Blythe was at my side the whole time holding my hand. Apparently when the sirens were heard, the whole party came to see what happened. The second she recognized it was me she lost it.
"Marissa, what happened? I'm so sorry I left you. I didn't know you were ready to leave. I would have gone with you. Why didn't you wait for me?"
"I thought I could just go home and sleep."
"Oh, honey. It's going to be okay."
"Look at them! It's not okay. They are acting like children!"
"All right ma’am, are you ready to go?"
I glanced over my shoulder and realized the paramedic was talking to me.
"Can we leave now?"
"I want to get that leg x-rayed soon as possible so I don't see that being a problem."
I couldn't believe it. They were actually hoisting me up into the back of an ambulance.
"Can I ride with her, please? I don't want her to have to go by herself."
"It's fine with me, hop on in."
Blythe climbed in next to me and said, "He's pretty cute. Think he would give me his number?"
"Blythe! He's like forty."
"Wouldn't hurt to try him out."
I didn't even respond. My head and leg hurt and I just wanted to get the hell out of there. Who in their right mind would rather go to the hospital? Someone who had had enough of the two idiots staring each other down.
As the doors were closing I heard Mike. "Wait, I'm riding with her."
"Sorry, sir, only one person can accompany her and it's now full. You can follow us if you'd like."
I didn't hear what was said next because the doors were now shut.
"What the hell happened tonight?"
"Nothing worth mentioning."
Chapter 14
Did you have any doubt that Mike would beat the ambulance to the hospital? I did stupidly. I couldn't believe he was actually standing inside the emergency room when we got there. How he knew what room they would bring me to is still beyond me.
"How did you get here so fast?"
"It's Blythe, right? Do you see that girl right there? She's my everything. I would move Heaven and Earth if it thought to stand in my way of getting to her."
"That's funny considering she hasn't heard from you all week."
"What?” his face scrunched up as he looked back and forth from me to her. “You don't know what you're talking about. I have sent her a message every day..."
"You two need to leave."
Thankfully the doctor walked in and said it or I might have stabbed myself in the neck with some instrument from the room. I was looking around, no kidding.
"I'm not going anywhere. Please, I won't say another word. Just look her over and tell me she's going to be okay."
True to his word, Mike never said a thing until the doctor was done examining me.
"We need an MRI and x-ray done on this leg, ma’am. I will have a nurse come get you in a few minutes. Once we get the results, I can determine if surgery is necessary."
The doctor left and Blythe went right back at him.
"Messages? You didn't think once to pick up a phone and call her? How hard is it to press one button instead of a hundred? One to call, one hundred to text, if that didn't register to you—"
"Who are you? You have no idea what is going on between Daisy and me. You can't just—"
"Daisy? What the hell kind of name is that anyway?"
"SHUT UP!"
I finally cracked. The two of them were driving me crazy.
"I can't take it anymore. Blythe, thank you for loving me like you do but you need to stop. I can handle my own life.
“Mike, what the hell? She's right. You don't call or come by once all week long and then you show up out of the blue and play “Knight in Shining Armor”. I don't need that either. Both of you can go home or wait in the waiting room but I want you both to leave."
"What?"
"You're kidding, right?"
Neither one of them took me seriously.
"My leg hurts, okay? I don't need to hear you two going at it. I need to get some damn pain meds!"
Mike walked out of the room and instantly I felt awful. I didn't need to bite his head off for caring about me. I was just irritable and crabby. Pain sucks!
"I'm sorry, Marissa. He just comes from out of nowhere and wants it all to be perfect again. Not going to happen. He hurt you."
"Are you talking about me or you? This sounds way too personal to be about me. I haven't cried or wailed on and on. What is your real reason for hating Mike? He didn't do anything to you."
Blythe stayed quiet in the corner looking down at the floor. She didn't want to answer obviously and I was okay with that. I just needed...
"She's on her way, babe. Meds will be here soon."
I thought he left. Seeing him come around the corner put a smile on my face whether I wanted it or not.
"Thank you."
He walked over to the side of the bed and sat down.
"Daisy, I'm sorry. Did you read any of the texts I sent you?"
I looked guilty as all hell in that moment. I didn't want to admit that I didn't and how childish it was to do that.
"You didn't did you? Why?"
Again, I refused to answer him.
"All right, let me tell you again then. I went to Japan. Tuesday morning I got a call that they wanted me there to schedule the title fight. They want to host it. The days there are our nights basically, so I didn't want to call you the first night and wake you. I slept during our days, so nights here were the only time I could talk. I explained all of this and even asked you when would be a good time to call.
“I didn't avoid you, baby, I was trying. When you never responded I flipped out. I just got off the plane a couple of hours ago and drove straight to you. I waited outside after no one answered the door for over an hour, only to find you running from me shit-faced. Then some dude comes from out of nowhere telling me—"
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't read them and thought the worst. You could have called me Tuesday when you left and told me. You could have left a voice message. All of this could have been avoided." I knew he traveled a lot with his job, but would it have been so hard to call before he got on the damn plane to begin with? "We suck at this, Mike."
