A Whisper in the Dark

Part 5

     Bree's eyes slowly drifted open. The room was dark as the evening sun filtered through the curtains. "Austin?" Bree said quietly, her throat raw from crying. The form in the chair stirred at her voice and straightened up.

     "Bree?" Sam asked. Bree's heart sank a little when she remembered it wasn't her husband by the window. Still, Sam's presence was an encouragement, a reminder that she was no longer alone. Sam got up from the chair, his long legs carrying him to her bed. He flipped on the bedside lamp, Bree's eyes closing briefly at the sudden change in light. "How're you feeling?" Sam questioned gently, lowering himself to sit on the edge of the mattress.

     Bree sat up and leaned back against the headboard. She shrugged, sending him a weak smile. Sam smiled back understandingly. "Are you hungry?"

     "Yeah, a little," Bree admitted. She hadn't eaten a proper meal in days and hunger pains had long since vanished, but with Sam there, she suddenly felt the need to eat - to get her body strong and healthy again.

     "Okay, I'll go make you something," Sam said, rising up from the bed. "Do you want to eat up here?"

     Bree thought for a moment and then shook her head. "No. I think I'd like to go downstairs," she said softly. She didn't want to be alone, not even for a moment.

     Sam smiled. "Okay," he said, lifting the covers away from her body as she gingerly swung her legs to the other side. She placed her bare feet on the carpeted floor as she slowly stood up. She took slow, rigid steps, her legs feeling weak. Sam walked behind her, following close in case she needed assistance. As Bree reached the doorway, her legs gave way, her exhaustion still weighing heavily. Sam reached out, his strong arms wrapping around her waist and pulling her upright. "It's alright. I got you," Sam reassured as Bree clutched his forearms. "Here," he said, tucking her under his arm and bringing his hand to her side, gripping her securely. "We'll just take it nice and easy," he said as they slowly descended the stairs, taking one step at a time.

     Once they were on level ground again, Sam helped her to the living room, settling her gently on the couch. He took the throw blanket from the back of the sofa and placed it across Bree's lap. "Do you want to watch something?" Sam asked, picking up the TV remote.

     Bree shook her head. "No, not really."

     "Okay," Sam nodded, putting the remote back on the coffee table. "I'll go get you some food."

     Bree nodded, sending Sam a feeble smile. "Thanks, Sam." Sam nodded in return, smiling gently before turning and making his way to the kitchen. Bree could hear cabinet doors banging as he searched for whatever he needed to cook with. After a few moments, she heard him opening a can and its contents sloshing into a pan.

     Bree found her eyes roaming the living room. Everything seemed so foreign to  her even though she hadn't changed anything. She had been so busy living in her own grief-stricken mind that she had become numb to everything around her. For weeks, she had isolated herself in her bedroom, barely able to make herself get out of bed, exhaustion from hunger and agony too strong an anchor for to her to do much more.

     "Would Austin really want this for you?" Guilt pricked her heart at the thought. Austin had always been so happy and lighthearted. That's one of the things that Bree had always loved about him. He was a free spirit in every sense of the word and always tried to help Bree see the joy in living, even when their life was almost always filled with stress and pain. If it hadn't been for Austin, Bree doubted she would have ever made it through life as far as she had. The last two months were a testament to how much she relied on him to help her get through each day.