THE RISING SUN

Short Story

Olivia reached for the ringing phone, her heart rate doubling when a look at the clock told her it was three in the morning. Nothing good came of phone calls this late, and her immediate instinct was to go check on Gabriel. “Hello?” she said as she threw off the constricting blankets, running on light feet to her son’s bedroom to see the little boy sleeping peacefully in his bed.

“Is this Olivia Neon?” a male voice asked, and she pulled Gabriel’s door shut so he wouldn’t wake.

“It is,” she answered, her mind racing as she tried to place the voice.

She didn’t recognize the name, but the next words were painfully clear. “-Cinderpeak Hospital. Christian Warren was in a car accident tonight. He’s in critical condition and has you listed as his next of kin. You might want to come. Quickly.”

The phone dropped from her nerveless fingers.

***

It was faster to walk the half mile to the hospital than to deal with Gabriel’s car seat, and only the toddler dozing in her arms kept her from running. She’d barely seen Warren since she moved out of his house three weeks after Gabriel’s birth, but her mind kept telling her this had to be some kind of horrible mistake. Christian Warren was larger than life, the force of nature who held Cinderpeak together. He couldn’t possibly be killed by something as mundane as a car crash. It had to be a mistake.

Yet when she was escorted into a curtained alcove in the Intensive Care unit, the figure on the bed was unmistakable. Olivia moaned, clutching her sleeping son closer, relieved that no one had tried to take him from her. She needed his sturdy body in her arms to keep herself together.

He looked so… small. In the bed with tubes and wires everywhere, Warren looked impossibly pale and fragile, like a breeze would blow him away. Had he always had so much grey in his hair?

“Ms Neon?” Doctor Carson appeared at her elbow. “Let’s talk.”

***

Olivia’s head spun as she tried to process everything that was happening. Warren had fallen asleep at the wheel and wrapped the car around a tree, suffering massive internal damage. At first no one had expected him to survive the trip to the hospital, but they’d underestimated what a stubborn b*****d he was. He was hanging on.

Now the decisions were up to her. For some reason, he’d named her as his next of kin, putting his life in her hands, and Olivia didn’t know how to answer any of the questions Carson was asking. Rush him into surgery now or wait and hope he stabilized? Would he want extreme measures taken when it came to resuscitation? How did he feel about life support?

She stared at Gabriel sleeping restlessly on the vinyl couch beside her and made a choice. “Operate. Do whatever you have to do; spare no expense. Just keep him alive.”

Gabriel had Warren’s nose and eyes. They were talking about her child’s father. “Fix him. Please.”

***

They gave her two minutes to talk to him before prepping him for surgery, and Olivia was afraid to touch him, terrified she’d inflict more damage. “I’m here,” she murmured, crouching down so she could speak into his ear, hoping he’d hear her. “It’s Olivia. Gabriel and I are here.”

She’d loved him so desperately during their months together, and she’d thought time had blunted it, but seeing him like this brought everything back. Warren was a constant in her life, always there in the background somewhere, and just knowing he existed had been enough for her. The thought of losing him made her feel like she was bleeding out.

“Be strong. Fight. Come back to us.” He gave no sign that he could hear her, and tears welled in her eyes as she leaned down to kiss his temple, one of the few places that wasn’t bruised and bandaged. “I love you.”

***

They sent her home. Gabriel was waking up, fussy at being in a strange place, and the surgery would take hours. Carson promised to call her the second there was anything to tell. There was nothing she could do here.

The sun was starting to come up as they walked home, and Olivia felt like it was mocking her. The golden light spilled over everything in a signal of hope while less than a mile away Christian was fighting for his life. It seemed the sun should refuse to rise at all in respect for the battle being fought.

Maybe it was a good omen.

***

Gabe didn’t understand why they weren’t going to the café where Olivia worked, but he seemed to deal well with the altered schedule when she let him get out his entire dinosaur collection at once and roar as much as he liked.

Olivia couldn’t sit still even to play with her son. She paced the apartment like a caged animal, looking down at her phone every few minutes to make sure that it was still on and charged.

Surely it was a good sign that it was taking this long? If he was still in surgery, that meant Carson was still fixing things, and that meant there was still hope. If he was dead, they would have called by now.

If he was dead, she’d know.

The phone rang.

***

It wasn’t a long drive to Christian’s house, but Olivia took her time, making sure not to look at the broken fence or oak tree she passed along the way. It wasn’t until she was in the driveway and getting Gabe out of his car seat that she wondered if she’d be able to get in. When she’d lived here, he’d hidden a spare key under the flowerpot by the front door, but that was two years ago.

To her relief, some things didn’t change, and she unlocked the back door, escorting Gabe into the house. Tears pricked her eyes at the familiarity. Everything looked just as it had the morning she left, right down to his mother’s teapot sitting in the dish drainer. That was her fault. Early in her pregnancy she’d dropped it by accident, leaving a crack, and she still remembered how grateful she’d been that he wasn’t angry about it.

