42| Agony-2

"Anastasia, you listen to me," Amara said sternly, keeping a warm hand on my back. "This is not your fault, do you hear me? None of this was supposed to happen, okay? You couldn't possibly have known Dante would get hurt. It wasn't your fault. Say it." I shook my head, crying, "I can't. It is my fault. If I'd just-" "Say it," she said more firmly. "Repeat it until you fucking believe it. It's the truth. It wasn't your fault. Say it, Anastasia!" Forcing myself to breathe, to get enough air in my lungs, I shifted upright and turned to meet her gaze. "It wasn't my fault," I said tearfully. She nodded in encouragement. "Again." "It wasn't my fault," I sobbed. She held me tighter against her. "Everything's going to be okay," she whispered, "Dante's going to be okay. We'll bring him to the hospital in time, trust me. Nothing is going to happen to him." Those were the words I clung to until we arrived at the hospital. Nothing is going to happen to him. "Come on," Amara said softly, helping me out of the car. I spotted the car we'd been tailing parked by the emergency entrance, but I couldn't find Tristan or Kai, and Dante was nowhere in sight. "They must be inside," Rose said, keeping up with me as I ran up the steps and past the double doors. I was leaving a trail of Dante's blood behind me with each footstep and from the train of my dress, but all I could think about was getting to him. Ignoring the front desk, I continued to search for Tristan and Kai while Amara and Rose spewed questions at the receptionist, trying to get information. When I finally spotted Tristan at the end of the hall, I didn't waste a fucking second. Thoughtlessly, I fucking sprinted to him, and if he hadn't caught me when he did, I would have crashed straight into him. "Slow down, Ana," he said, catching my arms. "Where is he?" I gasped, my hands shaking as I grabbed Tristan's arms for support upon losing my balance and stumbling. "Where is he?" I repeated, tears streaming down my face. "He's in the OR. Doctors took him straight for surgery to remove the bullet and… to see if they could save him." My knees gave out completely when I heard those words. The cold marble tiles beneath my fingers were the only thing keeping me grounded as I collapsed onto the floor. Everything around me started to fade. I hadn't even realized he'd helped me up and seated me on a bench nearby. "Anastasia, listen to me," Kai said, standing before me. Blinking past the tears in my eyes, I forced myself to look up at him. "Dante's going to be okay," he nodded confidently. My eyes drifted to Nathan as he stood beside Amara and Rose, explaining the situation to them a few feet away. The way Rose's hands flew to her mouth and the way Amara was shaking her head only made me feel worse. "Don't look over there," Kai said firmly, "look at me. Trust me. He lost a lot of blood; we brought him in critical condition, but any later would have been too late. We weren't too late, I'm sure of it. I checked carefully. "The bullet didn't go through any vital organs. It's just a matter of getting him enough blood and getting the bullet out in time. There must have been internal bleeding, but it's nothing the doctors can't take care of." I blinked in confusion, struggling to comprehend his words amongst the chaos raging inside of me and around me. "W-what?" I stammered. "The bullet went into his RUQ in the subphrenic space. They can take it out. All they have to do is avoid complications," Kai went on. "What are you talking about?!" I snapped. "He's a doctor. Used to be," Tristan said quickly, "he managed to stop the bleeding on the way here. Dante's going to be okay, Ana. We're sure of it." I stared at the two of them, feeling a storm of emotions inside of me. It gave me more confidence and faith, knowing that Dante was in safe hands on the way here. But I needed to see him myself. I have to make sure he's okay. "Ana," Amara said, sitting beside me after a few minutes of silence had passed. "Let's get you cleaned up," she spoke softly, "you're covered in blood, honey." "I'm not going anywhere," I argued, "not until I see he's okay." "But-" "Malyshka," Tristan said to her quietly before shaking his head lightly in response. She didn't insist after that. The passing seconds turned into minutes, and the minutes turned into several hours. "Anastasia." I glanced up at Nathan as he called my name, holding out a water bottle. "Thanks," I mumbled, taking it out of his hands. Three hours had passed. Rose settled to my left after Tristan offered up his seat. Amara and Rose stayed beside me the entire time, neither one of them leaving me alone, even for a split second. While Kai patiently waited, leaning against the wall across from me, Tristan was pacing restlessly, and Nathan stood calmly a few feet from us. After nearly thirty more minutes, the lights in the OR finally glimmered, and the door was opened with the lead surgeon stepping out. I shot up to my feet almost immediately, my fingers fidgeting in front of me. "Is he okay?" I blurted out almost instantly. The surgeon paused for a moment, glancing at all of us. "Are all of you family?" "I am," the lie spilled out instinctively. He eyed me for a beat. "He…" I paused, "he doesn't have other family. It's just me." He continued to eye us all with doubt. "She's his wife, for fuck's sake, and she's asking you if he's all right," Amara said, exasperated. "The surgery took a long time," Kai said. "Were there complications?" "Several," the surgeon finally sighed. "Extreme blood loss and his airway collapsed three times during the surgery." I couldn't breathe. "His heart stopped?" I asked quietly. The doctor confirmed with a nod. "Twice. We found the bullet in the RUQ, in the subphrenic space. But we managed to take it out and stabilize him. He's still in critical condition; we'll monitor him for twenty-four hours, and if everything is okay, he'll be in hospital for up to ten days." He paused for a second. "Mrs Rossi?" "Yes," I said immediately. Suspicion was clouding his eyes, but luckily, he didn't question me. "You can see him within an hour. He will be unconscious for a while, but he'll wake up by tomorrow morning." A sigh of relief heaved my chest. "Thank you," I said as he walked past, shaking Kai's hand briefly. It felt like I could finally breathe again, and even though I wouldn't be at complete ease until I saw him and until he woke up, this was all I could ask for. "Anastasia." I looked over, spotting Marshall as he walked over. His eyes scanned all of us before settling on me once again. "Oh, come here, sweetheart," he sighed moments before I hugged him tightly, trying not to cry again. "Is he okay?" Marshall asked. "He made it," Kai replied. "Everything's going to be just fine." . . . . . Chapter 42 😁