BAMBI

XXXIX

Prince held my hand tightly as he led the way into the already cramped room filled with monitors and other medical equipment. Jake, Aaron and their mother, Rhonda, sat in various chairs lining the room where Karen lay unconscious in a hospital bed. Her face was riddled with bruises and lacerations and her left arm was being held in a sling. Jake sat closest to her in a wheelchair, the entirety of his right leg surrounded by a bright white cast.

I stood frozen in fear, having not entered the space entirely, Prince's grip around my hand progressively getting tighter as Aaron's eyes refused to sway from mine. Aside from the years that had aged him since we last saw each other, he looked the exact same. Even the tousled, Morrissey-inspired hair he sported when we were married. "Hey Vivy." Aaron said, standing to his feet.

Hearing his voice, so soft, and seeing that warm expression I hadn't seen since well before I left him made my fears fade away quickly. It was obvious he wasn't the monster I walked out on, at least not at that moment. "Hey Aaron." I released myself from Prince's grip and gave my ex husband a sentimental hug. "How've you been?" I asked, our bodies still caught up in a tight embrace.

"Mmm... I'm good. So glad to see you."

When we finally parted a strange nostalgia filled the room. These people, Jake, Aaron and Rhonda played a major part in my life at one point. And as much as I didn't really like any of them, I once considered them family. So I greeted Jake and Rhonda cordially then introduced the three of them to Prince. I could tell by the way Prince studied Aaron that he knew who he was as soon as we walked into the room. But he greeted him as someone would with any other stranger.

Taking a seat across from Jake, Karen separating the both of us, I stretched out my left hand, intertwining her limp fingers within mine. Prince grabbed my right hand and without saying a word the both of us lowered our heads and said a silent prayer.

All I could hope for was that Karen was ok. The anger and hurt I'd felt earlier that day was far from my mind, all I wanted was to hear her voice, to watch her eyes tear up from laughter and to see a bright smile wash over her face.

Prince was right, a date was just a date and even if she did end up with Jake, I shouldn't be anything but happy for her. "She's gonna be ok Viv." Jake's meek voice blew over Karen's form. "The doctors just gave her a shitload of drugs. She's just knocked out."

"She is?" Admittedly, seeing her laying there unconscious I never thought of any other outcome but the worst.

"Yeah."

With that confirmation, a great weight lifted off of me. Prince's thumb ran over the back of my hand while I lowered my head and said another silent prayer, thanking god for answering my plea. My eyes were still closed when I felt Prince's lips fall against the side of my head before his arms pulled me close to him. "See... she's gonna be fine." His muffled voice spoke against my hair.

It was at that moment that I realized Aaron's eyes were still zeroed in on me. The corners of his mouth lifted mischievously as his orbs studied my whole body. "What?" I asked, playfully.

"Nothing." He said, "Just thinking about the time we went to the water park. You 'member?"

I bit my lip, unsuccessfully trying hide my smile. "Yeah... I remember you pushing me down that huge ass slide!"

"I didn't even touch you!" Aaron laughed, "Blame the guy that worked there."

"Well, all I remember is rolling through that tunnel, trying not to drown while my bikini top flew to god knows where."