Chapter 72

Author's P.O.V.The sound of machines slowly gets louder as Shannon becomes conscious again, it was too quiet in the room for her to block it out with something else. She blinks but the drugs slowly wearing off is making it harder for her to simply do that. Everything hurts this time. Her legs especially her right knee down to her foot, her broken arm, her ribs, her insides, her stitches on the head and her cheek and her abdomen. She was starting to feel it at the same time being conscious and confuse. She groans in pain and in her slightest strength squeezes the hand she's holding, fingers tangled up with each other.

The bed rises from her side and Elizabeth's hands moved squeezing back as she recovers from her short slumber. Another soft groan made her head snap at Shannon and the look on her face says it all, she's in pain. Without words being said she stands up and pressed the red button on the side of Shannon's bed to let the doctors know they need assistance.

"Where does it hurt?" Elizabeth softly asks squeezing her hand once again to try and catch her attention. Shannon glances at her and blinks trying to adjust her vision but she doesn't need to see to know who exactly it is. She smiles slightly in spite of the pain and croaks the words

"Good morning my love." Hearing that, her voice, her tone, how she calls her made her realize, she's not in those drugs anymore and that is why she's hurting and she's worried but at the same time relieved. She remembers her.

"Hey, honey." She whispers hot tears behind her eyes and a lump on her throat. She's been feeling anxious of her not remembering her the moment the drugs wear off but here she is, hearing what she used to addressed her. Suddenly her doctor rushes in accompanied by a nurse, and this made her step back letting go of Shannon's hand for a moment while giving them space to check on her.

"What happened?" The doctor asks.

"She's in pain." Elizabeth simply says, well that's all that she knows. She keeps her eyes on them but Shannon's was stuck on her, just admiring her because for her, its like seeing her for the first time in days and she misses her that much that she just won't risk a second without laying her eyes on her.

"Is she okay?" Elizabeth's voice quivered in worry when the doctor turned to her.

"Yes, she's going to be alright. We've injected some painkillers to somehow manage the pain from the surgery. And since we're here, we would like to inform you that her MRI is scheduled in a two days, we just need to make sure that she has enough strength for the procedure." Elizabeth nods with that being said and says 'Thank you' to the doctor. They leave the room after making sure that Shannon is stable and more comfortable than she was a moment ago.

"Hi" Elizabeth smiles as she walks up to the bed tucking her hair behind her ear. Shannon smiles taking her hand while Elizabeth sits back to her seat facing her lover. "Do you feel better?"

"Yea" Shannon whispers. "What happened?" She asks, she knows she's in a hospital, badly injured and she's rather confused on what had happened since she doesn't recall the events that took place before this. No memory of it, the last thing she remembers is helping her girlfriend make vegan casserole for lunch and that doesn't seem like an event that will lead to her being in a hospital bed.

"We found you at a beach in Shelter Cove, badly injured." Shannon frowns and flinches raising her hand to touch her stitches but before she could even get near them, Elizabeth takes her hand. "Don't touch it" She scolds softly.

"Where is that?"

"Whitethorn, about 500 miles from home." Her eyes widen upon hearing that thinking how in the hell did she got there. Elizabeth sensed the tension in her so she squeezed her hand gently to take her attention running her thumbs softly against her skin. "Hey, its alright. You're safe now and that's what's important."

"How did I even got that far? We were just making a casserole in the kitchen." Elizabeth stared at Shannon while processing what she just said and figured that's all she remembers. The events that took place after that were wiped away in her memory just like that.

"Was I out again?" She whispers and Elizabeth slowly nods figments of memories coming back to her one by one and it was making the lump in her throat grow.Shannon sighs before whispering "For how long?"

"Two days. You were missing for two days"

"Oh my God." She mutters to herself. She can't believe what she just heard. She's been missing for two day, have no memory of any of it not even the slightest bit, not to mention she even manage to get five hundred miles from home. She closes her eyes and tries to go back. Maybe she could get the slightest memory of it or a glimpse of it, but nothing. Its just pitch black. The warmth of Elizabeth's hand comes into her consciousness squeezing her ever so gently to take her attention. She averts her eyes from the room to look at those green eyes.

"Don't stress yourself too much honey, you're safe now. You need to rest and be strong for your MRI in two days."  Elizabeth stands up and softly places a kiss on top of her head before making her way towards the coffee table in the room taking out the packed food the twins had brought in earlier this morning when they visited. They needed to leave early to attend virtual meetings since work is piling up having an emergency leave for a week in the middle of planning for their next collection.

"You need to eat, get some food in you. I don't know where this is from, the twins have brought this in earlier. They have to leave early though, but they'll come back later on. " She opens the food packaging and took a sniff of it then smiles. "Its pumpkin soup."

Shannon's lips curled into a small smile thinking about the twins and how they probably have gone to a restaurant and bought her food.

