10

CHAPTER EIGHT

I woke up later in the exact same position as I was in when I fell asleep in Alex's arms. Since I was facing the window and the nightstand was right in front of it, I was startled it was almost six. I didn't want or have to wake him until after I took a shower, so I carefully slid out of bed and went to bathroom. Stepping into the hot, steamy water was the best feeling in the world -- the second best feeling in the world. Since I'd washed my hair earlier it was a quick shower, taking only a second to pull my hair back and apply a little bit of makeup.

When I walked back into the room he was still sleeping, so peacefully I didn't want to wake him, but I knew I eventually had to. So I got dressed, found a radio station playing music I knew, grabbed the room service menu and lay on my stomach next to him. I decided on a cheeseburger and fries, something simple.

I was just about to wake him when I heard the unmistakable, horrific southern twang of Miley Cyrus and reached over to turn it off. But I was closer to the edge than I realized, and with the momentum of my arm swing I ended up losing my balance and crashed to the floor, with a loud 'ummph' as I landed on my back. I stared up at the wall as quiet as I could, hoping that didn't wake him.

"Carrie?" he called out. So much for not waking him I thought.

"Uh, down here." His head peered down from the bed, and he proceeded to bust out laughing. "Don't laugh at me!" I fussed, though I wasn't angry at all, just embarrassed.

"Okay, okay. Sorry. You're dressed." He frowned. "Why are you dressed?"

"Because I took a shower and changed. Duh."

He got off the bed and stood in front of me, and I was relieved he had put on his trunks, though it didn't really hide much. "Duh? What are you, eight?" he teased.

"Oh, shut up and help me up!" I smiled, then he took my hands and pulled me up like I didn't weigh anything at all. "Thank you. Now that's all—"

I crashed into his arms, my hands secure on his shoulders, and he kissed me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed into him, liking how secure I felt in his arms. As much as I wanted him again my brain got in the way. I forced my lips to tear away from his, regrettably. "Alex, didn't you want to take me to sunset hill? I was really looking forward to that."

"I was thinking we could stay here, eat dinner and spend the rest of the night making love."

"You've almost got that in the right order. We eat dinner, you take me to Sunset hill, you stay here and we make love all night."

He sighed, grinning playfully. "Since you invited me to spend the night, I'm okay with your offer."

"My offer?!" I stepped back and put my hands on my hips and said as angrily as I could, "I might have invited you to stay the night, Mr. Skarsgard, but I'm taking 'making love' off the table right now."

He jerked his head back in surprise and narrowed his eyes at me, then seemed to be genuinely confused. "Carrie, are you mad that—"

"Am I mad? Am I mad?! Yes! I'm furious!" I bust out laughing.

"You are mean," he said, shaking his head.

"Mean, yes, I can be at times. But am I cute?" I grinned.

"You, Ms. Boyce, are more than cute." He bent down and kissed my cheek affectionately.

"Hey, before you get in the shower order something for dinner."

"Ah, good idea." He sat on the bed and read over the menu. "What are you having?"

"Cheeseburger and fries."

He looked at me dumbfounded. "Let me get this straight. This is your last day here, and you're getting a cheeseburger and fries."

"Yep, that about sums it up."

"O-kaay." He picked up the phone and placed the order in Swedish, shaking his head before he said cheeseburger and fries. I stuck my tongue out at him. He spoke longer than I would have thought it would have taken to order two meals. "They said about half an hour," he said as he stood and headed for the bathroom. Turning at the door, he said seductively, "Care to join me?"

"No, thanks. I want to -- I've already taken a shower, you know that."

Shrugging his shoulders he said, "It was worth a shot." He winked before he stepped in and closed the door behind him.

Slowly his words sank in. We fooled around for what, not even an hour, and it's all he seems to be focusing on? I thought, becoming livid. I had to tell myself I gave myself to him, so I had no reason to be angry. So, we spend one more night together and go our separate ways. I can live with that, I concluded.

The food finally came, with the food for dinner on the tray, but a small paper bag, which he never opened to show me what was in it. As much as I begged, he wouldn't tell me. I eventually gave in and stopped pestering him.

It was almost 7:30 by the time we left the hotel, and I followed him to his car, which was a Volvo, and that is all I knew about the car. He opened the door for me and I slid in before he closed the door and got in behind the wheel, resting the bag between his legs. "Hey, before we leave, there's something I want to give you."

