A Familiar Prison

Chapter 56

"Well, looks like you have one night here then you'll be released tomorrow morning, as long as your sugar stays in the normal range." The nurse was checking over her chart.

"If it's been normal, why keep him?" Gwen inquired.

"We want to track overnight to see what his sugars do. If he drops too much, we may need to figure out other medical interventions."

"Oh." Gwen was quiet while the nurse finished taking AJ's vitals. She left and AJ looked at Gwen.

"Hey. What's on your mind?" AJ tilted Gwen's chin up to look at him.

"I just want you out of here. I hate you being stuck in here, and I just want us back home."

"I know. But tomorrow will come soon enough, and I'll be released and we'll get to go home together and start working on the house." He smiled at her, she gave a small grin. He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. "What else is going on in that pretty head of yours?"

What I want to say will scare him. I can't do that right now. "That's it." She smiled to show she was okay. I'm terrified to be honest. I am scared that I don't know how to take care of you, and something drastic will happen on my watch, when we're alone, and no one is around to help me... or help you for that matter.

AJ could sense there was more, but decided not to push right now. "Well, let's try to get some sleep. I'm glad they're letting you stay with me, with what all you go through."

"Me too." She got as comfy as she could in the chair next to him. She wasn't allowed in the bed with him because it could interfere with anything the nurses needed to do. She leaned over and kissed him. " I love you, Baby."

"I love you. Night." AJ took her hand in his.

"Night." She saw AJ's eyes close, and he was asleep before she knew it. She looked over at the journal Katie brought, and decided to write down the days events and her apprehension in him coming home.

As you can imagine, she wrote, I'm terrified to have him come home and something happen again. I know there's always a chance, but I don't know if I could handle it on my own. She sighed. I'm terrified I'll do something horribly wrong and lose him. Then I'd have to live with that guilt. Tears started falling down her cheeks. I know I shouldn't worry about that now since it's a thin possibility. But the chance is still there. I could kill my husband. She closed the journal and sat with her knees pulled to her chest. She closed her eyes and took some deep breaths. Starting to think more rationally, she decided to talk to a nurse about her concerns in the morning. She opened her eyes and shifted in her chair to get comfortable. She closed her eyes again and tried going to sleep.

Opening her eyes, it was darker. It was too quiet. She looked around and saw AJ laying on the bed, covered in a sheet. Okay, he's there. He's fine. They took him off the wires and oxygen, so that's why it's so quiet in here. She got up and walked to the door. It was locked. That's weird. Why would that be locked? "Baby, do you—" She turned back to AJ, who was eerily too still. The nurse unlocked the door and came in with her colleague. She put a sheet over AJ's face. Gwen went pale. "Wh—what are you doing? Why are you covering him? He isn't dead! Why are you covering him up?!" The nurse then spoke to her colleague who came in with her. "What a shame. He was quite a nice guy too. Not bad on the eyes either. Funny sense of humor. It's too bad he had to go out this way." Gwen wasn't capable of listening to any more. She felt she was going to faint. "What is going on?" The nurses didn't even look at her. That's odd. They didn't even respond to me. Like I'm not here. She thought a moment. She then pinched herself. I'm dreaming. I can't feel it. Wake up! Wake up Gwendolyn! Wake now!

Gwen woke with a gasp. She heard machines beeping and whirring. She looked to AJ, who was laying asleep on the bed. She reached and felt his chest. He was still breathing. She sighed. Her heart still racing, she got her journal and wrote this latest dream down. By the time she was done writing, she had calmed down a bit. She put the journal away and hoped no more nightmares would plague her tonight.