What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger

“Beth wait, let me explain.” I said grabbing her arm and pulling her closer to me.

“There is nothing to explain.” She yanked her arm back and got into her truck. I just stood there shocked for a couple of moments before I started to call her.

Finally on the fourth call she picked up. “What?” she yelled but I didn’t have time to reply before I heard a loud crunching sound and a painful scream from her end before the line disconnected.

“Beth!” I screamed to no one before I ran to my car and took off to the direction she was headed in. It didn’t take me long to find her truck, or what used to be her truck. There was a black suburban that was impaled on the driver’s side of her truck. But the person was moving around in there trying to get out. Beth however wasn’t moving from what I could see.

Jumping out of my car, I ran over to the passenger’s side of the truck to try to get to Beth. However before I could get anywhere the police and fire department showed up and dragged me away from the truck.

“Son, you have to stay here while we get her out of the car.” I nodded, not knowing what to do really, so I just stood in a daze while I watched the fire department take the Jaws of Life to Beth’s truck before pulling her limp body out of the truck and placing her on the stretcher.

“She’s not responding.” The paramedic said as he did a quick exam. “Her pulse is weak but it’s there.” With that they lifted the stretcher into the ambulance.

“Where are you taking her?” I asked the paramedic. He rattled off the name of the hospital they were taking her too as I ran back to my car to head to the hospital.

I drove like a wild man to the hospital; however it took me forever to find a parking spot. When I finally got inside, nobody would tell me how she was doing because I wasn’t family. So all I could do was pace back and forth in the waiting room.

“What are you doing here?” the voice that belonged to Beth’s brother asked snidely at me.

“I was on the phone with her when she got into the accident.” I explained.

“Why the fuck was she talking to you?” He said angrily, which he had every right to be angry.

“Watch your language, Justin.” A women who I recognized as Beth’s mother scolded him.

“Sorry” Justin said quickly before turning his attention back to me. He asked me the same question however this time he left out the f-bomb.

“She came to me to explain how she felt about finding out about what I did to her.” Justin gave me a disbelieving look, but before I could explain myself a doctor came into the waiting area.

“Are you family of Elizabeth Markham?” Justin and Mrs. Markham both nodded.

“How is she?” Mrs. Markham asked.

“Elizabeth is going to be fine.” There was a simultaneous sigh of relief from the three of us. “She was in and out of consciousness in the ambulance, which is a result from a concussion. A couple of her ribs were broken, and she is in surgery now for her broken arm and leg. However she is very lucky that her injuries weren’t worse.”

“When can we see her?” Justin asked as his hand was turning white from his mom’s death grip.

“Once she is done with surgery you will be able to see her. I’ll let a nurse know that you will be waiting.”

“Thank you.” Mrs. Markham said as he left and she took a seat with Justin on her right. I just stood there awkwardly not knowing what to do, I wasn’t sure if I was welcome to sit with them, but I sure as hell wasn’t going to leave the hospital without seeing that Beth was ok with my own eyes.

“Steven why don’t you sit down, you can see her after us.” Mrs. Markham said catching me off guard. Justin wasn’t happy about it, by the glare he gave me but he wasn’t going to go against his mother.

“Thank you.” I said taking the open seat next to her. For a while we just sat there in silence until the doctor came out again looking a bit rattled.

“What’s wrong?” I asked immediately noticing the look on his face.

“During surgery we had some complications.” He said slowly at this Mrs. Markham didn’t just grab Justin’s hand she grabbed mine as well. “Elizabeth started to lose a lot of blood, we found out she was bleeding internally. We were able to stop it but she lost quite a bit of blood so she can’t have visitors until tomorrow.”

“But she is going to be ok, right?” Her mom double checked.

“Yes, it was just an unforeseen complication.” The doctor said almost apologetically. “Why don’t you guys go home and get some rest and comeback in the morning. We all just nodded in response as the doctor left.

“Mom, the doctor is right we should go home and get some of Beth’s things so she has something to do while she is stuck in the hospital.” Justin said after a few minutes of just standing in the waiting room unable to do anything.

“Yeah, ok.” Mrs. Markham said before following Justin out. However before she exited she turned around. “We’ll see you in the morning?”

“Yes.” I stated firmly, with that she left. There was no way I was going to leave this hospital without seeing her, even if that meant I had to miss tomorrow’s game. Beth was more important than hockey.

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I woke up to a room that was way too white, which could only mean one thing, I was in the hospital. Moving just a little caused me to grimace, as my eyes adjusted to the light I saw my leg and arm in casts. What happened to me? “I am glad to see your up, Elizabeth.” What I suspect was a nurse walked into the room.

“Call me Beth.” I managed my voice hoarse. “And is it possible you can tell me what happened?”

“You don’t remember?” She asked sounding worried.

“Well I remember going to Steven’s house and talking to him, but I don’t remember anything after that.” I told her honestly.