"What time is it?" She asks making Elizabeth glance at her wrist watch to look at the time before going back to her seat with a disposable spoon and the bowl of soup in her hand.

"Quarter to noon." She adjusts her chair, puts down the bowl of soup on it, carefully takes off Shannon's oxygen mask, takes the bow of soup again and sits down facing Shannon before she start to feed her with it. Shannon didn't felt hungry until the first taste of food for nearly a week of having non of it and it made her realize how starving she was.

"Good?" Shannon smiles and nods lightly.

"Good." Elizabeth smiled back. She then starts to tell her how everyone was missing her so much that even Lesli was going to visit later on. She told her how she was when she first woke up in drugs having a little laugh just to lighten the mood up and Shannon just watches her in entertainment. She misses her dearly and just wanted to never take her eyes off her and she finds her stories very interesting and nearly possible with every scenario her head is making with it.

Soon enough, a knock on the door stopped their growing conversation and Elizabeth thought that maybe its Shannon's family since they haven't visited since earlier today but the moment she opens the door little arms wrapped around her legs and Scarlett with a tiny little bump already showing up and Colin holding some flowers and a paper bag comes to her face to face. Her lips grows into a wide smile as she welcomes them in.

"Hey baby, you've got visitors." Elizabeth says that made Shannon look up. Her heart skips a beat at the sight of the people in front of her most especially the little human being she missed so much sitting in the arms of her girlfriend holding a folded piece of paper in her hands, but then she looks scared, just staring at Shannon maybe trying to recognize her.

"Hi you little dimwit, you scared the shit out of all of us." Scarlet says placing a soft kiss on top of Shannon's head and Colin does the same. This made Shannon let out a soft chuckle but stopped as felt a slight pain from her ribs for doing that. Elizabeth sits Rose down at the side of the bed but the little girl hanged on to her top trying to keep her near, the little girl's lips trembling.

"Hey, its me." Shannon whispered but Rose averts her eyes and looks up to Elizabeth instead.

"Its alright pumpkin, its Shannon." She returns her eyes towards her and scanned her body, starting from her face, to her casted arm and down to her leg then up to her eyes.

"Who hurt you?" She whispers, her eyes filling up with tears. Shannon look up to Elizabeth since she doesn't remember completely what happened to her.

"No one. Shannon just got into a really bad accident honey, but she's alright now."

"Sweetheart its alright." Scarlett says encouraging her daughter. Shannon's heart twists seeing the fear in those blue eyes but still determined to regain her princess's trust that she's alright, so she raises her hand and drops it on the little girl's lap making Rose look at it then she waves before taking her hand and just holds it.

"The dragon needs a little kiss." She whispers and it actually made Rose giggle and soon enough, she finds herself moving closer, her other hand still curled tight on the fabric of Elizabeth's top and carefully places a soft kiss on Shannon's cheek. Relief washes over Shannon with this. She couldn't bare the thought of Rose getting scared of her situation. Her lips splits into a wide smile as Rose pulls away and now she crosses her legs on the bed and place the piece of paper on Shannon's hands.

"I made this for you, well mommy helped me with it a little." She giggles. Shannon struggles to open the piece of pink paper with one hand and so Elizabeth helps her with it reading what it said. Her face softens before saying

"Dear Shannon, I miss you so much. Mommy says you're sick so I made you this to make you feel better. When you get better I'll buy us some ice cream, my treat. I love you very much. Love, Pumpkin. Aww that is so sweet." Elizabeth shows Shannon the letter. Rose's crooked handwriting gives it all and a little drawing of her dressed up as a friendly dragon and Rose with a little tutu dress and a tiara on holding hands. It made Shannon cry a little since she felt that pure love from that piece of paper.

"Well, I love you too pumpkin. but how are you going to buy us ice cream?" Shannon sniffs. Rose looks at her mom then smiles and then whispers " with mommy's money." Shannon laughs then winced, so Scarlett laughs.

"Alright, I'll give you money for your ice cream but Shannon needs to get better as fast as she could so I can slap her with it don't you think?" Elizabeth and Colin chuckles and the mood suddenly lights up again.

"You missed me." Shannon sniggers and Scarlett nods and says. "Welcome back Shan."——————-Its almost four and Rose refuses to go. They need to catch their flight by 5:30 pm and the little is starting to have a tantrum with it and the screaming and crying is not doing Shannon any good and so Scarlett gives up with Elizabeth offering to leave Rose with her with an assurance of a promise that she'll update her all the time and promise to bring her back in a week since Elizabeth needs to go home to LA and pack their stuff for Texas since filming starts in about a week and a half.

Scarlett takes hold of the promise and bids goodbye to her daughter reminding her to be a good kid as she is while she's away from her. Rose promised she would and that she would like to take care of Shannon just like how she would take care of her and that is just the sweetest thing the couple has heard from the child. Sure thing Rose have grew a deeper love for Shannon and for that she would always be part of her life.

