Elisabeth

Chapter 23

Chapter 23

After another two days of being stuck in the bed he could gradually start eating normal food again, which meant no more tubes in his nose. Now all he had to do was rest, eat pills and endure the regular check-ups the doctor did. And of course eat enough and do the strengthening exercises. He was already getting stronger. 

Three. Two. One.

'Goodnight.' Karen, the nurse, said. She walked away. It was ten o' clock now, and he was sure there weren't a lot of people in the hallways now. He waited for Karen's footsteps to disappear and got out of his bed. Officially he shouldn't walk any more than the two minute walk in the afternoon, but it wasn't a long walk. And it was an emergency. He opened the door slightly, looking for someone who knew enough about him to know that he wasn't supposed to walk. When the coast was clear, he closed the door behind him and made his way down the corridor. 

484, 490, 498, 500, 502. 502. That was the number right? Or was it 504? Suddenly he didn't know anymore. He had been sure of it all day, but the image of the number was now blurred in his mind. He was so nervous and so desperate to see her again that he couldn't think straight. Was it 504? Or maybe 506? 512? Oh god. He tried to make up his mind, but it only got worse.

He mentally slapped himself and opened the door. 502 had been his first guess, he had thought all day it was 502. He closed the door behind him and walked towards the person in the bed. It was dark, so he couldn't really see if it was her or not. Luckily he could think straight again and now knew he was in the right room. He took her hand. It was still a bit bonier than it was supposed to be, but better than four days ago. She looked so sweet and vulnerable on the bed. Her pale face calm and serious. The hand he was holding was heavier than normally and pulled down by gravity, because she didn't support her arm. If he let go, it would fall down. He kissed her softly on her cheek. He'd been waiting to do that ever since he woke up in the hospital. He lifted the covers and lie down beside her, holding her in his arms. 

'Someone found us, Elisa. Someone heard me crying for help. He did. And he came over as soon as possible and put us in his car. He drove us to the hospital, carrying you in at the intensive care. Miles, his name is Miles. Miles called for help, handed you over to someone and then rushed to take me up there. He saved us.'

Will made sure he didn't block any tubes and then brought her head to his chest. She had liked it, they had slept like this for thrity-three nights on the raft.  It made him comfortable, it made her comfortable.

'Miles is a good-looking man, actually. Brown hair, green-grey eyes. A straight nose, small lips and just one or two inches shorter than I am. He has a good job; he is a lawyer, and he cares for people. He cared for us. Which made me think. Don't you think he would make a much better person to love than I? I really meant it when I said you deserved better, Elisa. And he could be the one. After all; he saved your life. He's a good man, Elisa.'

Will caressed her hair and planted a kiss on her head. 

'I'm going to call my father tomorrow, tell him we're home. He'll probably want me to come home immediately, but I won't leave you here alone. We are in Great Britain by the way. In a town I already forgot the name of. I haven't told anyone who we are, because if I say my name some might recognize it from all the newspapers and television shows. And they might even know yours, if you were on television as well when you disappeared.' 

Will took a deep breath and rubbed her back. She was just so weak and cold, he felt the need to warm her up. Like the last days on the raft, and the first day back on the mainland. 

'You do realize you have to survive this, do you? Even though you don't deserve me, you must know that I can't live without you. I care about you, Elisabeth. I need to know that you'll be fine. And that you forgive me. Can you forgive me? Would you ever forgive me if you if you got out of this hospital? I think you are a wonderful person, incredibly sweet, cute, caring, pretty and intelligent. And you should know that I love you, Elisa. You're my everything and you will always be. You think I've taught you a lot. But all I did was a song, a bit mathematics and some English vocabulary. You taught me how to live. Here I was, thinking I knew all about the world. Or at least a lot more than you did. I thought that being in my senior year and having a rich dad made me know a lot about the world. I thought that living some ten, eleven years longer on the mainland than you did made me wiser. I thought I knew all about living. I had friends, a family, a good education and a money-making company in my hands. But you. You just... You taught me how to live. Because you Elisa, made the best of being alone on a desert island. You never broke down. You kept believing. Believing that you would come home someday. That even being stuck on your own for nine years wasn't the worst that could possibly happen to you. You're so different, Elisabeth. All girls always think it's a complete disaster when their milkshake is being knocked down on their clothes. You would smile, laugh it away and be glad it was just a person knocking it down and not an earthquake. You've never done it, but I know you would.' 

He held her close to him, he just wanted her to feel his warmth and love.

'I know you, Elisa. And you're different. We'll get through everything together. You never gave up, you never give up and you will never give up. You taught me to never give up. And I won't Elisa. I won't give up until you're o...'

'Quick!' Two nurses and a doctor came rushing in, turning to the machines and Elisa. One of the nurses dragged Will away from Elisa's bed and shut him out the room. She went back in again.  

'Wait! Is she okay?' Will yelled at her. Karen was walking towards him.

'What were you doing?' She asked. She didn't look angry, just curious and worried. Karen knew he was madly in love with Elisa and would never hurt her. 

'I was talking to Elisa.' Will mumbled. Karen sat down next to him against the wall. 'I miss her so much.' He whispered, not looking at Karen. She put a hand on his shoulder.

'Are they in?' She asked, not needing to define who she was talking about. Will nodded. 'I'll take a look for you, alright?' She asked, stood up and walked in.

Was she dying? Was she awake? Did she move? Did her heart stop? Wy didn't they tell him?

'She's alright.' Karen said, moving out of the doorway after six minutes and twenty-nine seconds. What did alright mean? Why did it take so long? Was she alright-in-coma or alright-awake? Or was she alright-but-dead? Was that an option? Would they say someone was alright when he or she was dead? 

'What took you so long?' Will asked, looking worried and scratching the back of his head. He was serious and he would run in there right now if something was still wrong.

'She's... She's awake.' Karen said softly, her eyes twinkling and a smile forming. 'Elisabeth is awake.' Will stood up and hugged Karen.

'Thank you so much.' He said when he let her go again.

'I didn't do it, your girlfriend did it.' She said, patting Will on the shoulder.

'She's not... We're not... She's not my girlfriend.' Will said. 'Can I go take a look?' He asked, changing the subject and wanting to talk to Elisa.

'Yeah, but she might not be very talkative.' Karen winked and walked away. She had been his only friend those past few days. That was sad, a seventeen years old boy having only a fifty-something years old woman as a friend. 

'Elisa?' He asked, opening the door and walking in slowly. The nurses and the doctor were checking everything. She smiled a little at him. He quickened his pace and hugged her. 'I thought you would leave me. Leave everyone.'  He whispered softly.

'Never give up.' She whispered back.

_____

Hey guys, two updates today as I 1) felt like writing, 2)kind of left you hanging yesterday 3) hoped this would be finished before my birthday, which it was not. 

So I'll hope I can finish it before I'm going on vacation. And I also have to take some time before I start with "the Love Project" Because longer chapters take more time and I figured working in advance would be easier. 

It's not finished yet though, so keep reading.

Vote, comment, share and fan!!

xx Suzanne