Unconditionally

24

They both walked down the hall leading to the inpatient floor. They checked in at the nurses desk and were directed to a room with one bed and a huge window. She looked so much smaller than usual. The girls had cleaned her up and had braided her hair to make her look more presentable for cares. She looked plain, flat and grey in the hospital bed, a far cry from her natural glow. The loss of blood had caused the greyish tint in her skin color. There were many machines but she was not hooked up to all of them, the soft steady beep of the machine that indicated her heart was still beating was the only sound breaking the silence in steady intervals. Her arms were bandaged covering the evidence of her pain. "she looks so frail" Tom said sadness laced his tone. "It seems that way, but She is a force of nature, and sometimes nature falls too." Henry held her small hand in his and leaned in to kiss her forehead. His lips touched her cold skin but still burned at the contact. They moved to take seats in the room. She was sleeping and they knew she may not wake for very long. Tom watched Henry staring at her. This was love, true, unrelenting, ever consuming love and he had misused it. He watched with sadness as a tear fell from his rival's cheek, he had given up, he knew that. He was conceding for the well-being of the woman lying in front of them. They sat and waited in silence but the essence of ending lingered around Henry and Tom could feel it. he would be the one to catch Victoria when she fell, this is the task that Henry was leaving for him. It was unspoken but he knew this would be his responsibility now. A responsibility he wanted to take, he would take her all of her without a doubt, as he always intended, but what he wasn't sure of is if she wanted him, or at least as much as she wanted Henry.

Hours later She started to stir and gained her consciousness she still couldn't open her eyes for long. They felt heavy with sleep "Fuck I am such a moron" she whispered. "You aren't the only one, princess" she looked over to the figure by the window. A tear streamed down her cheek and he stood to wipe it from her face. "I'm so sorry Hank" he kissed her forehead "No love, I am, I did this to you and I ..." his face broke. He sobbed and covered his face she had seen him so many ways but never like this. "I almost lost you Victoria, you died.. In my arms, I thought you were dead" he was scared. "I'm right here Hank you didn't do this, my stupid badly wired brain did. this" she reached for his hand to comfort him. "I'm right here" he looked at her his hand caressing her face eyes filled with tears, those deep blue eyes with a hint a brown. They were magical. "Henry" she said reaching up to his face "I love you" he looked at her wide eyes. "I don't know if you love me but honestly it doesn't matter anymore. We have spent years doing this and I don't want to do this anymore. I love you Hank, you are in me.. In my veins in my brain in my every thought, you consume me. I love you so much, I am ready to do more with my life than just half live. I need more than half truth's and half love. I need what Tom is offering me, what he has always been giving me so freely. I've kept so much from him" She looked over at the sleeping man who was too tall for the small recliner and smiled. "I have been so scared to tell him and show him who I am and yet look at him. After everything he's seen he's here, waiting for me. He loves me Hank, I know he loves me because he shows me and tells me every single day. Isn't that what love is supposed to be?" She looked up at him eyes gleaming rimmed with unspilt tears. "Yes it is" he wiped the tears that were falling down her face. "It is and you deserve what he is giving you, you deserve to be loved, fully, publicly and daily" she smiled at him. She had clarity once again like she did every time she spiraled, she came back with the upmost clarity. "I am glad you are OK Victoria" Henry stepped back from her bed letting go of her hand. She knew what was coming, but she was ready. "Thank you for saving me." he looked at her after gathering his things. "Always" he kissed her forehead once again. "Be happy Vic" she smiled at him sadly. She knew that she needed to put him behind her, she didn't regret telling him, even though she knew that he would never say it back, she felt a weight lifted off her just saying it out loud. "Take care of yourself, remember no scary stunts ok?" he smiled as he walked to the door nodding his head.

He opened the door the light from the hall creeping in. There was no more tears and nothing left to say. He wanted to leave it like that, leaving the wound to close and heal in time but he couldn't. He turned around the light from the hall pooling in around him. "Thank you Victoria, you have been my best friend since the first time in the bathroom in Switzerland. Everything about you, the way you laugh, the way you dance in the kitchen. The fact that you love to go for night drives just to drive, and sing. How much you love Kal and how much he loves you. How when you read you feel every emotion as you go. That you cry when you watch sad movies. How much you love your sisters and your nieces. How hard you work You taught me to care for you and to cherish you, to make you happy. But because of our friendship I know you enough to know that you deserve happiness with that man right there. Because he was more than willing to give you everything that I can not. When I told him everything between us his only thought was to be with you, he is kind, and caring. He loves you Victoria. Because you are always worthy of love, we are the ones that aren't worthy of your love and kindness. " She smiled as a tear slipped down her face again. She wiped it away looking at Tom who had awaken without her noticing. He nodded at Henry and walked out of the door closing it behind him. She tried to get up to follow him but her body was weak and she was in too much pain. "Hes gone" "I know darling" she held on to Tom. "He's gone, like really gone" She wasn't going to break down this time She looked up at Tom tears streaming down her face but a smile on her face. She wasn't breaking down, she was moving on. "I love you Victoria" she smiled at him "I love you too" I'm sorry Tom, I'm sorry for all I kept from you. " Tom smiled "I know darling