The ward corridor was silent, only the faint hum of machines and the occasional movement of nurses' feet. Aria sat on the edge of the plastic chair, her fingers twisted tightly in her lap. Every second felt stretched, suspended in tension. Her heart painfully echoed in her chest as she stared at the double doors that separated her from Jerry.
With a soft push, the door was made open and a nurse in pale blue scrubs stepped out, holding a very small container in her hand. Her eyes scanned the waiting area until they landed on Aria.
"Mrs. Clark?" she asked.
Aria blinked, startled. "I—I'm not his—"
But before she could finish, the nurse had already walked over and pressed the balm gently into her palm. "He's awake. The doctor cleaned the wound. It wasn't fatal, thank God. He'll need this for the bruising. Please take care of your husband."
Aria was amused, she stood still, stunned by the nurse way the nurse addressed her. The nurse turned and disappeared back through the swinging doors. Her heart sparkled in confusion at the title the nurse had given her. His wife. The words felt both strange and… comforting.
There wasn't enough time to explain, she just simply nodded, holding tightly unto the balm in her hand as she approached the door. She was greeted by the soft beeping sound of the heart monitor as she stepped into the dimly lit ward.
Jerry just lay there, held up slightly by pillows, his chest rising and falling slowly beneath a hospital gown. The sight of him alive, breathing, and not functioning with many more tubes made her knees nearly buckle. She let out a shaky sigh of relief.
The gunshot wasn't fatal.
Aria moved quietly to the side table and placed the balm down. Her hands slightly touched against the cold metal, grounding her. She turned to look at him, tears threatening to fall.
And then, his eyelids moved.
They flew open suddenly, and his eye, those familiar deep brown eyes—locked with hers.
"Aria?" His voice was thick and rough but full of urgency. "Are you alright? Did you get hurt in any way?"
His concern caught her completely off-guard. She was completely short of words, after everything, the first thought he had was about her.
Her voice crack as she finally let the tears which welled up in her eyes spill down her cheeks. "I'm okay, Jerry," she said as she quicken her pace towards his bedside. "shouldn't I be the one asking you that question, not the other way around!"
He attempted to sit up proper but then painful sound escaped his lips as he tried to put effort. She gently pressed a hand to his shoulder. "You can't move too much."
Jerry stared at her, the corners of his mouth curving into the smallest smile. "You can't really be crying now."
"I'm not," she lied unconvincingly, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. "i was so scared earlier on."
"You were there," he said "just before I passed out, I remember I heard your voice."
Aria nodded. "I stayed. I called the ambulance. I couldn't leave you."
A pause.
"You saved me," he whispered.
"No," she said softly. "I couldn't stop you from getting shot. I—" Her voice broke again, raw with emotion. "I thought I'd lost you."
"You didn't." He reached for her hand. "And you will never lose me!"
For a long moment, neither of them spoke. Only the sound of the heart monitor was heard within the room as Aria let his hands enterwine with hers. She sat quietly by the hospital bed, her fingers gently wrapped around jerry's. The beeping sound of the heart monitor was oddly comforting, a reminder that he was still there—still with her. His hand was warm, strong, even in such a state. She allowed herself a soft smile as she watched the way his brows twitched slightly as he leaned taking a rest more like he was dreaming.
She didn't hear the door open at first.
"Excuse me—" came a calm, professional voice.
Taken by surprise, Aria jerked her hand back like she had been burned. Her cheeks flushed instantly, and she jumped to her feet, almost knocking over the chair in the process.
The nurse raised an eyebrow, an amused smile forming at her lips. "Didn't mean to interrupt anything," she said lightly, walking into the room with a clipboard in hand.
"I-It's not what it looked like," Aria stammered, brushing unseen dirt from her dress and avoiding eye contact. Her heart beat wildly in her chest, more from embarrassment than guilt.
The nurse just smiled as she walked over to the machines, checking his vitals. "Relax, dear. I've seen much more in hospital rooms than a woman holding her husband's hand."
Jerry's face turned red. "Mmm... Aria?"
She turned to him, "Do you need anything, I can go get it!."
He gave her a tired smile. "Did you really hold my hands?"
Her face evidently showed the blush on it. "Y… You were the one who…"
The nurse laughed softly. "A sweet one you have got here Mr. Jerry!"
Jerry gave a weak grin, his eyes never leaving Aria's flustered face. "I know."
The nurse finished her checks, scribbling a few notes on the clipboard. "Vitals are strong. Healing's going well. The doctor will do one final check tomorrow morning, but if all continues like this, you'll be discharged by noon."
"Really?" Aria's eyes lit up.
"Yes," the nurse confirmed with a nod. "He's in good shape. Just need to take it easy for a while."
Jerry once again tried to sit up straight but the sharp pain came again. "Trust me, I'm ready to get out of here. Hospitals aren't exactly home." he said.
Aria rushed forward, gently placing a hand on his shoulder to steady him. "Don't push yourself. Just focus on resting tonight."
Their eyes locked for a moment. Something unspoken passed between them—something quiet, yet full of warmth.
The nurse smiled again as she made her way to the door. "I'll give you two a moment. But no more blushing when I walk in, alright?"
Aria laughed so sheepishly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "No promises."
As the door clicked shut behind the nurse, Jerry reached out weakly. "You know, , you shouldn't have shyly let go."
Aria hesitated, then smiled softly, slipping her fingers back into his.
She couldn't bring herself to pull away this time.
What was she getting herself into?