A Puck Between Us
Chapter 9
We pulled up to the Emergency Room at the hospital and Addison ran right inside with her brother.
I parked the car and quickly made my way into the hospital.
“Emerson Banks?” The older woman at the desk asked me when she noticed me looking confused around the room.
“Yes, ma’am.” I answered, out of breath.
“Room 5. Third on the right.”
“Thank you.”
“Usually it’s family only, but that girl in there could really use her boyfriend right now. She is a nervous wreck. Go comfort her a little.” She said, smiling softly.
“Oh we’re just—“ I paused for what seemed like a century, trying to figure out just what we were. “friends…” I finally finished telling her.
I walked into Emerson’s room and sat down next to Addison in the chairs against the wall. Emerson was laying very still and quietly on the table being examined by the nurse.
I glanced over at Addison, who was quietly sobbing. I wanted nothing more than to grab her in my arms and tell her everything was going to be alright, but at the same time I couldn’t help but wonder why she didn’t just get that guy that she looked so comfortable with before to take her here.
“I’m gonna take him to get an x-ray done.” The nurse said and we immediately both stood up. “I’m sorry, but no one is allowed in because of the radiation, so you can just stay here. I promise, he is in good hands. You have nothing to worry about.”
Addison looked up at me, as we stood there together in the now empty room, and all the jealous feelings left my mind. I draped my arm around her, gently, and tried my best to make her feel like she was okay.
She turned more toward me and dug her face into my shoulder, crying even harder now.
I pulled her tightly into my body and lightly stroked her head, letting her hair fall between my fingers.
“He’s fine, Addi.” I whispered to her.
I got no verbal response, but I felt her hand clench around my back and I just hugged her tightly.
She pulled away, wiping her eyes. “I don’t know how I could have let this happen.”
“It was an accident!” I tried to assure her, but she wouldn’t have it.
“I get that, Jeff, but I just finished telling Eddy that I could take care of him by myself with no problem, and ten minutes after he leaves, this happens.”
Just the sound of her saying another man’s name made me shiver.
“I better call him to have him meet us here.” She said and I got a little confused.
“Don’t you think that’d be weird?” I asked her before she could make the call.
“Why? He deserves to know about the baby.”
“But Addison, I am not talking about Emerson right now, I am talking about us.” I tried to hold back, but I couldn’t. “ How could you say all those things a few days ago about how much you still cared and how much I meant to you, how much I still mean to you, and then three days later I see a guy at your doorstep.”
“Jeff! That was my cousin! He came home from Vietnam and always comes to see the entire family, not knowing if it will be his last.”
“Oh Add, I’m sorry. I just—“
“Assumed… You assumed that I had moved on from you and said all of those things to get rid of you, didn’t you?”
“Well I—“
“I told you that I still love you, Jeff.” She said grabbing both of my hands. “I wouldn’t lie to you about that, and if you thought I could have stopped thinking about you long enough to have a boyfriend, you are dead wrong. I can’t even take a shower without thinking about you. You were always such a big part of my life, and just because you left me on my doorstep doesn’t mean that I lost it all.”
I pulled her into me, once again. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for it all. You never deserved anything that I did to hurt you and for me to assume that you had lied about moving on was very wrong. Trust me, I have not even been able to look at a girl without thinking about you. I don’t think I will ever be able to move on from you.”
“Maybe you—“ The door flung open and interrupted her.
“We have one healthy, happy, little boy for someone!” The nurse said, smiling, as she came in.
Emerson ran in and Addison knelt down so he could come into her open arms.
“Cool cast, buddy.” I said to him and he looked up smiling.
“Blue.” He got excited and said.
“Very good, Em, it is blue!”
“Blue.” He said again and we all laughed.
“So he is alright?” She asked the nurse.
“Slight fracture is all. It should be healed in two weeks, but we will keep that on for a month to make sure that it is all set. After that, he will be as good as new.”
“Thank you so much!” Addison said, flashing her beautiful smile.
It had been way too long since I had seen that.
“You’re very welcome.” The nurse said to her. “And you three are free to go!”
“Thanks.” I said to her and we walked out together back to the car.
We got in and Addison leaned over to me. “Thank you so much for tonight, Jeff. I seriously owe you. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”
“You’re welcome, Addi. And I have been asking myself that same thing for the past 2 years.”
