Brokenness Aside

What Happened?

I hear faint voices in the background and I can't make out what they're saying. My eyes are still closed, my whole body feels heavy and unresponsive. Do I dare open my eyes? I feel a warm hand in mine. I turn my head slightly but I feel kind of...numb. My eyes flutter open and Lindsey is standing over me.
"Wha, what hap...?"
"Shh don't try to speak. You were in an accident." An accident? "I'll have to see what you remember. The police are here to talk with you when you're ready. I don't know if I'm allowed to tell you anything" I try to sit up but can't really get a good grasp to lift my body and Lindsey looks like his eyes are about to pop out of his head.

He sits with me and strokes my fingers lovingly and I smile, at least I think I am, I can't feel anything really. After a little while the sensations through my body come creeping back through my limbs. When the energy reaches my core I am consumed with pain.
"Oh my god!" I wail.
"Are you in pain?" I nod. "Let me get a doctor to give you something" He rushes out to the hall and time disappears. The next thing I realize is there are a lot of people around me and I begin to feel claustrophobic. My eyes close again and when I open them, it's just Lindsey again. "Oh my god, Stephanie!" Lindsey has tears in his eyes. "They uh, they gave you something in your IV for the pain. You kept passing out. Your body is under so much stress. Do you remember anything about what happened?" I shake my head. A nurse comes in and asks me about pillows and if there's anything I want, if I'm hungry and I don't even know what I said to her. Lindsey kisses my fingers and I beg him to kiss my lips. He kisses me softly, and I feel tears on my face.
"Did...did something happen?" I ask him. "Where are the girls?"
"Karen is watching over them right now so I can be with you."
"How are they?"
"They're distraught. Kristen, she..."
"She...?"
"I'm not allowed to say anything until the police question you"

---

I've been in the hospital for 4 days now and no one has told me anything. The police came and went, asking me really strange questions that I don't have the answers to. The doctors and nurses came in every once in a while and asked me even more strange questions, ones I would obviously know the answers to this time. The year, my middle name, the president in office...I had so many questions. Lindsey never left, he showered in the ensuite of my hospital room, he watched the terrible shows on the tv in the corner with me and was so lovey with me.
"Now that everyone is gone, can we talk?" I ask. He nods. "What happened? Why is everyone being weird? What is going on?"
"Remember when I said Kristen agreed to dinner the next day so we could all talk and she could see the kids?"
"Yes of course"
"She came to our house early. We spoke that morning and after I gave her the address, she came up that evening instead. We just finished dinner and you were having a bath, LeeLee and I were outside trying to see the phenomenon she read about on..."
"Facespace" I said and he giggled.
"Facebook. We were stargazing as you call it"
"Okay..."
"Stella answered the door and Kristen was all messed up, she said. She was supposed to be in rehab and when she got out, she went right back to using just like I thought she would."
"I'm sorry"
"She's in custody for attempted murder. You saved our daughter's life! Stella came to get me and she was sobbing. Kristen pushed you down onto the floor, you hit your head on the stair and she...she stabbed you. I came in and had to pull her off of you. I'm so lucky that you're not dead, she missed a lot of major organs! Someone was watching out for you up there. There was so much blood. You needed transfusions and they had to perform a minor surgery just to make sure..." He was crying again and so was I.
"So she didn't touch Stella, right?"
"No, no the girls are safe. I owe you everything. If it weren't for you coming downstairs and sending Stella out, who knows what would have happened. I just wish nothing would have happened to you. If LeeLee and I hadn't gone outside or if I were the one to answer the door...."
"Don't think about that, baby. I'm going to be fine. Everyone said I was recovering well, I just didn't know from what!" I tried to laugh but it was uncomfortable. He kept looking at me with these sad eyes and it was killing me. "Please don't feel guilty. You did exactly what you needed too. You said you had to pull her off. Who knows what could have happened if you weren't there. You saved my life" He squeezes my hand gently, kissing my lips so tenderly. "I love you so much"
"I love you too. I couldn't imagine life without you"

----

More faint voices. They sound familiar and worried.
"Mommy!" The girls exclaimed, flinging themselves at me but Lindsey stopped them.
"She's still healing, girls. Be gentle"
"How are you feeling?" LeeLee asked, tears streaming down her face. "I thought I'd never see you again. I hate her. I hope she rots in jail!"
"Oh honey, I'm fine. With time, I will heal."
"Does it hurt?" Stella asks "I'm sure thats a stupid question but..."
"It does but I have really great medicine to help."
"By really great she means very high dosage...she's probably high as a kite."
LeeLee laughs but it fades quickly. "I can't wait to have you home, mom. Dad has let us do lessons with the tutor instead of going to school so we can get updates. I couldn't imagine trying to study at a time like this."
"I'm sorry I've caused you both so much trouble. You don't have to worry about little old me"
"We love you. You saved me" Stella says in a small voice. "She could have really hurt me. She said such mean things"
"Are you okay, I mean, inside?"
"I'm fine."
"You can talk to me if you need me. I'm right here" Stella nodded, crying so hard into my shoulder. "I just want you home so badly"
"Hopefully soon, baby" I hold her close to me, letting her know I'm alright. The medicine is wearing off so the doctors come in to give me another IV dosage, all while Stella is clinging onto me like a plant on a trellis. "I love you all so much. You are my light"