Chapter 77 Restless To See Her
Christian sat shocked by the news. He hadn’t expected this at all! He had to find out. So, he called Lillian, but she didn’t accept his call. Neither did Sebastian. The rest of the day, he kept worrying about Skylar. What could have happened to her? Guilt ate him up and he couldn’t get a minute’s respite. It was evening when Lillian came over to see him.
“What happened to Skylar?”
“She’s down with a fever. I’m sure you’ll be happy that you’ve driven her away from here.”
“I didn’t know she would fall sick,” he grumbled, looking away. “I’m fine now. Please, can you get me discharged? I hate staying here all by myself.”
Lillian rolled her eyes at her brother. “It isn’t in my hands. Dr. Foster will check you up tomorrow and then decide.” Christian groaned, not wanting to spend another day here. The wish to go home to see Skylar was so intense that he was restless throughout the time. With nothing to do, he picked up his mobile phone to call her.
“Yes, Christian!” said Erica, accepting the call on Skylar’s behalf.
“Can I talk to Skylar, please?”
“She’s sleeping. I’ll ask her to call you back when she wakes up. Is there anything else you need?” Christian pursed his lips, feeling more frustrated than ever before. It had been almost twenty-four hours since he last spoke to her. He felt like banging his head on a wall for being an ass to her. She wouldn’t have fallen sick and would have been by his side!
“No, thanks. See you tomorrow hopefully.” Christian disconnected the call and waited for Skylar to call him back, but even after three hours, she didn’t. He fell asleep with a heavy heart, hoping that the doctor would let him go home the next day. He had to see how serious his wife was!
The next morning, Ted Johnson arrived for his therapy. He helped him to the wheelchair for the first time since the surgery. Christian could move his left leg well while his right leg was immobile. Yet Ted was hopeful about his condition.
“It’s a good sign that your left leg has gained mobility after the spine surgery. Dr. Garrett will be pleased with your improvement.”
“What about the right one?” Christian wanted to know, not at all happy that he was confined to a wheelchair.
“It will take time. After three months, we will try using crutches. You have to continue with the therapy, Mr. St. James, or else you’ll end up being paralyzed for life.”
“I will continue with you.”
The doctor arrived to check him up and took an update from Ted Johnson. Caleb and Sebastian too arrived for an update.
“Great improvement, Mr. St. James. I’ll prepare the discharge summary. You can go home today.” Christian smiled with relief for the first time in days. He couldn’t wait to see Skylar. The moment he saw Caleb and Sebastian, he wanted to ask them about Skylar but checked himself. Maybe he would take an update when they were alone.
“I’ll complete the discharge formalities,” said Sebastian, walking out of his room. Caleb followed the doctor out to understand about his ongoing treatment. The nurse served him his breakfast. Soon he was ready to leave the dreary hospital and go to his wife. However, all his enthusiasm left him when he had to be carried out of his wheelchair into the car. Without help, he couldn’t do a thing! The helplessness brought tears to his eyes, and he started having second thoughts about meeting Skylar.
She would hate his crippled body now!
Sebastian loaded the wheelchair into the car and climbed onto the passenger side. Caleb drove home while Christian sat at the back with a grim look on his face.
“I hate my crippled body!” he grumbled, closing his eyes and resting his head on the headrest.
“You’re not crippled. You just had two life-saving surgeries. Your body needs time to recover. Think of it as a prolonged vacation. You haven’t taken one in the last five years!” said Caleb.
“Yes, catch some precious moments with Skylar now. Grandpa Ben and I can handle the work,” said Sebastian.
“How’s Skylar now? Has her fever reduced?” he waited eagerly for their reply.
“Yes, she’s fine now,” said Caleb. Christian smiled with relief and the guilt reduced a lot.
They reached Caleb’s house, and they helped him to the wheelchair. Lillian opened the door and came out to hug him. “I’m so glad that you’ve made it into the wheelchair. Soon you’ll start walking like before.” Christian smiled, but his eyes searched for Skylar. Where was she? Why didn’t she come out to welcome him?
“I’ve prepared a room on the ground floor for you, Christian,” said Lillian, walking ahead to open the door. Sebastian pushed his wheelchair into the house, yet there was no sign of Skylar.
