#13 - "I thought you were dead.”
David didn’t look as bad as she imagined. Then again he was in the hospital and as she stared at him from the doorway she learned that she hated the sight.
“Stop standing in the doorway and get over.”
Alexis rushed over to the side of the bed and hugged him. She gripped David tightly and turned her head into the crook of his neck. The scent of his cologne filled her nose and she felt herself relax. “I thought you were dead,” she said, her words muffled into his skin.
David laughed. “I’m usually the one that says that.”
Alexis pulled her head back and looked at him. “Don’t tease. I was really worried.” She punctuated the statement with a slap to his shoulder.
“It was just a car accident, Alexis. You’ve been through worse.”
She fully pulled back from the hug and sat down in the chair next to the hospital bed. She smoothed out her dress and played with the hem. “Yeah, but you’ve never been on the phone when it happened.”
It had been a normal phone call. David called her frequently when he and Patrick were returning from their vendor runs. They were talking about the outfit Alexis was planning for a work gala when it happened.
She heard a loud crunch sound and a cry of pain from David. Patrick’s cry for David sounded distant and Alexis had no idea if it was because the phone was far from them or if something else happened. Her pleas to David or Patrick were ignored. She had a moment of sheer panic before calming down enough to book a plane ticket. She didn’t know how they were and all she thought about was wanting to be with them. The call dropped before she got to the airport and anxiety and worry clawed at her throughout the flight. When she landed she had texts from Patrick saying they were fine and at the hospital in Elmdale. While that eased some of her worries, she hadn’t felt better until she saw David.
Alexis turned her head to see Patrick walking through the doorway. His right arm was in a cast and sling, a butterfly bandage on his forehead, and gripped in his left hand was a travel cup and bag. He sat the cup and bag down on the small side table and sat down on the edge of the bed, one hand resting on David’s leg.
“No hi for your husband, you know the one in the hospital bed?”
Patrick moved his hand from David’s leg to grip his hand. “I’ve been with you for the last two hours. Alexis just got here.”
“I’m fine. How are you guys? You didn’t say much in your text.”
“Sorry about that. Texting was a bit hard as you can see,” Patrick gestured to his arm in the sling. “I just have the fracture and some cuts.” He tilted his head to David. “He, on the other hand, has a few broken ribs and a concussion. They want him to stay a little longer just to make sure everything is alright.”
“I’m staying here until he gets released.”
Patrick gave a small smile. “Of course.”
Later, Alexis crawled into the hospital bed when Patrick left to update the Roses. She cuddled up to David making sure not to hit his ribs. “I know I said this earlier, but don’t scare me like that ever again.”
“Mmm, I can’t promise anything, although I would like to not break my ribs again. It fucking sucks.” David paused. “Thanks for coming down. I know I have Patrick, but I was worried about you once I remembered that we had been on the phone.”
Alexis felt a wave of emotion. “I love you,” she said softly.
“I love you too,” David muttered back.
