Soul-Mates Forever

by Vicki Green

  “Beauty,” I cry. “Baby, stay with me. Don’t leave me now. God, not now! Please, don’t leave me.” I can barely see her with the flood of tears in my eyes. I jump when Hulk rushes up next to me, his fingers immediately pressing against her wrist, then her neck, checking for a pulse.

  He looks at me, his smile sad. “It’s there but really weak.” Turning his head over his shoulder, he yells, “Tell Joe to get the paramedic’s down here STAT!” Still pressing on the cloth, I look around to find several men, all dressed in black clothing, running around the place, two of them checking on Darndage and the others taking pictures of the scene. I quickly look back at my girl and pull the cloth back a bit. It’s still bleeding really badly. Tons of noise and commotion is going on around us. I’m abruptly pushed aside as the paramedics get to my girl. I try to get back over there but Hulk holds me back, his arms around me pinning my arms. “Man, let them do their work. She needs them now.”

  “I… I need to be near her.” I turn my head to him. “Please. I need to be there.” The tears now streaming down my face and drying quickly makes me wince as the salt meets my wounds. He nods slowly and gives me a sad look.

  “Tuck, I’m sorry. I know you want to be with her but you gotta let them help her. Stay with me. I’m here for you. Stay strong for her.”

  I relax in his arms but am almost numb with fear as I watch the paramedics work on my love. “Sir, let’s move over here and sit you down so I can take a look at your wounds,” a paramedic asks me blocking my view of my girl. I roughly push him aside and start towards the table when Hulk grabs me and hauls me over to a chair close by, sitting me down in it and squats down in front of me.

  “Look. You need to be cleaned up and tended to. When Pax wakes up she’ll need you and you will be passed out somewhere.” I look over at the table, at the people diligently working on her and then at her pale face. I turn back to Hulk as he taps my knee. “You’ll want to be strong for her. And… You look like shit. You’re gonna scare her.” He chuckles a bit and the corner of my lip moves up a little.

  Looking up at the paramedic, I nod and then look back at my girl. God, please take care of her. Please look out for our baby. I look up to the ceiling and wince. Please, please help them. As the paramedic starts cleaning out the wound on the side of my head, I almost pass out from the pain. Fuck that hurts! “Sorry. You have a pretty deep cut by your temple. Probably gonna need a few stitches there. I’m trying to be careful but it might sting a little.” Might? Holy shit! He turns my head to get to the wound better, and that gives me a clearer look as two men roll a gurney over by the table, and one of the paramedics cover Pax’s bloody body up with a blanket. Then I watch as two men lift her lifeless body and place it gently on the gurney, another one strapping her down. When they begin to roll her towards the stairs, I start to stand. A hand against my chest stops me, and I look at the paramedic. “Not yet, man. Almost done.” He looks over at the others and then back at me. “She’s in good hands. They’ll help her and treat her good and get her to the hospital fast.”

  I try to stand again, and both the paramedic and Hulk stop me. Looking at Hulk, I plead with him with my eyes. “I have to go with her. Let me go.”

  He looks at me and then at the paramedic. “Hey, let him ride with her. Come on, man. He’s been through a lot. Let him be with her.” He looks at me. “He’ll be quiet, not say a word, won’t interfere in any way.” I nod shakily. Looking back at the paramedic he asks again, “Let him be with her.”

  The paramedic stares at Hulk, then looks at me. I mouth ‘please’ at him with my brows creased. He starts cleaning my wounds again and then looks over his shoulder. “Hey! Guys! Hold the ambulance for one more, will ya?” The others stop and look at him, nod and then fold up the legs on the gurney, pick it up and start up the stairs.

  I place my hand on the paramedics stopping him from tending to me. “Thanks, man. Thank you.” He gives me a smile and gets back to business.

  By the time we get to the ambulance, Hulk is having to half hold me up. Damn, I feel weak. Can’t do this shit, gotta get to my girl. He helps me into the ambulance and the paramedic who was working on me steps in and helps to buckle my seat belt. He squats down beside me and checks the bandage he put on the side of my head. “Hey, look. When you get there, they’re gonna take her straight away. Don’t go getting all wild on them or they’ll sedate you. You understand me?” Blinking rapidly I nod. “Good. Let them finish tending to you. You’ll probably need some x-rays, might have a concussion and I know you’ll have to have that stitched up. Ok?” Shaking, I nod again. He stands, opens a compartment and covers me with a blanket. As he starts to leave I put my hand on his arm. He turns his head to me and smiles.

