close to her and said a little prayer over her forehead then kissed her cheek softly. He fluffed up the flowers beside her bed and put fresh water in the vase. He pulled Rebecca’s hair to one side and tucked the covers around her securely then left the hospital room.
Rebecca
Rebecca dreamed that she was running from someone. It was a dark place but it turned to light really soon. She felt the dryness of her throat and coughed a little. A machine beside her head was loud and ringing in her ears. She opened her eyes and it felt like sticky glue was covering her face.
She began to cry from the pain in her head and attempted to reach out a hand for Alex. Surely he was beside her, since they were in the hospital again as they usually were. But this time something was very different. Her parents weren’t there, and neither was her son. She looked around the room and gasped for air as hot mist flew into her lungs from a large plastic tube over her gaping mouth.
“Help!” She tried to scream and the walls of her throat closed and she grabbed the side of the bed in panic.
The machine was choking her, it felt like her entire body was unmoving and strapped to a bed. There is always a help button, and Rebecca knew it was on the side of the bed. She searched for the little red button to call for a nurse, and once she found it not far from her hand she frantically pushed it.
She coughed and squealed trying to take the tape off her face and unhook the IV in her arm. A nurse ran in and called for the night doctor as she helped Rebecca with the tape. She tried to calm Rebecca down but she was frightened and scared not wanting to suffocate. When Rebecca realized the nurse was not helping her get the mask off, she yanked her hands away.
“Leave me alone!” Rebecca screamed. “I want it off, it’s choking me!” She tried to grasp for air and her throat closed even tighter. Her head swam and she tried to yank the mask and tape right off her face. She yelped and squealed and the nurse stuck her arm with a large needle. Rebecca suddenly calmed and her whole body failed her. She took a deep breath and the doctor leaned over her head and spoke to her. Rebecca cried.
“It’s alright, don’t worry we will put you back together again. Bless your heart.” The man said and gave her a quick checkup. “Well you’re definitely awake! How about we notify your family after you get cleaned up?” Rebecca shook her head frantically.
“No!” She said. “Don’t call anyone because I don’t want them to know I am here.” She said and slumped into the pillow behind her head. Everything she did or said took energy out of her and she was getting weaker by the second. She shot up from the bed and yelled in desperation. “Alex! My son, where is my son?” She looked around the room not seeing him then her body crashed back down to the bed forced by the doctor and nurses hands.
“He is with a local firefighter and is very safe. He visits you every day and will be here tomorrow first thing in the morning ma’am,” Said one of the nurses. “He comes to see you all the time and he will be very excited to see you awake. Calm down ok, you’re going to sleep now.” And she was right, before she finished the sentence Rebecca passed out.
Presley
Presley arrived at the hospital at a reasonable time. He usually had the kids with him but Gina brought them today so that he could run off to work. Their car shouldn’t be too far away now that he had arrived at the hospital and was riding the elevator to Rebecca’s room.
As he jabbed her floor, he began to recollect all that he knew about her. She was beautiful, and a very good mother. She took really good care of Alex and loved him dearly. Presley wondered what she liked, how she would be in person and what exactly did she do for a living now that her plans of being a singer failed. Presley had a friend again in Rebecca. It had been a long time since he had come close to someone, and he did not even know Rebecca that well.
Presley arrived upstairs and greeted the nurses the same way as every day and headed to Rebecca’s room. He fluffed the flowers and sat beside her bed then took her little hand in his and waited for the kids and Gina to arrive. He looked at Rebecca’s face, she slept solemnly like she always did and he picked up her hair and pushed it to her right shoulder. He listened to her breathing and put his elbows on her bed and placed his face in his hands. Presley rubbed his neck and stretched a little then took her hand again.
“Rebecca, your son is amazing. He surprises me every single day. Last night he made dinner for Abigail and put her to bed for me. I think he is trying to take my job as father.” Presley giggled. “Abigail loves him, she really does. She tries to use him as leverage, and whatever she wants he gives it to her. He reminds me of myself.” Presley looked at the ground feeling guilty.
