The Accident (Book 2)

Chapter 1

Florian's POV

I sat up trying to get used to the slings and the weight of the casts when a woman ran in and hugged me.

"Don't you ever scare us like that again," she whispered before hugging me tighter. When she pulled back she smiled at me, but it started to slip at the confusion in my eyes. When the nurse left I leaned forward and asked her quietly, "Who are you?"

"That's not funny," she whispered.

"No it's not. So again who are you?" I asked seriously.

"Prin- Florian.... It's me Elaina your sister-in-law."

I stared at the black band on my ring finger. I was married? This had to be a dream.

"What's the date?" I asked.
"August 1, 2022."
I closed my eyes, "I can't remember a thing after 2010. The last twelve years are fuzzy or non existent to me."

"Fuck." We said in unison.

I looked over her shoulder as a woman who resembled her was pushed inside in a wheelchair. This had to be my wife. We must have been in the accident together.

"Honey," I said with a small smile not knowing why that was the name I came up with.

Elaina turned around and looked at me surprised. Damn, did I not call her that? Was I a bad husband?

"Are you okay?" I asked looking her over not seeing any bruises or casts.

"Yes. I'm fine. Don't worry about me. How do you feel?" She asked resting her little hand on mine. My skin warmed and her scent floated around me. Mandarin, coconut, and patchouli. It smothered me and somewhere faintly in my brain I was recalling something..... it was fuzzy but I could feel the memory trying to form....

I opened my eyes not realizing I had passed out. She was on my lap her hands on my face. She was so distressed my chest tightened painfully seeing it. Her body visibly relaxed as she hugged me tightly, I could feel her heartbeat pounding in her chest against mine. The monitors were going berserk and a nurse rushed in. I looked at her as her face reddened and she quietly fixed the machine that was now also quiet. She stood by the bed silently. Slowly the little woman in my arms sat back unspilled tears in her eyes.

"I'm okay," I assured her instantly. The sight of her so emotionally distressed was sending me into a panic. I didn't like it.

"Well your strength seems to have come back," a male voice said and the woman fully relaxed now. She didn't move off the bed, just moved and sat cross-legged on the right of me. Her hand holding mine tightly.

I turned my attention to the doctor. It wasn't my doctor that I usually seen but she seemed to know him. That's when I saw the broken cast and the ripped sling. I remembered the noise but I had been so focused on comforting her I didn't realize what it was.

He checked my eyes, my ears, my arms, etc. working around her the whole time. He never asked her to move or release my hand. Even when she was clearly in the way.

"I'm pleased. Everything looks good. I would like to keep you here for another week just so we can establish a PT routine and make sure nothing else arises. Kala, I will see you tomorrow at noon." He squeezed her shoulder as he said it and she nodded. The shoulder squeeze made me a bit angry, I didn't like that. The nurse cleaned up the cast mess and took the sling with her.

"I will come back after dinner to remove your leg cast."

It was the three of us alone then. Elaina walked up, whispered I love you and goodbye, hugged the both of us then she left as well. Leaving the two of us alone and me nervous.

I sat quietly staring at her as she stared at our intertwined hands. I wanted her to look at me so I could see her better. She looked up then and moved closer to me.

My breath caught in my throat. Her eyes were like liquid whiskey. Clear and strong, they seemed to see right through me. The splash of freckles across her cheeks and nose made me want to count them to know how many there were. Her button nose sat above full lips that I wanted to kiss. She smiled her face lighting with a joy that melted the uneasiness that had been sitting in my chest. She leaned forward and kissed me. Nothing.
I repeat nothing.
I must repeat one more time. Absolutely nothing. Could have prepared me for the intensity of that kiss. It seared through my soul and rocked it. She pulled back first because the monitor was going crazy.

A different nurse appeared, "Everything okay?" She asked walking to the monitor checking it. "Are you in pain?"

"No. I'm okay." I said turning my attention away from Kala.

The nurse nodded, "Should I mute the heart rate?"

"No!" Kala said immediately. "Maybe just turn it down. I don't want something to happen and you're not alerted."

The nurse nodded again, "Just page me if you need anything." When the door closed Kala removed her hand from mine. Getting out of the bed she left out.

I stared at the door not liking the emptiness she left behind. She returned ten minutes later with two bags and her phone. Setting the stuff down she came and sat back next to me. She scrolled through her phone and then put it on the nightstand.

"What do you want for dinner?" She asked.

"Anything is fine with me."

"You want me to call Tata tonight or would you rather wait until tomorrow?"

I stared at her stunned. She called my dad her dad?

"Whatever it is just tell me.... Please. I know something is wrong." She said her brown eyes pleading.

I wanted her to kiss me again. Just to confirm that I wasn't going crazy. That I knew her but at the same time I didn't. She leaned forward and waited for me to close the distance. I hungrily closed it and was grateful this time the monitor didn't interrupt. I drowned in the kiss. I had never kissed someone with such full lips before or someone so sensitive to my every need. I pulled away dizzy. She waited, watching me. She deserved the truth. I took a deep breath.

"I don't remember anything after 2010."