  “Thanks. Thanks for everything.” He pats my hand and then takes it and puts it under the blanket.

  “It’s my job but you’re welcome. Let’s hope we don’t meet anytime soon or ever again.” With that he winks and jumps off the back step.

  Laying my head back against the wall, I turn my head to keep an eye on my girl. My eyes are so heavy, so I figure why they keep a watchful eye on her, I’ll just close them for a minute.

  Damn, I wish someone would turn down the noise. Where’s Pax? What in the hell is she cooking, is that a blender? I open my eyes, blink a few times and see a low ceiling above me. There’s a loud humming noise that’s giving me a fucking headache, and it looks like I’m in some kind of a cylinder or something. What in the fuck is going on? I try to pull up my arm to get the fuck out, but it doesn’t budge. My heart starts to pump wildly, and I try to move my head to get a better look but can’t. “What the hell?”

  “Mr. Williams. We’re taking an MRI of your head to assess your injuries. Please hold perfectly still. We’re almost done. Thank you,” a female voice says through some speakers.

  “Um, ok, yeah. I need to see my fiancée. Like now!” I yell back. I try to pull my arms back, trying to get free but with no luck.

  “Sir. I’m sorry. You’re fiancée is in surgery and won’t be out for a couple of hours yet. Please lay still and we’ll get you into a room as quickly as we can.”

  WHAT? I start struggling more. “WHAT? Wait a minute. Surgery? What the hell for? Somebody better tell me what the fuck is going on with my girl.” There’s a commotion outside the machine and suddenly the bed starts moving forward. Quickly, I close my eyes as the bright light hits them almost blinding me. “Somebody better talk to me!” I feel a prick in my arm and open my eyes a slit to see a nurse standing there, concern on her face, and I look down to see her remove a needle. “DAMMIT! TELL ME ABOUT PAXTON! NOW!” God, that fucking hurt but I have to know! She smiles at me sadly and rubs my arm. My head starts to feel foggy, and I close my eyes once more.

  “Uhhhhh,” I moan. My mouth feels like there’s a cottonball stuck in it, and my head feels like it did that one time when I got so drunk I couldn’t remember where I was. Did I get drunk last night? I don’t remember. Blinking several times I try to open them, but they feel so heavy. I think I’ll keep them closed for a bit longer.

  “Tuck. Hey, man,” Hulk whispers somewhere close to me. “Don’t try to move or get riled up. They tell me you have a pretty bad concussion. Want some water?” Concussion? Where in the hell? I try to sit up but moan when I move my head. I feel a hand on my shoulder and something against my lips. “Here, take a sip but drink it slow.” I take a sip and then swallow. Fuck that tastes so good! I take a couple more sips, swallow and nod for him to take it away.

  My head is throbbing, but memories start coming in bits and pieces. My eyes open quickly and I look at Hulk sitting in the chair next to the bed. When I try to get up, the shooting pain in my head causes me to lay back down quickly, my hands holding my head. “Ahhhhowwww,” I moan.

  “Hey now. I told you not to move.” Hulks tells me matter of fact.

  “Pax,” I choke out through the pain.

  Just then the door opens and through the slit of my eyes, I watch Shane and Jess
ie walk into the room. “She’s out of surgery and in a recovery room but they won’t tell us anything,” Shane says as he stops at the foot of my bed.

  Jessie pats my leg and nods at me. “I called her parents. They’re on their way. Man, you look like shit. How’s the hard head?”

  Trying to sit up again, Hulk reaches over, gently pushes me back down and then hits a button on the railing. My bed starts to rise until I am halfway sitting and then stops. “That good enough or more? Is it hurting your head too much?” I close my eyes to try to get the throbbing to cease, but it’s no use. I just simply nod a little and reopen my eyes a bit and see him sit back down.

  “Surgery. Why?” I croak out. Shane walks around and pulls up another chair on the other side of me while Jessie sits on the foot of the bed. A machine behind me starts beeping.

