by Caz May
He’s not going to sit in a jail cell, only to be released early on parole to offend again; no he’s going to burn in hell and no doubt he deserves as much.
Glancing up at the clock on the wall I can see that only half an hour has passed since Hunter had been wheeled into surgery. It has seemed like eternity and I have to get out of there, or I’m going to find myself passed out on the floor from the stifling hospital air.
Rushing outside I take a deep breath, inhaling the cool night air. It feels strange to be outside at night in Ridgehope; the streets are deserted, lit dimly by tall streetlights that seem out of place.
I feel safer then ever knowing that Dante is no longer around the corner, about to lurch out of the shadows and grab me at any moment.
It’s more than that though; it’s the town itself. One street with everything you needed and more and I've never felt more at home. Adelaide is not home anymore.
I start to walk down the street back towards the main part of town. I've only been to my destination once but being blessed with a photographic memory I recall details like landmarks in my head easily.
Arriving at the double doors I push them open and walk up to the front desk a little nervous as I know visiting hours will most likely be over but in the present situation I’m hoping for some leeway.
"Hi, I'm here to see Grace Mackenney."
"And you are?"
"Savannah Galison,” I declare, liking the way my ‘new’ name sounds rolling off my tongue.
"I'm sorry, but visiting hours are over sweetie. We can only admit family after hours."
I sigh. I want to be family.
"I'm Hunter's girlfriend."
She looks at me like my relationship status means nothing to her and I know it probably doesn't but I’m not going to take no for an answer.
"Hunter is in surgery right now. I really need to see his Mum."
"What? Surgery? Is he ok?"
"I don't know. But I really need to speak to his Mum."
Her face softens to my plea.
"Ok Savannah, go on through. Room five."
She presses the door buzzer and pressing my hands against it the lock clicks open. I feel nervous coming to see her without Hunter, especially as the last time when I met her I didn’t say a word. So much has changed since then.
I could tell he loves his Mum so incredibly much and she definitely has a soft spot for her eldest son which I can't blame her for. I feel like I should be thanking her for raising him to be the amazing man he is.
He's only been in my life for a few months but I'd fallen for him from the start, like I'd known him all my life.
I know that I want to share the rest of my life with him and knocking on the door of his Mum’s room I take a deep breath hoping that I'll get to do just that.
Her voice is low and sad when she answers the knock. Turning the knob in my hand I open the door, slowly stepping into the room.
"Savannah, dear, where's Hunter?” she asks me softly looking around me for her son, as soon as I cross the threshold.
Walking over, I kneel on the floor at her knees. “He’s in surgery. He was shot."
Shock crosses her face and tears sting my eyes, seeing the pain my words caused her. “And I'm sorry Mrs Mackenney, but it's all my fault, if he dies it will be my fault."
I look up at her and the tears break through when she strokes my cheek softly. Her next words are a lot calmer than I expect, "Whatever do you mean dear?"
"He...he was shot b...by my husband,” I stutter through my sobbing. I expect her to be angry but instead she shows genuine compassion for me, rubbing my hair soothingly as I sob.
"And I'm scared I'm going to lose him. I can't!" I wail, tears still streaming down my cheeks.
"Did you tell him that you love him?” She asks tugging at my heart.
I nod. “Y..yes."
"Then it's not goodbye sweetie."
"What do you mean?"
She lets out a laugh. “My son is absolutely wholeheartedly in love with you Savannah. He wouldn't leave you without making sure you got to feel how much he loves you."
I’m a little taken aback at her surprising words that leave me with a deep longing feeling.
"How do you know he loves me like that?"
"I know my son. He was already in love with you the day he brought you to meet me. He's a Mackenney man after all."
“Sorry, what?"
"Mackenney men fall hard and fast for the woman they are meant to be with. Hunter is his fathers son for sure."
"But Mrs Mackenney how do you know he loves me?"
She strokes my hair again. “Because he came in here the day he thought you were gone and he was absolutely heartbroken. I'd never seen him like that before."
"That's how I feel now, but after all of the pain I’ve been through with my ex-husband I don't know how to let him know how I feel."
She presses a kiss to my cheek, a sweet gesture that makes my heart swell with love for her too.
“Just like his father, he is the most patient and caring person and he loves you. You have all the time in the world because now you truly have his heart he won't let go."
A wide smile crosses my lips. I feel incredibly happy to know that even Hunter's Mum approves of us being together. She seems to be so wise and is truly sweet. It makes my ache a little thinking about my own Mum.
I stand up, readying myself to leave, to go back to the hospital to see if Hunter is out of surgery.
I press a kiss goodbye to her forehead and she says softly with a smile, “Thanks sweetheart. Are you heading back to the hospital now?"
Even though she’s smiling there’s a hint of pain and sadness in her voice and I know I have to ask her, "Do you want to come with me?"
She shakes her head. “The nurses wouldn't allow it."
"I'll talk them around."
"I don't know sweetie, could you push my chair all the way there?"
"Of course. You don't know my strength,” I say flashing my non existent arm guns at her. She laughs deep in her chest.
"Savannah you're a sweetheart. Wheel me out!"