Christian Warren had come through the surgery, and Carson was cautiously optimistic. He was being moved to a private room after he got out of recovery, and the doctor had suggested she bring him a few things from home to make him more comfortable. Glancing around, she wondered where to start and found her attention caught by something new. There was a picture taped to the refrigerator door.

Curious, she stepped closer and nearly dropped her purse when she saw her own face. She was sitting in the front booth at the diner, laughing and offering Gabe a spoonful of something. The picture had been taken through the window, and the quality was grainy, He’d taken it himself, probably with his phone.

What the hell was going on?

***

Choosing to ignore the picture for now, Olivia caught Gabriel’s hand to keep him from exploring, leading him up the familiar staircase that led to Warren’s bedroom and her guest room. At the very least he’d need pajamas and his robe and slippers. He’d hate having to wear a hospital gown. He’d hate being seen in anything less than a suit, but that was out of the question for now.

It felt strange to turn left instead of right at the landing, but she stepped into his room without hesitation and froze.

More pictures greeted her, framed neatly on the walls. There were a handful of pictures of her and Gabe playing at the park. Every one was inexpertly taken from a distance, and how had she not noticed this happening?

On his bedside, angled to face the bed were three more frames- a copy of Gabe’s ultrasound that she hadn’t realized he had, a picture of her from the early days of her pregnancy, and a picture of her holding Gabe, smiling at the little boy in her arms.

Gabriel pointed at the picture and grinned, recognizing himself. “That’s us, Gabe,” she agreed, feeling oddly numb. She supposed this could be called stalking, but it didn’t feel threatening, just… sad. The desperation in the room was almost palpable, and this didn’t make any sense. If he was interested in them, why had he never approached her?

***

Olivia packed a bag with some clothing and- after a moment’s thought- the pictures from his bedside table. Carson instructed her to bring things that would make him more comfortable, and these pictures apparently gave him comfort.

Bag packed, Olivia stepped back into the hall, her feet automatically leading her to her own room. Not sure what she was looking for, she turned the handle, and Gabe squealed at the sight that met their eyes. “Presents!”

There were brightly covered packages piled on the bed and dresser, and Gabe darted for them, his Gabe-centric view of the world assuring him that they were his. “No, no,” Olivia chided, scooping him up, only to realize that actually the presents were for him.

“To Gabe, love, Daddy” read the tag, and Olivia swallowed the lump in her throat with difficulty. Half the tags said the same thing, Warren apparently having bought their son gifts for every holiday he’d missed.

“To Olivia, love, Christian” read the other half of the tags. She hadn’t been forgotten either. He’d bought the pair of them dozens of presents and for some reason had never bothered to let them know.

***

Going through his desk felt like more of a betrayal than going through his bedroom, and Olivia resolutely didn’t look at the pictures of her and Gabe that decorated the top of it. Gabe was enjoying climbing on the leather couch on the other side of the room, making a brass statue fly, and she was probably letting their son destroy a valuable antique, but she had the impression that Christian wouldn’t mind.

Eventually she found the insurance information the hospital had requested, along with a few more documents that made her sick. He’d taken out a substantial life insurance policy while she was pregnant with Gabe, making her the sole beneficiary. His will, stored in the same folder, left everything to her.

They’d made a deal. He’d given her the baby she wanted and gone above and beyond the call of duty by taking care of her during her pregnancy and during Gabe’s first weeks of life. He’d been incredibly kind to her, but she’d never dreamed he felt anything more for her than responsibility. She’d kept her own feelings silent, not wanting to make him uncomfortable, and assumed that he’d been grateful to have his house back when she left.

Nothing about this indicated a man who was content with his life. He watched her and Gabe, surrounded himself with pictures of them, bought them gifts, made sure that they would be provided for, and never mentioned any of it.

Olivia didn’t know what was happening in his head, but she was damned well going to find out.

***

She thought he had a little more color now, but he was still far too still and pale. No one had said the word coma, but she wasn’t an idiot. Carson had done his best to prepare her for whatever came next, discussing repercussions from the accident that they wouldn’t be aware of until Christian woke up. He meant brain damage, but Olivia refused to think about it. Christian Warren was the most intelligent man she’d ever met, and he had a very hard head.

He was going to be fine.

Gabe was sprawled on the floor coloring. He’d looked at Christian with curiosity when Olivia introduced him to his daddy, but he’d lost interest when Warren didn’t wake.

She arranged the pictures on the table to his left, just like he’d had them at the house. The pajamas were laid out for the nurses to change him into if he didn’t wake up.

“We’re here,” she promised him, letting her hand rest on his. “Please wake up. Gabe wants to meet his daddy.”

He didn’t stir.

***

For two days they spent every moment they could at the hospital, Gabe taking the change of routine in stride. He had his books and toys to play with, and Olivia sat him on her lap to read to him and Warren at the same time, getting Gabe to read too.

“He’s very clever, Christian,” she told him as Gabe made his dinosaurs race. “He takes after both of us. He has your eyes. Did you ever get close enough to notice?”

