A Masterpiece Unraveled (The Masterpiece Trilogy Book 2)

by Nikki Lynn Barrett

  "What's happening? Please tell me!" Becca cried. The young female nurse she'd made friends with bolted into the room toward her.

  "We need to get you out of here," the woman insisted.

  "No! I can't leave him! What's happening?"

  A curtain was pulled around Hunter's bed. There was so much commotion. She heard someone say "Charge".

  It dawned on her. The code blue. The beeping. The room number. The nurse tugged on her arm once again, dragging her away from the only man who understood her fears and dreams.

  Hunter was fading.

  Outside the door, Becca fell apart. Her knees wobbled and she slid down the wall to the floor.

  She needed to see his smile again. The way his eyes lit up when he stared at her. Becca loved his reactions to her paintings. Each time he had such genuine feelings about what she'd created. Hunter had this way about him that caught her off guard so many times, but in a good way.

  He was supposed to beat this stupid thing! He had to beat it.

  "I should have pushed harder to keep you home, or I should have come with you," Becca sobbed. Painful cries hit her chest, making it hard to breathe. She just couldn't calm down.

  They had so much time ahead of them. He couldn't leave her! He just-.

  He wasn't supposed to go like this!

  The ring box fell from her fingers and hit the ground. Becca covered her face with her hands and begged for mercy, begged for the universe to spare the man she needed in her life.

  Chapter Thirty One

  "He's stable for now. That was one hell of a close call."

  Becca wasn't sure how much time passed. She raised her head. Her vision blurred from the tears and she let out another series of hiccups. She covered her upper chest as they came out. Damn, they hurt.

  The doctor who'd said that wasn't even talking to her. They left the room and walked right past. To her right was the nurse who must have been by her side the entire time.

  "H-he's alive?" Becca whispered, still afraid of the answer.

  Becca finally noticed her name tag. Her name was Beth. She nodded, reaching out to help her to her feet. "He's alive."

  "I need t-to see him." She couldn't quit the stuttering.

  "I know you do. Why don't we go down to the cafeteria and get something to eat? I promise I'll get you back in there afterward." Beth's eyes were full of compassion as she aided her.

  Blinking, Becca stared back at the room. "Just a peek? I- I need to see for myself." No way could she walk away right now without looking at Hunter. She needed this.

  Beth twisted her hair around her finger, glancing between the nurses station and Hunter's room. "A quick peek. Go."

  Stomach in knots, Becca entered the room and approached Hunter's bed. He still hardly had any color. It almost didn't look real. It was like they'd painted on makeup for some kind of ghost costume or something. "Don't you dare die on me, Hunter Charles Beckman. You fight. I love you." She bent down and kissed his lips, avoiding the area where they were swollen. He was alive. He didn't look any better, but Hunter made it through another scary hurdle. Then she went back outside. Beth waited for her at the door. "He looks so fragile," she whispered, her voice etched with tears.

  "I've seen worse make it out of these things." Beth tried to be reassuring. "His friend who had a heart attack is doing much better. He woke up this evening, asking about Hunter. He wants to come see him soon."

  "Joe is the reason Hunter's out here visiting." Becca followed Beth to an elevator and they stepped inside. Fatigue threatened to swallow her whole, but she was afraid if she went to sleep something would happen to Hunter again.

  "You dropped this earlier," Beth said suddenly, thrusting something in Becca's hand.

  The ring box. She closed her hand around the box as if protecting it from any harm.

  "I heard a rumor that he tried to propose to a woman and her boyfriend pushed him in the street. That's how he was hit." Beth continued to eye the ring box before raising her gaze to Becca, full of question.

  "Hunter suffers from PTSD. It's possible he disassociated." Becca probably told this story a thousand times since arriving here. "I don't think he'll remember any of this when he wakes up. It's the worst one he's had so far."

  Beth made a strange sound and her eyes went wide. "I'm sorry."

  Silence filled the elevator. Becca leaned against the rail and forced her eyes to stay open. Maybe a cup or two of coffee and she'd be good to go for a few more hours. Hopefully.