He bent down and kissed my forehead. "We are going to get better, I promise."
The nurse came in and gave me something for the pain as we waited for the tests to be set up. Let me tell you, alcohol and pain meds— not a good combination. I got sick all over again.
Mike held my hair back as Blythe held the trash can; what a team. Before the night was over I was sure the two of them would work out their differences. Well, I held out hope.
Three hours later surgery was scheduled. I found out the vomit was induced by the concussion, not the alcohol. I wasn't sure that I believed them but it didn't matter. My ACL and meniscus were both torn. It wasn't emergency surgery but why wait if it could be done and over with within twenty-four hours?
Blythe had fallen asleep so I asked Mike if he would call Hudson and have him come get her. I told him he should go get some rest too, but he wouldn't budge. He stayed right by my side, in the bed if you can believe it.
When Hudson showed up, Talon walked in with him.
"What the hell happened, Marissa? I feel fucking awful I didn't make sure you got home okay." Talon was on the other side of the bed in no time hugging me.
"It's not your fault your coach made you clean."
"What happened to him by the way? He came back with his face all fucked up but wouldn't say which brick wall he ran into."
Mike started laughing but stopped the second we made eye contact.
"You think that's funny? You could have really hurt him."
"I didn't even hit him that hard."
"Wait, you hit him?" Both Hudson and Talon said simultaneously.
"Yes, he hit him."
"No shit! Mike Harrison punched Coach Miller! I would have di
ed to see that." Hudson started cracking up but I looked over at Talon just as all of the color drained from his face.
"Did he do something to you Marissa? I will fucking kill him myself if he hurt you."
"No he didn't do anything wrong."
Mike apparently didn't agree with me.
"Nothing wrong? That asshole ran his mouth and is lucky I didn't hit him harder."
"Let me rephrase that. Gabriel was worried about me and Mike didn't like it."
"He fucking touched you and called you, Daisy!"
"Calm down, the only reason why he called me that was because I never told him my name."
"She's not lying, dude. He worked it hard but your girl never cracked."
Whatever that meant, Talon made Mike chill out and smile again.
"Thank you," was whispered in my ear by Mike but I think the true gratefulness should go to Talon for saving me from having to go into detail.
Hudson woke Blythe up and the three of them gave me hugs goodbye. Just as they were out the door, Blythe turned around and said, "Hey, Mike, sorry about that. I know you care about her. It was never my place to interfere. Take good care of her, she deserves the best."
"No problem, I could say all of that right back at you. At least we know she's surrounded by good people."
"That she is. Good night, you guys."
Thankfully those two did work it out liked I hoped.
"I'll call you tomorrow and let you know how my surgery goes."
"I'll be here so there's no need. Love you." And then she was gone.
"You have a good group of friends around you, girl."
"Yes, I do. I'm luckier than most. Now, can you just hold me so that we can forget this whole week happened?"
"I will never let you go."
We were both almost asleep when I heard him whisper, "Why did you run from me tonight Daisy?"
"I don't know. I wish I didn’t."
"From now on, I want you to run to me, okay? You promised you wouldn't give up on me and all it took was a little doubt to prove me right. Whatever that asshole was talking about—you know what—I don't want to know. Just be mine. Only mine."
I grabbed ahold of his arm and pulled it over me, cuddling as close to him as I could. Within seconds I was asleep.
Three more hours went by which felt like three minutes.
"I'm sorry to wake you, sir, but we need to get her prepped for surgery."
Mike stirred for a second and then jumped up from the bed.
"She's going now?"
"No, dear, she's only getting prepped. You still have a couple of hours with her."
I opened my eyes to an older woman, maybe sixty, with silver hair staring back at me.
"Hello there, sweetheart. I just need to get your IV in and then the anesthesiologist will be in to talk to you. Do you have any questions?"
"No ma’am."
"You're going to be just fine."
She finished inserting the needle into my hand, patted my right leg and walked toward the door saying, "Someone will be in soon."
Mike came back onto the bed grabbing my hand and kissing it. "I feel like all this bad stuff is happening to you because of me."
He looked so sad and it broke my heart.
"Fate is throwing us a lot of curve balls but we can fight through it or give up. I'm not ready to throw in the towel yet, even if it is hard as hell. None of this is your fault. They are happening because of poor choices on my part."
"I just want to protect you from everything and I can't right now. It's the hardest thing in the world to sit here knowing you're in pain and I can't take it away."
"You being here makes everything so much better."
He pulled me back into his arms and said, "Just sleep, baby. They will be in soon enough to take you from me and I want to hold on to you as long as I can."
My eyes closed and sleep came before I could tell him that nothing was going to take me from him. He already owned me.
