Exposed

Chapter 1

It stood out like nothing else.

All big and brown.

It looked so vicious, so ugly.

Her finger traced down it slowly before she jerked away from her own touch.

It made her shutter at the contact.

Tears pricked at her eyes, but disappeared as quickly as they came. She was lucky.

Luckier than most.

"You aren't supposed to be out of bed." His familiar voice spoke.

She turned to see him standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame casually as he studied her.

She wasn't sure how long he had been standing there, but she wouldn't have been surprised if he had been there the entire time.

Slowly she dropped her hospital gown, letting it cover the ugly scar that rested on the bottom corner of her stomach.

Her arms encircled her stomach, her eyes looking back into the mirror as Justin came up behind her.

She closed her eyes, feeling his arms wrap around her arms from behind, his face resting where her neck and her shoulder meet.

"You weren't supposed to unwrap it." He scolded lightly. "I can't even leave you alone for five minutes."

"I wanted to look at it." She breathed.

Justin pecked her shoulder covered by the night gown. "It will fade." He promised.

"Not soon." She replied.

His arms tightened around her as she opened her eyes to see him looking right back at her through the mirror.

"I think that scar is beautiful. It signifies that you're alive, that you're strong."

Alexis turned her head, her face burying itself in his neck instead.

She felt his arms wrap beneath her to lift her in the air but she didn't protest.

She felt him walk towards the bed, laying her down gently before settling himself beside her.

Alexis clinged to him, her hands griping at his shirt.

"How much longer?" she whispered.

"Two maybe three days." He replied, his lips pressing down on her forehead.

She whimpered softly in protest. "Today. I want to go home today."

Justin reached over, his finger pressing on the nurse button by the bed.

"I know, I know." He replied. "I'll talk to Doctor Bates."

"When?" Alexis questioned.

"When visitation hours start and everybody gets here to watch you."

Alexis rolled her eyes, yet still being careful to not let Justin see.

"I'm not going to try and break out of the hospital Justin."

Justin chuckled softly. "I know you won't. I'd just rather not leave you alone."

"They took out my appendix, not my heart. I won't slip into a coma or die if you're gone for more than five minutes."

Justin's arms gripped her a little tighter. "I know." He whispered.

He still remembered clearly how the doctors told him that her appendix had been shredded by the knife. When they told him they would have to remove it he didn't know what further risks it would put Alexis and the baby at. But he knew an appendix she could life without. Any higher up and the knife could have caused even more untold damage.