Unchained Heart

Chapter 3

Later that night I woke up in the bed and not on the floor. The room was dim and off to the left of me I could see the figure of a man sitting quietly in a chair looking out the window. The sound of the rain was rather calming as I laid there peacefully. The figure shifted slightly as the rain continued to fall.

"Prince? Is that you?" I softly called in the candle lit space.

He stood up and made his way to the bed. Pence got down on the floor on his knees and took my hand. Studying his face carefully I noticed that the makeup he wore hours before was now gone. His eyes looked red and puffy. Tear stains were traced from lashes to cheeks. He looked like he'd been crying for hours.

"Prince what's the matter? Please talk to me. Tell me what's wrong. I know this isn't you. You would never be so distant for nothing. Please talk to me."

He brought his eyes from my hand to meet my face.

"God must hate me." He whispered.

I sat up slowly in the bed and squeezed his hand tightly.

"You know that's not true Prince."

"Then why are you sick Regan?"

"Nelson these things just happen. This was nobody's fault. Don't blame yourself for anything. You were blessed with a gift! You took that gift and put it to work! That's not God hating you."

"Really? Then how come I lose the people I love every time I turn around? First my mom, then my dad then Morris and now you. What did I do to deserve all of this?"

I looked him over as his eyes looked down at the bed. I could tell that his mind was racing. There was so much he wanted to say but he knew he couldn't talk about it all at once. I couldn't imagine what he's feeling right now. Some many different emotions that is mind couldn't reciprocate all at once must have been torture. On top of all of this he's about to go on tour. I wish I could take back my diagnosis but there's just nothing more I can do about that.

  "Skipper none of this is your fault. Some things just happen like this. There's no reason for you to be beating yourself up about it. Everything will work itself out. Especially what ever is going on with you and Morris."

His big brown eyes shot up at me as if I had said something wrong.

  "He didn't want to leave the label Regan. He's fine with getting screwed. I'm not."

  "Prince you can't just go and take control of everything that goes on in the world. Sometimes you just have to let things go and whatever happens happens. You should be there for him through the good and bad. You and Morris have been friends for a long time. Don't burn your bridges just yet. You two are going to need each other soon."

  "Please don't talk like that. I want you to get better. You have to!"

  "I'll be a lot better if you got me some food and stop making more stress for yourself. It's not like I'm gonna die tomorrow."

Prince didn't like that comment to much. The anger was as plain as the moonlit Chanhassen February sky.

  "Lighten up Skipper. I have to deal with this as best as I can too ya know." I said trying to comfort him.

He stood up from the floor and helped me sit up.

  "Are you ok to stand?" He asked.

  "You'll know when I'm not." I said standing to my feet without help showing him that I was perfectly fine.

We went to the door when he stopped me and pulled me closer to him. His forehead fell onto mine as he took a deep breath in.

  "Stay here with me?" He asked softly.

  "You know I will. As long as I can see a doctor when and if I need to."

Prince nodded and agreed.

  "Then its settled. I'll give you a private room too just in case you need to be alone at night. I'll have extra staff here for you before I go. Andre will come and stay with you and I'll have your mom move in too."

  "Does Andre even know?"

  "No but I invited him and the guys over as well as a few friends you haven't met yet. If that's ok with you."

  "Hey it's your house I just live here."

I smiled and kissed him on the cheek as he opened to door and stepped into the hall.

  "Let's get you something to eat. What do you feel like?" He asked with a smile.

  "Well I feel like steak and potatoes but with you and your no meat policy that won't happen." I chuckled.

  "I haven't completely given it up yet you know that."

  "Yeah I know but you look thinner. These Minnesota winters are no joke. You need something on those bones baby!"

Prince laughed as he followed me down to the kitchen.

  "Oh you're hilarious! You need your own comedy special girl!"

  "I know! I'll knock 'me dead won't I!"

I could feel his hand run down my back when we stopped just outside the huge kitchen.

  "Regan?"

  "What troll."

  "Take the treatments."

I turned to him and simply shook my head no then walked into the kitchen as if nothing happened.

  "Mouse why not!?!?!"

  "I don't wanna lose my hair and those things are draining! I don't want people seeing me zonked out when I could be living my life. I told you that already."

He sat at the counter with an orange in his hand.

  "It's still a chance isn't it?" He asked.

  "Yeah a chance to kill me faster. I'm already too far gone. If anything the surgery gave me a greater chance than the chemo ever could."

I took a bottle of grape juice from the fridge and gulped it down almost in one sip. Prince was astounded. He's never seen me do that in all the years he's known me.

  "Wow! You must have been thirsty." He said intrigued.

  "You can do a lot of thing once you've had tubes down your throats for six hours." I said with a wink.

  "That's really true?" He asked with a little excitement in his question.

  "I knew you'd say that perv." I giggled.

I finally got him to lighten up for the first time tonight. This should lead into some interesting conversation now.