Fragile Simplicity

by Tara Neideffer

  “Oh, my,” she breathed as she quickened her steps towards the bed. David watched as she gathered Kyleigh’s hands in hers and leaned down to plant a kiss on her cheek.

  “Um, I’ll give you some time alone,” David said as he started for the door.

  “Are you David?” the lady asked, barely turning her head towards him.

  David stopped and answered, “Yes, I’m Kyleigh’s boyfriend. Are you her aunt?” David had never met her, but he’d heard Kyleigh talk about her some.

  “Yes, I’m Judy,” she said, before taking the seat next to Kyleigh. She let out a long sigh and said, “I don’t know what I’d do if anything had happened to her. She means the world to me.”

  They both stayed with Kyleigh throughout the night. David noticed exhaustion taking its toll on her aunt, but when he’d mentioned her leaving, she’d refused, saying she would be sleeping in Kyleigh’s room tonight.

  In the early morning hour, David headed down to the cafeteria to grab some coffee and to stretch his legs. He was exhausted but he didn’t want to leave Kyleigh’s side either. He planned on running home later today to shower and change clothes and then return. He was hoping for Kyleigh to wake up sometime today, but she had yet to stir. The doctors seemed hopeful that she should.

  As he sat at a table towards the back of the cafeteria, staring down at his black coffee, he couldn’t help thinking of how close Kyleigh had come to dying last night. And he thought it was possibly his fault. He wasn’t sure what all had happened but he’d told Kyleigh it was best to file that restraining order. What if Brad had found out somehow and something in his head had snapped? The thought made him sick and he pushed his coffee aside and buried his head in his palms. He raked a hand down his face, hoping to wipe away the nagging thoughts, when that itch crawled up his spine.

  Blowing out a frustrated breath, he gritted his teeth, hoping to crush the need to drink down. He didn’t need this added stress right now. But he knew the urge to drink was from the stress he was consumed with. Kyleigh was going to make it through this. She had to. He was still grieving from his mom’s death, and the funeral was just in a few days.

  He grabbed the coffee, needing a large dose of caffeine to dull the urge for something stronger, and took several large sips. It would have to do.

  Sliding his chair back, he tossed his empty coffee cup into the trash and took the stairs that led to a small courtyard outside. With all the flowers and bushes, it looked like a nice sanctuary to let his mind relax. He needed some fresh air. The air in the hospital seemed thick with sickness and disinfectant and it was beginning to get to him. Sitting on a bench, he felt someone tap on his shoulder.

  “Hey, David, what are you doing out here? How’s Kyleigh?” Paige asked as she took a seat next to him. Her white tennis shoes stood out against her navy scrubs and David figured she was heading in to work.

  “Getting some fresh air. I don’t know how you deal with the smell in there,” he said and then added, “Kyleigh’s still the same. The doctors and nurses say her vitals are looking good and now it’s basically just a waiting game until she wakes up.” David leaned back against the bench, feeling every muscle ache from lack of sleep.

  “Well, that’s good news that she’s staying stable. I’m going to go see her before I start my shift. I always knew Brad was crazy but I honestly never thought he’d kidnap her like that. I hate to say this, but I’m glad he’s dead. Now Kyleigh won’t ever have to worry about him again. I know that sounds bad, but I don’t care. I care more about her than I do about his life,” Paige said.

  David smiled, feeling the same way. “Well, if it makes you feel better, when I went inside the house last night looking for him, I was intent on killing him if I saw him.”

  Paige smiled and said, “Good, I’m glad she has you. You guys are really good together.” Her eyes drifted towards the limestone building before she added, “Well, I’d better get inside if I’m going to pay her a visit before I have to be at work. I’ll come by when I get off to see how she’s doing.” She stood and started for the door before turning around and saying, “Oh, and if she wakes up later, text me.”

  “Will do,” David said.