I grab the wheelchair handles in my hands as she opens the door for us to leave.
Just as I said I persuade the nurses to let her out to see Hunter and promise that someone will bring her back safe and sound.
Once out of the rest home doors she lets out a delightful squeal as she inhales the fresh air.
"Ahh...fresh country air. There's nothing better.”
“I agree with that,” I muse starting to push her wheelchair down the street towards the hospital, thanking my lucky stars it’s slightly downhill.
"Are you ok?" I ask her, hoping this isn't all to much for her.
"Never better honey. There's no doubt Hunter is alive. And he will wake up from surgery surrounded by those he loves."
She’s right. She will be by his bed, Quentin will surely be back as well and I will be there.
We all love him more than anything in the world.
(46) Hunter
Waking up, a touch of grogginess in my head I concentrate on focusing on my surroundings. The pain from earlier has somehow disappeared and I realised that’s probably due to the fact I’m in a bed in a small hospital room and drugged up on a copious amount of painkillers, that aren’t exactly helping quell the pain much at all.
I have a tendency to feel claustrophobic at times and this situation in this small room should have been one of those times, considering that the bed takes up most of the room and it’s surrounded by three people.
But claustrophobia doesn't surface as the three people around the bed, are the three people I love the most in the world.
Mum, my brother and Savannah are looking down at me, smiles spreading across their faces when my eyes focus on them.
Mum is on my right and wheeling her wheelchair closer, trying to not get tangled in the IV attached to my arm, that appears to pumping blood into me, she presses a kiss to my forehead.
> "My baby boy, how are you doing?” she asks, with the sweet caring tone that only comes from a mother’s mouth.
"Better now my two favourite women are here,” I say as she touches my hand.
I smile at her before looking at Savannah and see that tears are stinging her eyes. The emotion in the room is definitely evident and breaking the silence I look at Quentin.
He seems a little forlorn, like he has something on his mind, that he needs to get out.
"Hey little bro, I guess I have you to thank. I should have listened to you."
He shakes his head, touching my leg in comfort when he speaks, "Nah Hunter, you shouldn't thank me. I'm sorry but none of this would have happened if I'd just done my job in the first place."
I laugh a little, pain shooting through my body. His statement has truth to it, but we can't change the past.
There’s definitely some things that our family wants to keep in the past, but it isn't the time to think about the past now. I have to reassure my brother that despite what he thinks, he’s still a good police officer.
"Don't say that Quent. You're good at your job, whats done is done. No point dwelling on the past."
He nods. “Yeah I guess, but I still feel bad."
Mum is smiling, obviously not worried about what has happened and not mad at Quentin either for his part in what has occurred.
She’s clearly also not worried seeing me in a hospital bed with an IV in my arm, and the dressings over the gun shot wounds on my lower chest and back.
I’m not sure how she’s even able to be here, as the nurses never let her out of the rest home under normal circumstances.
What I do know though is that she loves us both more than anything in the world, and that’s evident when she happily says, "I'm just happy to see both my boys.”
She gives me a wink, before she speaks again, "Quentin darling, how about wheeling me out to give Hunter a moment with his girl?"
"Sounds like a plan Mum," Quentin replies as he crosses to the other side of the room and wheels her out, shutting the door behind them.
Savannah sits on the edge of the bed and even though there’s silence between us, it isn't an uncomfortable silence. I’m just glad that I don't have to say goodbye and even more glad that Savannah is here for me, just like I’ve been there for her in the last few months.
Taking my hand in hers, she softly speaks, "I'm sorry Hunter, for everything."
"Don't be sorry, baby, it's ok."
"But it's not ok. You could have died, because of me."
I shake my head. “Yeah I know baby, but I couldn't lose you. I would have rather have died than lose you."
"I know," she says softly, pulling back the bed sheet and lifting up my not so stylish hospital gown.
Kissing the bandage covering the bullet wound on my chest she asks softly, "Does it hurt?"
"No, not as much as thinking I lost you."
I have to tell her again how I feel just as I'd told her lying on the road, waiting for the ambulance. I can't recall if she'd heard me or even if she said anything back because thinking back it’s all a bit hazy.
I know I’ve lost a lot of blood, and that even just being in this hospital bed alive is a miracle. I can still feel where the bullet hit me, under my ribs.
Squeezing her hand in mine, and gazing directly into her eyes I speak softly, "I love you, Savannah."
"I love you too, Hunter,” is her reply that causes my heart to pound in my chest, and the pain from my wound rises in my body. I wince and her eyes dilate, sensing the pain I’m feeling.
"Are you ok, baby?" she asks, as though she wants to take away the pain.
"Kiss me, baby,” I say with a hint of cheekiness, "it will take the pain aw…"
I don't have a moment to finish the sentence as she presses her lips against mine, softly at first and then harder. The kiss is deep, and full of longing.
It seems like forever since I'd kissed her and despite the pain in my chest, I find myself melting into it. There’s nothing better than kissing her.
Pulling back she asks, “I didn’t hurt you baby did I?”
“No, baby.”
“But you’re in pain?”
“Yes, baby, I am but it’s not your fault, ok?”
“Ok, but I just want to take the pain away.”