  “Mate, she was bleeding pretty badly when she got here and they needed to stop it. She lost a lot of blood. She’s in recovery so that’s a good sign, right?” Shane fills me in. Taking my hand, I push the covers off me and try to get up. Shane, Jessie and Hulk are all on me in an instant and pushing me back down, Shane covering me back up. “Whoa, mate. You can’t get up.”

  My head is going to blow off my shoulders. The machine’s beeps start going off rapidly, which is not helping. A nurse runs in, looks at me and pulls out a needle, and does something behind me. No way can I turn my head to look.

  “There now. If you gentlemen can’t keep him calmed down, I’ll have to ask you to leave.” She pats my arm. “Your head will feel better in just a minute. Please, try to relax.”

  “If someone doesn’t get me answers about my girl, like now, I’m getting outta this bed and finding her. You got me?” I growl at the nurse.

  Her eyes go wide, and she nods jerkily. “I’ll just get the doctor.” She walks fast out of the room, and I look around at my friends. Shane is grinning. Jessie is smirking, and Hulk’s face is frowning and full of worry.

  It’s only a few minutes later when a doctor enters my room and walks over to the foot of the bed, pulls up a chart and then looks at me. “I’m Dr. Phillips. What can I do for you, young man?” I’m getting really sleepy and fight to stay awake.

  “Pa…” I say groggily.

  “Dr. Phillips. I’m Shane, Tucker’s best mate. He’s very concerned about his fiancée who was brought in at the same time as he was. She was in surgery and is now in recovery. Can you please give him an update? It would really ease his mind.” Shane speaks as he walks over to the doctor and shakes his hand.

  The doctor smiles at Shane and then looks back at me. “Oh, would that be Paxton Davenport?” I nod slightly at him. “I’m terribly sorry. I had no idea that was your fiancée. I understand her parents are on their way from Los Angeles?” I nod again. “Very well. Mr. Williams your fiancée lost quite a bit of blood and her wound needed to be closed internally. That was successful and she has received a blood transfusion as well. We will be moving her to a room shortly.”

  My eyes open and close until I can’t keep them open anymore. “The baby,” I whisper.

  * * *

  I’m floating. I’m weightless. I’m… Tuck! Opening one eye a little I see my dad sitting in a chair sleeping. Am I at home? I look over to the other side of me and find my mom sitting in a chair asleep. Ok, this is really weird. Now I sweep the room with my eye and find no others. Where’s Tuck?

  “Darling. It’s so good to see you awake. How are you feeling?” My mom says brushing some hair away from my face.

  “Mom? Am I sick?” She reaches for something next to me and then holds a straw to my mouth, her other hand holding a plastic cup. I take a sip. Water. I start sipping a little more and then push the straw out with my tongue. “Thank you. Mom, where’s Tuck?” The look on her face makes my heart race. A memory of him on his knees, tied up, with blood streaming down his face. His head hung over, and his hair falling down covering parts of his face. “Mom?” I ask a little louder.

  “Honey, Tuck is fine. Do you remember what happened?” I close my eyes, my brows creased as I try to remember. Another memory flashes. Darndage. My eyes open and blink quickly.

  “Oh, my God! I lost the baby, didn’t I?” Tears start flooding my eyes. My hand reaches out for my moms, and she holds it, patting the top of it with her other hand. “He… He… He killed my baby.” She grabs a couple of Kleenex and begins to wipe away the rain of tears on my face. “Where’s Tuck? He… He must be devastated.”

  “No, sweetheart,” she whispers as she continues to rub away my tears. “He’s in another room here in the hospital. He has a severe concussion but he will be just fine, honey.”

  I carefully move onto my side, pulling my legs up until I am in a ball and close my eyes. “I need Tuck, Mom. I need him so much,” I cry.

  She moves back some of my long hair from my face, tucking it behind my ear. “Shhhh, now. I’ll ask about him being brought here to you, my sweetheart. But the baby’s fine, honey. The baby is alive and well.”

  My eyes open quickly. My heart rate increases. A machine starts beeping loudly. A nurse enters my room and rushes to my side. “Do you need something for the pain, Miss Davenport?”

  Mom looks at me, and I shake my head. She turns to the nurse and smiles. “She’s just relieved to find out about her baby. But she’s deeply concerned about her fiancé, Mr. Tucker Williams? Is there any way he can be brought to her? It’s very important.”

