Stealing Kisses

Chapter 12

Tim POV: 

Faith sits in the hospital with me, although I've urged her to leave multiple times. She just sits in a chair against the wall, thumbing through a magazine she bought in the gift shop, occasionally sipping on some coffee she grabbed from the cafeteria. The emergency room has been insanely busy tonight, so we aren't really sure what's going on yet, since it's only been nurses taking blood and urine tests. I just want to go home, but Faith wouldn't let me leave. 

I roll onto my side, facing away from her. I'm kind of frustrated that she won't leave. I'm an adult, and I can take care of myself. She doesn't need to stay and babysit me all night. I watch her in the reflection of the window we both face, noticing her looking at me with a saddened expression. She looks back down at her magazine, turning the page. 

"Mr. McGraw?" A man says, causing me to roll back over, noticing a doctor now standing in the room. Faith lies her magazine down on the chair beside her, seeming eager to hear what he has to say. "Ma'm, would you like to step out into the hall for a moment?" He says to her, causing her to look at me. I nod, watching her stand up and leave the room. She leaves the door cracked, which means she's absolutely trying to listen in. "From your toxicology reports, we noticed a significant amount of oxycodone in your blood." He says, reading through my charts. 

"Was it an overdose?" I ask, surprised by what he's saying. I took two pills while I was in the bathroom, which isn't anything extreme for me. He shakes his head. 

"No, however, there is extreme damage to your liver, so your body is struggling to process things, such as oxycodone. The degree of damage is alarming, Mr. McGraw." He says, as I lean my head back into the pillows behind me. "I would highly recommend you stop drinking and taking medication like oxycodone. I can give you a referral to a rehab, if you--" He starts before I put up my hand. 

"Thanks, but I'm fine. Do I need to sign to check out, or..." I let out, causing him to frown a little. He pulls out a discharge form from the file, handing it to me slowly. I sign it without an ounce of hesitation, before handing it back. A nurse walks in and takes out my IV, as the doctor reads through my care instructions. 

"Make sure you keep up with the fluids. That'll help some of this exit your system. Also, please stay away from the alcohol and meds, alright?" He says, trying to press it further into my head. I nod absentmindedly while putting on the shirt I came in. He leaves the room quietly, allowing me to finish getting dressed. I walk out into the hall, causing Faith to stand. 

"So?" She asks, as if she really wanted to know. I shrug, tightening my watch. 

"Just dehydrated." I lie, but I can tell she doesn't buy it. "I'm going to call Rob to come pick me up. Is Dan up to take you back?" I say, taking out my phone. She takes a deep breath, looking down the hall, before shaking her head. I sigh, looking down at Rob's number on my phone. 

I sit in the passenger seat, while Rob's continuously looking in the rearview mirror at her. He nervously taps the wheel, before glancing toward me. He opens his mouth to speak, before shutting it, knowing that the situation is far too complex for small talk. 

"Am I headed the right way?" He asks, looking into the rearview. Faith nods while looking out the window quietly. "On the left?" He questions, as she clears her throat. 

"Yep, that'd be it." She releases, as he pulls up to a large house in a dense neighborhood, full of gated mansions. She collects her things, before propping the door open. "Let me know if you need anything, alright?" She says quietly, before getting out and shutting the door gently. She pushes in a code for the gate, before walking inside. A few moments later, the gate shuts behind her, causing Rob to unleash. 

"What the fuck is going on, Tim?" He bursts out, as if the suspense were killing him. I rub my forehead as he pulls back onto the road. "I mean, you went from calling her a bitch, to having her sit with you in the hospital? And then the thing in the press about your midnight diner date..." He rambles, as I lean back in the seat. 

"You wouldn't believe me." I reply, looking out the window. He pulls over his suv, putting it in park on the side of a rural road. 

"Try me." He challenges. I debate telling him something false, but I want to hear his opinion. 

"When she found me at riverside park, she grabbed my arm to keep me from walking away, and when she did..." I continue, before running out of words to describe it. "I saw these memories appear in front of my eyes, as if I were living them. I mean, years of memories, but the hitch is that they weren't really memories, because they never happened." I run on, before glancing toward him. He sits with his mouth hanging open, like he's either stunned or worried. He begins to rub his forehead, before sighing. 

"Are you on drugs or something?" He lets out, making me roll my eyes. "You understand that you sound insane... I mean, you have to." He says, looking at the road once more, like he's ready to start driving once more. 

"She saw it too. It was just..." I stop myself, as he seems to grow a little more invested. "I think it was memories of what would've happened had we fallen in love... and I mean, it's... it's deep stuff. And ever since then, at random parts of my day, I'll just get these memories of her... and she's been having memories of me. I mean, me at four years old." I continue, while he rubs his eyes. 

"Tim... I..." He says, while staring out the windshield. He puts the car in drive once more, seeming to be over the conversation. 

"I know it sounds crazy," I start. 

"It is crazy." Rob remarks, making me cringe. "You're telling me that this woman you hardly know has some cosmic connection to you, and that you're both suddenly tuned in to each other's memories... Do you not see how absolutely ludicrous that sounds?" He pipes out, while I shut my eyes. 

"Listen, you don't have to believe me. You asked me to tell you, and I did." I digress, while watching the shadows pass outside of the window.