[[[the wonderful mess that we've made]]] [[[part iii]]]

33.

She had only been in surgery for an hour but it was the longest hour of my life. I couldn't help but remember the night Steven had broke into our home and nearly killed her. She'd been in surgery for hours then and came out with one less kidney. This time had been so much worse. The nurses couldn't stop the bleeding, the doctors were running out of blood to replace and they couldn't find the source of the bleeding. Even when she was out they weren't sure she'd make it. Woody couldn't stay. He couldn't sit and watch her fade away.

But she was a fighter. And I knew she would pull through. Once she was strong enough I would get her flown home. And I would never let her come to harm again. I'd failed her so many times. I had wasted so much of my time apart from her and I couldn't do it anymore. I wanted her more than anything in the world.

'I'm hungry.' Was the first thing she said when she woke up later in the morning. We'd been squashed together on the bed, every chair in the hospital occupied by the extra hundreds of people who'd been involved in the accident. From what I'd overheard on the ward over night, it had been a gas canister exploding that had taken out the supports for the stage, causing it to collapse. Just a horrible, freak accident. No one had died and that was a miracle in itself.

'I don't think there's any food, but I can find you something.' I told her. She shook her head, which had been bandaged up like in some kind of comedy film. The cut had been right to the bone, needing forty stitches.

'No. Stay with me.' Her voice was all croaky and tired. She sat herself up, clearly wincing in pain and looked down at her heavily bandaged leg. 'They didn't chop it off then?' She laughed.

'You're very lucky to be alive.' I told her.

'I know. That was pretty scary.' I didn't tell her just how scary it was. She didn't need to know all that. 'Wheres Ed?'

'He's in another hospital. But he's ok. Bumps and bruises.' I'd had Dick find out where he was as well as bring me fresh, clean clothes. 'His family are with him so you don't need to worry. Record company are sorting him out.'

'Shit. But he's ok?'

'He's fine, just pretty banged up I think.'

'I can't believe this has happened....' I could see her beginning to get upset and I didn't want that.

'It was just a horrible accident but everything's going to be fine. I'll get you better and everything will go back to normal. I'm gonna look after you.'

'Thank you Dan.' She smiled and kissed my cheek. I stroked her hair, now matted with dry blood and dirt, but that didn't bother me.

'Thats what I'm here for.' I smirked. I wondered if she remembered telling me she loved me right before she fell under the anesthetic? We'd said it before. We'd said it many times all those years ago. But he way she said it was haunting. There'd been desperation in her voice. Like she honestly thought she was going to die.