“Take a seat!” Mason yelled, rubbing his hand over his face. “You take a fucking seat, I need answers. I need to know what the fuck is going on…I need Mikala.”
Mason stormed over to the door ready to tear the halls apart until someone told him something, anything, about Mikala.
“Mason,” a tiny hand covered his as he twisted the handle. “You’re scaring me, please come and sit with me.”
Eden’s red swollen eyes wrenched his heart, who knew Mikala better than she did and who was suffering as much as he was, but her. “Mik’s going to be okay, she has to be,” he whispered.
“I’m going to go see if I can find out anything,” Chase said, as Mason and Eden stepped away from the door.
Eden gave him a silent nod, directing Mason to a quiet seat in the corner of the room. They sat and Mason wrapped his hand around hers, his thumb rubbed back and forth over her knuckles as he stared at a lightning bolt shaped crack in the linoleum tile.
“Can you tell me what happened, sweetheart?” he asked. The desperation in his voice was gut-wrenching and all Eden could do was shake her head.
“We were all so drunk, the music was so loud,” Eden wiped away a tear. “It was so loud that we thought the bang was part of the show, until we saw the smoke. The next thing I remember, we were standing outside, people were screaming and crying and then Landon,” she sobbed, and Mason wrapped her into his arms. “She looked…he brought her out and they fell to the ground. I thought they were dead. Mason please don’t be angry with Landon, he saved her life.”
The days Mason guarded Eden flashed before his eyes like an old-time slideshow, reminding him how fragile he always considered her. Instinct told him to shield her, just like Landon’s instincts told him to save Mikala.
Mason turned his head to Landon. He knew he wasn’t to blame. The man was nervously wringing his hands as his knee rapidly vibrated under his elbow. He was clearly as distraught as Mason. “Lando,” he muttered. Landon either didn’t hear or chose to ignore him.
A gray haired doctor in green scrubs, with a cool pair of bright red running shoes with yellow laces, walked into the room and called out, “Santino family.”
Mason stood, still holding tight to Eden. “I’m her fiancé, this is her family.” He turned to the room full of familiar faces.
“You must be Mason, I’m Dr. Blake,” he said. “She’s been asking for you from the moment she was brought in, even in her unconscious state.”
“Unconscious?” Eden repeated the doctor’s words in a sob.
“Miss Santino has since regained consciousness. She has quite a few bumps and bruises, a few cuts that required stitches and a minor head injury. She going to be uncomfortable for a few days, I prescribed pretty strong pain meds to help.”
Mason’s heart dropped into his stomach. “Is she going to…will she…fucking hell,” he said, as his shoulders sagged.
“If not for the gunmetal walls in the restroom stall taking the majority of the impact, her injuries could have been much worse. She’s a very lucky young lady.”
“Can I see her?” Mason asked.
“I can’t see why not, but one at a time, she needs her rest.” He took Mason’s offered hand and shook it with a smile. “Mikala will be staying with us as a precaution. I’d like to observe her for the next twenty four hours just to be sure. I’ll take you to see her, follow me.”
Mason hesitated as he looked around the room. He walked over to where Landon stood. “You okay?” he asked.
“A few stitches, I’m fine.” He was unsurprisingly short and Mason understood. He hadn’t deserved Mason’s temper or accusations.
“I can’t begin to tell you,” Mason began to apologize, but Landon cut him short.
“Don’t bother. Go to her. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
“Please don’t leave…she’s going to want to see you.”
“She’ll see me tomorrow.” Landon walked to the door.
“Lando.” Mason moved to his side. “She’s going to want to see you, today,” he ordered.
Landon’s jaw clenched as he chewed over Mason’s words. “I’ll be back after I change. I don’t want her seeing me like this.” He tugged at the blood stained shirt.
Mason was well aware of the soft spot Landon had for Mikala, it was the same one he shared with Eden. It wasn’t threatening or at all sexual, it was caring like a big brother protecting his baby sister. Special, an unbreakable bond they’d share for life.