“Are you sick, Uncle Chris?” asked a wide-eyed Vivienne, following him around.
“No, I hurt myself.”
“I know! You saved Aunt Skye like Superman! I’m so proud of you, Uncle Chris!” said Blade, making him smile.
“Thanks, Buddy! Who told you that?”
“Oh, I heard Aunt Skye say it. She was crying in her room,” said Blade worriedly.
“Blade, Vivi, don’t disturb Uncle Chris. Go out and play,” scolded Lillian. They rushed out while Christian mulled over what Blade had just said. Why was Skylar crying? Was it because of him?
“Where is she? Why is she staying in a separate room, Lillian?” he asked when the kids left the room.
“You know the answer, Chris. You threw her out of your room, remember?” she rolled her eyes and helped Sebastian lay him on the bed.
“God! I’m sorry about that. I asked her to come back yesterday. Why is she stretching it? Please bring her here to see me.”
“I’ll try, but you know how stubborn she is,” said Lillian with a sigh.
“Fine then. Take me to her,” said Christian.
“Are you crazy? How will you climb the stairs?” asked Sebastian with a groan.
“I’ll crawl upstairs if you can’t bring her down to me.” He glared at his older siblings, who gaped at him with disbelief.
“Gosh! You two are so melodramatic! I’m going to work. Lillian can deal with you,” said Sebastian, striding out of the room.
“Yeah, I’ve taken the day off to deal with this, it seems!” said Lillian with a groan.
She went upstairs to Skylar’s room to see her sitting on the bed with tears in her eyes. “Stop shedding tears and go to him. He wants to see you, Skylar.”
“No, he threw me out. I won’t go into his room.”
“Do you want him to crawl up in his condition?” Skylar’s eyes went wide with surprise.
“Is that possible, even? He can’t move his lower part, right?”
“Anything is possible with him. Please go to his room and see him once.” Lillian went away while Skylar sat, thinking about it. Why did he want to see her? Should she go to his room? She was still in a dilemma when Caleb came into her room and just picked her up.
“Caleb, what are you up to?” she screamed at her big brother.
“Taking you to your crazy husband, what else? He’s already on his way here. Do you want him to risk his health and come up to get you? Stop being so stubborn and forgive the guy already, Skye. He’s going through shit. He wasn’t mentally stable when he said those hurtful things to you. Please don’t hold a grudge on him for life. He needs you now,” said Caleb with a sigh, walking out of her room with her.
“Stop, bro. Place me down. I’ll go to his room and see him.”
“No, I don’t trust you, nor him.” He walked down the stairs and went into Christian’s room, where Sebastian was having a tough time controlling his crazy brother.
“Move, Seb. I’m not dead yet that she needs to stay in a separate room,” yelled Christian, trying to push his wheelchair all by himself. If Sebastian hadn’t blocked him, he would have been out of the room already.
“There’s no need. I’ve brought her,” said Caleb, dumping his sister in front of the crazy guy.
“Oh! Umm, thanks!” said Christian, staring at his wife. Skylar blushed at the roots of her hair while the other two chuckled and walked out of the room, leaving them alone with one another.
“You shouldn’t move around so much after your surgery!” she scolded him.
“I won’t if you stay here with me,” he mumbled, watching her tear-stained face longingly.
“I can’t. I have a fever. Anyway, I don’t want your condition to deteriorate by my presence.”
“It won’t. You’ll stay here with me and that’s final.” He stared at her stubborn face with longing. Why couldn’t she just forgive him and give in?
“I’ll make your lunch.” She sighed and walked out, leaving him even more frustrated than before. Did she expect him to beg her for forgiveness?
After an hour, she came back with his lunch and helped him eat. “I’m sorry for my behavior, Skylar. Please, can you forgive me?”
She smiled at him tenderly and stroked his cheek lovingly. “I’ve already forgiven you, Christian.”
“Will you move into my room tonight?”
“Yes.”
Christian’s heart thumped wildly in his chest. “I don’t want to spend a single night without you,” he whispered, holding her gaze.
“Neither do I.” He smiled with relief, all his inhibitions leaving him totally.