Weeks passed quickly as Melissa spent her days alone writing and her nights in Nick's arms. She shed many tears as she remembered the Hell Marcus had put her through, but then the text turned to how her live was fixed. She wrote of a tender man who loved her from childhood…the one who had always been there to hear her problems and dry her tears; the one who brought her flowers every time Marcus hit her.
Everyday Nick would come home to some emotion bursting through her body, whether it was the pain of her abused past or the tranquility of realizing she now had love in her life…
One day he came home and called her name. His voice echoed through the airy house as he walked to the kitchen and found her note.
Nick-
Nick smiled as he gazed at the loops and curly queues of her writing. He then grabbed a can of soda from the refrigerator before making himself comfortable in front of the TV. Just as a new show was to start, the doorbell rang. Nick set his drink on the coffee table, the soft metal can clinking as it touched the polished wood of the table.
He walked to the front door and looked out the side window. The visitor's back was facing him, the broad shoulders covered by a simple white dress shirt. He held something in his hands that Nick couldn't make out, so he opened the door.
The man turned to him, the hard jaw and cold gray eyes immediately registering in Nick's mind…Marcus. "Where's my wife?" he growled.
"She divorced you two years ago and you know that…" Nick replied with some unknown courage.
"Where is she?!"
"She's not here…"
"That's it…" Suddenly, Marcus swung the object in his hands at Nick, taking him by surprise as the steel pipe contacted forcefully in his side. Nick bent over in pain as Marcus swung again, the metal clashing against Nick's back and hurling him to the floor inside the door of the house. Marcus stepped inside and kicked Nick in the stomach before broadsiding him in the side of the face with a large fist.
Nick looked up with pain filled blue eyes. "Why?" he choked out.
Marcus didn't respond as he slammed his fist into the back of Nick's head, blackness suddenly rushing into Nick's mind as he lost consciousness.
Meanwhile Marcus stormed through the house in search of Mel as he ruined the memories Nick and Mel had made. He smashed the framed photos of them placed around the house, ripped the blankets from their bed, slammed the steel pipe through their glass dining room table, and tore Nick's platinum records from the walls. He then stepped over Nick's motionless figure and left, his black sports car going unnoticed.
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Melissa pulled her green Dodge pickup truck into the driveway and cut off the engine as she looked at the front of the house. The front door stood open as if Nick had run outside for a moment and forgot to close it…but Nick was not outside anywhere. She slowly walked up the front walk when she noticed a still form lying on the floor of the front hall.
"Nick!" the cry caught in her throat as she ran towards his still body and dropped to her knees beside him. His face was bruised, his large figure curled into the fetal position and a small trickle of blood was on his full lips. He was still breathing but didn't respond to her cries. She scrambled to her feet and ran to the kitchen. She frantically dialed 911 on the cordless phone as she ran back to him.
"This is 911, how may I help you?"
"I need an ambulance or a doctor or something…my Nick…he's hurt. I came home and he's unconscious…I don't know what happened! Oh my God…I think he's hurt badly…"
"Ma'am….please calm down…" the operator said before continuing. "What is your address?"
"Um…723 Oak Tree Lane…Um…it's in the Arbor Community…"
"Ok…we know where you are…Just stay calm, ok? Will you stay on the line with me?"
"Yeah…I'm so scared…He looks so bad. I can't lose my Nickers…I just can't…I don't even know what happened."
The ambulance soon arrived and the medics carefully got Nick on a stretcher and examined him on the way to the hospital as Melissa followed in her truck.
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The wait seemed to be endless as Melissa sat in the emergency room, doctors and patients shuffling around her. Shouts, cries of pain, and tears of patient's loved ones filled the room around her, buzzing in her ears as she sat in a chair in the corner of the waiting room.
She looked around her. A man just entered on a stretcher, a knife still protruding from his abdomen as a woman ran after the medics screaming. Blood…blood was everywhere. Melissa felt her stomach waver as she looked away. With her arms crossed, she hugged herself tightly as loneliness overtook her. Whenever she needed someone with her to be strong, she always had Nick…but now he was unconscious in a hospital emergency room, and she didn't even know if he would live.
He has to live! He can't leave me now…He can't…Her thoughts were interrupted as a nurse approached her. "Melissa Lobach?"
"Yes…" she softly replied, afraid of what was to come from the woman's mouth.
"He's going to be alright…the doctor wishes to speak with you."
Melissa followed the nurse through the swinging doors and down a few corridors. The doctor waited outside of a closed door, his thick black hair unruly and uncontrolled, his green eyes soft and understanding as he glanced up from his clipboard.
"Melissa? I'm Doctor Shadegrim…" He extended his hand to her and gently shook her hand. "Now…Nick is your…?"
"Fiancée…Is he okay?"
"He will be. Right now, we need to keep him here for a few days and we'll work everything out. Nick suffered a lot of injuries, do you know what happened?"
"I don't know…I came home and found him there…Can I see him? Is he awake?"
"He did come to a few minutes ago, but the other doctor is examining him. Nick suffered a concussion, a few broken ribs, severe bruises, and two of his vertebrae were cracked. All of these will heal in time, but…"
"Can I see him?"
"In a moment, Melissa. You have to understand that somebody did this to him…do you know who or why?"
"What? I don't know….please let me see him…"
"Okay…I hope you don't mind, but I did call a police officer-a friend of mine-and he's going to investigate. I believe…"
"Ok…ok…can I see him?"
"Yes…wait out here for a moment…" he replied before opening the door. She peered inside and could hear Nick's voice.
"I wanna see her now. Please? I know she's here," Nick said, his voice growing slightly louder.
"We have to finish examining you…"
"I'm hurt, I was beat up. There's your examination. Now let me see her! Don't touch me there!"
"Nick…" Dr. Shadegrim interrupted. "Please calm down. Melissa's waiting outside, but I don't think I need to ask if you want to see her…" He turned to Melissa and motioned her into the room
Cautiously, she walked in slowly raising her eyes to look at Nick. Her lips parted to speak but nothing came out as she saw him. His face was dark purple from the bruise left by Marcus' fist. He was propped up in the bed, obviously in pain, but a smile crossed his face as she entered the room.
"Sweetheart…" he softly said as he motioned her to the bed and opened his arms. She gingerly hugged him, afraid of causing him more pain.
She took her arms from around his neck and cupped his face in her hands. She pressed her lips to his, reveling in the softness of his mouth, before she looked over his body. "Who could do this to you?" Her large green eyes were bright with tears and full of pain for her love.
"Marcus came looking for you…" he replied softly. They didn't realize that the two doctors were still in the room listening. "Baby…don't go back home alone…Go next door. I'm sure Amanda will let you stay there. Or go to one of your sisters' houses. Tiff and Kerri understand…"
"Nick…I want to be with you. I love you…"
"Baby…I love you too, and I want you to stay. But I don't think the hospital will let you…"
They talked for a little while before the doctors came and told her that she had to leave. Nick was to be moved to another room. They gave her the visiting hours and his future room number before making her leaving. One last kiss, one more embrace, and she was soon out in the waiting room again.
She walked out to her truck, her heart heavy and the words echoing in her mind, Marcus came back…
I went to drop my manuscript in the mail. The
publisher I talked to seemed very interested so I
want to get it to him…Hugs and kisses. I'll be
home soon.
Love,
Melly