71 - And then it Crumbles
Part 72
Raised Fair Share of Hell
- Tag list @bvbwestfall @hcwthewestwaswcn @child-of-of-the-sunshine @elenavampire21 @keep-the-wolves-close @kmc1989 @tallrock35 @whateverthecostner @lover-of-books-and-tea
The world was a symphony of screams, sirens, and shattering glass. My ears rang, a high-pitched whine battling against the guttural roars of the injured. Just hours ago, this sterile, brightly lit hospital room had been filled with the soft wonder of new life. Now, it was a war zone.
Lee-Marlowe, still impossibly small and fragile, was clutched tight against my chest. His tiny body trembled, mirroring the frantic beat of my own heart. He was too young for this, far too young to be baptized in chaos.
"Beth!" I screamed, my voice raw and hoarse. The acrid smell of smoke filled my nostrils, choking me. "Beth, where are you?!"
A hand, surprisingly gentle, clamped down on my arm. Beth's face, usually a mask of sharp edges and defiance, was etched with fear. Her blonde hair was streaked with soot, and her eyes were wide and wild.
"Alissa! We need to find him. We need to find Kayce." Her voice was strained, laced with a terror that mirrored my own.
Kayce. The thought hit me like a physical blow. He'd gone to investigate the initial disturbance, some kind of threat announced over the hospital loudspeaker. He'd promised to be right back. He always promised to be right back. But the promise was lost now, swallowed by the deafening roar of the explosion that had ripped through the hospital.
"Where… where did he go?" I stammered, my legs suddenly leaden. I shifted Lee-Marlowe in my arms, desperate to shield him from the horror that surrounded us.
Beth shook her head, her jaw tight. "Doesn't matter. We have to move. Now."
We navigated the debris-strewn hallways, dodging overturned gurneys and shattered equipment. The air was thick with dust and the metallic tang of blood. Doctors and nurses, their white coats smeared with crimson, scrambled to help the injured. The scene was a grotesque parody of healing, a place of sanctuary transformed into a slaughterhouse.
Every step was agony, every breath a struggle. But I pushed on, fueled by the primal need to find Kayce, to protect my family. Faith, Tate, Madeline…they needed their father. And Lee-Marlowe, my sweet, innocent Lee-Marlowe, deserved to know the man who had already given him his name.
"Kayce!" I yelled again, my voice cracking. Every unanswered call chipped away at my hope, leaving a raw, gaping wound in its place.
Beth pulled me around a corner, her grip surprisingly strong. "Listen to me, Alissa. We have to be smart. Panicking won't help Kayce."
I knew she was right, but the fear was a living thing inside me, clawing at my sanity. I took a shaky breath, trying to regain some semblance of control. "He went towards the east wing," I managed to say, my voice barely a whisper. "He said something about a possible threat there."
We headed towards the east wing, the devastation becoming increasingly severe. The walls were scarred with scorch marks, and the air was thick with the smell of burning plastic and metal. And then, we saw him.
He was lying on the floor, amidst a pile of rubble. His body was twisted at an unnatural angle, and a dark pool of blood was spreading beneath him.
"Kayce!" I screamed, my voice tearing from my throat. I stumbled towards him, Beth right behind me. I dropped to my knees beside him, Lee-Marlowe still cradled safely in my arms. His face was pale, almost translucent, and his eyes were closed.
"Kayce, baby, wake up," I pleaded, my voice thick with tears. I gently touched his face, my fingers trembling.
Beth checked for a pulse, her expression grim. "He's alive, Alissa. But he's… he's in bad shape."
I didn't need her to tell me that. I could see it in the gash on his forehead, in the blood that soaked his shirt, in the unnatural stillness of his body. "We need to get him help," I said, my voice shaking. "We need to get him out of here."
Beth nodded, already barking orders at a nearby nurse who was miraculously still functioning amidst the chaos. They managed to get him onto a makeshift stretcher, and we began the slow, agonizing journey out of the hospital. The world outside was no less chaotic. Emergency vehicles swarmed the area, their lights flashing against the smoke-filled sky. The sound of sirens was deafening, a constant reminder of the devastation that had unfolded.
They loaded Kayce into an ambulance, and I climbed in beside him, Lee-Marlowe still cradled in my arms. Beth promised to follow in her own truck. The ride to the next nearest hospital was a blur of flashing lights and desperate prayers. I watched Kayce's face, searching for any sign of life, any flicker of recognition.
When we finally arrived, he was rushed into surgery. I was left in a waiting room, the sterile silence a stark contrast to the chaos I had just escaped. Hours crawled by. I paced the floor, my nerves stretched to the breaking point. Lee-Marlowe, bless his heart, remained quiet, as if sensing the gravity of the situation.
Finally, a doctor emerged, his face grave. "Mr. Dutton is out of surgery. He's stable, but his condition is critical."
My heart lurched. "What… what happened?"
"He sustained a severe head injury," the doctor said. "There's some brain damage. We won't know the full extent of it until he wakes up."
Brain damage. The words echoed in my head, each syllable a hammer blow. What would that mean for Kayce? What would that mean for our family?
They moved him to a private room, and I was finally allowed to see him. He was hooked up to a ventilator, his face pale and bruised. He looked so small, so vulnerable. Not like the strong, capable man I knew and loved. I sat beside him, taking his hand in mine. His skin was cold and clammy. "Kayce," I whispered, my voice choked with emotion. "It's me, Alissa. I'm here. Lee-Marlowe's here too. We're all here for you."
I waited, holding my breath, praying for some sign of recognition. And then, his eyes fluttered open. Relief flooded through me, so potent it almost brought me to my knees. "Kayce! You're awake!"
His gaze drifted around the room, unfocused and confused. He blinked, as if trying to make sense of his surroundings. "Monica?" he mumbled, his voice weak and raspy. "Where's Tate?"
The blood ran cold in my veins. My breath hitched in my throat. I gripped his hand tighter, my knuckles white. "Kayce, It's me, Alissa. I'm your wife. And Tate…Tate is our son. Monica and you aren’t together.”
He looked at me, his eyes filled with confusion. "Alissa? Wife? What are you talking about? I'm with Monica. We live on the reservation."
My world tilted on its axis. The room swam before my eyes. I felt like I was drowning, gasping for air in a sea of despair. He didn't remember me. He didn't remember our life together. He didn't remember our two youngest children. He thought he was still with Monica, living a life that had ended years ago.
"Kayce," I whispered again, my voice breaking. "You're home. You're on the Yellowstone. You're married to me. You have Faith, Tate ,Madeline, and Lee-Marlowe, four beautiful children ..Don't you remember?"
He stared at me, his eyes blank and uncomprehending. “I don't understand."
The doctor had said brain damage. He hadn't said it would erase our entire life together. He hadn't said it would steal my husband away from me, leaving behind a stranger in his place. I looked down at Lee-Marlowe, sleeping peacefully in my arms, oblivious to the tragedy that was unfolding around him. I thought of Faith, Tate, and Madeline, waiting at home, eager to see their father.
How could I explain this to them? How could I tell them that their father didn't remember all of them, that he didn't remember us?
The weight of it all threatened to crush me. But beneath the despair, a flicker of defiance ignited within me. I wouldn't let this break me. I wouldn't let this destroy our family. I would fight for Kayce. I would fight for our life together. I would fight for our children.
Even if it meant reminding him, every single day, of the love we shared, of the life we had built together. Even if it meant starting all over again. Because I knew, deep down, that somewhere beneath the fog of his injury, the Kayce I loved was still there. And I wouldn't rest until I found him again.
