“Well, let’s just hope she’s willing to listen to me long enough for me to apologize.”
***
They had to wait for the orthopedic surgeon to arrive to perform the surgery, then once they had her thoroughly prepped, it was hours before we heard anything. Finally, the surgeon came out.
“Hello, I’m Dr. Santos. I’m the orthopedic surgeon that worked on Matilda. I’m not sure how much Dr. Pelzer told you about her injuries, but they were extensive. That being said, the surgery went well. From what I can see at this point, she will need one other surgery to correct the ankle placement after the bone itself has mended back together. But other than that, she should make a good recovery.”
“What should we expect?” Gwen asks.
“Well, with any ORIF surgery, we will monitor her blood pressure, breathing, and pulse. We will also check any of the nerves around the fractured bones to ensure that they are still working the way they should be. In some cases, the patient can sometimes go home that day, but more times than not, they can be here for several while they initially start to recover. However, with Matilda, that may be more like a week or two. As I said before, the damage was extensive, so we want to monitor her to keep everything moving in the right direction. Full recovery will take close to twelve months, and a lot of that is dependent on how much she is willing to push herself. At that point, it’s out of our hands and solely in hers. So, the best thing you can do as her family is to keep her spirits up and don’t let her make any excuses.”
“When will we be able to see her?” Asks Liam.
“She’s in recovery. The anesthetic will take some time to wear off. However, we do allow one family member to sit by her side. Keep in mind that she will be still feeling the effects of the sedation when she comes to, and after with the pain medication will seem to be in and out of it possibly for a few days.”
“But she’s going to be, okay?” I ask.
The doctor looks my way and smiles. “From what I’ve heard about her, and that she could survive Armageddon and live to tell the story—yes, she’s going to be okay.”
He turns heading back through the doors, and once again, the tension is lifted, and we are able to breathe.
“Okay, we need a plan. We are all tired and could use some rest. Elise and Alex are driving up with the kids, and I’ve already booked our hotel rooms just down the road, so we will be close by,” Ginny explains.
“I’ll stay for the first bit,” Gwen says.
I look to her. “Gwen, she’s probably not going to wake any time soon. Why don’t you let me take the first few hours, that way you will be there for when the kids arrive. If anything changes, I will call you right away.”
She’s hesitant, I know she is, but she looks to Liam then back to me and nods. “Okay, but promise you’ll call. Even if she so much as sneezes.”
We all let out a chuckle, and I reply. “I promise. Now all of you go and get some sleep.”
***
The hours passed, and Ati never woke. I didn’t expect her too, but I had hoped. Gwen came in first thing, then my mom. All of us alternating our turn. Eventually, she woke when Kai was there. “Sleeping beauty has risen,” he calls out from the other end of the line on a group conference call.
None of us ask anything, we just all head out and make our way to her. I don’t have far to go, as I never left the hospital, choosing to be as close to her as possible.
When I get off the elevator, I see Elise and Alex standing at the nurses’ station.
“Hey, I thought you two would have headed back home after dropping the kids off last night.”
Elise replies, “No, we wanted to stay at least until Ati woke. We were actually in the lobby downstairs when Grace texted me, she was awake not more than two minutes ago.”
“Yeah, I was in the cafe getting a coffee,” I reply.
“Well, did the nurse tell you anything?” Kai walks through the doors and heads in our direction. “Hey, so, what’s going on?”
“She’s awake. The nurse and doctor are in there with her now, and said to wait out here until they came to see us,” Elise says.
The rest of the family exits the elevator, and Kai explains. So, we all headed back to the waiting room we have grown very familiar with, and sit around.
About thirty minutes later, the doctor comes out. “Hello, again. She’s awake, in and out of it, but has advised that she would like to see all of you. Well, except for a Kai, she says you can only come back in if you promise not to continue talking about your morning hygiene rituals in training camp.”
We all let out a laugh as Kai just stands tall and proud. “Hey, at least someone was listening to me.”
“That’s only because she couldn’t move,” Ewan calls out.
One by one, we all take our turns. When it came to mine, I was hesitant remembering our last encounter when she was awake. I need something or someone to act as a buffer and ease the tension. I look around, then spot Alex, and remember Ati has asked about her—Perfect, she can come in with me.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
-Matilda-
I’m lying here, and I can feel the meds wearing off, but I want to try and hold out to see Ben before I press for another dose. Our last meeting didn’t go well, and I think we need to start to at least try and work this out.
When I hear voices outside my door, I hold my breath. I’ve already seen everyone else, even Elise popped in, so the only one left is Ben. But, when the door opens, it’s not who I am expecting—Alex walks in, a broad welcoming smile across her face. I’m thrown off for a moment, but then it becomes all too clear when he walks in behind her.
I can feel the blood rise in my face, it’s getting hot, and I’m starting to feel dizzy. “What the hell are you doing here?”
Ben looks to Alex with sympathetic eyes, then turns to me. “Ati, I thought maybe you would want to see Alex because you had asked about her.”