Olivia pressed her hand to her mouth to muffle her sob. “Why didn’t you tell me? I loved you. I would have been so happy. You should have told me.”

“Ms Neon?” A woman’s voice interrupted the moment, and Olivia looked up to see her employer staring at her from the doorway.

“I’m glad to see you’re not ill,” she said with shark smile. “I saw that the café has been closed for three days now. I’m sure you’re aware that you need to have your vacation time approved and-”

“Get. Out.”

Marlene blinked at her like no one had ever dared give her an order before. Even Gabe looked up in surprise at his mother’s hiss. Olivia stared at her unblinking until she walked away, then picked up a Winne the Pooh book and started reading about Pooh Bear.

***

On the third day, she brought another picture from her own apartment, a close up shot of her and Gabriel beaming directly at the camera. As visiting hours drew to a close, she arranged it so it was the first thing he’d see if he woke up when they weren’t there. Olivia didn’t want him to be alone.

“Good night, Christian. I love you,” she murmured, leaning down to kiss his lips tenderly, wishing she could wake him with a kiss. “We’ll see you in the morning.”

Sighing, she scooped up Gabe and prompted, “Say good night to daddy.”

“Night-night!” Gabe chirped obediently, struggling to be put down. When Olivia set him on his feet, he grabbed one of his stuffed dinosaurs and put it on the bed next to Warren. “Night-night, Daddy!”

Not sure whether to laugh or cry, Olivia hugged him fiercely close and wished.

***

It happened on the fourth day as easily as breath. Olivia glanced up to see what Gabe was doing, and when she looked down again, Warren’s eyes were open.

“Hey,” she gasped, torn between laughing and crying, and his eyes crinkled at her, the sheer love in them pushing her over the edge into tears.

“Gabe, come say hi to Daddy. He’s awake,” she called, and the little boy came obediently, scrambling into her lap and waving at his father.

“Hi, Daddy!” he chirped, and Christian reached for them, his hand moving only a few inches before it fell back onto the bed, his strength depleted by his injuries and long sleep.

Olivia pushed the call button for the nurse, hating to give up this moment, but he needed more help than she knew how to provide. When the button chimed, he made a face, shaking his head weakly. “No,” he rasped, his voice fading in and out, “Don’t want to wake up. Good dream.”

“You’re not dreaming,” she vowed, covering his hand with her own, but he didn’t look like he believed her before his eyes slipped shut again.

***

Every day he was able to stay awake for longer periods, and he gazed at her and Gabe with a look of wonder mixed with fear. No matter how many times she assured him that he wasn’t dreaming, he didn’t seem to believe her.

“What’s the last thing you remember?” she prompted. His speech was slow and slurred, and he had trouble focusing, but Carson seemed to think that was mostly due to the drugs and the shock.

“Work. Fell asleep,” he answered, and she put the pieces together.

“You must have woken up late and decided to drive home.” She hadn’t been able to figure out what he was doing out so late, but that made sense. He’d been groggy to start, and the drive had proved to be too much for him. “Do you remember anything else?”

“No. Don’t remember… this,” he managed, gesturing at her.

Olivia frowned, “You know me and Gabe,” she corrected. He’d been able to identify both of them immediately, and that had assuaged many of her fears about possible head trauma. As long as he knew who they were, they could deal with the rest.

“Don’t remember us. Family,” he tried to explain, and she suddenly realized what he was saying.

“You didn’t forget,” she soothed, trying to reassure him that he hadn’t lost part of his life. “I always loved you. I just didn’t think you loved me.”

He gave her a sad smile and closed his eyes. “Dreaming,” he pronounced.

Olivia kissed his forehead. “I’ll keep telling you until you realize you’re awake,”

***

Gabe was far more interested in his father now that Warren was awake and able to interact with him. Daddy couldn’t play dinosaurs with him yet, but he could listen to Gabe’s stories and contribute some ideas of his own, his speech and focus improving by the day.

His eyes followed Gabe, and Olivia was humbled by the love she saw in their depths. How had she never realized how strongly he felt about her and their son?

She didn’t realize because he hadn’t wanted her to. Sighing, she moved to sit next to him on the bed. “Why didn’t you tell me you love me?”

“You don’t want me,” he answered, speaking in present tense, clearly certain he was talking to dream-Olivia, and they weren’t going to get anywhere if she didn’t convince him this was actually happening.

Reaching out she pressed her fingers hard into a bruise on his arm, and he hissed in pain. “Dreams don’t hurt,” she informed him. “I’m here. I love you.”

In his eyes, confusion and disbelief warred with hope, and Olivia kept smiling gently, listening to Gabriel chattering in the background. “Don’t make me poke you again.”

Hope won the battle. “Olivia?” he breathed, and she nodded, her eyes stinging. “You’re real.”

“And I love you,” she said again, leaning down to brush her lips against his. Shaking hands covered hers, and she smiled down into his suspiciously bright eyes.

“And I love you too.”