"Oh no...." Darren whispered with tears falling down his cheeks. Daniel swallowed, but kept staring at her. She was so pale, almost transparent, and with monitors and that mask, she looked so tiny. There were people in white overalls everywhere. One of them came towards Darren and Dan.
"I`m sorry you can`t be here" The nurse sterted to push them outside
"How is she......" Darren couldn`t breath.
"We don`t know yet! Please go to the waiting room. And the doctor will come as soon as he knows anything."
Darren and Dan slowly walked down to the end of the hall. Darren constantly turning around to have a glance for Elisa. Nic stood up as they walked in, and Dan ran over to hold her. She sobbed in his arms for a while. Darren sat at the very uncomfortable sofa with his head in his hands.
"What happened?" Daniel asked when Nic pulled away. Darren looked up at her.
"She`s been looking so bad lately, but kept saying that she was just tired. And when I touched her hand in the car she was so cold... I knew something was wrong...I should have done something. She just passed out."
"It`s not your fault!" Dan stroke her hair "Has she been awake since?"
"No......" Nic started to cry again.
They sat in silence for hours. Scared out of their minds.
They looked up as the doctor entered the room.
"Is she alright?" They asked in unison
"She is still under supervision. We have gotten the impression that she`s having a mental breakdown. She is stressed, and probably have been a long time. Her bloodlevel has dropped and her heartbeat is to fast, and that`s why she collapsed. Her body-defense-mechanism made her collapse in due to relax.
They stood there watching the doctor, and smiled from ear to ear. "She`s gonna be alright!" Darren hugged Nicole
"Is she awake?" Nic asked the doctor
"No, we gave her something that made her sleep heavier. She`ll probably not wake up before tomorrow. She needs to get some sleep. So I suggest you go home, and we`ll call you tomorrow." The doctor left
"I`ll stay here" Darren`s voice were firm
Dan didn`t object, it would probably do no good. He turned to Nic. "You need some sleep. Come on, I`ll drive you to your hotel." Nic nodded "Call us when she wake up Darren!"
She hugged him.
Darren got the doctors permission to sit with Elisa. He pulled the chair closer to the bed. He grabbed her hand. It was so cold, he tried to hold back his tears. "I hate to see her like this!" he thought "My Elisa is supposed to laugh and have roses in her cheeks, not be so quiet and lifeless." He kissed her hand
He woke up next morning. He must have fallen asleep some time during the night. "It`s funny.....I can`t remember why we broke up anymore." The doctor came in and interrupted Darren`s thoughts. The doctor smiled at Darren`s worried face. "It`s not going to take long before she wake up now. But she`ll probably fall right back to sleep again."
Darren was hungry, tired and in need of a shave, but he stayed with Elisa, in case she would wake up.
Elisa fumbled in the dark, someone was holding her hand,...it felt familiar and safe. She struggled to open her eyes. She looked up at white walls surrounding. "Where am I?" She noticed a movement to the right of her, and met a pair of blue eyes that she knew and loved. "Darren?" Her voice were weak.
"Shh...don`t speak. You`re in a hospital. You collapsed. Just relax." His voice calmed her down.
"Stay...Darren" she said and closed her eyes
Darren squised her hand. "I`ll stay. Sleep now love."
"I love you" she whispered and drifted into sleep.
Elisa drifted in and out of sleep for three days. Every time she opened her eyes, Darren was there. He only left the room when absolutely necessary. Nic had canceled all concerts in a three week period. And booked a room at a hotel in Italy. Daniel one day, came with the suggestion that they could join them there. Nic was relieved that he had made that suggestion. She had the feeling that Elisa really needed Darren right now, it was to early for her to be separated from him again. And as Daniel pointed out; The press had gotten the news about Elisa being in the hospital, and that the singer from Savage Garden was there with her. Dan thought it would be to early for them to answer any question at all about their relationship, or the lack of one. Depending on how you look at it.
By the end of the week they were on their way to France. In separate planes, to lure the press. Darren loved to be able to be near her again, but he was also holding back, not knowing where it would be heading this time.
