Always Only You (Rewriting)

13|Tredecim

Today my forest is dark. The trees are sad and all the butterflies have broken wings

-Unknown

Leah's Pov:

The flimsy hospital gown made me shiver as it hung loosely to my body. The doctor told us not to worry about the surgery because it would be a 93% success, and I tried not thinking about the 37% chance that the operation might go wrong.

"There isn't anything to be afraid of," Ryan softly whispered as he squeezed my cold clammy hands tightly in assurance and I forced myself to smile as I lay in the bed, waiting for the doctors to prep for my surgery.

"Besides, I'm sure it will be over in no time," he adds as he tucks a strand of stray hair behind my ear. After that meeting with the doctor, I felt Ryan fuss over me a hundred times more.

I don't understand why he feels apologetic after hearing the story for the first time from my mouth.

"I'm sorry," he whispers as softly.

I place a hand on his cheek, grazing the stubble that shows that he hasn't shaved for a few days. "You don't have to apologize, it isn't your fault."

"Oh," was all he said, after I told him about the man in the yellow tie. He said nothing after that, and seemed deep in thought. His behaviour started to get weird after that.

"What's wrong?" I finally ask, tracing my fingers across the single crease between his brows, a sign that shows that he is deeply troubled about something.

I've told him multiple times about how frowning always adds more wrinkles to a person's face and so I press the fold and pull his cheeks up, "You are handsome when you smile," I tease him, trying to lighten the mood when suddenly he grabs my hands and I feel his soft lips on my slightly chapped ones.

"You know that I love you, right?"

I bite my lip and nod shyly, "Always."

Our moment is then interrupted by a tap on the door, I hear it creak open. "Are you ready for your surgery Miss?" The nurse asks as she straps a cuff around my arm as she proceeds to take my blood pressure. I feel it tighten and my mouth goes dry.

"I am," I say as hear her scribbling furiously on her clipboard

I hear another set of footsteps, "Is she ready for  the surgery, Debrah?" I hear Dr. Thomas ask, his voice making my heart beat erratically as I realize that the time for my surgery is near. The doctor told us the surgery would take a minimum of at least 5 hours.  

After a few weeks of bed rest I'll be able to see again.  I'll finally know what he looks like.

I hold Ryan's hand as I feel them wheel me towards the operating room. "I'm scared," I confess and I feel his hold loosen. There are many possibilities, what happens if the operation is a failure? I have hear that people die on the table due to heart attacks. Paranoia seeps in as I approach the theatre.

"It will go well, don't worry," he whispers and I feel his lips on my hand. 

I feel a stray tear fall down my face, "Wait for me, okay?" I call out as the nurses tell him that he can't enter.

"I love you," I hear him say before I feel myself being wheeled inside.

A mask is put over my mouth and I hear the shuffling of feet and the constant beep of the machines. I hear a voice bedside me, "It's okay, don't be nervous. Take a deep breath and count back wards from ten."

I nod slowly and before I get to 5, I feel my eyelids go heavy and before I realize it, I'm drifting off to a slumber that I hope I wake up from soon.

***

"I think the operation was successful, it's been three weeks already and after doing some scans I think it's time to take off these bandages," the nurse states and she places the clipboard down on the bed.

I feel a gentle squeeze on my arm, a small assurance that everything was going to be fine. My aunt and sister had found me the moment I was wheeled into a room after my surgery I was engulfed into hugs as my family sobbed for me. My aunt told me that someone had called and informed her about me, she was apprehensive at first but decided to check it with Lily, and she is relieved she made that decision.

There's no doubt in my mind that this was Ryan's doing.

I feel the cloth that was tightly bound to my eyes slowly loosen and as I feel it removed from my face the nurse gently taps my shoulder, "You can open your eyes now, Leah."

I'm nervous. So many questions swarm in my head. What if the surgery was a failure? I'm scared, but I slowly open my eyes anyway as I clutch the edge of my bed.

The faces of my Aunt, Uncle and Lily smiling at me are the first I see as soon as I open them. Aunt May has little wrinkles around her eyes and her hair is turning a little grey at the roots. Nevertheless, she's still beautiful. Lilly on the other hand has turned into such a beautiful young lady with her blonde hair cropped into a Bob while her brown eyes shine with tears at the corner of them.

The Doctor steps in, "The bandages are off I see." He takes out his torch and inspects my eyes before signing something on the clipboard that the nurse hands him. "The results are great and I'm pleased to tell you that you can leave the hospital by tomorrow morning."

His mouth turns into a smile, displaying dimples that I notice for the first time. I nod. "Thank you," I say before he walks out of the room.

"Honey, I have so much I need to ask you-" she starts.

"Where's Ryan?" I finally ask as my eyes scan the room, the walls suddenly looking grey and their faces slowly blurring as I feel my eyes well up with tears. "Where is he?" I scream as my sobbing turns louder as I taste the saltiness on my lips.

I never questioned anything, I figured he had some work to do and had to leave abruptly, and that's the reason he left me with my family. How long do I have to wait for him?

He was the main reason I wanted to get the surgery and he isn't here with me.

The rest of the evening, my sister fusses around me, braiding my hair and showing me pictures of her friends.

"This is my boyfriend," she shyly says and I look at the picture of her with a tall brown eyed boy who was smiling at her as they were dressed in formals. It looked like prom. The look in his eyes as he stared at my sister in her blue gown was filled with love and adoration for her.

I smile as I flip through the pictures, "That's nice."

"I met your boyfriend too," she cuts in. I look up at her in surprise. "He was nice. He loves you very much. He told us to take good care of you."

I smiled sadly, "Ah, I see. I wished he had said goodbye though." I feel my chest getting heavy and my sister engulfs me into a hug as I start bawling my heart out again.

"W-what?" I stutter as I sign the discharge papers, my eyes falling on the bill. I couldn't pay the price for the surgery even if I had to sell one of my kidneys. "How will I pay this?" I sigh, wondering if Ryan had left me because I was going to be swimming in debt.

My Uncle Fin who stands next to me while helping me with the papers leans over and gasps at the numbers with a dazed expression on his face. "We could probably take out a loan?" he suggests as he recovers from the initial shock.

"It's already been paid in full, you just have to sign here." The lady says as she hands me a pen.

"W-who paid for it?" I ask in disbelief and she hands me the check that was pinned to it.

In cursive and elegant writing it spelt-
L. Alexander.

A/N:
I can't believe I haven't updated in a while. I'll make sure to complete this book soon! Make sure to vote and comment if u enjoyed it!