa Hernandez who is in stable condition after getting crushed by a car in an earthquake. I don't want to be Bruno Mars, today. Maybe not tomorrow. Maybe not until she's with me, again. I can't do it without her..." he rambled as his sister pulled away from the parking lot.