Kiss From a Rose

"Okay Miss MClain how does your arm feel?" The doctor asked.

"A little stiff." She said trying to move it. "Still hurts some to move it."

The doctor gently took her arm out the sling and squeezed it gently. Matt sat nearby watching as the doctor examined Ember and her injuries.

Ember winced as he squeezed her arm a little harder. "It's still sprained but it's getting better." He said putting it back in the sling.

"How long will my leg take to heal?" She asked wiggling her toes.

"It's been fractured in four different places." He said. "It'll take probably somewhere between three to six months."

"That's a long time." She said. "As it heals will I be able to walk at all?"

"Of course you'll just need crutches or something to support you as you do." The doctor said.

"What about my hand?" Ember asked shaking her bandaged hand.

"The burns are healing pretty fast in about three weeks you'll be able to take it off." He said.

She nodded then touched her stomach. "And the baby?"

"Is healthy and the heartbeat is still strong as it was when we first checked." He said.

Ember laughed. "I'm going to be a mom."

Matt chuckled. "Thanks doctor."

"You're welcome." He said shaking Matt's hand. "Is there anything else Miss McClain?"

"When will I be able to go home?" She asked.

"Probably after a weeks stay here just to ensure everything is alright." He said. "I'll check on you later."

"Looks like I'm stuck here for a week." She said with a sigh. "I hate being immobile and bed ridden."

"It won't be so bad cause I'll be here." Matt said.

"Matt you don't have to." She said. "Besides your neck and back must be uncomfortable from sleeping hunched on the bed."

"No problem I'll just sleep in the chair over there." He said getting up and pushing it over. "Problem fixed."

"Matt...

"Don't say I don't have too." He said. "I want to I meant what I said about protecting you and our child." "I'm not leaving you Ember."

She looked down before up. "What did I do to deserve someone as wonderful as you?"

"Nothing except being the beautiful unique woman you are." He said.

A smile slowly formed as Ember brought his lips to hers. Matt was mindful of her arm as he wrapped his arms around her. They were so caught up in the moment they didn't hear the door open.

"Oh I'm sorry." The nurse said.

They pulled away seeing the nurse with the cart filled with trays.

"Lunchtime." She said taking a tray off the cart.

Matt put the small table over Ember as she sat the tray down. "Enjoy." The nurse said pushing the cart out and leaving.

"Let's see what's for lunch." Matt said taking the top off.

"Oh joy." Ember said sarcastically.

Lunch was beef tips over rice, roll, broccoli and carrots mixed together, and a bowl of peach cobbler.

"What's wrong with it?" Matt asked. "Everyone likes beef tips over rice."

"Not the hospitals." She said. "Most of their food has little flavoring amd seasoning."

"Well I always carry something for this kind of problem." Matt said pulling out a small bottle of tabasco.

She laughed taking it. "You really carry this around with you?"

"Yeah sometimes restaurants food isn't spicy enough for me." He said. "Needs a little zest to it."

Ember laughed again pouring some over the beef tips and rice and mixing it in. "Tastes perfect now." She said.

"And for your veggies, drink, and dessert." He said taking out some salt, pepper, and sugar packages.

"You think of everything." She said taking them.

"Ember mind if I ask you something?" Matt asked.

"Anything you want." She said sipping her tea.

"How did you get into death and the occult?" He asked.

"I guess cause I survived death alot in my life and I had so many close calls it interested me." She said. "The whole thing with my mom dying and all also made me fascinated since she died giving birth to me and that is usually seen as something beautiful it interested me that giving life could be beautiful and tragic at the same time."

"As for the occult I'm just interested in some of their beliefs I'm not all up in it though." She said. "That's shit you just don't mess with cause bad things can happen if you do."

"How you got interested in theater?" He asked.

"I saw it as a way for me to escape the world and my life." Ember said. "It's also another way to express myself cause theater like a good movie is a piece of art." "With the right ingredients mixed together it comes out magnificent."

"I never thought of it as art." He said.

"Everything is a piece of art Matt." She said. "This hospital is a piece of art, the trees outside are art, these roses are art, you and me are art."

"Okay I get it." He said with a chuckle. "Speaking of roses what's your fascination with them?"

"Our neighbor had a beautiful rose bush around hrr house when I was young." She said. "She was like a grandmother to me I would always come over and help her tend to the bush."

"One day I pricked my finger on the thorn I was so upset I said I hated roses." Ember said. "My neighbor told me I didn't have to hate them they're still beautiful even though they hurted me." "She said roses are like people they're beautiful but they can hurt too and to watch out for those with thorns."

"What happened to her?" Matt asked.

"I don't know." Ember said. "She moved when I was five but gave me a bouquet of roses as a remainder of her and our time together." "Course May had to destroy that too and ruin what brought me happiness."

"She's not gonna ruin this or us." Matt said squeezing her hand which she returned.

After she was done eating Matt kissed her goodbye to go and get some clothes to wear overnight. Coming back to the hospital he found Ember asleep.

He kissed her forehead making her eyes flutter open. "You're back." She whispered.

"Like I said I would be." He said sitting down as a nurse entered the room.

"This is for you." She said handing Ember a box with a ribbon on it.

"Who's it from?" Ember asked.

"Didn't come with a name." The nurse said leaving.

She looked at Matt who had a confused expression. "Wonder what it is." Ember said shaking it before opening it.

She gasped at the contacts dropping the box to the floor. Matt got up hugging her and comforting her.

"Don't look at it it's okay." He said rubbing her back.

She cried into his shirt as the nurse came back in. "What's...

"Goodness." She said looking at the mess. "I'll get the doctor and someone to clean this up."

"Get the police too." Matt yelled after her.

Ember slowly calmed down her face still buried in his chest. Matt looked at the dropped contacts.

It was a bouquet of dead black roses with the dead maggot ridden body of a raven.