Owning Bella Ch. 09

*****

Bella woke slowly, her head feeling like it was between a vice, "Get the doctor!" She heard a familiar voice exclaim, "She's is awake! She's awake!" Lucia's face came into focus slowly as she hovered above Bella. "There you are," she smiled you had us so worried.

"Where?" Bella croaked.

"You're in the hospital, baby. Nasty car crash that. You were lucky Tony got you here in time," Lucia put on a cheerful voice despite the worry that lined her face.

"Mel," Bella whispered hoarsely. "He is here too, now don't you worry about anyone else you just get better quick."

The doctor came in after that and Bella was examined thoroughly. He explained that she had a nasty concussion and given the recent history of concussion it was not certain if she would recover as easily. She had also been grazed along the ribs by a bullet but there had been no real damage. At the news of the bullet Bella became agitated.

"Mel," she croaked, "Need Mel, see Mel," she tried to sit up to get up but the doctor restrained her firmly. "Why isn't he here?" Bella began to weep uncontrollably realising that if he could be he would be he never left her alone like this. Unable to settle his patient the doctor called for a sedative and Bella cried herself back to sleep. Night mares plagued her, the darkness the loud crunching of metal and timber the weight of Mel's body and the blood, too much blood.

On the second morning Bella woke in the hospital she turned her head to see Rob sitting in a chair beside her rather than her Aunt Lucia. Rob would not be there unless Mel couldn't be and that knowledge in itself made her cry harder than the day before when she had hope that he would come.

"That's not a very good reaction to my arrival, I thought you would be glad to see another friendly face," like her Aunt, Bella could hear the false cheeriness sin Rob's voice that didn't match the lines of worry around his eyes.

"Mel," Bella sobbed, "I want Mel. No one will tell me where he is. I need to see him please, Rob, please!"

Rob could see Bella was nearing hysterics and if he had any chance of getting her to safety then she needed to see Mel no matter the condition. Making the decision, he stood and picked her up from the bed cradling her small form in his arms and holding her close. He walked from her room down the hall to the lifts and waited patiently as nurses tried to reason with the man holding their patient. "I am taking her to see the man she loves, she will not recover without knowing," Rob patiently explained.

The nurses called for security and one entered the lift with him and berated him for his recklessness. Rob carried Bella into the intensive care ward and stood at the window of a sterile seeming room. Bella could see Mel amidst the equipment and tubes that filled the room along with his bed. Rob watched her face as she looked up at him for answers.

"He was shot twice," Rob explained, "We believe the second bullet was meant for you but his body shielded it. He has had surgery and come through it. Now it is a waiting game but he is stronger than anyone, except me and possibly you, know. He will make it I am sure, but it will take time. You must let me do my duty as his second and look after you now until he is able," Rob swallowed, "You promised to obey me as you do him when you took his collar."

"Yes, Master," she said woodenly before a heart wrenching sob came forth from deep within her. "Tony?" she asked. Rob walked to the next window where Tony lay in a bed looking grey and lifeless.

"He lost a lot of blood getting you and Mel to the hospital, it doesn't look good," Rob held back nothing holding the sobbing girl close and letting her cry.

"Put me down please, Master Rob," Bella said between broken sobs of grief. Taking no notice of the signs on the doors Bella pushed one open and entered the room that Mel lay in. Several hospital staff moved to stop her but Rob stood menacingly in their way, refusing to budge, knowing how much this girl needed to see for herself.

There were tubes and machines that beeped everywhere but she stood beside his bed and took his hand. The constant arrogant smirk was grotesquely disfigured by a breathing tube other tubes stained bright red with blood came from under the sheet and she held his hand so tightly as she whispered, "You have to live. I love you. I need you. I won't be able to bare it if you leave me." Mel was unresponsive. Bella was lost and she threw herself on his torso uncaring of the tubes and cried, "Promise you will come to find me. Promise we will be together again."

It was Rob who picked her up and cradled her in his arms again and promised her the things she needed to hear as he walked her back down to her room.