Treacherous Love

A Piece of the Puzzle

Walking into the dimly lit hospital room I started wringing my hands together and I bit my lip. I could hear the alerts of the machines he had hooked up to him. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as I made my way closer to the bed. Our favorite tv show "House" was playing on the large flatscreen hooked up to the wall and his bed was turned slightly (I assume) so that he could see the view from the large bay windows.

"Ahum ahum...." I cleared my throat so that I could announce my entrance. I wasn't exactly sure how to address him at this point, or honestly even if he would want to see me. He didn't turn his head to me and that kinda stung for a quick moment until I saw the shape he was in. As I finally made it to the front view of him my chest felt suddenly tight, my jaw dropped and my eyes grew three times as big. I was literally speechless! Malik was a handsome man and to see him like this was ridiculous. I felt like shit! "What the fuck are you here for?!" Out of all the different ways I expected this to go in my mind that statement was far from anything I imagined. My eyebrows knit together and I closed my lips tightly and lowered my head a hit to calm the tears that I felt coming on. I concentrate on my breathing because although his words were harsh he was like this because of me and I had to understand and be patient with him. "Rai" His voice (though I could still hear the harshness of it) was low and shaky, almost as if he wanted to yell at me but was being strangled so it wouldn't come out clearly. Slowly I raised my head to meet his swollen and battered face. He wore a neck brace, his nose had some sort of gauze on it, there was a patch covering his left eye with bandages covering the majority of his cheek and jaw. There were bruises that covered the right side of his face and a small bandaid above his right eye near his eyebrow. "I...just...just needed...to..umm... to know...to know that you were umm... " I stuttered but couldn't complete the sentence when my gaze left his face and dropped to his arm which was in a sling and bandages covered the hand that Maurice ordered to have mutilated. "I don't need your fucking pity now!! I could've used your help when the bastard wa...." He began sounding strained and suddenly burst out in a violent coughing fit. My eyes widened and I rushed over to where the water pitcher and cup with a straw was sitting on the side table. Leaning very gently on the side of the bed I pressed the straw to his lips, and watched him drink like a fish out of water. Once the cup was drained I set it back down watch him try to gather control with his eyes closed. His good hand was balled into a fist and his chest rose quickly. I could tell there were gauzes or bandages under the hospital gown near his stomach. He had washboard abs but the area was raised so it looked like he had a large belly. I wanted to look or ask, but decided not to. The covers were neatly folded back over his right ankle that revealed a large boot holding a bandaged foot. His other leg was suspended in the sir with a cast from his mid thigh all the way to his ankle.
I shuttered as the image popped in mind of that night and to see him laying here like this. I closed my eyes for a moment and took a few deep breaths as I tried to push the sounds of our combined screams from my mind. Once I regained my composure and I opened my eyes, he was staring at me with tears running down his face. I wanted to wipe his tears away, to hug him and kiss him, but where could I touch that wouldn't hurt? "Oh Malik" I grabbed his balled up fist and kissed the back of it. I rubbed it gently and we stared into each others eyes. The beeping sound if the machines told me that his heart rate had decreased from a few moments ago and his body had visibly relaxed. "Ok Mr.Dontelli, time for your...oh I apologize, I was unaware that he had visitors."