The next twelve hours were agonizin

The next twelve hours were agonizing. I had to wait to catch a flight, and when I finally got on one it was delayed. I was wound up so tight that I could’ve killed someone. My legs wouldn’t stop shaking as I waited and waited. When the plane finally took off, I was stuck in a chair for eight hours, suffocated by the thoughts of Elisa. Her brother was going to kill me when he saw me, but I didn’t care. I deserved the beating of a lifetime.
When the plane finally landed, I practically pushed an old lady out of the way just so I could get off the plane as fast as I could. I grabbed my luggage from the collection stand then whistled down a cab. That drive felt just as long as the plane. When the hospital came into sight, I jumped out of the halted cab, forgetting to pay the driver and grab my luggage.
When the cab driver caught my attention, I threw a fifty at him then grabbed my bags and dashed to the entrance.
“Elisa Benedict. I’m looking for Elisa Benedict,” I said, out of breath.
The receptionist stared at me for a moment before she looked in her computer. “There’s no one here under that name.”
“Yes, there is! Check again!”
She leaned back at my ferocity.
“Please check,” I said hysterically.
She looked again. “I’m sorry, sir.”
I screamed.
“Jared!”
I turned to see Sadie looking at me. “Come on.”
I raised an eyebrow then followed her. “Where is she? How is she? Is she okay?”
“She’s fine,” she said as she grabbed my arm. “Keep your voice down and stop yelling.”
We entered a small private room. I dropped my bags on the ground then went to the bed. She was lying there, asleep. Her face was purple and bruised. She had a cut on her lip and her arms were dark with bruises.
I broke down. “No, no.”
I leaned over her and pressed my forehead against hers. “I’m so sorry, Ellie. I’m so sorry.” I kissed her forehead and tasted my own tears. I grabbed her hand and held it tightly. When she didn’t wake up, I got scared. “Ellie, wake up. Please wake up.”
“Jared,” Sadie said. “Let her sleep.”
“Why isn’t she waking up?”
She stared at me. “She hasn’t woken up yet.”
“What?”
“She hit her head.”
I sat up and looked at her. “Are you telling me she’s in a coma?”
“No. She just hasn’t woken up yet. Don’t try to wake her.”
I sat on the edge of the bed and held her hand. I stared at her face and felt my world crumble. “Where are the kids?”
“Ethan has them.”
“Do they know?”
“No. We don’t want them to know. They think she’s out shopping.”
“For a few days?”
“The kids believe it. That’s all that matters.”
I ran my fingers through my hair. “I’m so sorry. Fuck, I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault.”
“Shut up. Yes, it is.”
“Jared, no, it’s not.”
I didn’t respond to her comment. “Did they catch the bastard?”
“No. She needs to give a description when she wakes up.”
I sighed. “I’ll find him.”
She said nothing.
“Did anything else—happen?”
“No.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Thank god.” I would die if someone raped her. I really couldn’t stand the thought.
Sadie stared at me but said nothing.
I held Elisa’s hand within mine and felt her pulse. It made me feel better because it was strong. She was going to be okay. She was going to be okay.
“Jared—”
“No,” I interrupted her. “Drop it.” I knew what she was going to say. She wanted to talk about the letter. “Now isn’t the best time,” I snapped.
“I just wanted to say I’m sorry, Jared. That’s all.”
I said nothing.
The nurse came in. “Visiting hours are over. You can come back in the morning.”
“You may as well call security because I’m not going anywhere,” I said as I looked at Elisa. “And I won’t go quietly.”
Sadie looked at me. “Jared—”
“I mean it,” I snapped.
The nurse sighed. “It’s not worth it. He can stay.”
Sadie nodded. “Thank you.”
The nurse left.
Sadie grabbed my bags from the floor. “I’ll take these home.”
I didn’t say anything.
Sadie came behind me then wrapped her arms around my torso. I didn’t reciprocate her embrace at all. My hands were still on Elisa.
“I love you,” she whispered.
I remained silent.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said as she released me. She walked out and closed the door behind her.
The only light in the room was from the monitor by her bed side. I grabbed a chair and pulled it next to her bed. I held her hand as I laid my head beside hers. I listened to her breathing until my eyes grew heavy. I closed them and fell asleep.
When the door opened a moment later, or it seemed like a moment, I sat up and rubbed the sleep from eyes.
“Good morning,” a man in a white coat said.
I said nothing.
“That’s gonna hurt later today,” he said as he looked at my neck. He sat on the stool then observed Elisa, checking her vital signs and her IV. He examined her bruises and cuts. “Well, the CT came back this morning.”
“And?”
“She doesn’t have any permanent brain damage. She’s just recovering from the trauma.”