I turned to look at him, surprised. "Alex, you don't—"

"I know I don't, but I wanted to." He grabbed the bag and opened it, taking out a small ring box. "I saw this this morning when I walked home. I just had to get it for you."

My mind reeled. I didn't know whether I even wanted to accept it. Before I could object, he handed it to me. I couldn't turn it down then. I smiled nervously, held my breath and flipped the lid of the box. When I saw what it was my mouth dropped. "Alex," I whispered in amazement. "Dolphin earrings. They're beautiful."

He seemed to loosen up a bit. "I remembered what you said about being a marine biologist and swimming with—"

I stopped him by planted a long, hard kiss on him. "You're so sweet. Thank you so much."

"You're welcome. I'm glad you like them. I wasn't sure ... I wanted you to have something to remember me by."

I jerked my head up and looked at him. "Seriously? Alexander Johan Whatever Skarsgard, it doesn't take a damned pair of earrings for me to remember what an incredible two days it's been for me." He smiled so proudly. Quickly I put them on. "How do they look?"

"Beautiful."

We finally got on the road, though we were still in the city and about half a block from an intersection. I was completely at ease with him in the car, totally relaxed. "I am so not looking forward to tomorrow, well, tomorrow won't be so bad, but Monday. It's a sixtee—"

Suddenly Alex slammed on the brakes, the tires squealed, and he turned the car sharply to the left. My head jerked sharply to the right, but not so much that I hit my head on the window. "Alex, what the hell are you doing?!"

I had just put my left hand on the dashboard and my right hand on the door handle, starting to look around when I felt a horrific impact on the car's front right end, the side I was sitting on. Before I could anything the car spun around, causing me to grunt in surprise.

"Hold on!" Alex screamed at me.

Then there were more squealing tires and another impact, this time directly on my door. The sound of metal-on-metal was incredibly loud, but it didn't drown out my scream of pain at the incision slicing up my right thigh. "Fuck, fuck! Jee—"

Just when I prayed the car would stop the car jerked harshly to the right with another loud crash on the left of the car, that time knocking my head into the windshield; my head settled on the headrest at an awkward angle. Then my head suddenly exploded, or so it seemed to me; stars blurred my vision so badly I had to close my eyes, which only made my head feel worse so I opened them again, though I couldn't see past the crumbled car door.

"Alex. Are you okay? Alex. Fuck, damn it ..." I whined, so softly I didn't think he heard me. I tried to move my right arm to touch my leg to see what the damage was, but I screamed again as pain reverberated throughout my entire body.

I was instantly relieved when I heard, "Fucking shit. Carrie?" He hesitated. "Oh, Carrie." Although my ears were ringing a little, I could still hear the tone of terror in his voice.

Tears streaming down my face, I turned my head to look at him, which only made me cry out again. "Owowowowowow." That was when I realized I probably shouldn't have done, that considering I had metal pins in my neck from the surgery, and I might have made it worse. I looked over his face, cringing when I saw the gash just above his left temple. I moaned again before I said, "Your forehead, it's bleedin'."

"I'm fine. Don't move, Carrie."

"Hmmph, won't. You hurt?" I muttered and closed my eyes.

"No. And open your eyes. Keep your eyes open. Don't go to sleep."

"No, won't. Jus' need to—"

"You don't need to do a damned thing but keep your eyes open." When I did, he turned his body toward me then suddenly groaned loudly, which made me look at him. He grabbed the seat belt, pulling it away from him. "I know I'm not the best thing to look at but don't you dare close your eyes."

I was in so much pain I didn't know what I was saying. "Nah, you're pretty nice looking. I think I could stare at you all day."

He grinned and shook his head before he looked around inside the car, cursing. A few people came to his side of the car and hollered at him in Swedish; he answered back, although he didn't take his eyes off of me. "Relax. They've called for help. They'll get us out." He looked all around me, and I didn't like the expression on his face, much less the look of fear in his eyes.

"Al'x, you're scaring me." I was going to compliment the color of his eyes for some odd reason when I heard sirens from a distance. I closed my eyes, relieved.

"See," he said, ignoring my comment. "They're coming. But damn it, look at me." He moaned louder when I felt his hands on my face. "The only thing I'm scared about is you ..." His confession wasn't enough to make me open my eyes.

"Can'..." He started fussing at me but his voice faded, as well as the pain as I passed out.

