Page 58 of Prince of Her Heart
Before Tabitha could fully process what was happening, the familiar black SUV came roaring across the grass, skidding to a halt beside them.
Ramzi was lifted with practiced care and loaded into the back.Tabitha stood frozen—unsure whether she was supposed to stay, follow,do something.Her heart screamed that shehadto go with him.She opened her mouth to ask—
But someone beat her to it.
Strong arms swept her up without a word and carried her to the vehicle.She didn’t resist.
The seats in the back had already been laid flat.Ramzi lay stretched out, his shirt soaked with blood, his face too pale.One of the guards pressed gauze to his forehead, but it wasn’t enough.
Tabitha crawled toward him, unaware of the tears streaming down her cheeks.Her hands trembled as she reached out.She didn’t know where to touch him—afraid of making things worse—until finally, she gently gathered his hand in hers and pressed it to her cheek.
“Ramzi…” Her voice cracked.“You’re going to be okay.Do you hear me?”She squeezed his hand.“Youhaveto be okay.”
Her breath hitched, chest heaving.
“I love you.And I’m going to take care of you.Your team is rushing you to the hospital, and you’re going to be fine.Youhaveto be fine.Nothing bad can happen to you, because… because Ineedyou.I love you too much to lose you, Ramzi.So whatever’s happening inside your body, I need you tofight it.You fight to come back to me.Please…”
The wail of sirens surrounded them now—police and ambulance units escorting the SUV through traffic.Still, she whispered to him, willing him to hear her voice through the haze of unconsciousness.
When the vehicle finally skidded to a stop in front of the emergency department, Tabitha nearly collapsed with relief.
Medical personnel were already waiting.The doors opened and a stretcher was pulled up.Ramzi was lifted again, his hand slipping from hers.She followed, not thinking, just needing to stay close.
But as the medical team wheeled him through the automatic doors, a nurse stepped into her path, holding up a hand.
“I’m sorry, ma’am, you can’t go in there.”
Tabitha stumbled to a halt.“But—!”
“Are you family?”
The word sliced through her panic like a knife.Family?
Her mouth opened… then closed.
No.Not legally.Not officially.
“No,” she whispered, the word strangled with grief.
The nurse’s face tightened with clinical indifference.He gestured toward the waiting area.“Please take a seat.”
He didn’t tell her someone would come with updates.He didn’t offer reassurance.He just turned and disappeared through the same doors that had swallowed Ramzi.
Tabitha stared after him, stunned.
She couldn’t move.Her limbs didn’t work.Her mind refused to accept that Ramzi was behind those doors and she wasn’t allowed to be with him.
“Honey,” a soft voice said beside her.“Let’s go sit down.”
Her mother’s arm wrapped gently around her shoulders and guided her to a plastic chair in the waiting area.Tabitha sat stiffly, the panic rising fast and hot inside her chest, threatening to shatter her from the inside out.
“He’s going to be okay,” Tilda murmured, holding her close.
Tabitha leaned into her mother’s embrace, sobbing now.She hadn’t needed her parents this much since she was a child.
“I love him, Mom,” she whispered, the words torn from her throat.
“I know, darling,” her mother said, rubbing her back.“I know.”