“I know that you can’t hear me, and I know that you would probably kill me if you were awake right now. But your son has saved my life.” Presley felt tears rolling down his eyes. “The way he looks at you when you’re in this bed it reminds me of myself. I watched my father die this way, my mother, and my best friend. All of them died like this leaving me behind, and I could not come back from it.” Presley clutched her hand and put it in his lap and stared at her hand inside of his. “I wish Becky, I really wish I could save you.” Presley shook his head unable to stop his tears.
“I couldn’t save my mother. She died right in front of me on a bed just like this. My best friend, I watched her spirit leave her body. I can’t do it again.” Presley put his hand over hers and cradled it softly. “I can’t lose another person in my life. I know you have no idea who I am, but I can’t lose you too. If Alex,” He didn’t want to finish. “If Alex has to lose you the way I lost my entire family, I think…no I know that it will break him.” Presley continued.
“It will break me, and I can’t live with that knowing that I am the reason you’re here.” Presley placed her hand on his forehead and cried a little then lowered her hand back into his own. “Please Rebecca, I need you to live, I need you to live long enough to forgive me for what I have done. I need to hear it, so please wake up.” Presley cried for a moment and stared at her hand.
“I did something horrible Rebecca. I have seen your tapes and I feel like I know you now, so I really need to get this off my chest. I have done something horrible, I set up a man and though he isn’t innocent-I still meddled into his life and caused him great pain.” Presley shook his head in regret.
“This man hurt me so bad. He left someone I loved in a hospital bed and did not step up to save her. It was such a bad situation and now I understand what he was afraid of. Honestly I can no longer blame the man for deciding to let my friend die. He was afraid of death and after all the death’s I have seen in my life, I can understand how fear can grip you.” Presley sighed beside the bed and kept staring at the hand inside of his.
“Rebecca, I know that you don’t know who I am, but I promise that when you wake up I will be here for you. I will be here for Alex and I will take care of you both after this is over and I swear to you that Alex will have a great life. I won’t try to find your family and force them to put their differences aside for the sake of Alex. I am not going to meddle, instead I will do my best to ensure that both of you are safe.”
Presley lowered his head to the floor, and a sudden sensation made him freeze. He felt the hand in his, grip him softly and it held him. Presley blinked and looked up to the bed. Rebecca’s eyes were wide open.
Presley jumped back startled looked up at the bed with fear on his face. Rebecca stared at him and sat up in the bed. She took of the mask so she could speak. She sighed softly and a tear rolled down her face.
“I forgive you.” She said and Presley could do nothing but blink in surprise. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Presley nearly lost his breakfast. He never did well with surprises. She continued to speak while he lay in the chair speechless.
“Are you the man who has my son?” She asked and Presley still could not catch his breath. Rebecca’s face turned into concern. She reached for his hand again and Presley felt the warmth of it
and looked down at his lap. “Please,” her eyes flooded with tears. “Do you know where my son is?” She asked and Presley nodded.
“H-he’s at school.” Presley cleared his throat and wiped his face with his free hand. “I can go get him and bring him.” Presley looked at her through puffy eyes and rubbed his neck again, he felt so awkward. How long was she awake, and how much did she hear!
Rebecca released his hand and sat back on the bed. “You weren’t expecting me to wake?” She asked and looked at him. Presley shook his head and lowered it to the floor. He wanted to hide under a rock. “You hit me, didn’t you?” She asked in a whisper. Presley’s face shot up quickly and he nodded.
“I uh…” Presley rubbed his hands together feeling like a four-year-old caught in the cookie jar.
Rebecca closed her eyes and put up her hand to stop him. “I forgive you sir. I told you that, I mean it. I am in pain but it wasn’t your fault.” She said looking away. How could she blame him? She remembered the crash perfectly, last night her memory was gone but after all the rest she had, she remembered his face in that car behind the windshield. He was staring at Riley doing every possible maneuver he could manage in order to miss Riley. He had seen her after the
Passion Over Presley: Based on a True Story Page 16
