Say you love me

Part 41

Chris opened her eyes, and looked around at the white sterile hospital room. She was so out of it she barely noticed John kneeling beside her, kissing her slack hands as his tears ran down her wrists.
"Chrissy, oh baby, you're okay. You're okay," John whispered as she moaned. Everything hurt.

She tried to speak, but couldn't. She looked at the water pitcher on the table next to her until John got her message. He poured her a cup of water and held it to her lips. She sipped gingerly, wincing. Even drinking hurt. "Where's Pearl? Where is she?" Chris whispered hoarsely. 

"The doctors are still checking her over," John said as he set the cup on the table. Christine felt the familiar waves of regret beating against her chest like a hammer. "Oh, John," she said, her voice thick, "she just wanted to listen to her tape,  why didn't I let her? This is all my fault!" Her voice broke as tears ran down her face and stung her cut cheeks and lips. "It wasn't your fault Christine, you were hit by a drunk driver!"

"But now our baby's hurt! I can't lose another one, John, I can't!" Chris cried harder, her hands over her face as if she were ashamed. She cried and cried, inconsolable.

I can't lose her, I can't. I need her, she's my baby, my girl.

Knock knock knock. The doctor, a tall, grandfatherly man came in holding a clipboard and a shiny chrome stethoscope around his neck. Before he could say a word, Christine said through her tears, "Is my daughter okay?" The doctor was startled, he didn't expect such a loaded response from such an injured patient. Seeing her tears, he considered his words carefully. "Mrs. Mcvie, Pearl is fine, just a broken leg and a few cuts. In a few weeks she'll be as right as rain. One of the nurses lent her her Joni Mitchell tape." Chris smiled weakly and sadly, bad news but good.

"As for you," he continued. "You can probably already tell your nose is broken, and have several cuts on your face, but nothing extremely serious, though you may have scars. Later we'll want to do some tests to make sure you have no internal bleeding, but otherwise you're in the clear." 

"What about my teeth?" Chris ran her tongue over the jagged edges of her once beautiful front teeth.
"Well, you'll have to take that up with your dentist," the doctor started. "When can I see my baby?" Chris's words cut like crystal. "As soon as you're feeling up to it."

With that, the doctor left, shutting the door behind him. John wasted no more time after that, taking out the ring box he still had in his pocket, he took Chris's hand. Opening up the box, he took out the small diamond ring and gently slid it onto her left pinky. Chris stared at him, speechless. "Chris, I love you and I love Pearl. I never want to be away from you two ever again, as long as I live. Will you remarry me?"
She smiled, then winced. It hurt her lips when she smiled. Saying nothing, she nodded ever so slightly.