--------------- The car shook violently, forcing me awake, though I didn't know how much time had passed. My eyes flew open in terror, but I couldn't move my head; I tried but grunted in pain. I felt a huge, warm hand clasping around mine, so I squeezed it back. "Well, there she is. Don't move your head, Carrie. You've got a neck brace on."

My neck wasn't the problem. It was my thigh and arm that was killing me. The last time I felt anything that bad was when I had a bunionectomy. The following day I woke up vomiting because the pain was so intense. That was the reason I never had the other foot done.

"Huh? Okay. Why?"

"We've been in an accident."

"Oh." I couldn't wrap my head around what he'd said. "Are you okay? I can't see you." My voice quivered, and I started to cry.

"None of that. They're working on getting it started now." He wiped the tears from my cheeks, but that only made more tears come.

A surge of intense, mind-blowing pain tore through my entire body, making me scream. "Alex, Fuck. I hurt, I really hurt. Make it stop, make it stop."

"I'm sorry, hon. I wish I could—" He looked out the broken window, listening to someone from outside. "Carrie, they need to know what medications you're on and if you're allergic to any."

"Beats the fuck out of me," I said. Then my mind cleared. "Um, Lis'pril for ... hmmmph fuck ... high blood pressure, and 'lergic to 'cillins."

"What? What is cillins?"

"Amoxicillin and, and, um ... other one."

He screamed my answers again then hesitated, listening further. Turning back to me, he said, "Care, in a minute they're going to—"

I never heard him finish his sentence.

--------------- I woke up with my head shrieking at me so loud I couldn't think straight. The car still shook but it wasn't as strong as before. The shriek rose and dropped, so damned loud as it filled the cabin of the car. There was something string-like tight around my head, and as I took a breath cool, clean air seemed to make it easier to breathe. But the pain in my thigh was different, thus no less unbearable. I screamed again in pain and fear, my body shook violently.

I forced my eyes open, though I was petrified at what I would find. But it was strangely dark, and I thought for sure I was dead and in hell with all the noise and pain. Through the pain I felt something slightly heavy on top of me, from over my head to past my feet. Someone was talking to me, their breath streaming gently over my face; I couldn't hear what they were saying through the clatter. They were sitting right next to me, right where Alex was ... "Al'x," I grunted.

Suddenly the racket stopped, though my ears still rang loudly. I heard my name but still couldn't move my head to find out who it was. Slowly the voice came louder and clearer. "You're doing great. They have just a little bit to go. Hey, they want to know how you are doing." I couldn't respond right away, afraid if I spoke the pain would become worse, if that were possible.

"Carrie, Carrie!"

"Pain's bad," I managed to mutter. "Cold."

"They've got you on oxygen. They just need a little more time. Hang in there."

"Can I go back to slee'?"

He squeezed my hand tightly, and I didn't ever want him to let go. "Yes, baby. I'll see you—" CHAPTER NINE

The next thing I remember I was lying flat on my back, listening to voices shouting in Swedish. I shivered, but it was because I was cold, even colder than I was in the car after the crash. I soon discovered I was lying on a gurney in an emergency room naked. I grunted loudly as the pain slowly started to come back. I still couldn't move my head, which pounded like hell, my leg throbbed angrily, and my right arm felt like it had gone through a meat grinder.

"Al -- lex, Alex."

"Carrie, hello," a woman said as she looked down on me. I was still wearing the neck brace so I couldn't turn my head to really look at her. "You in Beckamberga hospital. Remember what happened?"

Someone pulled at my leg, and I screamd out, "Ow, ffffff ... staawp!"

"We know you in pain. Do you remember—"

"'lex, Al ... car, um, where's Alex?"

"Do not worry about Alex. We are assessing your injuries now." That was translated in my pain-induced brain to: You're a lot worse off than he is, so we're dealing with you right now. "Dr. Bergstrom is going to ... tell us if you feel it, okay? Do that for us?" It took me a second to let the question sink in. "Carrie, can you hear me?"

"Yeah, yeah," I mumbled. The woman still hovered over me, and I immediately felt a sharp object run up the bottom of my foot. I jerked it back because I'm incredibly ticklish. "Fuck, fuck ... don'."

"Good, good. We can give you something for the pain, but ..."

Her voice faded away.

--------------- "I don't know. She had reservations to fly out sometime today ... I don't know ... No, I don't ... I don't think that'll be necessary. But let me talk with her. Is there anything else you can think of ..."

