So, I realize that I've made a really big mess of just trying to get all of this story posted, and I'm truly sorry. I've decided to post this instead as a chapter/novel story thing.
The title will be as is, as well as my author name. You will just need to go under novels to finish this.
Thanks for the patience!
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Day 4 - 4:24 pm
Sammy had already come and gone today. She still had a lot of work to do, so she was only able to stay for an hour or so during her lunch break. Ryan, on the other hand was able to stay with his friends for quite some time.
“Alright bro, I’ve gotta get going now. I still have some things to do before heading to work tonight,” Ryan said to James, hours after he had arrived.
“Okay, drive safe man. Thanks for coming by.”
“No problem at all. You guys are practically family.”
James smiled in return. They both felt considerably better since the heavy conversation that had seemed to burden them since the day before.
After having briefly clapped a hand to James’ shoulder and saying goodbye to the man's wife, Ryan departed just as a nurse walked into the room. James’ face grew serious again. He and Nurse Julie had become quite nice acquaintances, or maybe even friends, over the past four days. After all, he had been in the hospital with Abigail almost as long as Abigail herself. But the nurse’s being there in the room again, in her uniform, reminded James of the gravity of the situation. And it unnerved him.
James clutched his love’s hand a little tighter than necessary, suddenly needing some sort of reassurance that his wife was indeed still fighting.
"Why isn’t she awake yet?” he asked the nurse. His tone was almost pleading, crazed.
Nurse Julie let out a small exasperated sigh before speaking. She had had a long day and James’ failed attempt at hiding his sorrow only made things harder for her.
“Mr. Fischer, I understand you’re worried, but it takes time. Dr. Francis specifically told you that your wife has her own window of recovery time. She had to be put under for a few hours following the surgery, but she’ll come back as good as new. Her body just needs the extra rest after experiencing the trauma it has been through. But she will wake up when she’s ready.”
Julie had spoken to him behind her nurse persona, practically echoing the doctor’s own words. She really didn’t know how to help him anymore. She knew words could only go so far, and at that point, she thought they had.
But she couldn’t bear the sight of witnessing such a distressed, distant – hopeless – James Fischer. So, after changing the IV bag hooked up to the woman lying on the hospital bed, looking eerily akin to lifelessness, Nurse Julie turned to the man as a friend, and gave words another shot.
“James, I assure you. Your wife will be awake and well before you know it. Your friends have shared stories with me. She seems like a very strong and able woman. Even your daughter seemed to agree.”
His daughter had only been brought to visit once or twice. She was too young to see her mother so beat up. It wouldn’t have been fair.
“Mr. Fischer, what do you believe?”
“She is,” he answered. “She’s the strongest woman I know.” He smiled weakly but warmly towards his unconscious wife before finally meeting the gaze of the nurse from whom the unexpected encouragement was coming.
Some silence passed before he added quietly, as if unsure of whether or not he should continue.
“I think most of her strength comes from Leah, and knowing that no matter how heavy her job weighs down on her, how horrible the world gets, that one thing’ll never change. Our kid, she… she’s as amazing as her mom. She doesn’t even know how much strength and courage she gives her mother just by telling her that she loves her – that she’s the coolest… She still has a really innocent view of the world and the people it in. It’s refreshing and hopeful.”
James’ eyes suddenly darkened, as if referring to the people of world he considered to be relatively evil was the worst betrayal, greatest upset one could ever cause. For him, because of the situation, maybe it was. Though, just as quickly as the feeling of unrest came, he had shaken it off not moments later.
“My wife would never admit to it,” he continued musingly. “But I know it’s getting to see that innocence and pure joy in Leah’s face that gets her through the day-to-day sometimes. It’s the unchanging thing that keeps her afloat – sometimes even for me.”
As Mr. Fischer spoke about his wife and his daughter, the nurse had noticed his features soften, even almost relax. He seemed to have come alive with a look of joyful hope that had begun to momentarily claim his expressive green eyes.
“Wow,” he said after silence. “Where did that come from? I don’t think I've been so sappy since my wedding.”
The nurse chuckled. “Well regardless, she sounds like a remarkable woman, with a lovely kid and husband to match…” She smiled with what James perceived to be genuine kindness. “And so as her husband, I’m sure you should know better than I that it would take a lot more than a bullet to the chest to take your wife down.”
Julie allowed a pause, hoping her words were sinking in properly. James looked back to his wife. His face had yet again begun to reveal an absolutely forlorn expression. He didn't want to believe any of this was happening, but it was.
“Everything will be fine, sir,” Nurse Julie soothed, her tone hardly hardening as her professional self returned to the surface.
James was quiet as he kept his eyes on the sleeping form of his wife, but Julie saw that a faint smile had allowed his lips to curl.
Words still helped after all. She was glad to have been of any help. With that, she slipped out of the room and into the expansive hallways of the hospital.
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