It was about five in the morning when Emma started to stir; her eyes fluttered open and she had trouble focusing on anything at first. Once she got her full sight back, she tried to figure out where she was; she could fill pressure on her body and her hand had something in it. Not being able to sit up, she whipped her head side to side in a panic to try and figure out where she was.
She finally looked up and she saw Nick looking down at her with a smile; he took one of her hands in his own and put the other on the top of her head. The gentleness of his touch and his assurance that she was okay caused her to break down in sobs; she thought she was going to die out in the storm and, when see realized she was safe, the tears just wouldn’t stop.
Seeing Emma in the state she was in shattered Nick’s heart and the tears that he had been trying to hold in came rushing out. He knew he had to be strong for her because she had been through so much but seeing her awake and alive, he couldn’t control himself. He continued to whisper, through the tears, that she was okay and the hospital was taking good care of her.
As if on cue, the nurse he had spoken to earlier came in to take some vitals on her patient.
“Well, well,” she said with a smile, “the fighter has awoken.”
Emma gave her a small smile through the tears and the nurse proceeded to tell her what was going on so that she had a better understanding of what they were doing to help her. She explained that Emma would be able to go home in a few hours provided they were comfortable with her rising body temperature and that she would need to take it easy for awhile to let her body heal from the trauma it had been through.
“You just go home and let your boyfriend here take care of you.”
The nurse smiled, finished her tasks and left the room leaving the couple the way she had found them. Neither Emma nor Nick corrected her about their dating status and they left it unsaid between them; now was not the time nor the place to discuss their relationship.
“Are you okay? Do you need anything?” Nick asked quietly, still standing so that Emma could see him.
Emma just shook her head; she had no idea what to say at this point as she was still processing being alive and okay. Having Nick there with her was a relief and they spent the next few hours, basically in silence, awaiting the doctor’s order that she could go home.
It was noon before the doctor came in to see her and he was comfortable sending her home as long as she rested and there was someone with her at all times. Nick assured the doctor that she would be well taken care of and then left the hospital to go to the Target down the street; Emma would need clothes to be discharged in as they had to cut hers off to get her ready in the emergency room.
When Nick returned, the nurse helped Emma get dressed and they wheeled her down to Nick’s truck. He gently lifted her out of the wheelchair, placed her in the passenger seat and stretched the seatbelt over. Once he was totally comfortable that she was safe, he got in and started the drive home; during the ride, he grabbed her hand and held it tight because he could see she was nervous being out in the storm again even though it had eased up considerably.
After about an hour, they pulled into Nick’s driveway and he insisted that she remain in the truck till he got to her side. Just as he had at the hospital, he gently took her out of the truck and carried her to the door before setting her down, so that he could get the door open.
As soon as the front door swung open, Emma slowly walked down the hall and into Nick’s living room, right into the arms of everyone who had been worried about her. Both women were crying as they hugged her tightly and, when she finally got to him, AJ’s eyes were brimming with tears.
“How you feeling, Feisty?” AJ asked quietly. “I heard you finally lived up to your nickname.”
Emma chuckled and held onto him tightly. “I’m doing better than I expected to be doing.”
Nick helped her over towards the couch so she could sit but, before she could, she was hit in the legs by a mini hurricane.
“Auntie Emma!” Ava cried out. “You finally got back from your trip.”
Emma put her hand on the little’s girl’s head, stroked her hair and told her that she was happy to be home.
“I’m so glad you’re back, everyone was crying and saying how much they were missing you when you went on the trip.” Ava said. “I told them they were being silly, you were coming back.”
Although Emma’s eyes filled up, she smiled and she sat down after she was released by Ava.
“I’m glad you knew what was going to happen and that you looked out for all these silly adults crying over a trip to the store.”
“Seriously!” Ava shouted and then turned to her parents and shook her finger at them. “Even Auntie Emma thinks you were being silly.”
Last Chance by Kyrie