“She’s going to be okay?”
“Yes. She can leave when she wakes up.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank god.”
“Are you Mrs. Wyatt’s husband?”
“Who?”
He stared at the chart. “Elisa’s husband?”
“Oh—uh—no. Her boyfriend. She’s a widow.”
He nodded. “My apologies.”
“Yeah.”
He left the room, closing the door behind him.
Now I understood why the receptionist couldn’t find her. She still had her husband’s last name—not Ethan’s. I ran my fingers through her hair and stared at her face. The bruises pained my heart. She must have been so scared. I wished this hadn’t happened to her. I sat vigil next to her for hours before there was a knock on the door.
Ethan walked into the room. He didn’t look surprised to see me.
“I’m not leaving,” I blurted. “So save it.”
He sat in the chair on the opposite side of the room. “I wasn’t going to ask you to.”
“Good,” I snapped.
“Any news?”
“Doctor says she doesn’t have any brain damage.”
Ethan breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank god.” Tears bubbled under his eyes but he blinked them back.
“How are the kids?”
“Oblivious.”
I nodded.
“Sadie is watching them.”
“Okay.”
I squeezed Elisa’s hand. I hadn’t drop it since I got there. I wanted her to know I was there even if she couldn’t speak or see. “I’m sorry,” I whispered.
Ethan looked at me. “It isn’t your fault.”
I stared at him, incredulous. “It’s completely my fault. I shouldn’t have left, or I should have told her I was really leaving. She obviously thought I was lying or was still at the apartment. If I just answered my phone, I could have stopped this.”
He sighed. “Don’t beat up yourself over it. It was my fault too. I should have heard her leave.”
A tear fell down my face. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
“No, it’s not. No.”
Ethan fell silent.
I cried quietly to myself, hating myself for it. This was entirely my fault. “You should kill me.”
“It’s not your fault,” he repeated.
“So, the one time I actually do something wrong, you don’t care? But I get punched for crimes I didn’t commit?”
“I was wrong to hit you before, but you didn’t do anything wrong here. Let it go. She’s going to be okay. That’s all that matters at this point.”
I shook my head. “I can’t believe you. If something happened to Sadie, I would hold you responsible for it.”
“That’s completely different and you know it.”
I said nothing.
“Jared, no one holds you responsible. She went out on her own.”
“Shut up,” I snapped.
He fell silent.
I grabbed her hand and kissed it.
We sat together for a long time. Only the sound of the monitor could be heard. I stared at Elisa and watched her breathe. The IV machine would beep every once in a while. It was a nice distraction.
When I saw her eyes flutter open, I felt my heart race. The tears poured down my face. I didn’t move or speak because I didn’t want to scare her. Her last memory must have been horrific. When her eyes were completely open, she stared at me for a long time until she recognized me.
“Jared?” she said with a croak.
“Yeah,” I whispered.
She reached her hand toward mine. Instead, I leaned over and pressed my forehead against hers. She wrapped her arms around my neck and squeezed me tightly.
“I’m so sorry,” I sobbed. “I’m so sorry.”
She said nothing while she held me.
“Ellie, I love you. I love you so much.”
“I love you too,” she whispered.
“You are everything to me. I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay. I’m okay.”
I kissed her forehead then her cheeks. “I didn’t know what I would do if—”
“Shh.”
“I’m sorry,” I sobbed.
“It’s not your fault, Jared.”
“Yes, it is. I’m supposed to protect you. I failed.”
“Jared, calm down.”
I took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I’m so glad you’re okay. I’m so grateful.” I pulled away and looked down at her. “How are you feeling? Are you in pain?”
“A little.”
“I’ll get the nurse.”
She grabbed me. “No. Don’t go.”
“Okay.”