The surgeon and anesthesiologist both came and talked over what the procedure entailed and what to expect. I have never had surgery and started to get scared but Mike stayed there, holding my hand and let me ask all the stupid questions I could think of. He held onto me until he was forced to let me go and they wheeled my bed out of the room. Tears filled my eyes but I wouldn't let them get the best of me. I was going to be okay, Mike had made sure of it. He told me stories about lots of guys doing the same damage to their knees in fights, how common it was and he even called Chris, lining him up to take care of my therapy.
When he was no longer in sight, I could still hear him saying, "I'm not going anywhere, Daisy. I will be right here when you get back. Be strong, baby" in my head. Before I knew it, I was asleep.
***
"Wake up, beautiful. Everything went great."
I felt awful. Like a train hit me kind of awful but something about his voice made me want to open my eyes.
"Hey, you, I was wondering if you were going to sleep forever. I even tried to be your very own prince charming, but my kisses didn't work."
I smiled at him but then took in how tired he looked.
"You haven't slept, have you?"
"No, babe, I couldn't. Not knowing how scared you were even though you tried to hide it from me."
"I love you, Mike."
His back went straight and so did mine. As straight as I could be with me lying in a hospital bed. I must have still been drugged. No way would I say that otherwise.
"I didn't mean that. I don't even know why I said it. Don't look at me like that. God! Please just leave."
I was more embarrassed than I have ever been in my life. When he stood in the same place, making everything even more awkward I started to get pissed off.
"Go!"
"Not a chance in hell, darlin'. You dropped that on ME. The first girl in my life that I have ever cared about so deeply it burns, the first girl to ever tell me those words and mean it. The first girl I have ever wanted to hear them from. I'm not going anywhere, ever. You can tell me to go away, leave and never come back, but I will always be yours. I don't want anything in this world like I want you."
I lost it. Tears ran down my face as he bent down and kissed each one away. He may not have said I love you too, but he nailed it.
"So stop trying to kick me out. I'm going to go get the crew. They have been waiting in the lobby for hours."
"Who's here?"
"Everyone. Yours, mine and ours. I will be right back."
He kissed my dry lips once more before walking out of the room. Seconds later I saw balloons before people. Then Heather's face peeked around the corner, followed by Sadie, Kate, Jason, Blythe, Tony, Ash, Talon, and Hudson.
"Oh my gosh, you are all here!"
I can't even tell you who spoke first. Everyone in the room stared talking to me, each other; it was chaos but this was my family.
"What did you do?"
"You are just on a roll lately aren't you?"
"You are going to stay with me and Ash so we can take care of you."
"The hell she is! She’s coming to my house."
"No she isn't."
Are you confused as to who was talking? So was I. Some you may have recognized, others not so much. Welcome to my world. It was a room pressed full and I loved it. I couldn't believe how many of them came here for me.
"Hey, kiddo."
In the midst of the craziness Tony came to my side.
"Well hello there."
"You know, you can stop doing all these crazy things, he wants you no matter what."
He was laughing but I took it personally. "I don't, I mean, they just keep happening. I'm not trying—"
"I was just kidding around with you. I know you're not. You just need to be more careful. Mike is going to lose his mind if this stuff keeps happening. When he called me you would have thought someone died he was so upset. And as far as them fighting over who you are staying with, he will win hands down. They can fight a
ll they want for you but he won't give up."
"I am going back to my dorm anyway so they are arguing for nothing."
"We'll see about that."
"Tony?"
"Yeah?"
"I love him. It scares me to death but I do."
"We've known that I think before you ever did. It's okay to be scared. But I think your heart found the right one from the get go. He's a hard one to crack but he's a softy on the inside. Give him time, Marissa. You two just got started."
"What are you two talking about?"
"Hey, Kate, thanks for coming."
She leaned down and kissed my cheek. "I wouldn't want to be anywhere else right now. How are you feeling?"
"I think I might still be a little drunk."
The two of them laughed and then Kate said, "No, dollface, that's the anesthesia wearing off. It feels a little like that." She looked back over her shoulder at the group still arguing. "They won't quit. How hard is it to realize Mike is taking you home with him?"
"He's not either. I’m going back to my dorm."
"Haha, we'll see about that."
"That's what I said."
"You two are just perfect for each other."
"All right, everyone needs to leave for a moment so I can check on my patient."
The surgeon had come in and the look on his face was priceless when he took in how many people were in one little room.
"Come on, get going. You heard the doctor."
Mike was ushering them all out while they bitched and complained. The room emptied leaving Mike, Blythe and the surgeon.
"You feeling okay, Marissa? How's the pain level?"
"I'm all right. I feel a little drunk still but that's about it."
"That's normal. As long as you're not nauseous we are in the clear. The surgery went great. You should feel as good as new in no time. Have you decided who is going to take care of you post-surgery? You're going to need a lot of help these first few days."
"How much help?"
"You will need help with everything. I don't want you out of bed at all for at least the first three days unless you need to use the restroom. On day four you will need to follow up with me at my office. Until then, your brace will be locked."
Fighting Fate Page 16