“Steven? Is he about 6’1” with blonde hair and gorgeous eyes?” the nurse asked.

“Yes.” I answered nervously, hoping nothing happened to him as well. “Is he alright?”

“His back may hurt from sleeping on the uncomfortable waiting room chairs all night.” I breathed a sigh of relief.

“Your mom, dad and brother just got here and would like to see you if you’re up to it.” She said.

“Yes.” I said still thinking of Steven staying the night in the hospital.

“Okay sweetheart, I’ll go get them for you, and I’ll have the doctor give you some more pain medicine.”

“No more pain medicine.” I told her immediately.

“Are you sure?” she asked.

“Yes.” I said firmly.

“Alright, I’ll go get your family.”

A few moments later they came into the room with flowers and a bag that I assumed was full of my stuff. “Oh Beth” my mom gasped.

“Hey mom” I said quietly.

“I have been so worried about you.” She said kissing my cheek.

“I’ll be ok mom.”

“I know you will.” Justin set the flowers down and kissed my cheek too as my dad followed suit

“Aren’t you still supposed to be at the conference?” I asked knowing he was out of town.

“I took the first flight back once I heard about the accident.” He explained.

We just talked for a little while and I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I knew it was dark outside. I looked over to where my family had been sitting but they weren’t there, instead sat a sleeping Steven holding the same kind of flowers he had bought me for our first date.

He looked so peaceful I didn’t want to wake him even though I am still mad at him for what he did to me. I watched him sleep for a while until I heard Steven’s name said on TV. Quickly I looked over to the TV and saw that the Lightning game was playing.

Grabbing the remote I turned up the volume so I could hear the announcers better but not loud enough to wake Steven up.

“Steven Stamkos isn’t playing into today’s game because of personal reasons.” The announcer stated. “He gave a phone statement about how someone he cares deeply about was in an accident and he needed to be there for her.”

“Well our thoughts and prayers go out to whoever was in the accident and hope you have a quick recovery.” The other announcer said before the game started.

“Oh Steven, why are you missing your game? I mumbled to myself thinking he was still asleep.

“Do you really think I could play today, not knowing if you were ok?” he said startling me.

“But the doctor told you I was going to be alright.” I said.

“I know he did but I wouldn’t believe him until I saw you myself.” He told me and I finally looked into his eyes. They were full of mixed emotions; tiredness, worry, relief, stress, guilt.

“What about Carissa?” I asked remembering why I left his house in a hurry yesterday.

“Like I told you yesterday, we are over. I was trying to be a nice person and let her stay until she found an apartment.” He said and I could tell he was being honest. “I don’t want anything to do with her anymore, hell I didn’t want anything to do with her to begin with.”

“What?” I asked confused.

“I never loved Carissa.” He took a deep breath before continuing. “I just thought I did because I liked being able to come home to someone but when I got home I wouldn’t be able to stand being with her for five minutes. I loved the idea of her, not her.”

“Then why did you stay with her?” I asked feeling a lot better than I have in weeks.

“Even though this sounds cliché, I didn’t know what love was until I met you.” I took a deep breath letting his words register.

“But you have only known you for a few weeks.” I told him.

“I know, but I also know that the weeks I spent without you, I felt like I couldn’t breathe.” He told me I started to cry. “Beth please don’t cry.” Steven said wiping off the tears on my cheek as the doctor walked into the room.

“Hey Beth how are you feeling?” he said picking up the clipboard that hangs at the end of my bed.

“Good.” I lied.

“No pain.” He asked knowing I wasn’t telling the truth.

“I wish.” I said sullenly because I knew he was going to try to give me pain meds.

“I am going to give you some pain medication then, make you more comfortable.” He said writing something on the board before going through his checks.

“Please no pain meds.” I begged, causing Steven to look at me weird.

“Beth, you will get better faster if you take the pain medication and you will feel better.” He tried.

“I have to agree with Steven on this. It is in your best interest to take them Beth.” He said before adding.

“I can’t.” I told him causing him to look through his chart. He must of noticed the one thing I hoped nobody else would ever know about.

“I understand, but just to let you know we do have some pain meds that will help that aren’t addictive.”

“Really?” I asked hopeful this pain was starting to get ridiculous.

“Yes, let me go get those for you and I will be right back.” The doctor said before leaving the room.

“Before you ask, yes I was a drug addict at some point in my life. But I haven’t taken anything since
I sobered up.” I explained to Steven the dumbed down version.

“How did that happen?” he asked. I knew he was going to ask that, but I was in no mood to tell him the long story tonight.

“It’s a long story.” He noticed my apprehension and didn’t push it.

“Ok,” he said kissing my head. “When you are ready to talk I will be here.”

“Thank you.” I whispered getting sleepy again and closing my eyes.

“You’re welcome. I’d do anything for the people I love."