❦Kate❦

I felt numb and dead inside. I couldn't feel a thing. Disoriented, I stared at the face hovering above mine. What was happening? Where was I? It felt like someone was banging on my head with a hammer.

I closed my eyes, trying to make sense of what was happening. It took a while for the fog in my brain to clear and when it did, bits and pieces of memories started coming back. The last thing I remembered was lying on the floor as Michael Kicked me. Panic hit me and my eyes flew open. I struggled to get up but the sudden numb pain that jolted through me had me gasping.

"Please stay still, ma'am. You might hurt yourself."

My body was trembling and I stared at the man in fear. Who was he? Where was Michael?

As if reading my mind, the man smiled kindly. "My name is Dr. Parker. You are in the hospital. There's no need to be afraid of anything. You're safe here."

I stared at him unable to believe any of this was real. I felt like I was dreaming. Maybe I was. Maybe I was still back at the warehouse and this was just a figment of my imagination. I couldn't make sense of what was happening. My head was too fuzzy, like I was drifting through fog. I felt detached, like someone only half awake.

"Don't worry if you're feeling disoriented and confused. It's perfectly normal to feel that way when you wake up from a coma."

"Coma?" I croaked out. "How long have I been here?" I asked dazedly. My voice sounded grizzly and hoarse.

"Almost 10 days." He explained and then gestured to a woman standing beside him. "This is Nurse Amari. She is going to take your vitals and change your IV bag. Is that okay?"

All I could do was nod. I was too overwhelmed to talk. My senses started to untangle and it took a few moments for me to realize I wasn't dreaming. I looked down at myself, noting the cast on my left arm, the IVs hooked up on my right.

I took a deep breath, trying to clear the last bit of fog in my brain, and realized the air smelled of flowers. Looking around my surrounding, I spotted the fresh flowers that filled the room – tulips, peonies, sun flowers, lilies, orchids, roses. It was real. I couldn't be imagining this. I thought dazedly.

Dr. Parker asked me a series of simple questions while Nurse Amari took my vitals. He asked me my name, age, what year it was and who was the president. He seemed satisfied by my answers and then explained to me the extent of the injuries I had suffered.

"The X-rays we did today shows that your ribs are healing quite well. If you want to sit up, you can, as long as you keep the pressure off your chest." He smiled again, the same kind smile that put me at ease. "Would you like me to crank up your bed?"

When I nodded, he adjusted my bed so that I was sitting up instead of lying flat on my back. I was watching the nurse change my IV when suddenly I remembered something that made my whole body freeze in fear.

"What is it?" Dr. Parker noticed the change in me. "Are you in pain?"

My heart was beating in my chest wildly. "My baby..." I couldn't complete the sentence. Somehow, I already knew. It was strange but the empty feeling inside me confirmed what I feared but I didn't want to believe it. I looked at the doctor, pleading with my eyes to tell me that it wasn't true.

"I'm sorry." He said gently. "You lost too much blood. We did everything we could."

I felt as if I had been stabbed through the heart. Scorching pain and grief clawed through me and I wanted to scream but no sound came. I wanted to cry but there were no tears. Nothing. I kept my head down, staring dazedly at my lap.

Dr. Parker said something to me but I couldn't hear him over the ringing in my head. I felt like I was in a paralyzing daze that I couldn't seem to snap out of. It was only when I felt someone sit beside me on the bed and touch my face gently that I awakened from the shock I was in.

I looked up, blinking a couple of times, and my wounded heart soared seeing who it was.

Without saying anything, Jason leaned forward and put his arms around me so gently as if he was scared he might hurt me.

And finally, the tears came. A sob escaped my throat and deep shudders wracked my body. Burying my face in his chest, I let all of my grief and pain out.

"Shh, baby. I'm here." He murmured into my hair, one of his hand cradling my head while the other rubbed up and down on my back. "You're safe now. I've got you."

I couldn't stop the hard racking sobs. His shirt was wet with my tears but he didn't seem to mind. Instead he kept rocking me gently as he murmured words of comfort and reassurance in my ear.

I cried until there were no more tears. When my sobs died down, he gently tilted my head up until I was looking up at him. His beautiful face was filled with so much agony and pain and I realized I wasn't the only one hurting. He was hurting as much as me, if not more.

Fresh tears spilled over my cheeks and he cupped my face and wiped the tears away with his thumbs. "Please, don't. It kills me to see you cry." His voice was achingly tender.

"I...I'm sorry." I whispered through the tears.

"Baby, there's nothing for you to be sorry about."

Tears blurred my vision again. "I lost my baby...our baby. It's all my fault."

He swore softly and held me against him. "It's not your fault, you hear me? Don't do this to yourself. You have nothing to feel guilty about."

His words comforted me. I sniffled and took a deep breath, drawing his scent deep into me. I felt like I was home right there in his arms. I felt safe and protected.

"I didn't know I was pregnant." I whispered brokenly. I knew he would wonder about that. "If I had known, I would have told you."

