Status: Complete!
Morphine
Part Two
Addie stayed by Brian's bedside for three weeks. The only time she wasn't with him was when his father and step mother forced her to leave so she could try to get some food and rest. She barely ate anything only a few crackers or a bite or two of a sandwich. Sleeping was nearly impossible. Not because she didn't have Brian beside her to hold her at night, but because she kept seeing the wreckage. She had requested to see the wreckage photos so she could ready herself in case she was hoping for something that just wasn't going to come. Immediately she burst into tears looking at Brian's BMW folded up on the highway, but in a way it gave her a bit of comfort knowing that he had managed to survive it.
Logically speaking there was no way Brian was to even make it out of something like that alive, but he did. He beat the odds of being pronounced dead on the scene and he was still here three weeks later. Today was technically their wedding date and it was supposed to be the happiest day of Addie's life. She was supposed to be walking down a rose petal covered aisle along the beach where Brian proposed in her white gown, but she was scrunched awkwardly in a hard hospital chair trying her damnedest not to break into a million pieces.
Looking at Brian in this state was devastating. He was a bit swollen from his various surgeries over the past few weeks. He had to have reconstructive surgery on his face and with time his scars would heal making him look good as new. The hardest part of it all was the fact that they had to amputate one of his legs due to him being pinned underneath the car. But then there was the matter of his hands. Brian had significant nerve damage that was going to impair movement in his hands over time. Addie knew that when he came out of this it was going to destroy him to know that they took his hands from him – his livelihood.
His parents wanted them to do what would keep Brian healthy and bring him around quicker, but Brian made her Power of Attorney. She made the final decision. Playing guitar was his everything and she couldn't let them take that away from him too. The doctor's weren't one hundred percent sure that he wasn't going to be able to use his hands after this. Her training in predicting the odds of survival and bringing patients into a happy healthy state. Her only priority was Brian. Matt and the guys came into the room quietly. No one really knew what to say so they stayed quiet for the most part.
“You should really go home for awhile,” said Matt. His deep voice rattling Addie as he disrupted her silent trance on Brian waiting for any sign of him coming around, “You should go home and eat a bit. Feed Pinkly. Maybe even try to take a nap.”
“I ate Jell-O last night. Pinkly's with his parents and I don't sleep much these days. I can't,” she said dryly not breaking her concentration on Brian, “I have to be here.”
Zacky placed his hand on Addie's shoulder gently, but it still caused her to jump, “Brian wouldn't want you making yourself sick like this. You know how much he worries about you Addison. Fuck, we're all worried about you. Just take a few minutes. We'll all be right here when you get back.”
She nodded knowing that he was right. Brian would want her to take care of herself. She got up slowly her bones stiff from being in the same position for so long. Parts of her body were asleep that she didn't even know existed as she stretched her body back into place, “You'll call me if there's any change?”
“You're on speed dial,” replied Matt.
With that Addison walked out of the hospital and to her car. She sat in the driver's seat and turned to place her purse in the backseat. Then she saw it – Brian's skull beanie. She picked it up slowly and examined it. A soft cry startled Addie as she sat in her car. She looked out into the parking lot and it was virtually empty. Then she caught a glimpse of herself in the rear view mirror. Her eyes were red and swollen – she was crying. The tears she had fought so hard not to release had finally overflowed. She didn't want to fight it anymore she released everything she had been holding. She screamed at the top of her lungs as she clutched his beanie to her chest wishing that it was him instead.
Addie wasn't sure how long she sat there holding his beanie and crying, but she finally felt relieved. She wiped her eyes vigorously as she got out of the car. She walked down to the cafeteria to grab some coffee and a muffin when her cell rang. It was Matt. She didn't bother answering she just rushed up the stairs to the ICU to Brian's room. She opened the door and everyone was standing around his bed. Her heart was about to beat out of her chest as she tried to read their faces for any signs as she approached his bed.
A sigh of relief escaped her lips as her eyes finally stared back into the chocolate brown pools that she had longed to see for three weeks. It took everything in Addison not to launch herself across the bed and into his arms. For three weeks she wanted nothing more than for his arms to wrap around her thin body so she could inhale his intoxicating scent of cologne and cigarettes. Instead she settled for a kiss. Having his lips against hers brought back the goosebumps she used to get when she first met him so many years ago.
“I'm so happy that you're okay,” she whispered as she tried not to cry, but failed miserably.
Brian wiped away her tear gently and laughed, “Of course I would be. It takes a lot more than a car crash to take me out.”
