Page 87 of Lost Without You (Chasing Olivia 2)

“No. No, it can’t,” I say, my voice hoarse. He bends down, wiping the mix of blood and tears from my cheeks. “I’ve wanted to say this for so long, and it can’t wait.”

“Okay, baby.”

“I love you. I’ve loved you since the day I first saw you on the dock, right here.”

“Olivia, stay with me,” Chase begs. “I was lost without you. Please, stay awake.”

“I love you, Chase.” A final tear runs down my cheek as my vision st

arts to blur, then slowly fades to black.

There is nothing but pain. My head, my limbs . . . burning pain. I try to open my eyes, but my body betrays me. I feel like I’m floating, almost dreaming, but I wouldn’t feel pain in a dream, would I? Muffled sounds break through, like words sloshing under water.

Subtle beeping noises are in the background, but I don’t know why. The sounds are getting closer, and slowly becoming clearer. People are talking, but who? No! What if it’s Evan? I need to wake up, to get away. The beeping sounds get faster and I hear more voices. It’s then that I hear Chase. He sounds anguished, begging someone to do something. Before I can hear any more, I’m dragged back down into the darkness.

As I slowly awaken, I’m blinded by bright light. Squeezing my eyes shut, I assess my situation. I move my fingers and wiggle my toes. My body is stiff and sore. I try to open my eyes again, slowly this time. It’s then that I feel a tube shoved down my throat. “Olivia, thank God you’re awake,” he says, relieved. I reach for the tube protruding out of my mouth, but Chase stops me. “Let me call a doctor.” Turning his head, he yells down the hall, “I need a doctor in here!”

A minute later, people flood the room. I have nurses hovering over me and a doctor checking the beeping monitors next to me. Nodding to himself, the doctor turns to me, and says, “Olivia, it’s good to see you awake. Can you hear me?” I slowly nod my head since I can’t speak. “I’m Dr. Hunter. It seems you gave us quite a scare.”

Chase stands on the opposite side of the bed, close to my head. “Mr. Remington, could you step out of the room for a moment?”

“Not a chance. I’m not letting her out of my sight.”

“Fine, but I need you to stand over there.” He points to the far side of the room.

“Fine,” Chase snaps, and stalks to the corner.

Dr. Hunter starts to examine me, checking my reflexes first. He asks me to touch my nose and squeeze my fists. Shooting pain spreads down my arm as I try to lift it. Gripping my arm gently, he turns to the nurses. “Her oxygen level is good, let’s take out the ET tube.”

“Doctor, how is she?” Chase asked, anguish in his voice.

“Her vitals are good, and she’s awake and alert. So far, so good.”

Turning back to me, he starts to explain what he’s doing. “We’re going to take out the breathing tube now.” He turns to one of the nurses. “I’m ready to extubate. Olivia, I need you to take a deep breath and cough when I say. Okay?” I nod.

One of the nurses removes the tape holding the tube in place while another suctions my mouth. “Okay, Olivia. Take a deep breath and cough.” I glance over at Chase, who looks pale.

“Very good, Olivia. Now, don’t try to talk. Your throat is dry and irritated from the ET tube. If you need something, write it down.”

“When can she be released?” Chase asks Dr. Hunter.

“We’re keeping her here for observation overnight, at the least.” Turning to me, he says, “You’ve been through a lot. You needed surgery to remove a subdural hematoma. That’s when blood collects between the layers of tissue that surround the brain. The outermost layer is called the dura, and the bleeding occurs between the dura and the next layer, the arachnoid. The bleeding was under the skull and outside the brain, not in the brain itself. As blood accumulates, pressure on the brain increases. We needed to remove the clot to decrease the pressure. You also have a dislocated shoulder, a zygomatic fracture, and a concussion, among other bruises.” My face twists in to a frown and the doctor chuckles. “A fractured cheek. You need to take it easy for a while.” He turns to Chase. “Don’t let her overdo it. She needs rest.”

As the doctor and his entourage leave, Chase comes back over to my bed. “Baby, I was so worried,” he chokes out, unable to hide the pain in his voice. I try to whisper, but Chase puts his finger over my lips to silence me. “It’s my turn to speak now.” He sits on the edge of the bed, clearly nervous. “I thought I lost you. Lying here, you looked so helpless.” His jaw clenches and his eyes flash. “Evan will never hurt you again, that I can promise.”

My heart rate accelerates at the sound of Evan’s name. “Don’t worry, he isn’t dead. He has you to thank for that. If you didn’t call my name when you did . . .” Chase’s jaw ticks, his eyes dull and lifeless.

“Chase,” I whisper, my voice dry and raspy.

“Don’t talk. Here, sip this.” He holds a glass of water with a straw. “Slow sips, Olivia,” he scolds. When I’m finished, he places it on the table beside me.

My eyelids feel like lead bricks and I have a hard time keeping them open. Chase, seeing my need to rest, breathes, “Sleep, my beautiful angel.”

I sense Chase’s presence before I open my eyes. Chase is slouched in the chair, top buttons of his shirt undone, his tie loosely hanging around his neck—the exact same shirt and tie he had on when I saw him last—snoring softly. Finding the remote for the bed, I sit myself up.

Chase begins to stir and practically leaps out of the chair.

“Hi,” I manage to squeak out. My throat is still irritated, but if I whisper, it doesn’t hurt too much.

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