Khaat woke slowly, last remembering of Rob being here. She didn't feel so stiff and dead now, inside or out. It took a moment for her to get re-oriented. Things looked different. She saw hundreds of roses, everywhere she looked. She saw even the sheets and the blankets were different. Finer than she'd ever known. They were beautiful. And...hey. Her hospital gown was gone and she was wearing her own beautiful silks from home. Someone had taken the time to either do her nails or to cast the spell to repair them. They were no longer broken and chipped. On the bedside table was a beautiful handcut crystal drinking glass. Someone was pampering her.
"Hi," she heard a very soft voice. She looked up to see, finally, Brian there. And he looked, besides looking as tired as she had ever seen him, he was the most gorgeous thing in the room. "I am so sorry. I should have been here," He said very tenderly, leaning down to kiss her slowly. She felt warmth. Not just his warmth, but she felt warmth inside again too where it had been so cold when Rob had first come into the room hours ago. Rob had jumpstarted her heart again for her. She could feel again.
She shook her head at Brian and reached for him. She tried to speak but the words still wouldn't come. "It's alright," he reassured her. "The words will come. Its really too soon for that. Don't worry. We were always good at charades, remember?" She nodded and motioned for him to sit with her. He sat down on the bed beside her, leaning on the pillows with her, putting his legs up on the bed beside hers. He looked down at her and looked into her eyes. She held no anger at him. It just wasn't there. She showed him her right hand where the beautiful square emerald ring he had given her had been. She wanted it back, clearly. That surprised him. She was telling him she still loved him, still wanted him, didn't blame him for anything.
"Your ring..you...still want it?" he stammered softly. She nodded, showing him her 'empty' finger. "You..took it off to operate that day. It never left the operating suite...until I found it later. I have it. Here." He took it out of his pocket and showed it to her. He saw deep relief on her face. Then he decided to go for broke. "You can have that one ---on that finger. Or, if you want, you could have this one." He drew forth the other ring that he'd carried in his pocket for so long. "And you could have it for this hand." He took her left hand and slid the diamond and emerald engagement ring on her left hand. "If you want it."
She looked at him, stunned. The ring was the most beautiful ring she had ever seen. It didn't take her a moment. She snatched the first ring, the friendship ring and she put it on her right hand where it had been and then showed him both hands insistantly. She wanted them both. He looked at her for a seond, trying to take it in. She nodded and then slowly, very softly, almost timidly, kissed him. Then he got it. She could see it in his eyes. He laughed out loud, his fears gone. "You're right," he said. "We can have it all." She nodded. She curled into his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her, just holding her. He sighed with deep relief. He had had so many days and hours where he thought she was not going to return. And now, she was back in his arms where she belonged. Where she wanted to be. And she was his. For now, all was right with the world again.
A moment or two later, she heard Jack knocking and asking to come in. "Come in," Brian said, not moving from his place on the bed with Khaat.
by Brian Quinn Sun Oct 24, 2010 4:29 pm