“You thought, what? I did no such thing. Why in the hell would you think I would want to see her?” I turn my stare on Alex. “And here I thought you were my friend. You played the role well, all innocent and non-threatening, yet the minute there was trouble, you jumped right in there to mend his broken ego.”
Alex lets out a gasp. “What are you talking about, Ati?”
“Don’t play innocent, Alex. I saw it with my own eyes. What did it take, a whole three days before you jumped into bed with him?”
Ben lets out a defensive growl. “Ati, I know you’ve just been through a lot, but this is unacceptable. What on earth are you doing? Are you hallucinating?”
“I want both of you out of my room, and I don’t want to see either of your faces again.”
Ben stands there as though dumbfounded, unable to move. “I said, out!”
He gives me one last look, a mix of anger, confusion, and hurt on his face. But he takes Alex by the arm and guides her out of the room, not saying a word as they leave.
Not moments later, Gwen comes in. “Ati, what’s going on?” I look to her, and when she sees the tears in my eyes, she comes to my side, taking my head into her. “I think you need some rest. I’m going to send everyone home, Ginny and I have already discussed that we will switch off every couple of days to stay with you.”
I want to tell her that they don’t have to do that, but at the same time, I don’t want to be alone—I’m always alone, and I’m done with it.
***
I’ve been falling in and out of sleep, mostly due to the pain medication they are administering. But this time when I wake, I can hear Ginny on the phone.
“No, she’s just been asleep mostly, so she hasn’t said much.” Gin goes silent, most likely listening to the other caller, then she starts back up. “Look, Ben, she hasn’t said a thing, and even if she did, it’s not my place to share any of that with you. My advice is to listen to Gwen. Let Ati get better and let her get home and back to some kind of normalcy. Then, maybe she will be ready to talk to you. Other than that
, there isn’t much you can do.” She’s silent again, but only for a moment. “Well, you must have done something, but I agree, I have no idea where she would have gotten the idea that you were sleeping with Alex.”
Is he for real? Is he honestly playing the, ‘I did nothing’ card? I saw it with my own eyes as clear as day.
The alarm on my monitor sounds, which catches Ginny’s attention. “Ben, I have to let you go.”
I slow my breathing so that the alarm stops, and when I crack my eyes open, Ginny is there over me with the call button in hand. “Are you okay. I was just about to get the nurse, but you opened your eyes. Should I still call for her?”
I shake my head slowly. “No, I’m okay.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes, I’m fine. Really.”
She takes a seat back in her chair, letting out a large breath. “You scared the bejeebers out of me. Do me a favor, could you save all of that for when Gwen is here. I don’t want her thinking I let something happen to you. She would not hesitate to kill me, or even worse, maim me to where Kai would have to be my full-time nurse.”
I let out a chuckle, which changes to a smile, then a slight frown. “What did Ben want?”
“He’s confused, Ati, and looking for answers.”
“There is no need for him to look, he knows exactly what he did, he’s just trying to save face with all of you,” I retort.
“What did he do, Ati?”
I look to her, wanting to explain, but I can’t seem to get the words out. Even with all the pain from the crash and the surgery, it’s his betrayal that is hurting most.
“Gin, I really don’t want to talk about it, if that’s okay?”
She nods, then reaches down beside her and pulls out the most recent celeb gossip mag. “So, ready to find out what mischief the twenty-somethings of Hollywood have been up to?”
She starts to read aloud the article, but I stop her partway through. “Gin, what about the others?”
“The others?”
“Abe, Brock, and Quinn.”
She looks to be a little confused. “It’s been a little over a week…Ati, has no one told you anything?”
“No, and I want to know.”
Ginny lets out a breath. “I don’t know much other than what I’ve heard from Kai. But what I do know is that before they found you, they found Abe and Brock. They were hurt pretty bad and rushed to the hospital. Kai said they were alive but critical.”
“And Quinn? Where’s Quinn? Was it his spine? I feel so bad if it’s what I think, he may never walk again.”
Ginny looks to me, her face pale. “Ati, Quinn didn’t make it.”
“Wh-what? N-no. He was alive. Ginny, you’re wrong. You need to ask someone who knows. Where’s Gwen? Ask Gwen, she’ll find out. Please, Gin, ask her.” Panic has taken over, and all rational thought has eluded me. I move as though I am going to get out of bed, causing Ginny to jump from her chair.
“Whoa, where do you think you’re going? Ati, don’t be ridiculous, you can’t move.”
Well aware of my situation, I lay back knowing she’s right, but that doesn’t stop that I still need to know. “Please, Ginny, find out for me.”
She looks to me through sad eyes, and that’s when I realize the truth…she already does know. They’ve all known but decided not to tell me.
The tears fall from my eyes, pooling into the dip of my neck. “How?”
She looks to me, taking my hand in hers. “His injuries were extensive, Ati. There was no
possible way he could have survived.”
I shake my head. “I don’t understand, he was awake and with me the whole time on that
mountain. We kept each other going.”
Ginny’s face shows only confusion. “I thought Kai said they found him at the base of the mountain. That’s actually how they found you. SAR spotted him, but when they got there, he had no vitals. They called in the lift to take him, and that’s when they noticed something pink flapping around from in one of the ledges. It was in such a spot that they never would have thought to look there, but because they were coming from the top, they spotted it.”
