Lost Love by BillieK26

– Ch 12

Evangeline was sitting in the waiting room of Llanview Memorial Hospital waiting for Michael to let her know how John was. He’d been coherent when they’d taken the ride in the ambulance. He’d lost consciousness minutes from the hospital.

John had been hit in the side, when he’d grabbed the gun in Natalie’s hand. Natalie had screamed and Evangeline had run to John to help him sit down after being shot. She’d called 911 and held pressure on the wound while they’d waited on the ambulance. The police had arrived moments after the gun fired. Natalie had been taken into custody.

If something happened to John, Natalie would be getting a visitor later. When the gun had gone off, Evangeline’s attention had been all on John. When the paramedics had arrived, she had wanted a piece of Natalie. She found out that Natalie was under observation at the jail and she would be transferred to St. Annes for evaluation. Her being found mentally ill was the only way Evangeline could see not going after her for what she’d done.

As Evangeline sat in the waiting room, she couldn’t help but feel guilty for so many things. She’d left John years ago and while some of that had been out of her control, maybe she could have been more adamant that John know the truth. She made the decision to not tell him about Dani because she wasn’t sure how things would play out.

If only she’d waited to tell him about the information she’d found, instead of going to the FBI on her own. Her need to be in control had contributed to all her decisions. Her time in protective custody and the fact that she had little say over her life during that time had definitely tempered that. Right now, she didn’t feel the need to control everything, but she wanted her life back. She wanted John and Dani home safe where they belonged. She would do everything in her power to make that happen.

Eve was on her way to the hospital with Dani, who Evangeline couldn’t wait to see. She needed to hold her daughter, while the man that she loved was behind those emergency room doors.

"Mommy?" Dani cried as soon as she saw her mother sitting in the waiting room.

"Hi, sweetheart," Evangeline said picking Dani up and carrying her to where Eve stood just inside the door, "Hi, Eve." The two women hugged and gained some comfort from each other.

"Hi, honey. How is John?" Eve asked.

"Michael hasn’t told me anything yet."

"Mommy, is daddy going to die?" Dani asked with her bottom lip trembling.

"No sweetheart. Uncle Michael is taking care of daddy right now. He’s going to be fine," she said stroking her daughter’s head that rested against her shoulder.

"How are you?" Eve asked Evangeline.

"Okay," she said glancing at Dani and then back to Eve.

"I know what you mean."

Just then Michael came through the ER doors. Evangeline set Dani on her feet and clenched Eve’s hand as she prepared to hear what Michael had to say. Dani had wrapped her arm around her mother’s leg and held on tight.

"Michael?" She said tentatively.

"We think he’s going to be okay. The shot did some minor damage, but the bullet went straight through. He lost quite a bit of blood, so he’ll have to be here at least overnight, maybe a few days. He’s sleeping right now, but I’m sure he’ll want to see you when he wakes up," Michael said after grasping her free hand. He gave her hand a squeeze and smiled at her. She smiled back tremulously.

"Thank you, Michael for taking care of him for me."

"Hey, I have a vested interest in this too. I’m going to be best man at that wedding. I can’t have the groom getting out of it, can I?"

She laughed softly.

"There it is," he said.

"What?" she asked.

"That beautiful smile that I’ve grown used to seeing, since you’ve been a part of this family."

She hugged her brother-in-law to be, "Thanks, Michael for being here for John and for me."

Michael turned to his mother then and hugged her, "He’s really going to be fine mom. You’ll be able to see him later tonight or tomorrow morning."

"Thank God," Eve said continuing to grasp Evangeline’s hand, "I’m going to take Dani home and put her to bed on time. She’s had a pretty eventful day."

Evangeline was stroking her daughter’s head and making sure that the little girl was okay. Dani looked up at her mother and smiled before letting her go and pulling on her Uncle’s lab coat.

"Uncle Michael? Uncle Michael?" she said.

"Hey, my sweet girl," he said as he lifted her in his arms, "what can I do for you?"

"I want to see my daddy," she whispered playing with his collar.

"I know you do, but you can’t see him yet. He’s sleeping right now to make him all better. I think I may be able to work it out so you can see him tomorrow, how about that?"

