The Runaway

Twelve: Mr. Snowman

"I need you to see,
This love was meant to be.."

—

1988.

Modena, Italy.

The cries of Prince's fiancée as he held her body in place at the discretion of a medical professional after their third failed attempt at lumbar anesthesia, played over and over in his mind. The couple's last full morning in Modena had consisted of an hours long trip to the Emergency Room for pain management that went south when the numbing agent failed.

She hadn't spoken to him since.

The procedure in itself took her pain away, but the after effects of feeling everything with nobody listening as she asked them to stop, for the man she loved to let her go, was a struggle for her to come to terms with when she stood in the shower all alone. The melody of old records played outside the door.

Before leaving the hospital, she agreed on a pain management plan that consisted of pain pills and lollipops that slowly released a drug called Fentanyl when consumed. Her body screamed for sleep each time she nodded off, but she refused to let the drugs do their job.

She heard the door open and the smell of his cologne. The click of his heels against the tiled floor and she smiled, briefly opening her eyes to see a beautiful bouquet of flowers sitting in the vanity. "Who are those for?" His fiancée asked teasingly, turning off the shower and wincing every time she rubbed her body to dry off. "Your secret admirer?"

Glancing in the mirror at her reflection after the door shut, Prince smirked. "Please, the women I had before my wife didn't deserve flowers. They barely deserved my time." Continuing to stare, he grabbed the bouquet and turned around, his eyes trailing down her body before his eyes met hers. "These are for my wife..have you seen her anywhere?" He asked, jokingly moving her over so he could look in the shower.

"I haven't. But I've seen your fiancée." She said softly, kissing his lips when he turned back around to properly face her. "And she thinks these are beautiful."

Prince smiled and handed them to her, watching as she smelt them and sighed happily before putting them on the vanity again. "Thank you amante." Very slowly bringing her into his embrace, the legend mumbled a response as he kissed her cheek.

"Get in the bath with me." Prince said, finally pulling away. "I promise I won't touch you. Please? I've missed this." He was sincere, truthful as she nodded and bent over to stop the drain up.

"That's why you can't sit, isn't it?" As clear as day was a knot as big as a dime on his fiancée's tailbone, as well as two smaller ones above it. "Baby.."

Averting the subject, Prince's fiancée began unbuttoning his shirt, doing his belt next as he watched with a look she didn't quite understand. While the water ran, she was waiting for him to do the rest, but he didn't. Instead, he stood in front of her and stared at her face.

"I have to show you what I got. I spoke to Doctor Adgar and she gave me different suggestions." She mumbled lightly, walking out of the room for a moment's time and returning with a bag. Inside was an assortment of different colored items that Prince scoffed at from inside the tub.