“No, that’s not right. Quinn was with me the whole time on that ledge.”
Ginny shrugs. “I don’t know what to tell you, Ati, but I do know Kai was the next unit to
go out to get you. They knew where you were because the other SAR team told them.”
Either I’m confused or Ginny is, I’m going with her. I know for a fact that he was there with me. Like I mentioned, we kept each other going. If it weren’t for Quinn, I don’t believe that I would have survived out there that long. Regardless, I’m not going to get anything from Ginny, but I will get it from Gwen.
“Gin, when will my sister come up next?”
“Pfft, sick of me already?”
I let out a chuckle. “Absolutely not; you are great company. I just have some things I need to take care of, and she’s really the only one that can do that for me.”
“Ah, yes, well, she won’t be up again until Tuesday. She has some running around with the boys. Thea agreed to take her spot this time,” Ginny explains.
I was hoping Gwen would have been coming, but Thea might work even better. She won’t be one to coddle me and keep what’s really going on from me. “Oh, that’s nice. Okay, well, I guess I’ll see Gwen next time.”
“You can always call her.”
I give her a smile. “Yeah, I probably will. Actually, that reminds me, I don’t have a phone. It was lost in the plane crash, I’m assuming.”
She looks around the room, then back to me. “Yeah, there isn’t one in here either. Let me go to the front desk and see that they get one in here for you, at least until Gwen can get you a replacement cell.”
“That would be great, thanks.”
“No problem. I’ll do that now. Do you need anything else?”
I think for a moment. “Actually, yes. I am dying for a coffee. Is there one of those machine’s out there?”
Ginny waves me off. “Please, that stuff is like battery acid. There’s a nice little cafe down the street, I can grab you a tall double, double from there.”
“Gin, you don’t need to go out of the way.”
“It’s not, and I could use one too. Will you be okay for a bit while I run out?”
“Yeah, I’ll be fine. Just, would you be able to pass me that magazine you were reading before—may as well catch up.”
She lets out a laugh, handing me the magazine and heads out.
Ginny’s gone maybe ten minutes when there’s a knock at my door. When I look up, Ben is standing there. He looks tired. Worn out, like he hasn’t slept in days, maybe even weeks. My heart breaks for him, but then I remember.
“Why are you here? I told you—,”
“You told me you never wanted to see my face again, and that’s fine, you won’t. But we need to talk some things out.”
“Ben, I really don’t—”
“I don’t care. Ati, I’m dying inside here. I have no idea what I did. I mean, if this is about what happened at Thea’s, then I’m sorry. I am so sorry. I know now that I was an ass. I was wrong. Please believe me.”
I look to him. He really is a good actor. “You’re good, like an academy award winner good.”
His brow creases as he looks to me. “What?”
“Oh, please. Cut the B.S. I know, Ben.”
He steps into the room and closes the door to give us more privacy. I let him because I really don’t need to air my dirty laundry for all to hear. He moves in further and stands at the foot of my bed. “And what exactly do you think you know, Ati?”
I know that you got together with Alex the moment we were done. I was calling and texting trying to fix things, to apologize even though I did nothing wrong, yet, you never responded, and when I went to Gwen and Liam’s that morning of the crash, I found out why.”
He’s puzzled, there’s no doubt about it. “I didn’t know you were there.
Why didn’t you come up to the apartment? I’m guessing you came to get me to talk to you?”
I guess now is as good a time as any. “I did come there to talk to you. But to my surprise, you already had company.”
“Who?”
I let out a breath. “Ben, enough of the games. No more. You want to resolve this, then we will, but stop the games. I saw her. Alex. I know you were with her.”
Now he looks even more confused than before. Genuinely confused. “What on earth are you talking about? Ati, I was never with Alex, at least in the way you are implying. Is this what that outburst was about the last time?”
“Ben, please. I mean it, I’m done with playing games. If you are not going to be honest and admit it, then leave.”
He moves to my side, taking a seat where Ginny was before, then leans in, resting his arms on his knees. “Angel, I would gladly admit to anything to make up for whatever I have done, but I have no clue what you are talking about. Ati, look at me, I know you can tell I’m being honest here. I truly have no idea what you are talking about. I’m not with Alex. Other than the last time when she was here to see you, the only time I ever talked to her was the day my brothers and I helped her get packed up so that she could move in time to surprise her parent’s. Other than that, I haven’t spoken to her. Well, I mean, she crashed at the apartment that night too because all her stuff was packed up and disassembled. She was going to crash on Gwen’s couch, but I offered her my room, and I slept on the couch. But I promise it was just me being a friend. Nothing happened or would have ever happened.”
It hits me like a cheap shot to the stomach. “Was that the day of the crash?”
He thinks for a moment. “Actually, yeah, well, the next morning. We woke up, she showered. I made her coffee, and while I went to get ready for work, she went to have breakfast with Gwen then left to meet the moving trucks. That was the last time I saw her until the other day here.”
Ben & Matilda- Infinite Promise Page 24
