Chapter thirty

Nick could tell that Crystal was tired. Actually, drained out seemed more fitting. She was dozing off with the coffee still in hand. He moved closer to her on the bench and took it from her, placing it aside before placing a hand on her shoulder. She was a little startled. But then she rubbed her eyes and ran a hand over her face. It was already nighttime but still she insisted on staying there.
And as long as she was there then there was nowhere else he'd rather be. But he still thought it would be better if she went home and got some rest. He didn't see the point of staying there when the doctors had clearly said that her dad wouldn't be waking up soon.
" You're tired, "
He said matter of factly. She crossed her arms and sighed. But the look on her face said that she was determined to stay there for as long as she had to.
" You should go home. Get some rest . "
" I'm fine. And I'm not leaving until they let me see him. "
Those doctors had no right to prevent her from doing so. He was her dad afterall. She just wished that the exhaustion she was currently feeling would leave her alone. Leaning her back against the wall she tried to remain alert. Even went as far as trying to count to a thousand in her head. But she only got as far as seventeen before she dozed off again.
Shaking his head at her failed attempt Nick cupped her cheek and angled her head to rest on his shoulder. And in her sleep she crooked her arm in his. As if to assure herself that he was not going anywhere. He never wanted to see her so stressed again. It was probably one of the hardest things he'd ever had to go through. To see her as distraught as she had been. All he had wanted at that time was to hold her until she calmed down.
And what he wanted to do now was find the son of a bitch responsible for her state and tear his heart out.
On the seat across from theirs Miguel watched how Nick handled his childhood friend. It was nothing if not shocking. He observed as the man he had not so long ago deemed as heartless ran his fingers through Crystal's hair. Looking at her like she was everything that mattered to him.
Ever since they had arrived at the hospital he had been silently observing Nick's actions. And not once had he taken his eyes off of Crystal.
Not once.
And he wasn't a fool. It had nothing to do with his duty as her bodyguard. There was definitely something deeper there. Whether Nick was aware of it or not, it was clear in how he was currently covering her with his coat. And how he had unconsciously laced his fingers together with hers as if it was the most natural thing to do. And how his eyes, which were normally cold and emotionless, seemed to soften whenever he was staring at her.
Whether it was fondness or something deeper Miguel didn't know. All he was certain of was that whatever Nick felt was both clear and stronger than probably even he was aware of.
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Two hours later Crystal woke up to find her head laying on Nick's lap. She didn't have to look up to know that it was him, she just knew. Sitting up she turned to him. He was still up.
" Hey " he said as he followed her every move.
" Hey, "
She looked down at herself, noticing the long overcoat that was now draped over her shoulders, the gesture made her regret having slapped him earlier on. Because despite the fact that Miguel and her aunt had dashed over to be with her. It was his presence there that calmed her the most.
" You sure you don't want to go home for a while? "
She shook her head. She was scared of leaving because a lot could happen in the time she would be away And she wanted to be around for whatever may come. Because unless they let her see her dad, then she was going to remain put for as long as it took.
Nick looked around. If she wanted to see her dad then he'd make sure she got to do just that. Even if he had to threaten the doctors in order to make it happen. Standing, he went over to Arden and asked him to keep an eye on her. Crystal wondered where he was going and she feared that he was leaving. He had assured her that he wouldn't. So why was he walking away?
She was almost to the point of standing up and going after him when she realised how silly that was. He had the right to leave whenever he felt like it. It actually didn't seem fair to make them all stay there with her for so long.
She gave Miguel a thankful smile and looked away. It was forced but at the moment it was the best she could do. And after a couple of minutes he walked away to answer a phone call from Dahlia. Then a nurse walked over and asked Crystal to follow her. She was hesitant at first and wanted to know where they were going.
" The doctor has given you permission to see the patient . But you can only be in there for five minutes, no more. "
That was the best news Crystal had heard all day. It didn't matter that she only had five minutes, as long as she got to see him. So she followed the nurse immediately after placing Nick's coat on the bench. The relief clear on her face. They got to her dads room and the nurse unlocked the door and stepped aside to give Crystal space to enter.
And immediately she stepped in her heart broke.
For her entire life she had gotten used to only one version of her dad. The ruthless lawyer that was sought after by everyone. The determined business man who always got his way. The strong human being who was never threatened by anything. Not the man that was laying on that hospital bed completely motionless.
She forced one foot in front of the other until she was standing next to him, and all she felt was fear. Her hands were shaking as they covered her mouth to stop the sob that wanted to escape. She wanted to shake him until he woke up since the sight of him was almost too much than she could bear. She had never really been the prayerful type but she found herself begging for his life. She was willing to grab onto anything that might give her hope.
She had thought that seeing him would lessen some of her worry but it only served to do the opposite. Now more than ever she was fearful for his life and what might happen. Having to acknowledge that there was a chance that he might die was truly a horrible thing. And although she didn't want to think about it she knew that it was also a possibility. It was better with her mom because back then she didn't have to sit and wait to see what happened. The only news she had gotten was that she had been killed.
But this was different. Every minute she spent pondering on the probable outcome was like torture. And it was wearing her out.
" You have to wake up! " she sternly told him. Even if he most likely couldn't hear her, she had to let him know that he couldn't just leave her like that.
" You have to! "
Grabbing a fistful of his blanket she let the tears fall freely. She was willing to forget all about her art. She would promise to never touch a paint brush again if it meant that her dad would be okay.
" I'm sorry miss but your time's up, " the nurse said but Crystal refused to leave. How could they expect her to just walk out when the only family she had left was lying there unconscious.
" You have to understand that he's not even supposed to have visitors, " the nurse tried to reason out but Crystal ignored her. Shaking her head she refused to move from there.
" Please miss, the only reason the doctor let you see him was because of the other gentleman's insistence. And if you refuse to leave then he might not let you see your father again. "
" Crystal. "
On hearing the new voice Crystal looked up. Nick was standing in the doorway. He beckoned for her to go over but she shook her head. He closed his eyes for a second and looked aside. Those damn tears were tearing him apart. Walking over to her he went down on his haunches next to the bed. She refused to face him, he was the only one capable of talking her into leaving the room and that was exactly why she wouldn't listen to a word of what he said.
" Look - "
" I'm not going anywhere. "
" But you have to. Otherwise all you'll achieve by being stubborn is getting in the way of your dad's treatment. "
Crystal glared at him. Even with the tears still falling. She was doing the opposite of what he was accusing her of.
" If you refuse to leave then what are the chances of them letting you back in here? "
" They won't have to let me back in because I'm not going to leave. "
" Stop that! " Nick warned in a low but harsh voice.
" Stop what? "
" Thinking with your emotions. "
She turned to him with the intention of asking him to leave her alone. But then she stopped when she saw how he was looking at her. Like she was... hurting him. Like he had no idea about what to say in order to make her leave. And it was the truth. All he wanted was for her to not be in the situation that she was in. And the more she stayed in there the more distressed she became. And that was his greatest undoing. To see her constantly in pain.
Crystal glanced at her dad, then back at Nick.
" Please, " he said.
And that was all the convincing she needed. Not because of what he said, but rather about how he said it. It almost sounded like he was silently begging. And she realized that the only thing she hated more than seeing her dad in such a state was seeing Nick looking as distressed as he did.