Chapter 3. Escape to Healing

Linda Wells

Beep, Beep, Beep.

The steady beeping of the heart monitor is all I hear as my eyes open slowly. Everything seems blurry at first, and then my vision starts to clear. I don’t know exactly how to explain how I am feeling right now, but all I can say is that I feel pain mixed with numbness.

I try to sit up by supporting my body weight on my arms, but someone stops me from doing so.

“I don’t think you should be doing that,” the man says, and I listen to him as I watch him. I lay back on the bed, following the advice of this complete stranger.

I stare at him, trying to see whether I can recognize him, but unfortunately, I cannot. I don’t know him, but why is he here?

“Where am I?” I ask the man as I look around the room I am in. The bed feels comfortable, but the medical tubes that are connected to me are what isn’t.

“You don’t remember?” He asks, and I squint my eyes.

I wish that I didn’t remember, I wish I had forgotten the whole day, or maybe my whole life, that would have been the only good thing to happen to me today. Forgetting Mitch and the six years we spent together would have been a blessing.

“I wish I didn’t,” I say truthfully to him, and he looks away.

“I was the one driving the black car that hit you, I am the reason that you are spending the night in a hospital when you should have been spending it with your husband,” he looks back and me and says.

He is very attractive, but he has dark energy that I cannot explain. It is like he has been hurt deeply, his eyes are weary, and although he looks rich as hell, he looks miserable.

“If anything, you saved me from me,” I reply to him, and I watch confusion cover his perfectly carved face.

“What do you mean? I almost killed you, I ran you over with my car,” he reminds me, and I smile sadly.

“I know that. Just know that it’s complicated and that I accept your apology for hitting me with your car,” I reply to him, and he sighs.

I realize that I am no longer wearing the wedding dress, and that makes me happy, I don’t want to be reminded of Mitch in any kind of way. I am now wearing a hospital gown that is really comfortable.

“Do you want me to call your husband? I’m sure he would want to know where his bride is, it’s been hours since the accident,” the man offers, and I quickly decline.

“No! I don’t want you to call anyone, just don’t leave me alone,” I say to him, and he gives me a small smile.

“Okay,” he replies softly as he relaxes in the chair he is sitting in.

The door of the room suddenly opens, and a young man walks in. He is wearing a doctor’s coat, and he has his name tag right on the pocket. The name tag says “Evan”.

“Hi, my name is Doctor Evan, and I am here to give the results,” he says, and the mystery man sitting next to me stands to his feet and shakes the doctor’s hand.

“I’m Chris Kingston, I was the one who brought this lovely lady in,” he refers to me, and I listen to both of them. So the mystery man’s name is Chris, that is nice to know.

“I am guessing that you are the husband? She came in here with a bridal dress,” the doctor says, and Chris and I say at the same time, “No!”.

“I was the one that hit her, I am the driver of the black car,” Chris says and then sighs sadly.

“Oh,” the doctor says, and then he turns his attention to me.

“Would you like me to alert the police?” He asks me, and Chris and I lock eyes for a brief second.

“No, it’s fine, I’m not pressing any charges,” I reply to him, and he nods.

“Thank you,” Chris mouths to me, and I give him a smile as he sits down.

“Would you like me to call anyone for you? Family, friends?” Doctor Evan asks me, and I think over it for a few seconds before answering.

If I had anyone called, Mitch would learn of it, and he would be here with Ben and a whole lot of people in no time. I will rather be alone for now.

“No, just tell me the results,” I inform him, and he smiles professionally.

“Well…” The doctor begins as he clicks on a digital tablet in his hand.

“You have three broken ribs, a concussion, a sprained ankle, and lastly, your entire lower body is paralyzed,” he tells me, and I chuckle dryly.

“You’re kidding, right? I can move my legs,” I say as I try to move my legs, but nothing happens.

“Holy cow! I can’t move my legs!” I begin to panic. My heart monitor is beeping faster, and my breathing has accelerated also. I think I am having an anxiety attack.

Why did I not notice this before? Oh my gosh, I don’t want to be paralyzed for life.

“You need to calm down,” the doctor tells me, and then he taps on his tablet a couple of times. In a few seconds, a nurse enters the room.

“Calm down? Would you be calm when you just found out that your entire lower body is not functional?” Chris asks the doctor.

“You’re right, I’m sorry,” the doctor apologizes.

“Is this permanent?” I ask, and he shakes his head as if to say no.

“It’s not, that is what I wanted to say. It is temporary, and you would be walking in a year with the right resources,” the doctor explains, and Chris scoffs.

“I have a hospital in China that could take care of her and have her walking in three months,” he says, and I look at him.

“If only you would agree to go with me, of course,” he says in a soft tone, and I bite my lower lip gently.

“Is this okay? Is it okay if I could be transferred to the hospital in China that Chris is talking about?” I ask the doctor and he shares a look with the nurse before answering.

“Well, if you give your consent, I could help do the paperwork for the transfer,” he replies to me.

“Great, I’m going to China,” I say as I smirk.

The doctor and the nurse excuse themselves and exit the room, but advise me to think about my decision, considering that I just met Chris and that he was the one that placed me in this situation in the first place.

“You know, he’s right. I was the one who put you in this situation, why should you go with me to China?” Chris says to me without looking at me.

He seemed really ashamed of the fact that he had hit me with his car.

“I would have never been speeding if not for that stupid meeting that I was late for!” He says angrily as he punches the wall right next to him. I flinch slightly when his fist connects with the concrete wall, it looks like it hurts, but it seems like he does not care.

“Which meeting?” I ask him as he breathes heavily. He is avoiding looking at me, but I don’t mind.

“I am the CEO of two companies, one in China and the other here in the United States; which means that I am a very busy man. I was to be having a meeting with an important client, and because of my flight, I was late,” he explains.

“Which is why you were speeding,” I say, and he finally looks at me and nods.

“I braked, I swear I did, but it was too late,” he tells me.

“Yeah, I know,” I reply to him.

“So let me go with you to China. You said it, you know, a hospital there that could have me walking in three months. Plus, I’m your problem now,” I say as I wink at him, causing him to laugh.

His laugh is contagious, it makes me laugh too.

“You sure you’re okay with it? Would your husband and family be okay with it?” He asks, and I roll my eyes.

“We didn’t get married, and I don’t give a damn about family right now,” I reply to him, and he shrugs.

“Then, let’s go to China,” he says as he smiles.

Getting as far as possible from Mitch and Ben, and everyone else so I could travel to another country with a stranger is the most insane yet sane decision I have ever made. It’s a great way to start a new life and heal both physically and emotionally from the crap that I have been through just in one day.

The only regret that I have is Sammy, my sister, and my parents. Everyone else can go to hell.