Chasing Anne

Silence

Anne was bored. Bored of laying bed, bored of staring at the ceiling; bored of everything. It had been a week since the accident and Mark had suddenly disappeared off the face of the earth. The doctors told her that he was around whenever she was asleep and came to check on her daily, but he just didn't want to face her. She sighed and closed her eyes, wondering where Mark was. She wanted him with her, but at the same time was terrified of him being with her. Her last words to him...well...she didn't exactly know how he'd taken them. A guy like him could smile and chuckle awkwardly at just about anything. She didn't know what to think of his response. Maybe she'd told him too soon. But she'd been praying about it since the accident and she was surer than ever that she loved him. It made hardly any sense to her, but then again...it made perfect sense. Jackson had been keeping her updated about Dawn and her condition and Anne was more than relieved to know that Mark had taken her dog home from the vet. Maybe that was why he was so preoccupied. She opened her eyes and rested her hand on her injured shoulder. It was slightly sore, but the pain was far less than what it had been a week before. The wound on her side was doing just as well. It was sorer than her shoulder, but she could sit up and eat independently now. That in itself was a great relief. Having to be fed by hand was just downright embarrassing. Especially since her nurse was a man. He was nice, but he having to feed her...it was just wrong. The door creaked to her left and she turned her head to the noise, ready to greet whoever was on the other side. Mark peeked in and met her gaze, smiling sheepishly. He squeezed into the room through the doorway and walked over to her side. Seeing him was a great relief, and though trepidation did nag at the back of her head, she was content just having his presence near her. He took her hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze, smiling gently as he sat down on the edge of her hospital bed. Neither said anything and to them it didn't really matter. Mark reached out with his free hand and brushed her golden hair away from her face, his strong hand brushing against her cheek.

"Doctor says you can come home," he said softly.

Anne's eyes it up. "You mean it?" she asked, excitement bubbling up inside of her chest.

Mark smiled and nodded. "When have I ever lied to you?" He pulled his hand away from her face and took a long, deep breath.

"What's wrong?" Anne asked, suddenly concerned.

"A lot has happened since the accident, Anne. That's all."

Anne nodded. "I know. Bartholomew told me."

"You know Bartholomew?"

Anne nodded. "Of course I do. Bartholomew Clark. He was the officer at my house after the accident. I've known him for years."

"So then you trust him?"

Anne's gaze filled with curiosity. "What did he tell you, Mark?"

Mark hesitated. Did he really want to lose her now? He bit his lip. "He said that there were things that you weren't telling me about."

"Like what?" Anne asked. The look on his face was enough to tell that he didn't want to answer.

He took another deep breath and then let it out, closing his eyes. "Your Father's science project."

Anne paused, carefully choosing her words. "Mark, I assure you, I know nothing about it...nothing more than what I told you anyway. I promise I didn't keep anything from you. Bartholomew probably just presumed I knew. I'm sure he meant no harm in it."

"Who is this Bartholomew anyway?" Mark asked, his eyes narrowing.

Anne instantly blushed. "We met in college. Well, we met on online college. He was my study buddy at the library."