The Heart Of Moss

Chapter 25

The steady beeping sounds emanating from the hospital machine seemed to echo around the room.

"Oh Damien! I'm so sorry, this is all my fault!" Hannah cried into his chest.

He wrapped his arm around her as she soaked his shirt with her tears.

Hannah voice was full of anguish as she continued, "If I hadn't been working late, I would have been able to go pick up that package myself and it would have been me instead of her."

"Shh..." Damien said, as he tried to comfort her.

His aquamarine eyes were glassy as he looked at Mikayla who lay there, still in critical condition. Her limbs wrapped in casts, a breathing tube down her throat, the weak beating of her heart echoing from the machine that she was hooked up to.

Damien's voice cracked a bit, "Don't talk like that Hannah, we need to be strong for Mikayla," the guilt he felt was eating him up.

Why had he not insisted that she took the driver? If he had been more forceful, then she would not be in a hospital fighting for her life. Damien was helpless as he watched Mikayla laying lifeless on the bed.

She had suffered severe injuries to the spinal cord, where she had experienced some nerve damage. He silently prayed that she would not be paralyzed. He had all the money in the world, but, unfortunately, there were some things that money could not buy.

However, with his finances, he did everything humanly possible in order to give Mikayla the best fighting chance that he could. Damien made sure that she was placed in the most advanced hospital room and had gotten the best doctors and specialists to treat her.

Damien had not left her side since the accident. He slept on the couch in her room, spending the last week watching as she drifted in and out of consciousness.

When he had received the call, Damien had been beside himself. He was immediately filled with rage, as they had only recently professed their loved to each other.

He felt that life was being unfair as they were supposed to have had more time to bask in each other's love. Damien did not want to lose Mikayla, not when he had plans to marry her and grow old together.

That was what he had been doing earlier that morning. He had gone to visit one of his jeweller friends whom he had asked to source a special stone for him. When he was alone in Mikayla's hospital room at night, he held her hand gently, praying and crying, begging her to hold on and come back to him.

The incident on the bridge had claimed the lives of seven people so far, leaving another fourteen in critical condition. The perpetrator was a truck driver who apparently had suffered a psychotic break and had not even realised what he had done.

Her mother and step-father came to visit her every evening, hoping for a change in her condition. His own parents had immediately flown out as soon as they heard the news. Their parents had exchanged greetings, regretting that they had not able to meet under better circumstance.

Another six days would pass before Mikayla slowly opened her eyes.

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For the next twelve weeks, Mikayla spent most of her time in bed. She hated feeling useless, as Damien had transformed one of the penthouse's large guest rooms in a hospital room.

Damien had also hired private nurses who worked on twelve-hour shifts, so that there was always someone medically trained on hand. Mikayla felt like he was being a bit over the top but he would not be persuaded otherwise.

He even went so far as to insist that her vitals still be monitored, just in case. It had been her idea that she be placed in one of the other bedrooms, rather than their master bedroom. Damien had agreed, understanding that she did not wish to taint the good memories of their bedroom.