Authors: Annalisa Simon
Could she drive like this?
Her hands were already shaking and her eyes were wild with worry. In the parking lot, she went to his designated parking and she noted that his Mercedes was gone but his personal SUV was still there. She unlocked the doors and got in. Her hands were shaking terribly.
“Candasee you
can do this!” she told herself after taking a few steadying breaths and willing herself not to cry. She would hold it together. She started the engine and soon she was on her way. When she arrived at the hospital Nathan was waiting for her outside. He hugged her quickly before they made their way inside.
“What happened Nathan?” Candasee cried.
“
He and I saw Julia being kidnapped this morning and we followed them to rescue her. He got shot in the process.”
“
Oh my God, please let him be okay! What about Julia?”
“Julia she refuses to leave here until she knows that he’s fine.”
“Julia is here? Oh thank God!” Candasee blurted and as they rounded the corner she saw her clearly hunched over on a chair sitting close to the door to the surgical wing.
“Julia
are you okay?” Candasee called out and Julia looked up immediately and ran to hug her. Her eyes were red and swollen and she was crying uncontrollably as she tried to speak. It was hard to understand her but to Candasee it sounded as though she was saying, “He saved me, he saved me, they both did”.
Candasee
felt as though the floor fell out from under her as she struggled to process the news.
Someone tried to hurt Julia?
“What happened? Who would do something like this Nathan?” Candasee exclaimed in alarm.
“Apparently she was kidnapped from her hotel room early this morning and she was taken to an abandoned house. Who knows what they were going to do to her there? Eve and her parents were behind all of it and they were arrested at the scene,” said Nathan behind her. “I suspect Eve has been arrested at the hotel by now too.”
“What? But why? Julia is the most mature and loving of all of my students. I don’t understand why Eve targeted her this whole week like this!”
“It wasn’t her fault Candasee.” Nathan exhaled loudly under the weight of what he was about to admit. “It was mine!”
“What do you mean it was your fault?”
“I don’t know if this is the best place to explain all of this to you but I want to say I’m really sorry.”
“Nathan you are confusing me. None of this makes any sense.
It sounds like something out of a movie. I can’t believe this.”
“I know and I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me when you do hear the full story,” Nathan replied sadly.
“Where’s Darius? How is he?” wailed Candasee in anguish exhaling heavily. She was having difficulty processing all of this.
Candasee held the sobbing girl more tightly
and the surgery doors swung open and the doctor came out. “Are you family members of Mr. Brogan?”
“No, well
yes, in a way I’m his ex-wife!” Candasee stuttered. How is he?”
“Ok
ay, I am Doctor Walker and I performed the surgery on Mr. Brogan. You’ll be happy to know that he’s pulled through well. The injury wasn’t as bad as we thought at first and we managed to get the bullet out easily. It was lodged close to his backbone and it didn’t sever too many arteries or nerves. He will be sore for a few weeks as the wound heals, but he will be fine. He lost a bit of blood so he will have to remain here overnight as we get some fluids back into him. He will be in the recovery room for a few hours. When he wakes up someone will let you know.”
“Thank you Doctor,” said Candasee breathing a sigh of relief. Julia was still clinging to her side.
“Come let’s sit Julia,” Candasee said. “Darius is going to be fine okay.”
Julia nodded and bit down on her lip. “He stood up to them for me, you know. I’ve never had anyone do that for me before.”
“I’m so glad that you are both okay, I was so worried when I didn’t see you this morning at class!”
“I guess I lost my chance at the scholarship now huh?”
“How could you even think that Julia?, this wasn’t your fault. In my eyes you are already the winner.”
As she hugged the girl she heard rapid footsteps coming down the hallway and she turned to see Marianne, Francis
, Ramon and Courtney now arriving.
She disentangled herself from Julia’s arms and ran toward Marianne whose face was contorted with worry.
“Ramon called, is Darius’ okay?” Marianne asked hugging Candasee tightly.
“The doctor just said the surgery was successful and he would be in the recovery room soon. We should be able to see in him in a few hours.
“Oh thank God!” Marianne exclaimed. “I’m not ready to lose my son yet!” Francis encircled her with his arms and Candasee released her so her fiancé could comfort her.
“How are you holding up Candasee,” Courtney asked with concern.
“Honestly, I don’t know what I would’ve done if I’d lost him today!” she said, and in that moment she realized how true that was. She did love him and she’d forgiven him.
Emotions were running high and
Nathan suddenly felt like an intruder. This wasn’t the time or place for his own agenda. Candasee was with her family and he was the reason they were all gathered here in the first place.
He’d seen a vending machine in the hallway on his way in and he decided to see if there was anything he could get for everyone as they waited.
He walked down the hallway slowly and took his time studying the selections. Ramon came to stand beside him.
“So what looks good in there?” Ramon asked.
“Not much I’m afraid. Most of it looks as though it was meant for kids,”
“Mmm
, yes it would appear that way.”
“I’m Ramon Belham, Darius’ best friend!
I saw you standing with Candasee and Julia,” said Ramon holding out his hand.
“Nathan Carthswright, Candasee’s fiancé!”
At those words Ramon’s eyebrows shot straight up.
“Wow, okay! That’s a surprise. I
didn’t know she was engaged. Uh, congratulations!”
