Indigo Blues 🪼✔

18 - Misconception Meltdown

*DELILAH*
I woke with a start and looked around, unaware of where I was. I mumbled to myself when I saw that I was in the hospital. I looked over and found Tannus back in the room, his hand clutching the zebra a brought him for dear life and he was breathing peacefully. I was so afraid that something might happen that I took an aspirin and fell asleep in the two hours that it took to do surgery on him. It was strange to see him without the mound in his midsection, just flatness.
I rubbed my eyes and got up to go see how he was doing. Even though his hands show something different, I can tell he's more at peace. I grabbed his free hand, unclenching it from a balled fist and rub it gently. I hate the fact that what I thought might be a passing fancy has turned into full blown love all over again. I hated feeling this way... But now was as good a time as any to do what I have always and never wanted to do.
I stood up and bent down into his ear.
"I love you, Tannus Bracken. I have always been in love with you for almost fifteen years."
He didn't say anything and I sighed, happy to have finally gotten that burden off my chest. It was a secret that I had kept hidden for a long time for fear that he would reject me and since he was out cold, how could he do anything? It was all in the clear. Plus, he was unconscious so me most likely wouldn't have heard me.
Tannus stirred and I thought maybe he would wake up.
I wish he had.
"I hate you, Delilah... I hate what you did to me. I hate you so much, you don't even know..."
The lump in my throat kept me from swallowing as I backed away from him. He hated me so much that he actually talked about his hatred in his sleep? He couldn't just let me down to my face... he just had to embarrass me over and over and over! After everything that has happened and everything I did to try and help him...
I grabbed my coat and stormed out of the hotel room, running full into Johnsie.
"Whoa, Delilah, where are you going?"
"I knew it was too good to be true!"
"What? What do you mean?"
"He hates me. He's always hated me. Let me go!" I growled as he tried to keep me from leaving.
"Delilah-"
"Let. Me. Go!" I screamed.
He moved his arm and I got out as fast as I could go.

*JOHNSIE*
Shit... Shit, shit, shit! Tannus will be horrified when he wakes up. What the hell was he doing anyway?! Saying stuff like that!
I walked in but found that he was fast asleep. So he said it in his sleep? That was not good. I didn't know what I was supposed to do and so I tried to go after Delilah.
I got to her right before she drove off and I slammed into her window. She jumped and rolled the window down.
"Are you insane?" she asked.
"Are you? What the hell, woman! What happened?"
"I told you. Tannus hates me."
"It was in his sleep, Delilah."
"The fact that he can say he hates me in his sleep is even worse! Why didn't he just stop!? Why did he have to lead me on?!"
"Delilah, there something I have to tell you-"
"I don't want to hear it. I'm leaving. Goodbye, John."
She sped off and I watched her leave the parking lot. I kicked air and growled.
"Damn it!" I screamed, walking back into the hospital.
Tannus would not be happy.

*TANNUS*
When I opened my eyes, I thought that I was going to see Delilah holding my hand but all I found was the zebra she bought me. I looked at and it and touched it on the nose, since it was so cute. I had to say it brought a smile to my face. But I didn't see her anywhere and I wondered where she was. She told me she would wait...
Johnsie walked in and I noticed he looked very flustered and sweaty, like he'd been running.
"Johnsie?" I said softly, turning to him.
He looked at me and trudged over, a look of anger on his face.
"What the hell, Tannus?! What is your problem?"
"Huh?"
"Delilah just ran off."
"Why?"
"Because you said you hated her in your sleep."
I looked at him in confusion when I realized what had happened. I sat up quickly and then sank back down when I felt the hitch in my stomach. I gasped slightly and then pulled the gown up so I could see the incision. It was a scar across my torso that was ugly and tied together with suture. The skin around it was deflated looking and I grimaced at its sight. A workout is in the near future... I reminded myself and then went back to the issue at hand.
"I wasn't talking to her. I was having a dream about the baby..."
"Yeah well, whatever you were muttering was told straight to Delilah. She thinks that you've always hated her. I don't know where she went."
"Call her!" I growled, putting my hand over my stomach.
"I've tried. She won't pick up. Tannus, she's gone..."
"No... NO !!!!" I screamed, throwing the zebra halfway across the room.

It hurt my stomach to yell but it hurt my heart more to know that she thought I hated her. I never meant for her to hear that. She wasn't supposed to think that way. Dammit! I loved her!

And now she's gone...

Three days passed and I called Delilah every hour on the hour and when she didn't just stop me from calling, I would leave a message on her voicemail. I never received a call back and I was beginning to get really pissed off. Sometimes the woman could be so overdramatic. I mean, come on! It was sleep talking...I didn't know she was standing there...
I pushed the food from the hospital from me harshly, making the table roll away and the juice fall over. Johnsie came in and found me with my head in my hands as I tried to figure out a way to get a hold of her.
"Tan?"
"Did you get her?"
"I did but Rose said she's not answering her phone calls either. She said that she probably turned the phone off and most likely won't turn it back on."
I sighed, kneading my temples. "That woman..."
"You spilled your juice." Johnsie said, righting the cup and trying to clean it up.
I side glanced him and sighed harshly, really pissed off at her for running away from me.
"Oh, Tannus, your zebra is way over here on the floor..." Johnsie said, handing the zebra back to me.
I looked at it and remembered what Delilah said as I was wheeled away and I chucked the zebra at the opposite side of the room as hard as I could. Johnsie almost got hit in the head with it but moved out of the way before it chucked him in the head. He picked it up again and I breathed in deeply, putting my finger up to stop him.
"If you give me that damned zebra again, I will literally pull it's fracking head off. I don't need her shit."
I hissed at the pull on my stitches in my torso and touched my hand to my stomach.
"You've become really cranky..." Johnsie said softly; I almost didn't hear him.
I looked up at him and saw that his face was firm but there was something different about his eyes. They weren't in tears but a sense of dread and worry had filled them. I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair.
"I don't mean to scare you, Johnsie."
"You are though. This is how my dad got started when my mom left... I just..."
"I know... I would never hurt you, John, and you know that."
He nodded and sat the little zebra on the bed side table.
"Are you going to continue searching for her? Rose said that she's not at the house; her stuff is gone but she left the bed."
I just stared at the floor and shrugged, not wanting to get mad again. I hated myself for losing her and I hated her for taking everything so damned seriously. Why did it always do this? I memory I had tried to forget crept up to the fore in my mind but I vigorously tried to push it away. There was no time for that...
I'd find her...
And when I do, she'll never be able to get away from me again.