The One Night Stand

Empty

I woke up. A white room, that sterilized smell. It seemed unreal. I still had that horrific image in my head. A bullet, going through my ex-girlfriends brain, the blood splatter, the thud of her body as the world went dark from the candle light. Was it drugs? Was she simply depressed and wanted to take someone with her? Was it my fault? My turning her down, me pushing her away when she kissed me?

I moved my fingers and opens my eyes completely. I looked to my left to see flowers, pictures and more. How long was I out? I had then urge, to touch someone, have that connection that I feel like I've lost. I felt empty.

I pressed the button that alerted the nurses and one came running in.

"Oh! Honey, you've been out for months!" The perky nurse said.

My heart fell. Did Nicole move on? Seek a better life, thinking her past one consisted of a limp body in a hospital bed? No. I had her still. She was mine, no one else.

"Your girlfriend has been visiting every Thursday, which is today, she will be here soon." The perky nurse blurted out, as if she could read my mind."

"What happened to the girl who shot herself?" I asked.

The nurse stopped in her tracks. "Dead, pretty obvious. Sorry to say you missed the funeral." She frowned and walked out.

I wanted Nicole. I needed her warmth to cover the grief. I fixed my bed to where I was leaning up at an angle and stared blankly at the hospital food in front of me. I went to check my watch to see the time, but that was gone. I looked over and saw my phone sitting on the table.

The screen made me burn inside.
(56) MISSED CALLS: Nicole

Was there a reason for this? The pile of calls, maybe to hear my voicemail or to see if I would answer.

And at cue, the phone rang and I stared at the name, which of course said, Nicole.

I took a breath and answered.

"Hello?"

"You're awake?"

I looked down at the phone and realized it was Nicole standing in the doorway, puffy eyes from crying.

"Baby, I'm sorry." I croaked. I felt horrible. It wasn't my fault. But, I left her on her own. How many nights did she stay awake, afraid of getting a call about me, or someone bursting through our door?

She didn't reply. She just walked to me and gently touched my face, as if she was trying to wake up from a dream. I grabbed her hand and pulled it close to my body. Her hands seemed specifically boney. She lost so much weight, and just looked sad.
I don't know how long we laid there, but I didn't care. Maybe, I just woke up, but I feel like her skin was foreign.

I kissed her on the cheek and then in the lips and, even though the space in my chest to breath was low, I couldn't let her go. Not again. She pulled away and we just stared for a few seconds, maybe to just appreciate what we had again. I scooted to the far side of the bed, moving the tray for the food, and let her lay next to me. I groped her closer to me, which made her gasp. She was sensitive, soft, and more fragile then what I remembered.

"I missed this." She whispered, with her head laying in my shoulder, with her hot breath in my neck.

"Are you okay? You haven't had anyone next you for so long. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry for leaving you. The things you probably seen, things you had to face alone I just-"

"You woke up...I'm okay now."

It wasn't convincing, because now I know she wasn't okay, that for the first time in a while she probably had warmth in her again.

"I wanna go home." I whisper as I turned my head towards her.

"I sold the apartment...just with the bloodstains on the floor..."

"How big is the bedroom?" I asked, trying to play with some humor.

"Plenty of room for us when we go home."

The doctor walked in, Nicole stood up, seeming embarrassed.

"Well, I'm a bit surprised that you woke. All of your wounds have healed over your coma, so with some papers to sign out," He checked thing son his clipboard and wrote notes, and with a click of a pen, "then you are free to go." He smiled at me and nodded towards Nicole, who still had a red face.

And so, we did the paperwork, I changed from the hospital gown, and Nicole explained the many pros and cons of our new apartment, that was close to a beautiful park. I felt a little sad when I realized the bar across my street with the friendly bartender was gone, and the coffee shop with the funny waitress, was also farther away.

We stepped inside the apartment, which had electricity and was nice and cool for the July heat, that I realized was a huge switch from the cold weather I remembered.

"Do you like it?" Nicole asked.

"Yeah, actually, I do."

Nicole smiled at answer. "Wanna tour?"

I grinned. "Sure."

Nicole, who was being awful goody, went through the kitchen, and bathroom, giving unnecessary but, detailed descriptions.

She paused at a door, and then opened it. "Here's the bedroom..."

I pushed her in and closed the door behind us. "I hope the tour ends here."

She smiled and pulled me into a kiss. I pulled her with me and sat on the bed, somehow she managed to climb on my lap and push me down.

"I thought I was top?" I whispered.

The truth was, I was extremely warm, and dying for her touch. Apparently a few months of sleeping with full out certain senses.

She kissed me again, "I don't care, I just need you right now."

"I miss falling in love you."

She smiled with kiss, I was glad to home.