Elisa on the other hand was scared to show Darren her true feelings about him. She remembered vagely that she had told him that she loved him at the hospital, but hoped that he hadn`t heard it. She didn`t want to start all over again without thinking it through, but she was glad he was there with her. He seemed to give her strength when she felt she had none. "And that`s just one of the reasons why I love him." she thought to herself.
They had a good time together. But they never talked about what once were, so the tension that surrouded them got on Nic and Dan`s nerves.
"I wish that they could talk about it!" Nic turned to Dan. Darren and Elisa sat on the sofa watching tv. But they were very aware of eachother it seemed. Very careful not to touch each other. And from where Nic and Dan sat, very obvious looking at eachother when the other didn`t see. "Yeah.....I don`t think they can move on without talking about it!" Daniel paused "I really don`t think they can move on at all........they belong together. I never thought I would say that." Nicole smiled to him. "Strange......I`ve been thinking the same thing!"
Later that night. Darren turned to Elisa, and looked at her a long time. "Elisa? Can I hold you for a while?" Elisa looked in his eyes, surprised. "Why? I meen....what for?"
"I just want to feel what it`s like to hold you again..." Elisa hesitated, and Darren continued. ".........just for a little while......., pretend that it`s last year again."
"I don`t remember what it was like Darren, so I can`t pretend..." Elisa was lying, but Darren felt his heart break again.
"I don`t recognize you Elisa. Everything about you is changed."
"No it`s not. I`m just being realistic. Why would I let you hold me?" Elisa paused for a while, and looked down at the floor. "........I know that if I let you hold me.....I`ll remember how much I love you, and.....I`m scared of loving you Darren! Look where it has taken us!" Elisa looked straight in his eyes. Darren turned around and walked out of the room, the last thing he said was;" I don`t know you anymore..."
Elisa ran through the kitchen, sobbing. Nicole hurried after her.
Darren came walking behind her, very calm. Daniel looked at him, and quietly put down his cup. "What the he## did you say to her?" His voice where calm, but Darren could hear anger in it.
"Oh...nothing really!" He tried to sound indifferent.
"The girl came running pass us, crying....And you tell me she cries for nothing!" Daniel stood up.
"........listen Dan..:"
"NO! You listen!" Dan pointed at him.
"You are going to be nice. You are going to be sensitive, and you are going to be understanding. She needs you right now. Not as a lover, but as a friend. She loves you,......but right now, she needs to rest. Not be swept off her feet again. There will come a time for that, but leave it up to her. Leave your pride and emotions aside. And focuse on what she want for now. Give her time!"
"But....." Darren started, a little hurt by his friends outburst.
"DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?" Daniel shouted
"Ok ok........"Darren resigned. Deep down he knew Dan was right. It was all up to her.
Elisa cried on Nic`s shoulder. "Why is he being so mean?" Nic sighed "Are you sure you`re not overreacting? I meen...you two have never talked about what happened between you. Technically you aren`t finished. And you can`t blame Darren for trying to work it out. He loves you so much......and waiting for the right time to tell you...." Nic laughed "......we both know that timing isn`t the strong side of most men!"
Elisa looked at Nic with a hopefull look in her eyes. "Do you really think he still loves me?"
"Of course he does. It`s written all over him. Why shouldn`t he?"
"Well.....I didn`t actually try to work things out. I just gave up on us!"
"Hmm....yeah you did. He didn`t. You did....I think it`s all up to you now!"
"Nic? You know there are things that have to change if we could make it work."
"Yeah I know. And I think you know. What`s to be done"
Elisa was thinking for a while. "Are you suggesting....?"
"Yeah, ......I guess I am!"
"But.....?"
"Dan have suggested something for me, and honestly I`m thinking serious about it. But it`s all up to you!"
Dan entered so the girls stopped talking. He smiled "Do you girls want to escort two very handsome guys to the dinner?"
"Who?" They asked in unison and laughed. They went out, and left all awkward feelings aside. It was almost like old times. Darren really made an effort to treat Elisa like their talk this afternoon never happened. But every time his hand stroke against hers, his heart jumped and he had to catch is breath again. Elisa notised this, maybe because she felt the same. And she started to realise that he still loved her, and that made her desition easier.