  He let the warm sun and fresh air do their best to erase his worries before finally heading back inside. As he came to her room, he waited outside as several nurses were busy giving her medicine and cleaning her room. When they were done, he made his way to her bed.

  “Did they say anything while they were in here?” he asked Judy. She was sitting in the corner, a book resting on her lap. It was the same spot she had been in all night.

  “They said her vitals were all looking good and that it just takes time for her to get her strength back before she can wake up.”

  David nodded, his eyes landing on the window shelf that was overflowing with flowers. Coworkers and friends had all sent their get well wishes. David’s flowers were sitting on the table next to her bed. They were a huge bouquet of orange colored flowers. He knew orange was her favorite color.

  His eyes traveled down to her, and he squeezed her hand and whispered, “I love you, Ky. I’ll be back. I have to go home, shower, and run some errands.” He bent down and kissed her cheek, wishing she was able to open her eyes and kiss him back. He missed her already and if she didn’t wake up soon, he thought he’d go mad. Giving her hand one more squeeze, he looked over at Judy and said, “I’ll be back in an hour. I need to run home. If she wakes up call my cell. Do you need anything while I’m out?” he asked.

  “No, I’m okay. I’ll go grab something to eat at the cafeteria when you get back. I want to finish this book I’m reading,” she said, holding the book up in the air. The small smile that she barely managed took away some of the stress that covered her face.

  “Okay, I’ll be back soon,” David said as he headed for the door. He hated leaving but he wanted to stop by his mom’s to check on Roger and see if he needed any help with the funeral arrangements. It was an errand he dreaded doing but it was something that had to be done.

  Chapter 30

  Freedom

  Images fluttered through her mind. Images that terrified her and images that made no sense. Her mind couldn’t comprehend anything. She wanted to open her eyes but her body wouldn’t cooperate. Every muscle in her body felt limp. And she was so tired that all she wanted to do was sleep forever. Hushed voices broke through the silence of her mind every so often as she slept. She didn’t know where they were coming from but they were all familiar. She heard David’s soothing, deep voice. And then, for some reason, she heard her aunt Judy whispering tender words to her.

  She felt like she had been sleeping for years but she finally got the urge to open her eyes. She couldn’t manage much but she felt them crack open, just enough to see her surroundings. At first, she was met with blurred vision and she waited for a few minutes until her eyes cleared.

  Slowly, images began to come into focus and she looked around the room, her gaze finally landing on David and her Aunt Judy standing next to her bed. She saw smiles forming on their faces as they both squeezed her hands. She couldn’t understand why they were both standing beside her bed watching her sleep. It was strange and she tried to open her mouth to say something, but realized she couldn’t.

  “Shh, it’s okay honey, you don’t need to talk right now,” Aunt Judy soothed. “We’re here with you. You’re going to be okay now.”

  Kyleigh’s face tightened with confusion.

  “Ky, we can talk about everything later. Right now you just focus on getting better,” David said.

  Her eyes looked to her right to see David standing next to her. He was smiling at her, but there was a hint of sadness lining his eyes. He was upset about something and she wanted to reach out and pull him into her arms but every part of her body hurt.

  As her eyes scanned the room, she realized she was in the hospital. She saw tons of flowers sitting by the window, and as she looked to her left, the machines that sat next to her bed began
to jar her memory.

  Brad.

  He had kidnapped her and tried to kill her. Her mind flashed with sporadic images of that night. She remembered a knife in her hand and watched as it slid into his stomach. She felt sick. Had she killed him? She didn’t know and with the stupid tubes in her mouth, she couldn’t even ask. The thought of killing someone, even if it was him, was too much to deal with.

  And then she remembered the loud noise erupting from behind her and the burning pain that followed. He had shot her. She squeezed her eyes shut at the memory, felt tears slowly form, and then fall down her cheeks. It was difficult to swallow. That night had been one of the scariest nights of her life. She couldn’t believe she had made it out alive.

  She felt her eyes involuntarily close. Sleep was calling her name again, and after reliving all that pain, she welcomed it.

