Last Kiss in Paris

Chapter 28 - Exit

Suggested Song: Be Alright by Dean Lewis

I know you love her, but it's over, mate
It doesn't matter, put the phone away
It's never easy to walk away, let her go
It'll be okay

_

"Alright Amrisha," Coach Johnson grunted as he held open the door to the Intensive Care Unit. "You've got five minutes. Then, we're taking you home."

Amrisha nodded without looking up. She knew Johnson had already been extremely generous with her, delaying her return trip and continuing to supervise her. But they couldn't stay in Paris forever. The crossfires and protests in the city were getting more dangerous by the day, and risk of security breaches at the airport increasing. Ben was not getting any better. This would be her last visit. Amrisha straightened up, blinked away tears, and walked in.

The machinery and tubing encircling Ben's motionless body still scared Amrisha even more than the day she saw his body crumpled on the road. Then, she had been relieved beyond words when she found out he wasn't dead. But looking down now at his comatose form, Amrisha wondered if this was any different from death after all. Guilt flooded through her for the hundredth time, and she sat down heavily on a chair next to Ben's bed. Under the swathe of snow-white bandages, Ben looked so vulnerable, but still managed to look scarily beautiful.

"Ben, why did you have to be so stupid?" Amrisha said into the quiet room. She sniffed, quickly wiping away a tear. "I'm so sorry," she said louder, tears now beginning to stream uncontrollably down her face. "It's all my fault. If anyone deserved to be hit, it would be me. Everything I ever did to you - why did you tolerate it? You were always too nice. Now, I've messed up everything." Ben's milk white face gleamed back at her, unresponsive. Possibly forever. No, she would not think such thoughts.

Amrisha closed her eyes and flashed back to the horrible day five days ago when she woke up to doctors murmuring outside her hospital door.

...shattered his femur...won't be able to play soccer professionally anymore, that's for sure...

...no significant internal injuries...no brain damage...we expect him to wake up in a day or two...nothing we can do but wait...

Amrisha opened her eyes again, but nothing had changed. Ben's eyes were still closed, five days after the accident. The doctors were beginning to lose hope, and despite everything, so was Amrisha. It was all her fault.

"Please wake up, Ben," Amrisha pleaded, now sobbing. "Please. I know you hate me now, so I won't ask you to do it for me. But do it for your family. They're worried sick about you. Please, please..."

Johnson came in to tell Amrisha she had one minute left. She wiped away her tears, and composed herself.

"I know you'll ever forgive me for what I've done to you, Ben, and I don't want to harm you any more," Amrisha said breathlessly. "But," she stood up. "Please" she hesitated. "Forgive me for leaving."

She bent over and kissed Ben's forehead, then walked out the door, restraining herself from looking back even once.

As the door closed, there was a flicker of motion on the bed as Ben's eyelashes began to flutter open.

_

And that is the end of Last Kiss in Paris. Thank you to all my readers for sticking with me all this way. But don't worry, Lkp hasn't officially ended. I have bonus content that will be published in due time. This book is dedicated to the class of 8A from 2018.