A couple of minutes pass after the couple left was the sound of a knock on the door again. Elizabeth thought it might be Scarlett and Colin again, maybe they've forgot something but when she opens the door Lesli and Carl came into view.

"Lizzie, who is— Oh!" Rose automatically hides behind Elizabeth and clutches the fabric of her top. Her sudden presence caught Lesli and Carl's attention as they smile and says hi. The little just waves and goes back running towards the bed climbing beside Shannon but being aware to be careful. This made Shannon confused as she raises her good arm and start stroking the little girl's back.

"Babe, Lesli and Carl are here." Her attention goes to the door way revealing Lesli and Carl who gasp as soon as they saw Shannon's state. They expected something but not this worst. Shannon's stomach twisted upon seeing them, she knows what will happen soon will definitely end up on the thing she's been putting in the back of her head.

"How are you sweetheart" Lesli says as she goes over closer to the bed, pure concern lace on her voice.

"I'm good." She simply says averting her eyes to focus on Rose who is now coloring on her coloring book beside her, what she was doing before the two even arrived.

"We heard what happened—" Lesli's voice started to get muffled in her ears, her thoughts taking over. Voices that sounded like hers starts talking in her head

Just say it already. You're being dropped off.

Its a cycle, like a mantra over over again. Its messing up her head. She figured this out right. This was going to happen, she can't work in a hospital bed right, with filming starts in about a week and a half, its impossible for her to make it feeling completely better like nothing happened.

They're going to drop you off.

"Shan, hey honey." A warm sensation in her hand brings her back, her eyes met worried green ones. Maybe they've said it.

"Yea?" Elizabeth sighs. Clearly she wasn't here, she's not stupid to figure out what was going to happen. "Lesli's going to give you one to three months off for your recovery before you get back to work honey." Even Elizabeth's gentle voice didn't made it less painful hearing that. She's been waiting for her big break. This was her big break and she wanted to fully be in it not be in parts of it maybe half of it. But she can't do anything about it. It was a given decision just because of an accident she can't even remember how it started.

"Then maybe I should stay in LA for three months." She whispers, voice broken reflecting what's been shattered inside.

"Shan, I will be in Texas for the next couple of months, no one's going to take care of you at home—"

"I can take care of myself."

" Your mom and I figured that its best if you stay home back in Dallas with her while I go to work, it nearer than LA. I can go home to you after work—"

"I don't want to stay there." She says dismissing the subject. Elizabeth sighs in frustration as to Shannon's stubbornness, but the thing is, Shannon doesn't want to stay at her mom's house because of the memories from the past accident are still fresh in her mind. How she recovered from that and now this.

An awkward silence surrounded the room tension is noticeable but after a while Elizabeth apologizes and offered a talk to Lesli and Carl outside. Shannon didn't said anything and just let them, maybe Rose's company is even better than that.

The work she's been waiting for, her big break gone just like that. People might've told her that she already had that big break which was the series Sorry For Your Loss but she doesn't remember that, even working on it, doesn't have a clue what it felt like, and this is her chance. But then disappeared just like that, again.

"Shan, the colors keep going outside the lines and its making me mad." Rose looks up from her coloring book and noticed Shannon is just looking at her looking sad so she stops coloring, placing the coloring book on the chair where Elizabeth usually sits and moved all the colored pens away causing everything to fall on the floor and immediately laid on the space beside Shannon. Her bed is big enough to accommodate her since she's just half the size of a regular human being.

The sudden warmth on the side of Shannon made her look down and saw Rose's eyes looking up to her with her head lightly pressed against her shoulders. It wasn't painful as it is. In fact, she was giving her the comfort she needs. Rose didn't speak before looking away and carefully resting her arm across Shannon's chest. Again, it didn't hurt her but hot tears filled her eyes, because she just realized that she's back to square one.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth leans against the wall as she talks to Lesli about Shannon's behavior. They don't know much about her and all there is is that she is one of the production team not to mention one of the main directors.

"I'm sorry about that, I might need to talk to her—"

"That's okay, we understand. But I can assure you she's not going to get cut off. Believe me, her ideas and work is so good, I can't just let go of that talent. If she can be better earlier than expected then she can always come to work but for now her safety is our first priority so it really best if she would focus on the recovery at the moment." Elizabeth smiles and nods. Hearing that is a huge relief for her and maybe to Shannon too if she would just listen and not shut off that easily.

"How are you holding up though?" Elizabeth sighs thinking about it, the right answer to that question. How is she holding up. Well, she hasn't been asleep for more than 4 hours in a day, hasn't had a full meal in nearly four days now, hasn't gone home in about a week just to check on everything at home, a day won't go by without her worrying about Shannon and now she's being ask how is she holding up. She's tired that's the truth, tired of everything but she can't give up right, because she loves Shannon over anyone and anything else.

"I'm good" She lies. "I'm just glad that we found her and that she's still here and alive. That's all that matters to me." But then again, they're back to square one.