“Brian -”
“Seriously, though. You had to have known I could never leave you Addie. You mean everything to me. I know what you have to see everyday and I could never do that to you. I can't leave you before we have a chance to live our lives together,” he said as he kissed her hand.
Addie smiled now realizing just how Brian was able to survive the crash. It was their love for one another that kept him going all that time. It was his love for her that kept him on Earth for her to love and be loved by him.
Logically speaking there was no way Brian was to even make it out of something like that alive, but he did. He beat the odds of being pronounced dead on the scene and he was still here three weeks later. Today was technically their wedding date and it was supposed to be the happiest day of Addie's life. She was supposed to be walking down a rose petal covered aisle along the beach where Brian proposed in her white gown, but she was scrunched awkwardly in a hard hospital chair trying her damnedest not to break into a million pieces.
Looking at Brian in this state was devastating. He was a bit swollen from his various surgeries over the past few weeks. He had to have reconstructive surgery on his face and with time his scars would heal making him look good as new. The hardest part of it all was the fact that they had to amputate one of his legs due to him being pinned underneath the car. But then there was the matter of his hands. Brian had significant nerve damage that was going to impair movement in his hands over time. Addie knew that when he came out of this it was going to destroy him to know that they took his hands from him – his livelihood.
His parents wanted them to do what would keep Brian healthy and bring him around quicker, but Brian made her Power of Attorney. She made the final decision. Playing guitar was his everything and she couldn't let them take that away from him too. The doctor's weren't one hundred percent sure that he wasn't going to be able to use his hands after this. Her training in predicting the odds of survival and bringing patients into a happy healthy state. Her only priority was Brian. Matt and the guys came into the room quietly. No one really knew what to say so they stayed quiet for the most part.
“You should really go home for awhile,” said Matt. His deep voice rattling Addie as he disrupted her silent trance on Brian waiting for any sign of him coming around, “You should go home and eat a bit. Feed Pinkly. Maybe even try to take a nap.”
“I ate Jell-O last night. Pinkly's with his parents and I don't sleep much these days. I can't,” she said dryly not breaking her concentration on Brian, “I have to be here.”
Zacky placed his hand on Addie's shoulder gently, but it still caused her to jump, “Brian wouldn't want you making yourself sick like this. You know how much he worries about you Addison. Fuck, we're all worried about you. Just take a few minutes. We'll all be right here when you get back.”
She nodded knowing that he was right. Brian would want her to take care of herself. She got up slowly her bones stiff from being in the same position for so long. Parts of her body were asleep that she didn't even know existed as she stretched her body back into place, “You'll call me if there's any change?”
“You're on speed dial,” replied Matt.
With that Addison walked out of the hospital and to her car. She sat in the driver's seat and turned to place her purse in the backseat. Then she saw it – Brian's skull beanie. She picked it up slowly and examined it. A soft cry startled Addie as she sat in her car. She looked out into the parking lot and it was virtually empty. Then she caught a glimpse of herself in the rear view mirror. Her eyes were red and swollen – she was crying. The tears she had fought so hard not to release had finally overflowed. She didn't want to fight it anymore she released everything she had been holding. She screamed at the top of her lungs as she clutched his beanie to her chest wishing that it was him instead.
Addie wasn't sure how long she sat there holding his beanie and crying, but she finally felt relieved. She wiped her eyes vigorously as she got out of the car. She walked down to the cafeteria to grab some coffee and a muffin when her cell rang. It was Matt. She didn't bother answering she just rushed up the stairs to the ICU to Brian's room. She opened the door and everyone was standing around his bed. Her heart was about to beat out of her chest as she tried to read their faces for any signs as she approached his bed.
A sigh of relief escaped her lips as her eyes finally stared back into the chocolate brown pools that she had longed to see for three weeks. It took everything in Addison not to launch herself across the bed and into his arms. For three weeks she wanted nothing more than for his arms to wrap around her thin body so she could inhale his intoxicating scent of cologne and cigarettes. Instead she settled for a kiss. Having his lips against hers brought back the goosebumps she used to get when she first met him so many years ago.
“I'm so happy that you're okay,” she whispered as she tried not to cry, but failed miserably.
Brian wiped away her tear gently and laughed, “Of course I would be. It takes a lot more than a car crash to take me out.”
“Brian -”
“Seriously, though. You had to have known I could never leave you Addie. You mean everything to me. I know what you have to see everyday and I could never do that to you. I can't leave you before we have a chance to live our lives together,” he said as he kissed her hand.
Addie smiled now realizing just how Brian was able to survive the crash. It was their love for one another that kept him going all that time. It was his love for her that kept him on Earth for her to love and be loved by him.