"I know." He drew me back gently. I made a sound of protest and a very faint smile leaped into his eyes. "You need to get some rest." He kissed me on the forehead. "Cheryl took your mum and sister out for dinner. I have called them and informed you're awake."

"What about Hal?"

"He went home to freshen up. He has been practically living here for the past several days. We've all been so worried about you." He caressed my cheek, lightly rubbing his knuckles against my skin. It was as if he couldn't stop himself from touching me. There were so many things I needed to tell him, so many things I wanted to say but I was too exhausted to talk.

He opened the chest of drawers by my bed and pulled out some wet wipes. I felt the tears threaten again as he cleaned my face so tenderly. He was being so gentle with me, as if I was a china doll that would break. He held a fresh wipe to my nose. "Here, blow."

I did as he asked. He disposed of the used wipes and then pressed on a buzzer by the bed. A few seconds later Dr. Parker entered the room followed by Nurse Amari.

"How are you feeling now?" The doctor smiled.

"Better." It was true. I felt a lot better than I did when I woke up. I knew it was all because of Jason. He was the only person that could make me feel good even when I was so broken inside.

"Good. I'm going to give you a mild sedative to help you relax and hopefully to sleep." He nodded to Nurse Amari and she started injecting the sedative into my drip. "Take a nap, and when you wake up we'll have dinner waiting for you."

The thought of food made me nauseous but I nodded. Nurse Amari gave me a glass of water before lowering my bed so that I was lying flat on my back. The doctor and Jason talked in hushed tones for a few minutes.

After they left, Jason dimmed the lights in the room and tucked the blanket around me securely.

"What time is it?" I asked sleepily. Dr. Parker said it was a mild sedative but I was already feeling so relaxed and sleepy.

"Almost 8 in the evening." Jason leaned over and pressed his lips to my temple. "Get some sleep now, okay?"

"Will you be here when I wake up?" My voice sounded so vulnerable even to my own ears.

"I'm not going anywhere, baby. I'll be here."

My eyelids were heavy and I sighed as I let them droop. "Watching over me?" It was the effect of the sedative.

"Always."

I fell asleep with a smile on my face, secure with the knowledge that nothing could hurt me as long as he was there.

❦❦❦

When I woke up later that night, he was there just like he said he would be. My mom, Paige and Hal were also waiting and while they fussed over me, Jason slipped out of the room telling me he would be back later. I knew he didn't want to leave, but he was going just to give me time to spend it with my family. But as soon as he left I missed him.

Hal apologized again and again, saying it was all his fault for bringing Andy into my life but I waved his apologies away. It wasn't his fault. I didn't want to talk about Andy or Michael. Even thinking about them made me sick. Even though I knew they couldn't hurt me anymore, I still felt scared. Dr. Parker told me it was natural to feel that way and that it would take time for me to completely recover from the emotional trauma. The only time I ever felt safe was when Jason was there.

After dinner, Nurse Amari came in with another nurse and told everyone that she needed the room. When they left, she smiled kindly. "Do you want to use the bathroom, Miss Lewis?"

"Yes, please. Thank you. And please, call me Kate."

She nodded with a smile and then pulled out a sling, which she put on my cast. She then drew back my covers and helped me out of bed. The other nurse bent down and took my urine bag which was hanging discreetly at the side of my bed.

I felt my cheeks heat up in embarrassment but then pushed it away. They had changed me when I was in the coma and already seen worse than this.

Nurse Amari saw me looking at the catheter bag. "It's better to keep you on the catheter for now. This way you don't have to get up at night to use the bathroom."

They took me to the bathroom, waited until I was done, then came in. Any embarrassment I had left was gone. I felt so tired and couldn't have done everything on my own. When they stripped off my hospital gown, I was finally able to see the bruises on my body.

Most of the bruises were on my stomach and rib cage. They were faint, as if fading but it still sickened me to see them. While the nurses gave me a sponge bath, I looked around the bathroom. It was huge and luxurious just like the room. I felt like I was at a hotel rather than a hospital. With a sinking feeling, I wondered if I would be able to afford the hospital bill. My whole savings would go to it, I was sure.

When the they finally put me to bed I was exhausted. I was running high on pain killers and all the talking with my family had worn me out. Mom and Paige came in after the nurses left.

"Good night, sweetheart." Mom said kissing me. "Do you want me to stay with you until you fall asleep?"

Before I could say anything, Paige grinned. "Mom, I think who Kate needs right now is Jason. Not us."

My face heated up. It was true, but I didn't want to hurt mom's feelings. "It's okay. You can stay, mom." I glared at Paige but she just grinned widely.

"No. Your sister is right." Mom was also smiling. "Jason is outside talking to the doctor. I'll send him in."

When mom left, Paige leaned down and brushed the hair away from my face. "I was so worried. We were so worried." Even though she was smiling I knew she was close to tears. "I'm so glad you're okay."

