A Masterpiece Unraveled (The Masterpiece Trilogy Book 2) (38 page)

"I don't want to lose him!" she cried, her voice muffled against his shirt. In reluctance, she let Todd hug her.

"You won't lose him, sweetheart. He's Hunter. There's no stopping that man." His hand covered the back of her head as he rocked her. Sobs wracked her entire body. She just couldn't stop. The muffled sound of a phone ringing snapped her back to attention and she gathered herself to answer it. Pulling out of Todd's hold, she reached for her phone.

Vince. "Any luck?"

"We f-found him, no thanks to you!" She lost her cool with him, shouting in the phone. Todd jumped back, startled at her outburst. "He was hit by a car, not even conscious. I hate you! You did this to him! Are you happy now?" She hurled each accusation at him without a second thought, screaming in the phone.

"Becca!" Shara snatched the phone from her. Before she knew it, Todd held her again.

"Come on, let's go sit down and stay calm. Be strong for Hunter."

"I'm always strong! I don't get to fall apart," she sobbed. "I always have t-to keep it in."

Shara paced the area, talking into Becca's phone. Her voice was filled with anger.

*****

Midnight rolled around and Becca could barely keep her eyes open. She told Todd and Shara to head back to the hotel. No way did she want to be too far from Hunter. They tried to protest and make her go back with them, but they finally gave in about an hour ago.

The hospital staff had been sympathetic to her, especially a female nurse who had apparently seen Hunter here before with Joe. She found a way to get exceptions and let her stay in the room with Hunter, something that normally wasn't allowed at all.

His condition hadn't changed. She sat in the chair beside his bed and held his hand. She kept falling in and out of a half conscious state herself. Once the hospital had all of Hunter's information, thanks to Todd and the hotel staff actually opening Hunter's room to find his wallet and phone, they stopped naming him John Doe and had the correct information. His personal effects had been given to her.

It was only one item. The ring box. How long had he had the ring?

"I'm here, Hunter," Becca whispered softly. She stood to be closer to him, but the room spun. She sat on the edge of the bed instead. "You'd be amazed. I flew. I actually got on a plane and survived. Just like you said I would, and I finally did it."

The beeping continued.

"Shara and Todd are here, too. Shara and I talked about you on the way. It helped to take my mind off the stupid plane." Becca brushed her fingers on the side of his face that wasn't all banged up. "It's a beautiful ring, Hunter. But you totally asked the wrong girl." She laughed, though it came out more as a cry. "I'm terrible at trying to come up with quips like you. Somehow even inappropriate, you make them funny." Pulling the blanket back, she crawled under the cover and rested her head near him. Wasn't this what he'd done with her? Becca just needed to be close to him. Placing her hand over his heart, she cried softly. "I would have said yes. I'd marry you in a heartbeat. Even though we've had our share of trouble this summer, I've always known you're the one for me."

Feeling the steady thrum of his heartbeat provided a slight comfort to her. It gave her hope that the man she needed was still in there.

"Everyone says to be strong, but I think I'm going to take your advice now and let it out." A painful hiccup bubbled up as more sobs hit her. "I need you, Hunter. I need you to know I overcame another fear, just like you always thought I could. Know what that means?"

Of course, he didn't answer. She continued anyway.

"It means that trip to Germany you wanted. And we can fly to Hawaii and swim with the dolphins."

Her side started the pins and needles feeling. Hospital beds weren't big enough for two, but Becca didn't move. She lay cuddled up to Hunter and continued to talk to him. Tears streamed down her face. "I love you so much. We have so much more to do together, so you have to come back to me. I'm not giving up on you. Just open those gorgeous green eyes and say something so ridiculously crazy that makes me want to laugh, cry and gasp in surprise at the same time." She squeezed his hand.

At some point she fell asleep. What startled her back to reality was all of a sudden the machines hooked up to Hunter started going crazy. They practically screamed in her ear. She flew out of the bed as doctors and nurses all ran in. Hunter's skin barely had any color to it. The overhead intercom kept repeating something about a code blue and a room number.

"What's happening? Please tell me!" Becca cried. The young female nurse she'd made friends with bolted into the room toward her.