  If she could make it until Hunter woke up, that'd be good. She was going to stay positive.

  The cafeteria only had a handful of people in it. The clock on the wall over the register read six am. She'd actually been out for quite some time before waking up to Hunter's machines. Just as she and Beth paid for their coffee and snacks, a pager went off.

  Becca cringed, fearing the worst.

  "It's not Hunter's room. I do have to go though. I'll check in with you in a while, okay? Try and take care of yourself. The last thing you want is for something to happen to you. When Hunter wakes up, he'll want you to be okay." With a plastered fake smile, Beth headed off leaving Becca to fend for herself.

  She sank on a hard plastic uncomfortable chair and put her focus on unwrapping the breakfast roll she'd bought.

  "Hard to concentrate when waiting on news, isn't it?" a female voice said from behind her.

  With a gasp, Becca turned around. An elderly woman stood behind her, dark circles under her eyes. She nodded.

  "Mind if I sit with you? I don't feel like being alone and my husband is sleeping soundly, so I don't want to disturb him. I hate hospitals." She held up her own cup of coffee.

  Becca gestured at the seat. "Go ahead. I don't mind company. The nurse I was with had to go back to work. I'm Becca."

  "Sandra Whitemore." The woman lowered herself to sit.

  Whitemore? Was this Joe's wife?

  "My husband had a heart attack. I came home to him on the floor and and old face from the past beside him. Talk about a double shock. To top if off, the face from our past had an accident and is in the hospital, too. My husband won't stop taking about him."

  Becca dropped her roll. "You're referring to Hunter, aren't you?"

  "You know him?"

  "He's my boyfriend."

  Sandra's face paled, and her mouth formed an O. "You're the girl Joe won't stop talking about. He keeps mentioning Hunter and a Becca. I thought he was just out of it because of the medication. He insists on talking to the two of you. Is Hunter okay?"

  Tears filled her eyes again. "I don't know. He was hit by a car. We- they almost lost him a little while ago." What a twisted few days. They talked for the next hour and a half about Hunter and Joe until the woman's phone rang.

  "I guess I'd better go see to my husband. He just woke up. If they'll allow it, maybe he'll come see you and Hunter if he wakes up today. I know he missed that boy and while it was a shock to see him yesterday, Joe would want nothing more than to connect with him."

  Becca nodded. "Thank you for keeping me company. I hope Joe recovers soon. I'd love to meet him."

  If they weren't going to let her in Hunter's room again, Becca wouldn't know it. She slipped past the busy doctors and nurses and went inside anyway. Still no change. Hunter laid there so still. Becca approached the bed. She let out a sigh of relief when she noticed color returning to Hunter's face. He looked much better, but she knew he still had a long way to go. "I saw Joe's wife just now. He's awake and doing better. She says he's eager to see you." Pulling the chair as close to the bed as possible, Becca practically fell on it, her body weighed down with fatigue. "That means you need to wake up soon so you can catch up."

  Tired of the quiet, Becca turned on the TV and set the volume to low. She didn't know or even care what was on. She just needed a sound other than the beeping machines. At any time, Shara and Todd would be here. Maybe even Vince.

  She rested her head by Hunter's hand again as she held it, gently rubb
ing with her other hand. Once again, her eyelids were heavy and she gave in. She dreamed of Hunter.

  Becca woke up when Hunter moved. She sat up and stared at him. "Did I just feel you move?" Hope wrapped around her heart.

  His lips moved. Slowly. He was trying to say something. Then one eyelid raised just a bit before fully popping open. "I- must- not ... be ... dead."

  Becca laughed through her tears. She got exactly what she wanted- for Hunter to open his eyes and say something absolutely crazy. "Of course you're not dead! Why would you say such a thing?" She had to refrain from throwing her arms around him. "You scared me, Hunter."

  "I-it feels ... like I'm dead. The pain. But you're here. If-" He stopped talking for a bit. He seemed to have a hard time breathing. "If I died, I'd go- to ... hell. No way you'd be- in hell. You're ... an angel."