“I wish you could. But I just want you to lay with me,” I tell her moving over a little in the bed, again the pain rushing through me.
“Ok, but tell me if I hurt you,” Savannah says softly, grabbing my arm to put it around her before lying next to me.
She presses a kiss to my cheek. “I love you Hunter, so much it hurts.”
“I love you too Savannah, so much I literally nearly died for you.”
(47) Savannah
I'd stayed with Hunter every night for the week he was in hospital.
He had slowly started to get feeling back in his arms and legs, but the pain was still evident in his chest.
He was changed to IV painkillers the second day, after he’d gotten off the blood IV and they seemed to help more.
I’d literally not left the room, except to get myself copious amounts of coffee and to search the lost and found for some clothes to wear.
Other than that I’d stayed wrapped in his arms in the small hospital bed that was like a tiny plank of wood and extremely uncomfortable.
On day six of his hospital stay, lying next to him I ask, “Hey baby, was someone going to check on Blitz?”
“Yeah Quentin was going out to the farm every couple of days until we get home.”
“That’s good. Are you feeling any better?”
“The painkillers are working, but it still aches a bit.”
He sits up a little, grabbing me around the waist and pulling my body closer to his. He winces a little in pain. “Baby, please don’t if it’s going to hurt you.”
“Its not Savannah. I need you.”
Having him close feels beyond right and I press my lips against his in a demanding kiss. He bites down softly on my lip beckoning me to open up to him.
I let out a deep moan that I know drives him absolutely wild for me. He smiles against my lips as our tongues dance together.
"Fuck Savannah, you have no idea what you do to me, but not here yeah?"
"I know, but can I kiss you again?"
"You don't have to ask to kiss me."
I press another kiss to his lips, pulling back when Doctor Rivnay comes in to see how Hunter is.
He'd at least had the decency to knock, giving us a moment to collect ourselves before we let him in.
I know we probably both look a little disheveled from our make out session and my hair is like a birds nest, having not been able to brush it for a week. As well my lips are a little red from Hunter's kisses and the stubble of his chin that he’d not been able to shave for the past week he'd been in the hospital.
"The doctor won't be happy with us. I'm a mess,”I whisper to him.
He gives me a devilish smirk that set the butterflies inside my belly a flutter.
"You look beautiful baby. And I think kissing you is just what I need to get better."
"Glad to help, sexy,” I tease.
"Sexy, huh?" He says poking a finger into my belly.
“Yes, Hunter you're damn sexy,” I reply licking my lips.
"Baby, don't you dare tease me now. The doctor needs to see me."
I kiss his cheek softly. "Sorry sexy,” I giggle, just as Doctor Rivnay enters the room.
He gives me a look that makes me feel incredibly guilty and kind of like a naughty school girl getting caught making out in the change rooms.
He’s probably Hunter's age but seems to have an old soul about him and I can’t help but wonder if he’s married or has a girlfriend.
He definitely needs one if he doesn’t as wouldn’t be a bad thing for him to lighten up a little bit.
"So Hunter, you're damn lucky really,” he says slightly unprofessional in his tone.
> "Yeah, what do you mean Doc?"
He glances at the notes in his hands. “Well, the bullet just missed your lungs, and the impact fractured your ribs but as the bullet wasn’t lodged internally like we first thought, there was no internal bleeding.”
He stops speaking for a moment to let what he’s saying sink in. “Thankfully your blood loss was minimal though, plus your girlfriend here curbed the bleeding well. But honestly you're lucky to be alive."
Hunter nods as Doctor Rivnay’s words sink in.
"I had a lot to live for,” he says looking at me and smiling, squeezing my hand and pressing a kiss to it.
“Yeah,” Doctor Rivnay replied softly, pain in his voice.
He’s definitely hiding something about his past and I wonder if the town gossip club has any ideas about the mysterious new doctor in town.
Hunter asks, "So I'm guessing I’m all good for discharge tomorrow?"
"Yeah will keep you for one more night for final observation and a nurse will be in to change your dressings in the morning before you're discharged."
“Ok, can I get out of this bed tonight?”
“Sure. Take a walk outside,” he winks at us as he leaves the room, as though he knows we’d gotten a little bit naughty before he came in.
Laughing I turn my head to look back at Hunter. “So where were we sexy?" I tease.
"Hmm, I'm not sure," he teases back, "I think I was making out with my incredibly gorgeous girlfriend."
He again pokes his finger into my belly, the teasing gesture setting the fire burning in me again.I want him so much my whole body aches.
"Yeah I seem to remember making out with my incredibly handsome boyfriend."
"Handsome and sexy?"
“Mmmm," I mumble pressing a kiss to his lips. He responds, pulling me closer to his side, still wincing a little in pain before he kisses me sweetly and softly, taking his time to taste my lips. I really could get used to this.
There is nowhere I want to be more than laying wrapped in Hunter's arms.
~ ~
Leaving the hospital the next day with Hunter feels like some twisted sense of déjà vu. We'd barely slept a wink, passing the time just revelling in being together like we had when I’d been holed up in the hospital and partly because we had been laying side by side, just together, kissing each other softly.