"We need to get you out of here," the woman insisted.

"No! I can't leave him! What's happening?"

A curtain was pulled around Hunter's bed. There was so much commotion. She heard someone say "Charge".

It dawned on her. The code blue. The beeping. The room number. The nurse tugged on her arm once again, dragging her away from the only man who understood her fears and dreams.

Hunter was fading.

Outside the door, Becca fell apart. Her knees wobbled and she slid down the wall to the floor.

She needed to see his smile again. The way his eyes lit up when he stared at her. Becca loved his reactions to her paintings. Each time he had such genuine feelings about what she'd created. Hunter had this way about him that caught her off guard so many times, but in a good way.

He was supposed to beat this stupid thing! He had to beat it.

"I should have pushed harder to keep you home, or I should have come with you," Becca sobbed. Painful cries hit her chest, making it hard to breathe. She just couldn't calm down.

They had so much time ahead of them. He couldn't leave her! He just-.

He wasn't supposed to go like this!

The ring box fell from her fingers and hit the ground. Becca covered her face with her hands and begged for mercy, begged for the universe to spare the man she needed in her life.

Chapter Thirty One

"He's stable for now. That was one hell of a close call."

Becca wasn't sure how much time passed. She raised her head. Her vision blurred from the tears and she let out another series of hiccups. She covered her upper chest as they came out. Damn, they hurt.

The doctor who'd said that wasn't even talking to her. They left the room and walked right past. To her right was the nurse who must have been by her side the entire time.

"H-he's alive?" Becca whispered, still afraid of the answer.

Becca finally noticed her name tag. Her name was Beth. She nodded, reaching out to help her to her feet. "He's alive."

"I need t-to see him." She couldn't quit the stuttering.

"I know you do. Why don't we go down to the cafeteria and get something to eat? I promise I'll get you back in there afterward." Beth's eyes were full of compassion as she aided her.

Blinking, Becca stared back at the room. "Just a peek? I- I need to see for myself." No way could she walk away right now without looking at Hunter. She needed this.

Beth twisted her hair around her finger, glancing between the nurses station and Hunter's room. "A quick peek. Go."

Stomach in knots, Becca entered the room and approached Hunter's bed. He still hardly had any color. It almost didn't look real. It was like they'd painted on makeup for some kind of ghost costume or something. "Don't you dare die on me, Hunter Charles Beckman. You fight. I love you." She bent down and kissed his lips, avoiding the area where they were swollen. He was alive. He didn't look any better, but Hunter made it through another scary hurdle. Then she went back outside. Beth waited for her at the door. "He looks so fragile," she whispered, her voice etched with tears.

"I've seen worse make it out of these things." Beth tried to be reassuring. "His friend who had a heart attack is doing much better. He woke up this evening, asking about Hunter. He wants to come see him soon."

"Joe is the reason Hunter's out here visiting." Becca followed Beth to an elevator and they stepped inside. Fatigue threatened to swallow her whole, but she was afraid if she went to sleep something would happen to Hunter again.

"You dropped this earlier," Beth said suddenly, thrusting something in Becca's hand.

The ring box. She closed her hand around the box as if protecting it from any harm.

"I heard a rumor that he tried to propose to a woman and her boyfriend pushed him in the street. That's how he was hit." Beth continued to eye the ring box before raising her gaze to Becca, full of question.

"Hunter suffers from PTSD. It's possible he disassociated." Becca probably told this story a thousand times since arriving here. "I don't think he'll remember any of this when he wakes up. It's the worst one he's had so far."

Beth made a strange sound and her eyes went wide. "I'm sorry."

Silence filled the elevator. Becca leaned against the rail and forced her eyes to stay open. Maybe a cup or two of coffee and she'd be good to go for a few more hours. Hopefully.

If she could make it until Hunter woke up, that'd be good. She was going to stay positive.

The cafeteria only had a handful of people in it. The clock on the wall over the register read six am. She'd actually been out for quite some time before waking up to Hunter's machines. Just as she and Beth paid for their coffee and snacks, a pager went off.

Becca cringed, fearing the worst.