“Make sure you do,” Mason said, following the doctor out of the room.
Outside Mikala’s room the doctor stopped Mason before they went any further. “There’s one more thing you need to know, Mason.”
He swallowed back a lump in his throat, suddenly he wasn’t so sure all was as well as he perceived. “Go on.”
“As told to me by the paramedic first on scene, a small bomb was set off in a garbage can on the opposite side of the stall Mikala occupied. As I said before the wall took the impact. It seems Mikala was hit by the wall causing the head injury, her cuts and bruises were caused by flying debris and her landing on the floor. They are all pretty minor injuries.”
“But?” Mason stepped forward.
“Either the head trauma or the loud noise from the bomb, has caused what I hope to be temporary hearing loss.”
“Mikala’s deaf?”
“Like I said, I’m hoping it’s temporary. All the tests so far show no damage to her ear drums. I’m ordering another CT scan and I have an otolaryngologist coming in to consult later today.”
“An otolaty…what the fuck is that?” Mason asked. The big long name he couldn’t get his tongue around sounding dismal.
“An ENT. Ear, nose and throat specialist,” Dr. Blake explained. “Mikala’s scared as expected. She’s also on some very heavy pain killers at the moment. The best thing for her right now is your reassurance and lots of rest.”
Mason nodded as Dr. Blake pushed open the door. “Thanks doc.”
Expecting heart monitors beating out a steady rhythm and oxygen machines to be hissing as they forced air into Mikala’s lungs, Mason stood wide eyed in the doorway gazing at Mikala lying on her side with her hands snuggled under her pillow, sound asleep. Other than a small bandage on her chin, a few on her arms, and an IV pole, she looked like her usual perfect self. He blew out a relieved sigh and whispered her name but she remained unmoving.
Careful not to make a sound with the chair as he pulled it to Mikala’s bedside, he couldn’t help but look at her one exposed ear. Not bandage or blood, no tubes or wires. Perhaps the doctor was wrong. Mason wiped his fingers over his mouth and scowled. “Sugar?” he whispered, and then proceeded to say it three more times getting louder with each syllable. There was no response whatsoever.
He stared at her face as he brought his hands together with a loud clap, still nothing. Not a flinch. Mason sucked in a lung full of air and slid his chair closer. He put his hand on her arm and watched as she reacted to his touch with a moan but didn’t wake. It confirmed what the doctor said, she couldn’t hear.
A nurse shuffled into the room with a covered tray of food and set it on a rolling cart at Mikala’s side. “I’m Sue, if she wakes, try and get to her eat something.”
“Names Mason, I’ll try.”
“Even if it’s a small amount, she needs to keep up her strength.” The nurse scribbled something on a chart at the foot of her bed. “There’s a dry-erase board and several markers in the drawer. Can I get you anything, coffee, tea?”
“Nothing thanks,” Mason answered.
All Mikala and Mason’s friends had peeked into the room at least once over the past few hours. They whispered and tippy-toed around the room and Mason let them, he wasn’t ready to tell anyone, wasn’t at all accepting that Mikala was deaf, even if it was temporary.
A small moan and then the sound of his name startled him awake. He had fallen asleep in the painfully uncomfortable chair and the muscles at the back of his neck were knotted
into one giant mass. He cricked his neck from side to side and heard his name again, the sound clearly hysterical now.
“Mason,” Mikala called out, as she sobbed uncontrollably.
“I’m here, sugar. Right here,” he assured her, pulling her into his chest.
Mikala ripped at his shirt violently as she cried “Mason,” over and over.
He laid her back on the pillow and took her face in his hands and mouthed “Stop. Calm down,” as she thrashed about.
The same nurse from earlier came into the room in an instant with a syringe in hand and Mason watched as Mikala slowly melted back into the bed and her eyes sluggishly closed. “Sorry Mason, but we can’t have her hurting herself.”
“I didn’t expect her to go off like that.”