  "You're such a dork! I'll let it slide, since you had a rough night." Becca leaned toward him and gently brushed dark wisps of hair from his forehead. " Don't you ever, ever do that to me again!"

  "What- happened?" He tried to sit up.

  Becca stood. "Stay right where you are. I don't know what happened, other than it's possible you had a long episode of disassociation. You were hit by a car." She didn't tell him the rest of the story, about the ring or the guy pushing him.

  "Joe?"

  "He's alive. Hold on, Hunter. I'm calling the doctors. You almost died last night! They need to know you're okay." She ran to the door and called out. "He's awake! Hunter's awake!"

  *****

  The doctors were in there for hours. Every bone in Hunter's body ached and throbbed. His head hurt so bad. As much as he wanted to move, especially to wrap Becca up in his arms, it hurt like hell to do anything.

  His injuries included a couple of cracked ribs, plenty of cuts and bruises, and a fractured ankle that would most likely require surgery and physical therapy.

  He'd take it, because he still lived through it, though according to Becca he had a moment where he'd flat lined. What he'd been hearing from people was he'd been in a strange state of mind for hours, had taken off barefoot, and proposed to a woman he thought was Becca. The girl's boyfriend thought he was a drunk and shoved him right before he got hit.

  He remembered none of this.

  They ended up moving him from ICU to a regular room, which was a relief for him and for Becca. As the nurse wheeled him down to the new room, Becca walked by his side. He coughed and the nurse immediately rushed to his aid, asking him if needed water or something.

  He needed plenty, but nothing the nurse could provide.

  Becca laughed. "Hunter, you have every single person here wrapped around your finger!"

  "I'm not doing it ... on purpose! I think it's ... because they all want... a sneak peek of the man who proposed and ... had the worst reply ever." Damn, it hurt like hell to talk. He had to stop every few words so he could catch his breath.

  Her jaw dropped and she narrowed her eyes. "You're terrible!"

  "I know." He really was. Sometimes his mouth just went against his brain. If he didn't make light of this and laugh, he'd go crazy. Wait, he was already there. What was worse than crazy? That's where he'd be. Looking back, it wasn't funny at all.

  She laughed then, her eyes glistening with tears. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

  He wondered where the ring went. Damn it! He'd probably lost it and would have to buy Becca a new one. Something to do later, when he was free of this place and could move again without his body screaming in response.

  "You have a few visitors waiting when we get to your new room," his nurse informed him with a smile.

  Becca glanced at Hunter. "Todd and Shara."

  "Todd and Shara are both here? Did they drive with you?"

  "They arrived with me," Becca said, a small smile on her face. Odd. The way she answered had him curious.

  What did that mean? He didn't get a chance to ask. They went around the corner and through the open door to a new, much bigger room.

  "Here we are! Now time to get you in your bed."

  Hunter groaned. This wasn't going to be fun. Even with two people helping him get in the wheelchair earlier, it had been hell. He wasn't looking forward to getting out of it now.

  Becca giggled. "Since when do you not like going to bed?" she teased, wiggling her eyebrows at him.

  "Rebecca Lange, you un-innocent girl! Who taught you ... to talk like that?" The comment was so not like her, but if her intent was to make him laugh, it worked. On the downside, his stomach and chest hurt. "Ow."

  "I'm sorry. I should have thought-"

  "Shh. I needed ... the distraction." Hunter put a finger to his lips, wishing he could touch hers instead.

  It took a few doctors and a whole lot of excruciating pain, but they managed to get Hunter settled in bed. A new IV was set up and they promised him more pain medications. Then they left him alone with Becca for a while. He patted the bed. "Come sit ... by me."

  She did, tentatively. "Do you remember anything at all?"

  He shook his head, wincing. "No. I remember a ... nightmare where I-" Oh, right he hadn't told her yet.

  "Where you what?" she asked softly.

  "Bec, Vince ... called me."

  "I know. He's the reason I'm here. He said you ran off and I told him he'd better go find you. He said something about he wanted his niece in the TBI program."

