Fate's Cruel Hand

The feeling of exhaustion had come and gone, running almost on empty except from the occasional cup of coffee and dried-out sandwich from the cafeteria. The hours and days had blurred together which only heightens Kelly's confusion.
For five days she hadn't left Jeremy's bedside, holding his hand until he came round from the medically induced coma and only left when she really needed to or was forced to. Marilyn and Wayne would take over for her while she was dragged away to eat or freshen herself up.

In those few days Kelly had realised that she could have lost Jeremy before they had even begun anything remotely to what they wanted. She had feared that she would never hear his voice again or feel his breath on her face when he kissed her. Jeremy had been the wrecking ball that had slammed into her heart, the love pushing it's way in through the cracks and gripping her like a vice. Every feeling she had tried to bury had erupted when she heard the news report and seeing Jeremy lying so lifeless in a hospital bed made her feel empty.

"You need to take a break" Marilyn says from Kelly's side.

Kelly leans back in the plastic chair and rubs her eyes, her hair tied back with loose strands escaping.

"I'm fine" she replies"I don't need a break"

"You need to eat something or you are going to pass out and you will be no good to anyone."

"Okay, let's go get something to eat"

The hospital cafeteria is packed with nurses and doctors on call, friends and relatives of people who are having various treatments in the hospital. Marilyn watches Kelly as she pushes around the macaroni cheese around the plate, her mind wandering back to Jeremy and the accident.

"You okay?" Marilyn asks softly.

"I'm fine..I..just wish he knew I was there."

"He will know deep down that you have barely left his side." Marilyn wipes her sticky fingers on a paper napkin.

"I know. I just want him to wake up so I can see for myself that he's alright. Does that sound silly?" Kelly asks.

"It sounds perfectly natural, honey.
He's going to be just fine"

*****

Kelly has fallen asleep on her folded arms on the edge of the bed, hunched over in quite an uncomfortable position. Maybe it was the meal she had eaten in the cafeteria that had made her feel so sluggish or maybe it was pure exhaustion. The comings and goings of the nursing staff didn't wake her, one of them even tried to wake her to go home and get some rest, but she wouldn't.

She stirs as she feels something brushing her hair, a hand stroking her head. Kelly snaps awake.

"Hey" he says, his voice husky.

"Hey" Kelly says softly with a big smile.

"How long have you been here?"

"Not long" Kelly says evasively.

"You're a bad liar"

She smiles at him again, her runs
his thumb over her lips.

"I need to ask you something" he whispers, feeling exhausted by a few sentences. His whole body is aching.

"You can ask me anything"

Jeremy's eyes are glazed, the surrounding tissue badly bruised from the smashed eye socket.

"marry me?"

Kelly stares at him wide-eyed and shocked. But suddenly Jeremy slips off, the monitors howling and buzzing. Two nurses run into the room and lay him flat, throwing the pillows onto the floor and are suddenly joined by another two staff members.

She stands still, silently. She doesn't know what's going on and is asked to leave, but her feet won't move her.

"You need to leave" the nurse who is starting resuscitation barks at her.

One of the nurses call for the crash kit and usher Kelly outside.

She is left not knowing what has just happened or what is going on, but knows it has to be serious if the nurses are acting so quickly.
A student nurse appears from nowhere, dressed in baby pink scrubs.

"Let's get you a seat" the girl doesn't look much older than twenty five.
Kelly refuses to move as the nurse pulls her arm. She knows that the girl is only doing what she is supposed to but she isn't leaving.
The sound of electricity buzzes loudly amongst the several voices, a sudden jolt from the defibrillator makes Jeremy's body lift off the bed, not only once but three times. The nurse starts chest compressions again and the second nurse trying to force oxygen into his lungs.
Terrified, Kelly prays for him to wake-up, for the nurses to be successful. Eventually she is dragged half way down the corridor and into a side room before she even knows it.