Chapter 54.

He had been smiling when the news came. Laughing at a joke his father made, readjusting his bow tie and imagining the love of his life in the wedding dress he saw her in two days before. He knew she was even going to be better than he pictured.

The urgency and speed that Ryder used to rush into Holly's room was unmatched. And the sight he was met with made his heart stop.

There was Holly, lying on the cold ground with her pale body and her white gown soaked with the crimson red blood that was gradually spreading from her chest.

Before he knew it he was barking out instructions to no one in particular as he took her in his arms. The ambulance had been called. But they had to wait for it to arrive.

Ryder didn't need to ask the question of who did it before he was answered. The culprit had been secured by the hotel staff after Charlie's screams had shocked everyone in the floor to action. It took two able bodied men to keep Ryder from getting to Kim. All the while she was struggling and screaming about how it was an accident.

When the ambulance came, it was a blessed relief to all when the paramedics came to take Holly out of the hotel.

He stared as he watched Holly fight for her life. He hurriedly told the paramedics everything they needed to know about Holly and they had shared a quick glance after hearing that she was pregnant.

Her hand was pale and limp. As a pair of strong hands pulled him back into the blinding light of the ambulance

Ryder still didn't move, his eyes were bloodshot with unshed tears and his face was red with pain.

The van stank slightly like sulphur and chemicals. It numbed his nose and choked him, as he sat in the ambulance with Holly still unconscious. There was only one word on his lips as the paramedics barked out instructions to each other.

Hurry.

The ride to the hospital was even more terrifying than the accident itself; with every bump that the ambulance made, Ryder's anxiety peaked higher. Seeing Holly strapped in to the stretcher he knew it was just the beginning. The paramedics said that if Charlie didn't call when she did, Holly could've died.

The hospital was even more chaotic. The doctors and nurses had rushed Holly straight into the emergency room without giving Ryder any information.

"Calm down Ryder. She's going to be fine. Everything is going to be okay." His father said as he put a hand on his shoulder. Ryder slowly shrugged the hand off as he started pacing in front of the operating room.

He turned back to his parents after a while.

"Did the police get her? Did they get her this time?"

He asked and they nodded

"Yes, they did. Charlie accompanied them so she could give her statement."

He ran a frustrated hand through his hair.

"How the hell did she get inside?"

He thought as he tried to figure how Kim had slipped past all their defences. He wasn't expecting an attack like that. He initially thought that after everything she was going to back down. She was going to leave.

Ryder had severely underestimated the woman. He should have taken extra precautions, but it hadn't crossed his mind. He was too caught up in the moment to even remember that Kim was a valid threat to their lives.

"She must have tipped someone off to get the maintenance spare key or something. I don't know or maybe Holly was on her way out and she saw her." Holly's father spluttered as he was still trying to wrap his head around everything that happened.

He had gone out for only a few minutes when Holly said she needed some time alone. Then he went ahead to say hello to her sisters who already arrived. He was waiting for her on the third floor when Charlie went back upstairs to get her.

It took only a few minutes later for Holly and two staffs to come and deliver the terrible news. Holly's mother had been devastated, fainting after hearing the terrible news.

After two hours of impatient waiting and absolute torture and agony for the Bates and the Michaels family, the doctor finally emerged from the emergency ward.

He had a grim look on his face as he was confronted with the troubled groom to be and her family.

"We're moving her to the intensive care unit. The bullet hit her shoulder and although it was only a flesh wound, she also suffered a concussion."

"What about the baby? She's pregnant." Her father asked and the doctor's face remained grim.

"We had to perform the surgery although it is generally unsafe for surgeries to be performed in the first trimester. We have to wait the night and see what happens. If her condition improves in the morning, then she is out of danger and she will be on her way to a full recovery."

The doctor left after brief instructions leaving everyone even more devastated than before.

Have to wait till morning. Those were the words that played in Ryder's head as he sat on a bench with his head buried deep in his hands. He had never felt pain like this. Pain worse than physical pain that made him want to scream at the world. Why not him? Why her?

Why would life choose to take away the one thing that mattered the most to him?

Why?

And so, the long vigil began and with each passing hour came with fear and dread of what's to come. Slowly, everyone left one by one till it remained Holly's Dad and Ryder. Her mother had been too weak to stay and Ryder's parents escorted her back to her hotel room.

"You should get some rest son. You need it." Her father said after about four hours.

Ryder shook his head, he was too devastated to even notice that her Dad had referred to him as his son.

"I'll wait."

He said after a long pause.

"Okay."

Her father left an hour later after hospital policy stated that only one loved one could stay.

After seven long sleepless hours in the hospital, Ryder decided to visit the chapel before the hospital chapel.

The church was tiny, with glass stained windows with pictures of a praying Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ. It had a shiny tiled floor and a few pews. There were a few candles lighted on the altar and it was so peaceful and serene that Ryder felt a little bit better.

The chapel was empty, with no one else except him since it was late in the night. Ryder sat at the front pew with a sigh as he watched the life sized statue of Jesus Christ. He only had one wish. One prayer in his heart that he had been praying ever since he found Holly on the floor with blood on her white dress.

"I know I don't pray much..."

Ryder started...

"More than a few times I've doubted my belief..."

"But, you gave me Holly. And suddenly, everything was right in my world. All I ever wanted was to make her the happiest woman in the world with me by her side. Is that too much to ask?"

There was a long pause with the deafening silence of the chapel. Everything stood rigid, unmoving while Ryder was practically shaking.

"I love her. Please don't take her away from me."

He begged as he broke down into sobs.

Please. Please. Please. He continued begging as he stared at the statue.

"I want her and her only. I don't want death to part us, not now and not until we're old and grey. If I had a thousand lifetimes I'd want them all to be with her."

In the early hours of dawn, Holly's condition improved and Ryder was given the opportunity to see her.

She was still stressed from the concussion and surgery, but she had woken up. The doctor also said that the baby was fine. He allowed Ryder to see her the moment she regained consciousness and soon she was going to be moved out of the intensive care ward.

"Hey" Holly said with her voice raspy as she saw Ryder approaching her. She felt pain everywhere, most especially her shoulder and her head. She must have hit her head hard on something while she fell for it to hurt so bad.

"Is the baby okay?" She asked and Ryder nodded.

"Yes. Our little miracle survived. You don't know how happy I am to finally see that you're okay."

Holly nodded her head as she blinked back tears.

"I was so scared Ryder. I thought I was going to die. I thought the baby was going to die. I couldn't help thinking about the two of you."

"I think of how I didn't say I love you enough. I love you Ryder."

Ryder held Holly's hand, the hand that was free from her IV and squeezed lightly.

"I never want to lose you or our baby."

Holly nodded.

"Ryder?

Holly called out in a small voice.

"Yes?" Ryder asked eagerly.

"We should have eloped and had the Vegas wedding."