Forever Mine (Joe & Ella 2)

“He’s been there all night.” The nurse said looking fondly over at him.

“We told him to go home and get some rest but he refused. Is he your husband?”

“Yes.” I didn’t want to admit he was my husband to be, we already felt married, what was the point in splitting hairs.

“He’s been clinging onto those scan pictures like his life depends on it.” She smiled.

“Scan pictures? Is our baby still alive?” I felt petrified to hear the answer. The scan pictures could have been before the miscarriage.

“Yes you’re 10weeks and 2 days. Not long until the second trimester, and that’s the easiest one.” She grinned.

“How can that be?” I was shocked to say the least, but I ran my hands down to my tummy to stroke it protectively. “I lost my last baby after doing a dance class.”

The nurse supressed a smile, “You wouldn’t have had a miscarriage because of a dance class sweetheart. Sometimes a foetus isn’t formed properly or just isn’t healthy or strong enough and it’s nature’s way to make things right. This baby you have now is a little fighter though. Enjoy it. I loved all my pregnancies it gave me an excuse to eat my weight in chocolate, although with a husband like yours I might have stuck to other less fattening indulgencies.” She winked.

I laughed then, as much as I could with the grogginess I was feeling and a face as swollen as mine. It was lucky she was close to my Nan’s age otherwise I’d have given her my uncensored view on her roving eye. I felt the effects of the pain relief washing over me and I drifted back off into a much more stable sleep this time, knowing that I’d be waking up to the best smile ever from my favourite person.

When I next woke I felt Joe’s hand in mine, he was sitting up to the bed and his head was resting on my arm. I stroked my thumb over his knuckles and he lifted his head to look at me. His eyes looked sore and red, his stunning face was tired and lines I’d never noticed before seemed to have appeared overnight.

“You look like I feel.” I tried to smile but my face throbbed in opposition.

“Maybe not. I guess I look and feel pretty hideous right now.” I sighed.

He hung his head wearily so I released his hand and stroked his hair.

“It’s okay, I’m okay.”

Joe just shook his head and looked up at me again.

“I’m supposed to be the one reassuring you Ella, not the other way round.” He drew in a deep mournful sigh, “I’m so so sorry, you didn’t deserve this it should have been me, I should be lying in that bed right now. It’s all my fault.”

“Just stop tha

t now. This was not your fault, you hear me? He was insane, how could you be to blame for his fucked up actions?”

Joe just shrugged, but I had to put a stop to this right away.

“Please don’t do that. It was not your fault, he was ill. He did this not you.” I had to ask him the next question, “what’s happened to him?”

“He’s dead. Sam shot him and got rid of the body. My guess is he’s weighted down somewhere in the middle of the sea right now. Sam took care of everything, the place is gutted now, burnt through. All the footage is erased and no evidence of what happened exists okay. You don’t have to be frightened anymore, it’s all over.”

I looked up at the ceiling in relief. Thank God it was over.

“The police will need to talk to you. I don’t know what you want to tell them. I said I found you abandoned in the street by the old factory, I know that sounds like a cop out but I didn’t know how much you wanted them to know.”

I took a few minutes to think things over then decided that the sooner this was put to rest the better.

“I’ll tell them I was robbed, stabbed and left in the street. I will give them a general description of someone like…him but I’ll leave it there.”

Joe started to fidget and I knew he wanted to ask me something.

“What is it? Just spit it out.”

“Did he…rape you?” He couldn’t look at me.

“No, Sam came just in time.” I reached out and squeezed his hand.

“Thank God.” He looked up at the ceiling himself now and blew out a slow breath.