"Can mommy see him?"

"She’ll be able to see him a little later, but you’ll probably be asleep by then, at Nana’s house."

"Will you tell him, I love him?" she looked at him with her big brown eyes.

"I sure will, as soon as, he opens his eyes. I promise."

"Okay," she said and planted a big kiss on her uncle’s cheek. She then squirmed to be put down. She went back to her mommy and lifted her arms to be picked up. Evangeline picked Dani up and hugged her, "Kiss Daddy for me Mommy."

"Okay sweetheart. I’ll do that. Are you going to be okay with Nana?"

"Of course, I’m a big girl," Dani said as if it was obvious.

"I’ll have to remember that," Evangeline said kissing her daughter on the cheek. She set the little girl on her feet and watched as Eve took her hand. Eve hugged her again before leaving the waiting room.

"Michael, when can I see him?"

"He’s being moved to a room and then you can stay with him. I’ll come and get you."

"I’ll be waiting."

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"John, I don’t know what I would have done if I’d lost you," Evangeline said as she stroked his hand, "I love you so much and we have so much to do with this life we’ve been given. I know what Michael told me, but I really need you to open you eyes so I’ll know that you are really going to be alright."

She leaned over and placed a kiss on his forehead, "That’s for Dani. She needs you as much as I do."

He was lying so still in the hospital bed and the monitor was beeping so loudly in the otherwise quiet room. She was so worried about him. She needed the chance to give him the life she’d deprived him of before. She was determined to make sure that he had it.

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Evangeline had been sitting in the chair beside John’s bed for a couple of hours. She’d checked on Dani recently and her daughter was busy coloring a picture for her daddy’s hospital room. Evangeline just wanted John to wake up so that she could look into those blue eyes and see for herself that he was okay.

"Angie?"

She glanced at his face and was surprised to see him watching her. She jumped to her feet and leaned over him with a smile, "Hi," she said and brushed his hair back, as tears of relief flooded her eyes.

"Hi," he said smiling, "are you okay?"

"I’m fine now that you’re awake."

"Are you sure you’re okay?"

"Yes, John, I’m fine. Natalie only hurt me by hurting you."

He grasped her hand and held it to his chest, "I’m okay."

"I know. I’m just glad. I don’t know what Dani and I would do without you now."

"Well, neither of you are going to find out. I love you."

"I love you, more."

"I don’t think that’s possible. Now, come on up here with me."

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The next morning, Eve and Dani arrived early to see John. Evangeline had been up for a while. She had slept next to John the night before, making every attempt not to jostle him in the bed. The nurses had been in every hour and while they hadn’t said anything about her sleeping in the bed with him, she had gotten very little sleep.

John was sitting up in when Dani pushed the door open and ran to the side of her Daddy’s bed.

"Daddy! Daddy!" she said with a huge grin on her face, "You’re okay."

"Of course, I am," he said back to her with a grin of his own.

"I made you something," she said as she attempted to climb on the bed with him. When Evangeline saw her, she lifted her daughter and placed on John’s good side. Dani smiled at her and then turned facing her father.

"Be careful, Dani, daddy’s other side is hurt."

"Yes, ma’am."

"What did you make me?" John asked

"A picture for your room," she said as she laid the paper in his lap and turned around so she was resting against him.

"Thank you, I’ll hang it on my bulletin board until I come home."

"When are you coming home?" she asked looking up at her daddy.

"I’m waiting for the doctor to tell me."

"I don’t like doctors, they give you shots," said Dani.

"What’s this I hear about you not liking doctors, Miss Dani?" asked Michael from the doorway.

"Not you Uncle Michael, you’re an uncle too," she said with a child’s authority.

"I’m glad I don’t fall into that other group," he said and then turned to John, "Dr. Phillips looked at your file and it looks like you’ll be able to go home late this evening or tomorrow morning."

"Cool," Dani said, "I can’t wait for you to get home."

"Me either," he said smiling at her and then her mother, "we need to plan this wedding so we can get married."

"Then, we’ll live happily ever after," said Dani with a grin that was shared with everyone in the room.

The End