"Why is it hurting this much?" he says hitting his chest while resting his head on the steering.
His phone lying on the dashboard, faced down and on silent mode. He didn't bothered to check it even once after he left home. His head is banging with drums and his chest is hurting but he just dont care about taking the medicine which he usually keeps in his car. He noticed the daylight turns into dusk and the wind getting colder but he just stays the way he was. He thought of returning home but gave up the idea. His pain took over him and sooner than he could realise he pass out.
The route from his studio up till here on the highway takes upto roughly 40 minutes and Anna is eagerly and continuously asking the driver to speed up.
Fumbling with her fingers and shaking her leg in nervousness she texts Liz, "I'm on my way to meet Jim. I am fine so both of you don't get worried."
She feels an immense headache as if it would burst out, she checks her pockets but can't find any medicine.
" Excuse me Sir, can you please take a stop at medical store and get me some painkillers. " she says clenching her teeth.
" Sure. " he responded.
He spotted one and got her the pills and water also. Thanking him she took one pill instantly and ask him to speed up. He did as she told while she keeps an eye outside the window.
" Kindly slow down a bit as I need to find a car. " she says feeling a bit relief from the pill.
Nodding to her he asks, " I'll keep an eye if yoy could tell me the number. "
" I don't remember the number but I know the car. It's red sports car. " she told.
Again he nods and running his eyes around along with the steering he just drove over the highway.
She eagerly looks around through the windows and front pane but it was dark by now and the only light was due to pole lights at consequent distance and the car lights. After driving a forth of the highway they noticed a car on the roadside.
" Shall we take a look? " the driver asks hesitating to get off on the highway at this hour also near a car that seems suspicious.
"Stop." she says and rushed out of the cab towards the car.
Looking at it for a moment in the light of the cab's front light, she walks towards the front door, her mind making up several worst case scenario. Her throat got dry as she peeps through the window glass. His head was on tbe steering making her think he got into some accident, and without wasting a second she calls for the ambulance and then knocks on the window hoping for him to wake up. But even after several knocks he didn't move, she opens the door and the cab driver also came to her. Looking at the car overall the driver says, "The car doesn't show any signs of crash or accident."
Listening this made her relax but he is still not moving. She lifted his head and slowly took him to the back on his seat. He is breathing just fine so is he sleeping, she thought.
Shaking his shoulder she tries to wake him up, while in the meantime ambulance arrives.
Checking him on the spot they told her there is no sign of injury or internal trauma. So they just gave suggest her to take him with them to the hospital and she agrees to it. But as they were about to lay him down on the stretcher, he regains consciousness and rubbing his eyes he opens them. He got confused by seeing the ambulance and asks them, "What happened here?" in a heavy voice.
Holding his hand from behind she comes forward and touching his face, her eyes ran over him to make sure he's fine or not. He got confused on seeing her there. Her eyes got teary when he looked at her with those red swollen eyes. His face is pale and the pain is clearly visible on it.
"Madam shall we take him to the hospital?" the helper from ambulance asks and she asks, "Are you alright?" he nods with a slow blink to assure her.
"I'm sorry but I thought he met with an accident so I called you."
Apologizing to them she asks them to leave as he's fine and she will handle it.
She left him in the car and closed the door and paying the cab driver she thanked him for his help, then he left.
Moving back she get on the front seat of the car and closed the door. He is still pressing his head as it is still heavy. She took out the painkillers from her pocket and gives him one. He took one and gulps it down, leans back on his seat he just closed his eyes hard as they are hurting a lot. She looks at him and the peace in her eyes seems like she found him, he is not lost, she didn't lose him. She is grateful to God for keeping him safe. She just kept looking at him hoping him to get relief from the tablet. Finally after 20 minutes he felt a but relief from the pain so he slowly turns his head towards her, opens his eyes a bit and saw her typing on her phone.
"I found him. We both are fine. I'll be home soon." she texts Liz and Belle.
He sit straight on the seat with a little groan, which turns her attention to him.
"Jim, how is it?" she asks slowly.
Looking at her with his eyes heavy as drunk, he nods in yes he is fine.
"You shift to the back and rest, I'll drive us home." she says opening the car door to get off and help him to shift back.
Her heart skips a beat as he held her hand, she turns to him, "Anna how did you found me?" he asks.
Looking at him she says, "Is it important now?" trying to sound normal as she usually talks with him.
"My eyes are burning." he says and blinks slowly but hardly.
She took a deep breath, calm herself more to not sound rude, "Jim you need to see a doctor. Let's go." she says slowly patting his hand that was holding hers.
"I need to sleep, I guess."
"You were lying here fainted, when I found you. What happened?" she asks with a loud voice but then she slows down.