I parked the car and quickly made my way into the hospital.
“Emerson Banks?” The older woman at the desk asked me when she noticed me looking confused around the room.
“Yes, ma’am.” I answered, out of breath.
“Room 5. Third on the right.”
“Thank you.”
“Usually it’s family only, but that girl in there could really use her boyfriend right now. She is a nervous wreck. Go comfort her a little.” She said, smiling softly.
“Oh we’re just—“ I paused for what seemed like a century, trying to figure out just what we were. “friends…” I finally finished telling her.
I walked into Emerson’s room and sat down next to Addison in the chairs against the wall. Emerson was laying very still and quietly on the table being examined by the nurse.
I glanced over at Addison, who was quietly sobbing. I wanted nothing more than to grab her in my arms and tell her everything was going to be alright, but at the same time I couldn’t help but wonder why she didn’t just get that guy that she looked so comfortable with before to take her here.
“I’m gonna take him to get an x-ray done.” The nurse said and we immediately both stood up. “I’m sorry, but no one is allowed in because of the radiation, so you can just stay here. I promise, he is in good hands. You have nothing to worry about.”
Addison looked up at me, as we stood there together in the now empty room, and all the jealous feelings left my mind. I draped my arm around her, gently, and tried my best to make her feel like she was okay.
She turned more toward me and dug her face into my shoulder, crying even harder now.
I pulled her tightly into my body and lightly stroked her head, letting her hair fall between my fingers.
“He’s fine, Addi.” I whispered to her.
I got no verbal response, but I felt her hand clench around my back and I just hugged her tightly.
She pulled away, wiping her eyes. “I don’t know how I could have let this happen.”
“It was an accident!” I tried to assure her, but she wouldn’t have it.
“I get that, Jeff, but I just finished telling Eddy that I could take care of him by myself with no problem, and ten minutes after he leaves, this happens.”
Just the sound of her saying another man’s name made me shiver.
“I better call him to have him meet us here.” She said and I got a little confused.
“Don’t you think that’d be weird?” I asked her before she could make the call.
“Why? He deserves to know about the baby.”
“But Addison, I am not talking about Emerson right now, I am talking about us.” I tried to hold back, but I couldn’t. “ How could you say all those things a few days ago about how much you still cared and how much I meant to you, how much I still mean to you, and then three days later I see a guy at your doorstep.”
“Jeff! That was my cousin! He came home from Vietnam and always comes to see the entire family, not knowing if it will be his last.”
“Oh Add, I’m sorry. I just—“
“Assumed… You assumed that I had moved on from you and said all of those things to get rid of you, didn’t you?”
“Well I—“
“I told you that I still love you, Jeff.” She said grabbing both of my hands. “I wouldn’t lie to you about that, and if you thought I could have stopped thinking about you long enough to have a boyfriend, you are dead wrong. I can’t even take a shower without thinking about you. You were always such a big part of my life, and just because you left me on my doorstep doesn’t mean that I lost it all.”
I pulled her into me, once again. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for it all. You never deserved anything that I did to hurt you and for me to assume that you had lied about moving on was very wrong. Trust me, I have not even been able to look at a girl without thinking about you. I don’t think I will ever be able to move on from you.”
“Maybe you—“ The door flung open and interrupted her.
“We have one healthy, happy, little boy for someone!” The nurse said, smiling, as she came in.
Emerson ran in and Addison knelt down so he could come into her open arms.
“Cool cast, buddy.” I said to him and he looked up smiling.
“Blue.” He got excited and said.
“Very good, Em, it is blue!”
“Blue.” He said again and we all laughed.
“So he is alright?” She asked the nurse.
“Slight fracture is all. It should be healed in two weeks, but we will keep that on for a month to make sure that it is all set. After that, he will be as good as new.”
“Thank you so much!” Addison said, flashing her beautiful smile.
It had been way too long since I had seen that.
“You’re very welcome.” The nurse said to her. “And you three are free to go!”
“Thanks.” I said to her and we walked out together back to the car.
We got in and Addison leaned over to me. “Thank you so much for tonight, Jeff. I seriously owe you. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”
“You’re welcome, Addi. And I have been asking myself that same thing for the past 2 years.”