Page 64 of Don't Fall in Love

George steps to the side, and I see two men running across the field from the house. It doesn’t look as far away as it did moments ago. I guess that’s the thing with perception when you want to get somewhere, but time slows down and it feels like you're trudging through mud.

I move aside as they approach, not wanting to get in the way of Alex getting the best possible medical care.

“Can you tell us a bit about what happened?” the older of the two paramedics asks.

I scrub my hand through my hair as I try to get my mind straight on what happened. I’m really fucking worried.

“She—Umm… she fell…”

My eyes well, and my throat clogs with tears. I haven’t cried since I was kid. What has this woman done to me? Bending at the waist, I drag in a deep breath, blowing it out harshly.

Why hasn’t she woken up yet?

I hear George talking, but can’t hear exactly what he’s saying. A million questions run through my mind, all them without answers.

Will she ever wake up? Is this it? Is this how I lose her?

FUCK!

A handkerchief is held under my nose and I stand to my full height and take the cotton square of material, only now registering the dampness on my cheeks.

“Bastian.” It’s barely audible, but I hear her as if she was shouting it from the top of her lungs.

I whip around and move toward her, picking up her hand. I drop a kiss across her knuckles, my voice filled with concern as I say, “Hey, baby. You had me so worried.”

She’s strapped to a gurney, her head secured in a brace, yet still her gaze fills with concernfor me. “I’m okay, Bastian. I’m sorry I made you worry.”

“Don’t worry about me, princess,” I mumble, and as if reassured, her eyes flutter closed.

The younger EMT interrupts, pulling my focus from Alex. “Are you coming with us, sir?”

“I am.”

We move across the field to the house, her small delicate hand still grasped in my much larger one. She’s always seemed so strong and like nothing could phase her, but seeing her unconscious on a gurney, she looks so fragile and delicate. My grip tightens on her hand. I won’t let her go, not now.

Maybe ever.

Today has been the worst day of my life. Even with everything I went through as a child it’s nothing in comparison to the feelings that stirred inside of me as I watched Alex plummet to the ground. As I waited for her to wake up, I’ve been worried out of my mind that she might not.

Thankfully, the ambulance ride is uneventful, and I’m reassured by the EMT that her vitals are good.

Alex hasn’t woken back up since we left the house, and as we ride to the hospital, I take in every inch of her face as if for the first time. When we arrive, we’re greeted by a doctor as we climb from the back of the ambulance. Medical terms are exchanged and then Alex is wheeled to a room.

“Hi, I’m Doctor Turner and I’ll be looking after Alex for her stay here. Who might you be?”

“Alex’s fiancé.” My tone is sure and leaves no room for doubt.

Doctor Turner is a woman in her mid-fifties, her red hair is pulled back into a tight bun at the nape of her neck, her face looks tired. A pair of reading glasses perch on the tip of her nose as she reads a chart.

“Can we get Alex moved to a private suite? Money is no object. I just want her to be comfortable.”

“I can look into it, but we need to get her looked over and have some tests run first. Alex will need to be sent for an x-ray and a CT scan.”

“Thank you.” I move to Alex’s bed and pick up her hand, my thumb moves back and forth in a soothing motion. I’m not sure who I’m trying to reassure more, me or Alex.

Shouldn’t she be awake?

I don’t know what I’ll do if there’s something wrong with her. I’ll never forgive myself. It was my fault she was out on that horse in the first place. If she hadn’t been pressured into coming with me, she’d never have been out there.

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