“Think of how scary it must be to wake up and you can’t even hear your own voice, she has to be terrified,” the nurse told him, as she smoothed the sheets making Mikala more comfortable. She brushed her hair back and swept it over the pillow. “She has such beautiful hair.”
“Everything about Mikala is beautiful,” Mason said, and the nurse gave him a your-so-sweet smile. She took away the old tray of food replacing it with a fresh one, this time she imparted no instructions before leaving the room and closing the door.
***
Once Mikala returned from her CT scan and Sue with the help of another nurse had her back in bed in more of an upright position, Mason was encouraged to wake her.
“We’ll leave you alone but we’ll be right outside the door just in case. Keep her as calm as possible.”
Mason took her hand in his and caressed her knuckles with his lips. “Sugar, time to wake up,” he whispered, though he knew she couldn’t hear. He remembered the dry-erase board the nurse mentioned and took it from the drawer and wrote a quick message before attempting to wake her again.
This time when he took her hand, Mikala jerked awake, her eyes wide with fear, on the verge of another outburst. Mason held the sign in her sight and as she blinked away tears, she read the words and calmed.
Don’t be afraid, I’m here and I love you!
She took the sign and held it to her chest as tears streamed over her cheeks.
“Pick a color,” Mason said, as he held up colored markers and smiled.
Mikala picked the pink marker and Mason laughed. “I knew you’d go for that one.”
She quickly wiped the board clean with the corner of the sterile white sheet and started writing as Mason watched.
Why can’t I hear? What happened?
Mason raised a finger and called out, “Sue?” The nurse’s head pooped around the corner with a smile. “Can I get another one of these?” he asked, holding up the board and within a minute Sue returned with another one.
“If you need anything else just ask, and get her to eat something.”
The look on Mikala’s face could only be described as pure terror, the one you see on the face of Freddy Kruger’s next victim just before the blade sinks into her throat. For a woman that just of late had shared her first real tears with Mason, it seemed the damn had burst and wasn’t stopping anytime soon as tears stained her face.
Don’t cry sugar, Mason said, as he wrote.
Why can’t I hear you?
Her chin quivered as she held back more tears.
Don’t you remember?
Mikala shook her head and then held her palm to her left temple. She was clearly in pain. “Does it hurt? Of course it hurts, I’m such an ass,” he said.
Need something for the pain?
No, it makes me feel sick and then I sleep.
Slow down and think. What do you remember at the strip club?
Naked men and Landon. She smiled.
Besides that, what happened in the washroom?
I peed, there was no toilet paper. Mikala started to cry as she wrote. BOOM! All it said.
Who said boom sugar?
No. She shook her head and held it as she quickly scribbled, the note said BOOM.
Someone gave you a note? Who sugar?
She shook her head and lay back exhausted.
No more, baby. I want you eat something and then have a nap.
No. She shook her head.
If you don’t eat I can’t take you home tomorrow.
With a pout, her eyes moved to the tray and she watched as Mason lifted the lid exposing green gelatin, what looked to be vanilla pudding and a container of plain yogurt. She made a yucky face and Mason laughed as he offered her a white plastic spoon. Mikala reached for the pudding scooped up a spoonful and held it to his mouth.
“You,” he said, as she watched his lips.
With her free hand she scribbled you first on the board and then, I know you haven’t eaten either.
“Fine,” he said, allowing her to feed him.
Scared.
I know sugar but the doc says it’s temporary.
We are getting married in a week.
He tilted his head and stared into her eyes as he said, “I love you.” Then he waited a moment before he took the board from his lap and wrote.
He scooped out the last of the pudding and forced her to finish it and then handed her the board.
There is nothing that will stop me from marrying you. I don’t care if you can’t hear, see or speak. Nothing will stop me. I love you with every fiber of my being and I intend to always. This is a minor bump in the road. Trust me.
Mikala shoved the tray aside and patted the bed beside her. As carefully as he could, trying not to cause her any discomfort, he climbed up beside her and waited while she settled herself into his side with her hand on his chest.