Hasil (Bahasa Indonesia) 1:

Dua belas jam berikutnya yang menyiksa. Saya harus menunggu untuk naik pesawat, dan ketika aku akhirnya got di yang tertunda. Aku adalah luka ketat bahwa aku bisa telah membunuh seseorang. Kakiku tidak akan berhenti gemetar sebagai I menunggu dan menunggu. Ketika pesawat akhirnya mengambil, aku terjebak di sebuah kursi selama delapan jam, tercekik oleh pikiran Elisa. Adiknya akan membunuh saya ketika dia melihat saya, tapi aku tidak peduli. Aku pantas pemukulan seumur hidup.Ketika pesawat akhirnya mendarat, aku praktis mendorong seorang wanita tua keluar dari jalan jadi aku bisa turun dari pesawat secepat aku bisa. Aku menyambar koper saya dari koleksi berdiri kemudian bersiul turun taksi. Yang mendorong merasa hanya selama pesawat. Ketika rumah sakit datang ke dalam penglihatan, aku melompat keluar dari taksi dihentikan, lupa untuk membayar sopir dan ambil barang-barang saya.Ketika sopir taksi menarik perhatian saya, saya melemparkan lima kepadanya kemudian menyambar tas saya dan berlari ke pintu masuk."Elisa Benediktus. Saya mencari Benediktus Elisa,"kukatakan, kehabisan napas.Resepsionis menatap saya sejenak sebelum dia tampak di komputer-nya. "Tidak ada di sini di bawah nama itu.""Ya, ada! Periksa lagi!"Dia bersandar di keganasan saya."Silakan periksa," kataku histeris.Dia tampak lagi. "Saya minta maaf, sir."Aku berteriak."Jared!"Aku berpaling untuk melihat Sadie menatapku. "Ayo."Aku mengangkat alis kemudian mengikutinya. "Mana Apakah dia? Bagaimana Apakah dia? Apakah dia baik-baik saja?"“She’s fine,” she said as she grabbed my arm. “Keep your voice down and stop yelling.”We entered a small private room. I dropped my bags on the ground then went to the bed. She was lying there, asleep. Her face was purple and bruised. She had a cut on her lip and her arms were dark with bruises.I broke down. “No, no.”I leaned over her and pressed my forehead against hers. “I’m so sorry, Ellie. I’m so sorry.” I kissed her forehead and tasted my own tears. I grabbed her hand and held it tightly. When she didn’t wake up, I got scared. “Ellie, wake up. Please wake up.”“Jared,” Sadie said. “Let her sleep.”“Why isn’t she waking up?”She stared at me. “She hasn’t woken up yet.”“What?”“She hit her head.”I sat up and looked at her. “Are you telling me she’s in a coma?”“No. She just hasn’t woken up yet. Don’t try to wake her.”I sat on the edge of the bed and held her hand. I stared at her face and felt my world crumble. “Where are the kids?”“Ethan has them.”“Do they know?”“No. We don’t want them to know. They think she’s out shopping.”“For a few days?”“The kids believe it. That’s all that matters.”I ran my fingers through my hair. “I’m so sorry. Fuck, I’m sorry.”“It’s not your fault.”“Shut up. Yes, it is.”“Jared, no, it’s not.”I didn’t respond to her comment. “Did they catch the bastard?”"No. Dia perlu memberikan deskripsi ketika dia bangun."Saya menghela napas. "Saya akan menemukan dirinya."Dia mengatakan apa-apa."Apakah apa pun — terjadi?""Tidak."Aku menelan benjolan di tenggorokan. "Terima kasih Tuhan." Aku akan mati jika seseorang memperkosanya. Aku benar-benar tidak tahan pikiran.Sadie menatapku tetapi mengatakan apa-apa.Aku memegang tangan Elisa di dalam saya dan merasakan denyut nadi. Itu membuat saya merasa lebih baik karena itu kuat. Dia akan baik-baik saja. Dia akan baik-baik saja."Jared —""Tidak," Aku terganggu padanya. "Drop." Aku tahu apa yang dia akan mengatakan. Dia ingin berbicara tentang surat. "Sekarang bukan waktu terbaik," aku tersentak."Aku hanya ingin bilang aku minta maaf, Jared. Itu adalah semua."Aku berkata apa-apa.Perawat datang in. "mengunjungi jam telah berakhir. Anda dapat datang kembali di pagi hari.""Anda dapat juga menghubungi keamanan karena aku tidak akan di mana saja," kataku saat melihat Elisa. "Dan aku tidak akan pergi diam-diam."Sadie memandangku. "Jared —""Maksudku itu," aku tersentak.Perawat menghela napas. "Hal ini tidak layak. Dia bisa tinggal."Sadie mengangguk. "Terima kasih."Perawat kiri.Sadie menyambar tas saya dari lantai. "Aku akan membawa ini pulang."Aku tidak mengatakan apa-apa.Sadie datang di belakang saya kemudian membungkus lengannya di sekitar tubuh saya. Saya tidak membalas merangkul nya sama sekali. Tangan itu masih pada Elisa."Aku mencintaimu," ia berbisik.Aku tetap diam."Aku akan melihat besok," katanya saat ia merilis me. Dia berjalan keluar dan menutup pintu di belakangnya.The only light in the room was from the monitor by her bed side. I grabbed a chair and pulled it next to her bed. I held her hand as I laid my head beside hers. I listened to her breathing until my eyes grew heavy. I closed them and fell asleep.When the door opened a moment later, or it seemed like a moment, I sat up and rubbed the sleep from eyes.