"It's not Hunter's room. I do have to go though. I'll check in with you in a while, okay? Try and take care of yourself. The last thing you want is for something to happen to you. When Hunter wakes up, he'll want you to be okay." With a plastered fake smile, Beth headed off leaving Becca to fend for herself.

She sank on a hard plastic uncomfortable chair and put her focus on unwrapping the breakfast roll she'd bought.

"Hard to concentrate when waiting on news, isn't it?" a female voice said from behind her.

With a gasp, Becca turned around. An elderly woman stood behind her, dark circles under her eyes. She nodded.

"Mind if I sit with you? I don't feel like being alone and my husband is sleeping soundly, so I don't want to disturb him. I hate hospitals." She held up her own cup of coffee.

Becca gestured at the seat. "Go ahead. I don't mind company. The nurse I was with had to go back to work. I'm Becca."

"Sandra Whitemore." The woman lowered herself to sit.

Whitemore? Was this Joe's wife?

"My husband had a heart attack. I came home to him on the floor and and old face from the past beside him. Talk about a double shock. To top if off, the face from our past had an accident and is in the hospital, too. My husband won't stop taking about him."

Becca dropped her roll. "You're referring to Hunter, aren't you?"

"You know him?"

"He's my boyfriend."

Sandra's face paled, and her mouth formed an O. "You're the girl Joe won't stop talking about. He keeps mentioning Hunter and a Becca. I thought he was just out of it because of the medication. He insists on talking to the two of you. Is Hunter okay?"

Tears filled her eyes again. "I don't know. He was hit by a car. We- they almost lost him a little while ago." What a twisted few days. They talked for the next hour and a half about Hunter and Joe until the woman's phone rang.

"I guess I'd better go see to my husband. He just woke up. If they'll allow it, maybe he'll come see you and Hunter if he wakes up today. I know he missed that boy and while it was a shock to see him yesterday, Joe would want nothing more than to connect with him."

Becca nodded. "Thank you for keeping me company. I hope Joe recovers soon. I'd love to meet him."

If they weren't going to let her in Hunter's room again, Becca wouldn't know it. She slipped past the busy doctors and nurses and went inside anyway. Still no change. Hunter laid there so still. Becca approached the bed. She let out a sigh of relief when she noticed color returning to Hunter's face. He looked much better, but she knew he still had a long way to go. "I saw Joe's wife just now. He's awake and doing better. She says he's eager to see you." Pulling the chair as close to the bed as possible, Becca practically fell on it, her body weighed down with fatigue. "That means you need to wake up soon so you can catch up."

Tired of the quiet, Becca turned on the TV and set the volume to low. She didn't know or even care what was on. She just needed a sound other than the beeping machines. At any time, Shara and Todd would be here. Maybe even Vince.

She rested her head by Hunter's hand again as she held it, gently rubbing with her other hand. Once again, her eyelids were heavy and she gave in. She dreamed of Hunter.

Becca woke up when Hunter moved. She sat up and stared at him. "Did I just feel you move?" Hope wrapped around her heart.

His lips moved. Slowly. He was trying to say something. Then one eyelid raised just a bit before fully popping open. "I- must- not ... be ... dead."

Becca laughed through her tears. She got exactly what she wanted- for Hunter to open his eyes and say something absolutely crazy. "Of course you're not dead! Why would you say such a thing?" She had to refrain from throwing her arms around him. "You scared me, Hunter."

"I-it feels ... like I'm dead. The pain. But you're here. If-" He stopped talking for a bit. He seemed to have a hard time breathing. "If I died, I'd go- to ... hell. No way you'd be- in hell. You're ... an angel."

"You're such a dork! I'll let it slide, since you had a rough night." Becca leaned toward him and gently brushed dark wisps of hair from his forehead. " Don't you ever, ever do that to me again!"

"What- happened?" He tried to sit up.

Becca stood. "Stay right where you are. I don't know what happened, other than it's possible you had a long episode of disassociation. You were hit by a car." She didn't tell him the rest of the story, about the ring or the guy pushing him.

"Joe?"

"He's alive. Hold on, Hunter. I'm calling the doctors. You almost died last night! They need to know you're okay." She ran to the door and called out. "He's awake! Hunter's awake!"

*****