"Me too." I touched her arm. I hadn't thought I would ever see her again and now that she was in front of me, I couldn't stop the sudden rush of emotions I felt. "I love you."

We never said that to each other and I saw the way her eyes widened. But then she was smiling through the tears in her eyes. "I love you too." She pressed a kiss to my temple and straightened up. "Good night." On her way out, she dimmed the lighting.

When Jason came in, I was half asleep. He must have thought I was already asleep because instead of talking, he gently tucked the covers around me and kissed me. "Sleep well, baby." He murmured against my skin before sitting down on the comfortable recliner by the bed.

He kept his hand on mine, slowly caressing it and it was so soothing. Within seconds I fell asleep.

I dreamt of someone was chasing me. I could hear the footsteps coming from behind me. It was so dark I couldn't see anything but I ran blindly. I had to get away from him. He was going to kill me. I ran until my chest felt as though it would explode. The person chasing me was getting closer, I could hear his maniacal laughter. Suddenly he caught up to me and grabbed my arm. Terror exploded in me. It was Michael. His face was twisted into an ugly look and I started screaming.

Light flooded in my eyes, but I continued to scream and thrash, trying to escape from him.

"Baby, it's me. Jason. Open your eyes." I heard Jason's voice and I woke up gasping for breath, my body trembling violently. He was trying to hold me still on the bed.

"It's just a dream. You're safe." He murmured cupping my face in his hands.

"He was trying to kill me." I gasped out. "Michael. He was..." I trailed off as low sobs racked up my body.

"Hush, baby. He can't hurt you. I'm not going to let anyone hurt you ever again."

His words comforted me but I couldn't stop the tremors going through my body. The dream had felt so real. When I couldn't calm down, Jason reached over and pressed the buzzer. The door to the room opened a few seconds later and I jumped, but it was only Dr. Parker. He gave me a sedative to help me calm down.

Within a few minutes, I felt the effects of the sedative working. The panic and fear in me faded away and my whole body relaxed.

Jason brushed away tendrils of hair from my face. "Sleep now. I'm here. I'll not let anything happen to you."

Unable to help myself, I reached out and touched his face. His jaw was covered in stubble as usual, adding raw masculinity to his already gorgeous face. I ran a finger down his cheek, over his strong jaw and then gently traced my thumb on the fullness of his lower lip. His eyes flared darkly and he inhaled sharply. I was pleased to find my touch still had that effect on him.

"What are you doing?" His voice was husky. He didn't stop me so emboldened by it, I pulled him down until our faces were inches apart.

I suddenly needed to taste him more than I needed my next breath. "Kiss me."

He groaned low in his throat. "That's the sedatives talking."

"Please."

For a moment, I was afraid he wasn't going to but then he tilted my jaw up. At the first touch of his lips against mine, my pulse jolted wildly, igniting all my senses. He was so gentle, his mouth moving over mine tenderly, as if he were afraid he would hurt me. I knew he was trying to control himself. I could feel the heat and passion he was trying so hard to hold back.

Opening my mouth against his sensuous lips, I kissed him back, pouring into it all the love I felt for him. I wished I could hold him but with one of my hands in a cast it wasn't possible.

A cry of protest left me when he finally lifted his mouth off mine. He was breathing as hard as me. "I shouldn't be kissing you." It was not what I expected him to say.

My heart sank. "Why not?"

He stared at me, as if trying to figure me out. I couldn't blame him. During our last conversation at the nightclub, I had told him I didn't want him. I had told him I didn't care. But now, I was acting as if we were still together when I was the one who had pushed him away in the first place.

He fisted a hand through his hair. Frustration and anger were visible on his face. "You just woke up from a coma. You should be resting."

"You're angry."

He sighed. "I'm angry at myself. Not at you." Then his face softened. "Never at you."

"Then will you hold me until I fall asleep?"

He regarded me warily. "I don't think that's a good idea. You need to rest."

"I promise I'll behave."

For the first time that day, the corners of his lips tugged upwards in a smirk. God, I had missed that.

He nodded and pulled the covers back. He settled in the bed on his side, putting one arm above my head and the other one holding me close to him. When I tried to snuggle into him, he stopped me. "Careful. Your ribs are still not healed."

"It doesn't hurt at all."

"That's because of the pain killers. You need to keep the pressure off your chest if you want to heal fast."

"Yes, doctor." I made a face at him even though he couldn't clearly see my face.

He chuckled, then kissed the top of my head. "Now sleep, baby."

The endearment made me smile and I turned my head into his chest, breathing in the scent of him. My eyelids felt heavy but I kept them open as I thought about him and me. I had planned to talk to him about us and tell him how I felt when the right time came.

But I couldn't wait anymore. I needed to tell him. But the doubts were starting to reappear in my mind. What if he didn't want me anymore?

No. It wasn't possible. He loved me. I could feel it today; in the way he took care of me. He loved me. I repeated in my head. My doubts had caused both of us enough heartache. I wasn't going to do it anymore.

It was now or never. Taking a deep breath, I whispered. "I love you."