“I love you,” she said loudly, because she had no idea how it sounded in the room and Mason said the same as he brushed his fingers over her cheek and allowed her to cry.
***
“This is Dr. Cupo, the specialist we talked about,” Dr. Blake said, as the sour faced man stepped forward without offering a handshake.
“Let’s keep this short and sweet, I have a full caseload to run through before the days out,” he said, to a less than impressed Mason who didn’t bother to answer. “Extensive testing proves inconclusive.”
“What exactly does that mean?” Mason asked, as his eyes traveled between the two so called experts before him.
“It means all the tests show no reason for Miss Santino’s hearing loss. There are no visible signs of trauma to the ear drum or ear canal. The CT scans show no visible trauma to the brain, other than minor bruising. ”
“Will she hear again?”
“Only time will tell,” he said, handing Mason a slip from a prescription pad. “I have prescribed ear drops to be administered each morning and at bedtime. I would like to see her in one month or immediately should she regain her hearing.”
‘Should she’ played over and over in Mason’s head, like annoyingly repetitive lyrics from a bad song. Bedside manner was obviously skipped over when he went to medical school, the man was callus and cold and Mason wondered if the shoes were switched, whether he would be such a prick.
“It’s time to take Mikala home,” Dr. Blake gestured to Mikala’s room. “I believe she will be happier with friends and family around. One thing Mason, don’t baby her. As much as you will want to, she needs to adjust. I strongly believe this is temporary but she still needs to accept that life goes on, even without sound.
“Here’s your tea,” Eden roared.
“Sweetheart, you really need to stop yelling, she can’t hear you no matter how loud you get.”
Eden smiled awkwardly as she handed Mikala a cup, then sat across the table from her. “I can’t help it.”
Mikala slid a board and marker across the table to Eden. She took her own and wrote. Stop talking about me.
“How did she know?” Eden asked Mason, as he took a seat beside Mikala giving her a peck on the cheek.
“She’s deaf, not stupid,” he said, as he wrote on his own board. Eden’s giving me a headache and Mikala lau
ghed for a brief moment.
You are taking it well. Eden wrote.
How would you like me to take it? Mikala wrote.
Be nice sugar. Mason wrote and raised his eyebrows.
Sorry.
“Not taking it as well as you’d think, she has many the temper tantrum, we’re running out of dishes,” Mason told Eden, as he scribbled on the board. Don’t even think of throwing that cup.
Fuck you. Mikala quickly wrote before heaving the full cup of tea at the wall.
Jesus Mik. Take a fucking chill pill, he wrote and slammed the board onto the table, before she scraped the chair across the floor and flew down the hall, a resounding crash echoed as the bedroom door slammed behind her.
“This is what I’ve been facing each day since she called off the wedding,” Mason told Eden, bending to pick up pieces of shattered china from the floor.
Eden grabbed a dish cloth and wiped the wall after dampening it, “Oh my God.”
“Oh sweetheart, you have no idea.” He tossed the china into the garbage and mopped up the tea. “This is a good day. Normally she won’t come out of the bedroom. She won’t talk to me, pulls away from me whenever I attempt to touch her and other than sleeping there’s nothing happening in our bed anymore. TMI, I know.”
“Have you set a new date?”
“Seriously?” Mason laughed, raking his hands through his hair. “Marrying me is the last fucking thing Mik wants.”
It didn’t take long for Mason to notice Eden’s silent wheels turning. Once Eden got an idea in her head, it was there until she acquired what she sought.
“Got a calendar?” Eden asked.
“On the fridge,” Mason said, as Eden walked over and flipped to the next month. She took a green marker from the table and circled Saturday the seventh. “Keep this day free.”
“Eden what are you up to?” he asked. “Whatever it is let it go, sweetheart. I’ll say it as nice as I can manage, butt out!”
“The less you know, the better,” Eden warned, like a woman on a marital mission. Her body was still there but the mind had left the minute she had asked for the calendar. “I’ll be in touch. Tell Mik nothing.”
Mikala's Passion (Pulse Series Book 2) Page 32