  So she knew. She didn't sound upset, either. "Yeah. Remember that voice mail ... a few weeks ago? He was hoping ... we'd call him so he could ask then. The last thing I remember ... was falling asleep with you. I said something about how you always save me. The nightmare I had ... was the doctors saying she couldn't be saved, but when I went to the bed, it was you ... I saw there. I guess at some point ... I couldn't handle all the nightmares and truths and ... did that disassociation thing. This went on ... for hours?"

  She nodded. "Vince called me early. He didn't tell me why he was there. I- I had Todd fly me-"

  "Fly?" Did he just hear her right?

  "Yes. I got on a plane to get to you. I thought Sylvia got you! Shara came with me so I didn't have to face it alone."

  "And we talked about old Hunter memories, some of them embarrassing," Shara said. Hunter slowly turned that way. Both Todd and Shara entered the room. "Or maybe not. Guess you'll never know. You're an ass, you know."

  "Why am I an ass?" Was she serious? What the hell did he do?

  "Scaring us like that," she said softly, tears in her eyes. "Welcome back to the land of the living."

  "So scaring me in return ... is your payback?" She really had him going there for a moment. "Why do I keep you ... on board again?"

  "Because you're the most disorganized man I know. Besides, you don't get a say now. If you fire me, I'll work with Becca." She shot him a smug grin.

  "Good to see you awake, Hunter." Todd stood behind the chair. "You had us all worried."

  He opened his mouth to talk again, but sharp pains stopped him. Damn ribs. Becca noticed his discomfort and moved. He understood why, but he wanted her close. "I guess ... I'm talking ... too much. Starting to hurt." He pointed at his ribs.

  "We should go and let you rest." Shara glanced at Todd and Becca for affirmation.

  The idea of everyone leaving him alone honestly scared the hell out of him. What if he had another nightmare? What if something similar happened that led him to this point?

  Becca must have noticed his panic because she brushed a kiss on his lips gently. "You're going to be fine. The doctors are well aware of what's going on with you. I'm just a phone call away. I don't want to leave either, but you do need your rest."

  Hunter clasped her hand, loving that she was here. She'd faced her biggest fear just to get to him. That spoke volumes for how much she loved him. How did he ever manage to win this angel's heart? He didn't know, but he sure as hell wasn't going to screw it up. "Hate feeling this afraid," he rasped. The episodes prior to this had scared him enough, but the fact that he could do that for hour
s...

  Becca's eyes misted over. "I know. You're safe here, Hunter. Just let them help you and don't pull out that stubborn streak." She gave him another quick kiss before letting go of his hand. "I'll be here in a heartbeat if you need me. I just don't want you to overdo it. I'll come back in a few hours. I promise."

  "Love you." He closed his eyes after the three of them left, hoping like hell he could get some rest without nightmares and reality plaguing him.

  *****

  On their way back to their hotel rooms, Becca ran into Vince.

  "How is he?" Was it her imagination, or did she detect a hint of sincerity in his voice?

  "Cracked ribs, bruises, and an ankle that might need surgery and therapy. Oh, and he's scared out of his mind about going into another one of those episodes. Other than that, he's fine." Becca brushed past him. She was way too tired to talk any more and she needed just a little bit of sleep before she went back to Hunter.

  Vince blew out a breath. "Glad to know he's going to make it. Can we talk? You and I?" He slid a gaze toward Shara and Todd.

  "I'm tired, Vince. It's been a horrible night. We almost lost Hunter and I'm not in the mood for fights." She shifted her feet. They were sore and achy. Her knees were acting up too from the way she'd slept in Hunter's bed.

  "No fighting. I just want to tell you a few things before I go back home." He held up his hands as if surrendering.

  "What kind of things?" she asked warily.

  "Things you want to know about the accident."

  "Go talk to him, Becca," Shara prodded. "If he's willing to tell you, maybe it's time to settle it."

  Shara had a point. Plus, she was kind of hungry. "Fine." Before she went with Vince, she hugged Todd and Shara. "Thank you both." Like a feeling of deja vu, the two walked away, leaving her with Vince once again. "Why now?" she asked him when they were alone.