I recognized the voice, instantly relieved to hear Alex's voice. I desperately wanted and needed to talk to him, and though I did try, I didn't have the strength to even attempt it. All I knew was that there was no pain whatsoever.

I drifted back off to sleep.

--------------- I was lying helpless on the metro train tracks, looking up at strangers who were screaming at me in a language I didn't know. "Help me up!" Then they started laughing and pointing at me. The train's horn blast echoed throughout the station, growing louder and louder as it approached me. Looking down the tracks I saw the train's lights coming. "Please, please! Pull me up!" I cried out, to no avail. Closer and closer the train came, faster and faster ...

I kicked my right leg out and instantly screamed in pain; my leg felt like it was being split in two with a butcher's knife. "GOD! Fuck, fuck!" My whole body shook as I burst into tears. I tried to wipe my face, but my right arm wouldn't move. They must have removed my neck brace because it was no longer tight, but there was still a tube in my nose.

"Carrie, Carrie. Relax. It's okay." I knew it was Alex, but I didn't care. The stinging pain circled around me and kept kicking me. "You need something for the pain."

"No ... It won't, it won't."

"Shh, shh. I'll go get the nurse."

"No, no! Don' leave me," I sobbed.

"I'll be right back."

"No ..." He might have been gone only a minute or two, but to me if felt like an eternity. I strained to open my eyes to look for the door for Alex's return, but I saw my right arm in a sling, my lower body covered with a light blanket. "Alex, Alex!" I tried to say, but it came out as a whimper.

Alex walked back in with a nurse, speaking Swedish. He walked straight to me, on the right, while the nurse went to my left. "Carrie, sweetheart. The nurse is going to give ..." He bent over the bed railing, rested on his elbows and put his hand on my cheek. "Just relax. It'll go away real soon."

I saw him look to my left, and that's when I noticed the bandage over his left temple. "Al' ... your ... are you 'kay?"

"I'm fine." The nurse took a few steps back. "Is it working yet? The pain gone?" He started to brush strands of hair back around my ear, his face so soft and caring, yet filled with worry.

"No, it still ..." Then a warmth flooded through my veins, my head swam, and I melted into the mattress. "Ah, much better," I slurred. He smiled. The nurse said something to him, he nodded. "Al'x, you okay?"

He leaned in and kissed my cheek. "I'll be here when you wake up."

"I' glad yooor okay."

The last thing I heard him before I fell asleep was, "I'm so very sorry."

--------------- The next time I woke up I was still hurting, but it was by no means as excruciating as it was before. For the first time I noticed how my face felt in certain spots, like my face had been splattered with tiny pebbles. I looked around the dark room, barely lit by a soft light over my head. It was enough to see a man sitting in a chair by the bed, his head leaning on his shoulder, his long legs crossed and stressed out. He was softly snoring. Only then did I feel something soft and fuzzy under my left hand.

I attempted to say his name, but my throat was too dry to speak. Clearing my throat I tried again. He jolted awake, sat up then came to the bed. "Hi, Carrie." Smiling, I reached my hand out for his, which he took. "How are you feeling?"

"Better. What time is it?"

"Just after midnight." He took the thing under my hand, as it turned out it was a stuffed teddy bear. He placed it in the crook of my left arm. "The nurse wanted me to get her when you woke up." He pressed a little remote near my hand.

"Midnight? I've got to be at the airport—"

"No, no, sweetheart. It's Sunday night, Monday morning, actually."

"What?! But I'm flying -- supposed to fly out this morning."

The nurse walked in and said something to Alex. "I'll have to translate for you because she doesn't speak English, and there aren't any interpreters on the night shift. Will you allow me to do that?"

Of course I didn't mind. I answered a whole bunch of stupid questions, thankfully nothing too personal that I didn't want Alex to know. When she was done, I asked, "What happened to my leg and arm?"

Alex relayed, "The doctor will be in tomorrow to tell you about your injuries."

"Why does—" The nurse interrupted me.

"Carrie, sorry. She wants to know how the pain is for you now. She's going off her night shift, and it might be an hour or so before the replacement nurse can give you a pain killer."

"It's not bad like it was before. I'll be okay."

"You sure?" Alex asked, without the nurse prompting him.

"Yeah." When she left, I said to him, "I wanted to talk to you anyway."

"Care, that's no reason not to take the painkiller."

"I know. But I'm awake now. What the hell happened? Why does my face hurt?"