  Her mind coasted into a realm that felt free of everything. Here, she felt good. Nothing held her back and time seemed to stand still. She felt far away from her life, from everyone she loved, and she was suddenly struck with fear that she wouldn’t be able to get back to them. She didn’t want to lose her way, but the farther she got from her life, the less she felt. All the pain, anguish, guilt, and turmoil were dwindling away with every step she took. She was becoming free of her burdens and she felt that it was time to decide what she wanted to do. Should she step away from her life and free herself from everything? Or should she stay and live?

  David’s voice broke through the silence that encased her. It was the grief and pain in his voice that hit her. His words tore through her fragile soul and touched her mind.

  “Ky, please fight! You can’t leave me, not right now!”

  She could hear him in the distance, calling her name and telling her to fight. But she was so tired she didn’t think she had the strength to fight any longer. Her body felt weak. But the pain in his voice made her want to give everything she could. She didn’t want to leave him. She loved him with everything she had. She felt herself walking towards all the noise that echoed in the distance. She began to feel the pain bombard her body again. It was almost too much to handle but she continued to follow his voice.

  With strength that she didn’t know she possessed, she opened her eyes. White light stung her eyes and unfamiliar faces peered down at her. The beeping of machines hurt her ears and she could hear people yelling. The quiet room from earlier was now in complete chaos. She didn’t know what was happening and she saw a glimpse of David and her Aunt Judy standing in the back of the room. David was hugging her Aunt while she cried, and as he stared at her, the look of horror on his face was shocking. She realized he was scared of something. That began to scare her because she’d never seen him scared of anything.

  Doctors hovered over her as they checked her vitals, asked questions she couldn’t answer, and peered down at her as they examined her. She felt on display. Suddenly her bed began moving and she was being pushed out of the room and down the hall. People were rushing around her and doctors began yelling. All the excitement was too much. Her eyes began to feel weak and heavy again and she couldn’t hold them open any longer. Whatever was happening to her, she wouldn’t be awake to feel a thing, and that was good because she was tired of feeling.

  ***

  “I think she’s waking up,” David said.

  “Kyleigh? Wake up, it’s your Aunt Judy.”

  Kyleigh groaned as her eyes slid open, revealing two faces peering down at her. This was becoming a routine and she wished people would stop staring at her while she slept. If she had the strength, she’d tell them that. Even through the grogginess that enveloped her, her mind felt a little more awake. Her eyes steadied on David’s face and she saw him reach down and remove the mask that covered her mouth.

  “You can talk for a second, if you want,” he told her, kissing the top of her head.

  She wanted to talk but the dryness suffocating her throat made it difficult. She swallowed and then croaked out, “What happened?” She vaguely remembered things but she wasn’t sure what had been real and what had been a dream. Everything felt like a dream.

  David and her aunt exchanged looks and then David said, “You were shot, Ky. The bullet pierced your lung but you’re doing better now. You had a blood clot yesterday and they had to wheel you into emergency surgery, but the doctors said everything’s looking good now.” He paused for a moment and asked, “Do you want some ice?” He held the cup in the air.

  She nodded and eagerly opened her mouth to the cup. Ice slid into her mouth, melting away the rawness of her throat. She asked for more, suddenly not able to get enough. She felt so thirsty. Once her throat felt better, she asked, “How long have I been in here?”

  “Three days,” her aunt answered.

  Kyleigh frowned, not believing she’d been out that long. She was still so exhausted she’d figured she’d only been out overnight. Her chest hurt and her breathing became shallow. She saw David reach over and grab the mask and slip it back on her mouth.

  ***

  Two more days passed before she began feeling better. She felt stronger and more alert. She felt David slide his hand into hers, and as she looked up at him, she saw a smile touch his lips.

  “Are you hungry?” he asked, pointing down at the tray of food that sat beside her table.

