Room 103

(ring ring ring ring)

After the fourth ring I turned over to look at the clock on the nightstand next to my bed.
I said to myself, "Who would be calling me at this time?" when I realized it was 5:20 AM.
I reached over for my phone and cleared my throat before answering.

Hello?
"Is this Veronica Perez?" a female on the other side asked.
This is she.
"Do you know Andrew Martinez?"
Yes, I answered nervously.
"I'm sorry to say he was involved in a car accident and was rushed to the emergency room in Beth Israel Hospital."

I threw the sheets off of me and jolted off the bed. My heart pounding and racing as if it was going to burst out of my chest.

"How is he doing?" I asked with my voice shaking and cracking.

"He is now in critical condition, he lost a major amount of blood. You would have to come down to the hospital for some more information, I'm just the cop who was called to the scene."

I hung up without even realizing and got dressed in what seemed like a second. I grabbed my keys, ran out the door, and jumped in my car. I got to the hospital so quickly I didn't even notice how fast I was driving. I ran up to the front desk and said "Andrew Martinez."

The lady quickly looked up from the papers she was signing and asked, "Veronica right? Are you his wife?"

I hesitated to answer - I didn't know how to respond. He was my ex-boyfriend. We have been broken up for a little over a year. I'm assuming that they got my name and phone number from the license plate on the car he was driving, which was registered under my name. We went half and half on the car when we were still together. I never fought or argued to get it back because he was responsibly paying for it. We haven't spoke since the break up, but I always checked my account to make sure the deposit for the car was in because the Toyota financers would take it automatically since the car was a lease.

After a minute of daydreaming, I responded, "Yes I am his wife." I figured if I said I was his ex-girlfriend they wouldn't let me see him or give me any important information.

Can I see him please? How is he doing? I asked impatiently.
"He is in room 103, the doctors can give you more answers than I can," she answered.

I ran towards the room pushing people out of my way. He was coming out of the operating room and they were pushing him into another one. As I walked over, I met with the doctors who told me that he suffered some major internal bruising and bleeding, a few broken bones: ribs, left leg and left arm, and a slightly injured his neck bone.

They let me see him. I entered his room and pulled a chair right next to his bed. I just stared at him in a daze. I didn't know what to feel or think. A million thoughts were running through my head. The first one was, 'Why am I here?'

Should I feel pity? Should I feel sorry? Sad? For some reason I wasn't feeling anything. Nothing at all. I was as cold as ice.

He left me after a 5-year relationship for some other woman he met at work. He taunted me and reminded me constantly of how much of a better woman she was. I cried for weeks -- even months after the break up. After 5 months of them being together they got engaged and then married a month later. Everything happened so quickly, I didn't know what to think when I was told that he was married. I was heartbroken, hurt, betrayed. I haven't dated since. I always loved him. Never forgot him, but never forgave him. Let alone see or speak to him. This was the first time I saw him in over a year.

Then I wondered, where was she at this moment? His wife. Does she even know? Why wasn't she called instead of me?

I stayed by his side that whole day, I even slept there. And nobody ever showed up to visit him. The next morning I heard someone enter the room, riffling through paperwork, and I jumped up.

"Sorry, I'm just checking up on your husband's status. Has he woken up yet? Or moved anything or flinched?"
No, Nothing yet, I answered, half awake.

She put her head down and left the room.

After three days of sitting and sleeping by the side of his bed, I didn't know what else to conclude from the fact that nobody has showed up to visit.

I sat by the window playing a game of Sudoku. When from my peripheral vision, I noticed his right hand slightly twitch. I ran over to sit by his bed thinking I was seeing things. Concentrating way too much on his hand, I didn't look up to realize that his eyes were open and staring at me.

I looked at him as he struggled to get a few words out. He grabbed and held my hand tightly. His throat dry and voice raspy, I was able to understand a few things that he was blurting as he paused in between to catch his breath.

"Veronica listen...I...I...am very sorry for all the pain I caused you in the past.
Never...never did I ever...stop thinking about you. Not one second of everyday for the past year. I regret everything I did and I never stopped loving you...I gave the cops and hospital your...phone number...I...wanted you here. My family was informed and told not to come due to my wishes. I hope...you can find it in your heart to forgive me one day...and if you...don't I understand...I love you so much...and...always...will...until the day I die and after that...too..."

I was so silent and had nothing much to say when a loud screeching noise filled the room. (beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeppp)
And just like that...he was gone.

I loosened his hand from mine and laid it on the bed, gathered my things and grabbed my purse, as a few nurses ran in. I walked out of the room and out of the hospital and never looked back...

Not even one final look..at him...