“Good morning,” a man in a white coat said.I said nothing.“That’s gonna hurt later today,” he said as he looked at my neck. He sat on the stool then observed Elisa, checking her vital signs and her IV. He examined her bruises and cuts. “Well, the CT came back this morning.”“And?”“She doesn’t have any permanent brain damage. She’s just recovering from the trauma.”“She’s going to be okay?”“Yes. She can leave when she wakes up.”I breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank god.”“Are you Mrs. Wyatt’s husband?”“Who?”He stared at the chart. “Elisa’s husband?”“Oh—uh—no. Her boyfriend. She’s a widow.”He nodded. “My apologies.”“Yeah.”He left the room, closing the door behind him.Now I understood why the receptionist couldn’t find her. She still had her husband’s last name—not Ethan’s. I ran my fingers through her hair and stared at her face. The bruises pained my heart. She must have been so scared. I wished this hadn’t happened to her. I sat vigil next to her for hours before there was a knock on the door.Ethan masuk ke kamar. Dia tidak tampak terkejut melihat saya."Aku tidak akan meninggalkan," Aku berkata. "Jadi menyelamatkan itu."Dia duduk di kursi di sisi berlawanan dari kamar. "Aku tidak akan meminta Anda untuk.""Baik," aku tersentak."Ada kabar?""Dokter mengatakan dia tidak memiliki kerusakan otak."Ethan napas lega. "Oh, terima kasih Tuhan." Air mata menggelegak di bawah matanya namun ia berkedip mereka kembali."Bagaimana Apakah anak-anak?""Buta."Aku mengangguk."Sadie yang mengawasi mereka.""Oke."Aku meremas Elisa di tangan. Aku tidak menjatuhkan sejak aku sampai di sana. Aku ingin ia tahu ada bahkan jika ia tidak dapat berbicara atau melihat. "Saya minta maaf," bisikku.Ethan memandangku. "Ini bukan salahmu."Aku menatap dia, percaya. "Ini adalah benar-benar salahku. Aku seharusnya tidak meninggalkan, atau aku harus memiliki bilang aku benar-benar meninggalkan. Dia mengira aku berbaring atau masih di apartemen. Jika aku hanya menjawab telepon saya, saya bisa berhenti ini."Dia menghela napas. "Jangan menyalahkan diri lebih dari itu. Itu adalah salahku terlalu. Saya harus mendengar dia meninggalkan."Air mata jatuh dari wajah saya. "Saya minta maaf.""Tidak apa-apa.""Tidak, hal ini tidak. No."Ethan terdiam.Aku menangis dengan tenang sendiri, membenci diri sendiri untuk itu. Ini adalah sepenuhnya salahku. "Anda harus membunuh saya.""Hal ini tidak kesalahan Anda," ia diulang."Jadi, satu kali saya benar-benar melakukan sesuatu yang salah, Anda tidak peduli? "Tetapi saya mendapatkan menekan kejahatan tidak kuserahkan?"“I was wrong to hit you before, but you didn’t do anything wrong here. Let it go. She’s going to be okay. That’s all that matters at this point.”I shook my head. “I can’t believe you. If something happened to Sadie, I would hold you responsible for it.”“That’s completely different and you know it.”I said nothing.“Jared, no one holds you responsible. She went out on her own.”“Shut up,” I snapped.He fell silent.I grabbed her hand and kissed it.We sat together for a long time. Only the sound of the monitor could be heard. I stared at Elisa and watched her breathe. The IV machine would beep every once in a while. It was a nice distraction.When I saw her eyes flutter open, I felt my heart race. The tears poured down my face. I didn’t move or speak because I didn’t want to scare her. Her last memory must have been horrific. When her eyes were completely open, she stared at me for a long time until she recognized me.“Jared?” she said with a croak.“Yeah,” I whispered.She reached her hand toward mine. Instead, I leaned over and pressed my forehead against hers. She wrapped her arms around my neck and squeezed me tightly.“I’m so sorry,” I sobbed. “I’m so sorry.”She said nothing while she held me.“Ellie, I love you. I love you so much.”“I love you too,” she whispered.“You are everything to me. I’m so sorry.”“It’s okay. I’m okay.”I kissed her forehead then her cheeks. “I didn’t know what I would do if—”“Shh.”“I’m sorry,” I sobbed.“It’s not your fault, Jared.”“Yes, it is. I’m supposed to protect you. I failed.”“Jared, calm down.”I took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I’m so glad you’re okay. I’m so grateful.” I pulled away and looked down at her. “How are you feeling? Are you in pain?”“A little.”“I’ll get the nurse.”She grabbed me. “No. Don’t go.”“Okay.”