He smile a bit, "Are you angry or worried ? You are scaring me." he says sarcastically.
"Jim shift back right now. Can't you see it's getting dark and I need to drive us home as soon as possible. Or do you want me to crash us into somewhere and end up dying." she says sternly.
He silently gets off and stood outside the car while she also moves out towards the driver's seat. He didn't want to sit at the back and insist on sitting beside her so she gave up without any argument and held his arm to help him walk. Looking at her with confused expression, he looks at her hand holding his arm and then looks at her.
" What?" she asks.
He smiles at her and says, " Nothing." by shaking his head and moved towards the seat. Her heart beating like a drum as he smiles at her.
She shifted back the seat for him to lay down comfortably.
" Are you comfortable?" she asks.
" Yeah." he says with a faint smile. But the way he is breathing doesn't look normal as she noticed it while helping him out. She got worried sick and just want to reach the hospital.
" I should have agreed to them and took him in the ambulance. " she blames herself for not acting rationally at that moment.
He just stares at her with his heavy eyes, blinking slowly as if still trying to believe that this is all real and not a dream.
She starts the car and tries her best to get to the first hospital in sight as soon as possible.
As they crossed the highway she saw a hospital and she stops by.
He opens his eyes to see why did she stops suddenly, "Jim let's go now." she says unfastening her seat belt.
"Please let's go home." he says as she held to open his seatbelt.
"No excuse now." she says and unfastened it.
"Please I want to go home." he says and again lock his seat belt.
She looks at him furiously but out of worry not out of anger. She observes him carefully and his breathing seems much better than before. So instead of forcing him into going she pulled over to his apartment. By the time they reach it was already 10 almost.
On her way home she realises he fell asleep, maybe because of ths relief he got from the pain after the medicine.
She parks the car and slowly unfastened his seatbelt. He looks like a tired baby, sleeping, breathing softly. His few hair strands falling over his eye covering it, so she slowly slid it back while looking at him. Suddenly he opens his eyes, her eyes met his and for the first time she feels out of breath looking at him.
Within a moment she jumps back to her seat, opens the door and get out of the car. Her cheeks were burning while she ignores and just turns to get his door open.
As she turns to but git bumped into him as he stands behind her.
"Oh.... let's go." she says trying to maintain her calm both in her body language and in her way of talking.
He handed over the keys to her and asks her to go while he went back to get his phone. She nods and left as he calls his Mother.
"Hello Son. How are you?" she says in a cheerful voice.
"Mom, are you fine." he asks with a cracking voice.
"Yes I am. But you sound down, what happened?" she asks.
" Nothing Mom. I was worried about you. Can we meet? " he asks trying hard not to let her sense he's crying.
" Sure Son. Shall I come now?" she asks.
" No not now it's already late. Take rest for now. Let's meet tomorrow."
" Sure Son." and they ends the call.
Both of them trying their best to put a show that they are fine, but both of them having tears rolling down their cheeks. He wipes his face and turns around to go, while Anna standing behind him with teary eyes.
" You were here?" he asks trying to avoid looking at her.
Moving towards him she says, " I was. And I know everything." holding his hand.
" What do you know?" he asks.
" Let's go inside first." she says pulling his hand as she walks towards the elevator and he moving with the pull.
They hung their coats and he went to change, while she made hot chocolate for him.
As he comes out of his room with wet hair on his forehead, towel in his hand she got mesmerized by him, looks at him eyes wide opened in amazement, "What's with this look?" he asks in his deep voice leaning against the wall. Scratching her ear and avoiding the topic, neglecting this feeling she smiles and hands over him the mug.
Moving towards his bedroom she look for his medicines and hands him over as she finds them.
"Sit here and drink it." she says telling him to sit on the bed.
He does as told and after a few moments lays down and Anna pulls up his blanket.
"Are you leaving?" he asks assuming she is leaving for her home. She smiles a bit, "No I'm not. I'm here just in case you need anything." she says.
"Anna what do you know?" he asks turning towards her as she stands near his bed.
"I'll check the door and be back in a moment. Then we'll talk on it." She left closing the light and leaving the door open.
Checking the door and lights she sat on the sofa in the living room and toom off her cap as it was becoming itchy now.
"Hell..." she says being disgusted by the blood in her cap and oozing on the bandage.
She went to the bathroom, opens up the bandage, cleans the wound with quite difficulty, and then tied another bandage herself.
Taking the painkillers again she went to his room tip toed. In the meantime he is fast asleep hugging his pillow. Watching him sleep at ease like this makes her heart full of warmth like she never felt. Leaving the door open a bit she move to the living room and text Liz, "I'm staying at Jim's tonight".
Keeping the phone on the table she lays down straight on the sofa and pulling over the blanket.