  She looked at it and nodded her head yes. Every time she woke up, he was always sitting next to her bed. She yawned, sat up, and brought the spoon of mashed potatoes into her mouth as she asked, “So, do you know if Brad is dead?” Even through all the grogginess, it was a question that had been weighing heavily on her mind. Through everything, it was something she had remembered. She didn’t think anything would make her forget the look on his face when the knife she’d held slid into his body.

  David reached out and squeezed her shoulder as he said, “Yes, Ky, he’s dead, but it was something you couldn’t help. If you hadn’t grabbed that knife,” She watched pain hit his face, and saw his Adam’s apple bounce as he tried to swallow his emotions. “If you hadn’t grabbed that knife, Ky, he would have killed you.”

  Kyleigh stared up at him, the words taking a moment to register. She’d killed him. But he’d planned on killing her from the beginning. There was no remorse to follow those words, only sadness and grief that she’d been put in the position to kill another human being. Brad had deserved what he’d gotten, but that didn’t ease her mind that she was the one to end his life. Those words would weigh heavily on her mind for the rest of her life. She knew it’d been in self-defense, but that didn’t make her feel any better. None of it should have happened to begin with.

  David reached forward and brushed a kiss against her cheek. “I don’t know what I would have done if I’d lost you,” he said.

  She smiled, remembering his words that had pulled her back. “I love you too much, David, to leave right now.”

  His smile was warm and touched her heart.

  “Oh, she’s awake!”

  Kyleigh looked up to see her Aunt Judy rush through the door, her face lighting up as soon as her eyes landed on Kyleigh.

  “I was just getting ready to call you,” David said with a smile.

  She threw her hand up and said, “Oh, that’s okay. I’m sure you wanted a moment alone with her.” She paused as she stared down at Kyleigh. “How are you feeling, hon?” she asked in a soft voice.

  Kyleigh smiled and said, “I’m feeling better. I’m ready to get out of here.”

  Taking her face in her hands, her aunt peered into her eyes and said, “Oh, you’ll get out as soon as they think you’re well enough, but you can’t rush it, dear.” Her aunt planted a kiss on her cheek before she took a seat next to her bed.

  “So, tell me who all those flowers are from,” Kyleigh asked as her eyes scanned the colorful shelf.

  David made his way over to the flowers, and began picking each one up and announcing who they were from. A dozen bouquets later, he held up the last one, and when her father’s name slipped from
his mouth, she thought she’d heard him wrong. “Wait, what did you say?” she asked.

  David smiled and said, “Rob Helton. Isn’t that your father?”

  She nodded her head, surprised he’d sent flowers.

  “There’s a note attached,” David said as he held the small envelope in the air before handing it over to her.

  Kyleigh looked down at the envelope, seeing another letter that was going to suffocate her with feelings. But instead of finding herself scared and filled with anxiety, she felt a sense of happiness as she looked down at the letter. She had almost died and now she was given another chance at life. Another chance at forgiveness.

  She opened the small envelope and began reading.

  Kyleigh,

  I’m so sorry about what happened to you, but I’m so happy to hear you’re alive and doing okay. I hope you start feeling better soon.

  Love,

  Your dad

  Her father was making an effort to make amends and she thought she was finally ready to accept it. She felt she was getting closer to unpacking her resentment and anger and finally letting it free.

  Chapter 31

  Saying Goodbye

  Lounging back in the uncomfortable plastic chair, David watched as Paige and Brooke fussed over Kyleigh. He was happy they were here visiting her, it seemed to lift Kyleigh’s mood. It was getting late and David needed to get home and get to bed early so he could attend his mom’s funeral in the morning. Tomorrow was going to be a difficult day and he dreaded every second of it.

  Looking over at Kyleigh, he still hadn’t broken the news to her. He didn’t want to burden her with his problems until she started feeling better, but he knew he should tell her before he left tonight.

  “So, tell me Brooke, has anything interesting happened with you and Dr. Harris?” Kyleigh asked.