Page 52 of In the Shadows

Beyond a shadow of doubt

I know my life will not go on without you in it

Chorus:

No longer blinded by hatred

Your love has forever changed me

You’re the light I’d been searching for

Found right inside me

You made me who I’ve become

Through my tears, I whispered softly as I did every night before falling asleep, “I love you, baby, please come back to me,” before I cried myself to sleep.

“Ricky, Ricky, get up!” Joe’s excited voice woke me. “Look,” he exclaimed, pointing at Joey.

Following his line of sight, I saw those beautiful hazel eyes staring back at me and screamed, “Get the doctor now!” before peppering his face with kisses.

I yelled it so loud, two nurses came running in the room before Joe even had his hand on the door handle. Joey was making noises, trying to speak, but the nurse on duty stopped him, “Don’t speak yet. Let me get you some ice chips.” Another nurse entered, handing her a cup. “Joey, suck on these but don’t chew them,” she placed the spoon between his dry lips. While they melted, she put some lip balm on them. “Need more?” she asked.

He nodded ‘yes’.

Fucking hell, my heart was racing, and I couldn’t remember the last time I actually drew in a breath.

After he’d swallowed the second spoonful, she addressed him again, “I know you have a million things to say, but take your time and try and pick one word to start with.”

He cleared his throat, swallowed again and let out a raspy, “Hi.”

Joe and I threw our fists in the air and screamed, “Yes!” in unison.

I grabbed my phone, immediately dialing Diamond, “He’s awake. Get your asses down here and let everyone know.” I hit end on the call before I let him get a word in edgewise.

The nurse let Joey sip from the straw, but kept telling him to take it slow. I couldn’t imagine how dried out his throat had to have been after four weeks of no use. As soon as there was a space between the hospital staff flanking his bed, I slid my ass in there, taking his face in my hands, telling him, “I love you, baby, welcome back.”

The nurse scoffed, handing me the lip balm. “You take it off, you put it back on.” But she smiled when she said it.

“With pleasure,” I said, taking the tube from her and watching every glide of it slide across his beautiful mouth. Joe stood at the foot of the bed, smiling with tears streaking his tired face.

They continued taking his vitals and about fifteen minutes later, Diamond and Mickey came barreling through the doors like they’d just reached the end of a marathon race. I couldn’t help but laugh.

“You guys act like someone died,” Joey’s raspy voice scoffed.

Our faces dropped as we looked at each other.

“No, please. No,” he shook his head, understanding passing through our silence.

I looked at the head nurse, waiting for her approval to tell him. When she nodded, I began, “Rob didn’t make it.”

He reached for his head, his hand poised ready to run his fingers through his hair. I remained still, waiting for him to freak out when he found he had no hair.

“What the fuck!” he screamed, his hand growing rougher with each pass until he hit the tip of the gash on the back of his head. “Son of a bitch, that hurts.”

“You had severe head trauma,” the nurse said as she entered the room. “Welcome back to the land of the living, Mr. Hayes, and thank you for alerting the other patients on this floor as to the extent of your vocabulary.”

Now that made us all laugh. “Busted,” Diamond teased him.

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