  The nurse looks at me and then back at Mom. “Well, I just checked on Mr. Williams and I’m not sure he is able to be wheeled in here just yet. He has a severe concussion and really shouldn’t be moved. I’m sorry. I will give you updates as often as I can.”

  Just then my dad stands up and walks to the side where I can see him. “Nonsense. Get me the doctor now and if I have to I’ll get with the Chief of Staff or the CEO or whomever I need to speak with.” The nurse nods and asks Dad to follow her. I close my eyes and soon the world disappears.

  “Beauty. Baby, open your eyes.” I must be dreaming or I’m in bed at home and my sexy rocker is next to me, but I don’t feel him. “Come on, baby. Open your eyes for me, please?” I can feel his moist lips kiss my forehead and my eyes open to see his gorgeous face. I throw my arms around him and begin to cry. “Thank you, God. Oh, Pax! I love you so much!”

  The bed dips as he sits next to me, but I never let go. “Tucker! Oh, God. Tucker!” I cry. It feels like we stay this way for such a long time, but I can’t let go and it seems he can’t either. I kiss his cheek and then his bruised one carefully. “I love you, sexy. I love you so much!”

  He finally bends down, causing me to lay my head against the pillow. Crawling over me, he lies down beside me, wincing as he tries to get comfortable, and I slowly turn on my side, wrapping my arm around his waist. His arm pulling me closer, and I lay my head on his shoulder. “Don’t ever leave me.” My eyes look up at him to find his eyes are closed but a smile on his beautiful face. “Will they kick you out of here for being in bed with me? I don’t want you to leave. I can’t…”

  “No, beauty. Your dad talked to them and they brought my bed in here. I’ve been here with you for a few hours now. Now, get some rest. I’m never leaving you again.” Smiling I nestle my head into his shoulder more, sigh and close my eyes. “Never again,” he whispers.

  Opening my eyes again I look up to find his eyes are still closed, his breathing light and my heart swells with the love I have for him and am so thankful we are both still alive. “The baby,” I whisper. My body moves a little when I feel him stir, his eyes opening a slit while his arm tightens around me.

  “The baby is very healthy, beauty. Thank, God both of you are finally safe.” His lips press against my head and rests there.

  I sigh, remembering my mom had told me that earlier, and snuggle into him again but my mind won’t shut off. “And Darndage? Where… Where is he?” I shudder when I think that he could still be out there.

  He looks down at me as I look up as his arm squeezes me ti
ghter still. “He’s dead. You’re safe now, my love. We’re all safe.” He winces as he rests his head against mine again. “Try and get some sleep now. Nothing will ever happen to you again. Sleep, beauty.”

  With the relief flowing through me, my eyes close and I feel like I can finally be at peace.

  The next time I open my eyes I look up to see my parents standing there. It’s pretty dark in the room, so they are a shadow in the little light that’s in here. “Hey, sweetheart,” my dad whispers. I raise my head and look at Tuck and smile when I see he’s asleep. I look back at my parents to find Mom looking at Tuck as well. “We’re gonna go to a hotel but we’ll be here bright and early in the morning. Allie called and told me to tell you that she will be here tomorrow too. She’s been checking up on you and Shane came to see Tucker today.” He clears his throat. “You have any trouble with the staff about Tucker being here and you call me.” Smiling I nod and can’t help the tears in my eyes.

  “Thanks, Dad. Thanks so much. I’m so glad you’re both here.” I lay my head back down. His shoulder feels so warm and comfortable.

  Mom brushes some hair away from my face, leans down and kisses my cheek. “You get some good rest for you and our grandchild. I love you, darling.” Nodding, a tear escapes my eyes and rolls down my cheek. Mom rubs it away and kisses my cheek again.

  “I love you both too. Thank you so much for coming here and staying with me. I can’t tell you how much I’m thankful that you were able to get Tuck in here,” I whisper as I sniff. Mom hands me a Kleenex and tells me good night. Then Dad leans over, kisses my nose and tells me goodnight as well. Once they leave, I snuggle into my sexy rocker and thank God again for keeping us all safe.

  “But I can rest at home and so can Tuck. Why not?” I whine at my mom the next day. I want to be in our own bed, in our own house. This bed is so small and we can’t get comfortable. Ugh!