“
I would’ve been excited to accept that a day ago, but now I don’t even know if I will have the right to that title much longer!” said Nathan in a resigned tone before inserting money into the machine and selecting a chocolate bar.
“I’m sorry
to hear that man!”
“Really?” N
athan laughed dryly. “I would’ve thought you’d be on Darius’ side in all of this.
“
He’s my best friend but this must be a difficult moment for all of you! I can empathize with you! I’m sure she isn’t ignoring you. Once she’s sure he’s okay, you should have a talk!”
“Frankly, I’m tired talking!
”
Ramon rested a hand on Nathan’s shoulder as he observed the grim expression on his face now laced with sadness.
“No, it’s okay!” Nathan shrugged swiping at his left eye. “Darius is a better man than I am and he loves her; that much I know! Do you want anything from in here?”
“I’ll have one of these granola bars, thanks,” Ramon said handing him a bill.
“No keep your money, I’ve got it!”
Nathan
selected the snack and got some cookies and chocolates for the women.
“I guess this whole trip was
n’t what you’d expected?”
Nathan
laughed dryly shaking his head. “No it wasn’t. I’m just thankful he didn’t die in the process. I don’t think I could live with that kind of guilt.”
Seeing Ramon’s puzzled expression he smiled thinly before responding.
“I’m going to take a walk around the grounds, make some phone calls and give you guys some space. Take care.” With that he walked down the hallway away from Candasee and the others.
Two hours later, the nurse came outside to announce that Darius was awake and that Candasee could see him.
“How is he?” asked Candasee
jumping to her feet quickly.
“He’s
awake but still a little groggy”, the nurse replied.
“
I think you should go first Marianne,” said Candasee.
Both she and Francis went together and in a few minutes she came out smiling and then Julia asked to go in afterward.
Julia went in, and Candasee was about to sit again when Marianne’s voice startled her.
“You do know that you’re the
person, he really wants to see don’t you? Why are you sitting here as though you aren’t?”
Mouth agape, she strug
gled for a response. “I guess I’m a bit nervous considering how things stood between us after this week,” she replied.
Courtney gave her an odd look
which bordered between pity and bewilderment and she wondered what it meant. “You need to go and see him Candasee. It is obvious to all of us that you are practically dying to see him. You should go inside,”
How did
Courtney know that she felt as though she was slowly dying for the last two hours wondering if he would really pull through this? His final memory of her would’ve been of her being resistant and unforgiving.
“Am I that transparent?” she asked with a wry smile.
“Absolutely and I think it’s wonderful considering how he feels about you too. Go on inside, I am sure he’s anxious to see you,” said Ramon resting a comforting hand on Candasee’s arm.
Julia came back out with her whole face lit in a
radiant smile.
“He’s asking for you Candasee,
” she echoed.
“I guess that’s my cue,”
Candasee pressed the door and entered the room. He was sitting up and looking surprisingly alert for someone who just experienced the ordeal he’d been through.
“I guess your lucky spell
with avoiding hospitals just ran out huh?” Candasee joked but was unable to conceal the tremor in her voice.
Darius smiled with some effort at her attempt at humour.
“I’m hoping that this was a fluke,” he replied. He had one of the cleanest bills of health of anyone she knew. When they lived together she couldn’t even remember a time when he had a cold.
“I hope so, but did you ha
ve to make it such a big event?” Candasee replied, finally sitting beside his bed.
“You know I do everything extravagantly!” Darius said keeping the joke running.
“What am I going to do with you?”
“Yes, I’ve been wondering the same thing this whole time too
. What are you going to do with me?”
Candasee did
n’t answer his question immediately but instead she held his hand and looked down at them where they were joined.
“I’m happy and sad all at the same time,”
“Why?”
“I’m happy that you
and Nathan were there for Julia and that you both came out of this alive. I can’t even imagine how this was possible, but you both risked your lives to get her back to us safely and there are no words to express how incredible that is.”
“We
had to do something or she would probably be dead by now,” Darius replied.
“
I know and I’m sad that I could’ve lost you forever today without letting you know that I’ve forgiven you,” she said squeezing his hand gently.
“
Sweetheart, it means so much to hear you say that to me. I can’t change the past but I can make the most of right now. I’m not going anywhere, at least not yet. I still have so many things I want to do with my life.”
“You are so different now that it scares me a little,” Candasee confessed.
“Why do I have a horn growing out of my forehead?” he joked.
“No silly, I’m being serious now. I’ve called you all kinds of names from heartless, selfish bastard, to the scum of the earth for the past two years
and at the time you deserved every one of those names. I thought you were the same person I’d left behind but someone self-centred wouldn’t have done what you did. I am beginning to see that I’ve been totally wrong about you.”
“No
, you were right to be cautious and to try and respect your relationship with Nathan. I just wanted to make you see I was a different person.”
“You still have our pictures on your desk,” she
whispered quietly more of a statement than as a question. “Why?”
“You know why
Candasee, I love you. Seeing you every single day keeps the memory of us fresh in my heart.”
“
But I burnt all of your pictures and I threw everything out that would remind me of you. I had a bonfire purging ritual and everything. I wanted to forget that you even existed.”
“
I don’t blame you. Did it work though?”
“No
, not in the least and that has bothered me for a long time Darius. Believe me, there were times I tried to convince myself that I never wanted to see you again.”