Shattered Dreams [EDITING] - Chapter 58: Chapter 58

NADIA'S POV:
I wake up feeling foggy, confused and unsure of my surroundings. The only noise I can hear is the sounds of numerous machines beeping in the background, as if they are joining together to make some sort of harmony.
As soon as I woke up I had a nurse shoving a glass of water in my face telling me to drink and I did as best as I could but my whole body felt weird. My face was all tingly and my legs and feet were numb, making me believe for a solid five minutes that they had booked me in for the wrong surgery and cut my legs off.
The nurse asked how I was feeling and I was honest with her, saying every symptom I had and she reassured me that it's all normal effects of anaesthesia and should wear off in a couple of hours. I hope this nauseous feeling goes away as I am starving and I could eat a horse right now.
She asked who I had here to see me and I told her I wanted to see Corey so I am waiting for her to come back with him. It seems to have been quite a while since I requested him so I hope he hasn't gone home and left me here, although I would understand why he did it.
I'm about to spiral into an overthinking rampage when the nurse walks back into the recovery room and I am fully expecting her to be alone but she walks in with Corey following closely behind her with his hands behind his back.
"Corey." My smile grows as he walks to sit in the chair beside me.
"Hello sweetheart, how do you feel?" He asks me and I shrug my shoulders because I'm not sure. I am filled with pain drugs and still have anaesthesia in my system so I don't feel any pain so I am terrified for how I will feel when it all wears off. After I got my tonsils out and the anaesthesia wore off it was the most agonising feeling, I couldn't even swallow. My whole throat was burning and the only thing I could stomach eating was ice cream. I can't remember what having my appendix out felt like but I know once the anaesthesia wore off the recovery wasn't fun.
"Just fine, even better now you're here." I smile up at him and he makes a mock disgusted face before breaking out in laughter. I look towards the nurse as she checks over my observations and I don't miss the way her lips are slightly upturned at the sides.
"I think I prefer you when you're on anaesthesia," Corey smirks playfully. "Nurse, can we have some to take home with us?"
The nurse laughs lightly before replying, "You are surprisingly not the first person to ask me that."
She leaves, saying my observations are all fine, although my temperature is still a bit up but she says that's totally normal when just coming out of surgery. Now that it's just me and Corey I can really tell him how I'm feeling.
"I honestly feel okay, I'm just scared about how I will feel when everything wears off."
"That's fair enough but you will be given pain medication to keep on top of it. You know what it's like, you've had surgery multiple times before." He reassures me and I can't say that it works.
"I know but I just have a massive fear that everything will go wrong with me all the time." I tell him honestly and he nods his head in acknowledgment.
"I've got you something." He says, changing the conversation and I don't know if it's because he doesn't know what to say or because he doesn't want me thinking about the bad things anymore.
"Do tell," I grin, intrigued as to what it is he got me. "Please tell me it's some chocolate, I'm craving it."
"Craving? Are you sure you're not pregnant?" Corey asks in full seriousness.
"Fuck off Corey, is it chocolate or not?" I ask hopefully and I can't help but roll my eyes at him. I know he's trying to lighten the mood but he does do my head in sometimes.
"Unfortunately it's not, but I can go and get you some after," He informs me, putting a bear on my lap and it looks exactly like the one he won me all those years ago. "I won you this at the fair a few weeks ago and I left it in my car. It's why I took so long to get here because I had to rush out to my car to get it."
"Why are you only giving this to me now?" I question him and he scratches the back of his head, mulling over what to say.
"I kind of forgot about it in all fairness." He lies to me, shuffling on his feet.
I think back to when we were at the fair and why he wouldn't of given it to me when we were there but I remember that that's the night Willem took me out because he found me in the bathtub- the bathtub I was in fully clothed because I had a moment of weakness the night before and slept with Jasper. Corey found out that I slept with him because my brother told him, I did wonder why he was in a mood with me the whole night. I don't press him any further on the issue because I don't think either of us want to be reminded about what happened then.
"Well thank you for giving it to me now." I tell him, tucking the bear into the sheet with me so that I can cuddle it better. It kind of smells like Corey's hockey gear so he must've left it in his boot next to his hockey bag since the night of the fair.
"It's okay, I'm just glad you're feeling a little better."
"Until the drugs wear off." I comment.
"Until the drugs wear off," He repeats, shrugging his shoulders. "You really had me worried there you know."
"I know," I smile slightly at him and hold out my hand, which he takes and rubs his thumb on my palm. "At least I'm not pregnant."
"That's true." He smiles at me and shakes his head slightly at my comment.
"Why are you acting so weird?" I question the thing that has been on my mind ever since he walked through those doors. When I left him to go to surgery, he was apprehensive to leave my side and was clinging to the bear I gave him like his life depended on it. Now he is acting almost standoffish, like he doesn't want to be around me. Even though he is holding my hand, there seems to be something in the touch that tells me he would rather not be here at all. I am probably overthinking it all and he is most likely exhausted from the massive night we had last night but I needed to ask him. I needed to ease my mind.
"Weird?" He asks, completely oblivious to how much I know and understand his actions.
"Yes, weird," I confirm. "It seems like you can't wait to leave that door. I don't like you seeing me this poorly as much as you don't like seeing me this way, Corey. I can't help it. I have given you many opportunities to leave me so you can-"
"Willem knows about us." He blurts out, cutting off my overthinking rambling.
"Willem, what?" I ask, shocked.
"He knows about us." He repeats and I feel his hand go sweaty in mine.
"How the fuck did he find that out?" I ask, wanting to know every inch of detail.
"I'm not sure," He begins, his voice steady as he talks. "I was in the family and friends waiting room holding the bear you got me for christmas and him and your parents walked in."
"Sorry, what? My brother and parents are here?" I interrupt him to ask and he nods sheepishly. "I told you not to tell them. You promised me you wouldn't."
I feel a little betrayed by this because even though I know it's something my family have every right to know and that they should know, it is not something I wanted them to find out. I would much rather go through this alone.
"Now hang on a minute before you start having a go at me," Corey begins, not changing his tone so I know he's not mad at me in any way. "I didn't tell them, the doctor did, so they are waiting for us to finish before they come in and see you."
"Why are you saying it like that? Why didn't they just come in with you?" I question, not understanding what is going on fully and I'm more than confident that it has everything to do with the last bits of anaesthesia running through my system still.
"Because I am now number one on your brother's hit list." He tells me and only now I'm reminded that Willem knows about us.
"Oh yeah, you can carry on with that story now." I say to him, taking my hand out of his so that I can take a sip of water as my throat is dry from having a breathing tube shoved down there.
"So, they walk in," He repeats, starting the story again. "Your mum is speaking to me and asking what happened whilst your dad and brother stay back a little to listen. I felt myself get a little emotional over your state so I may have teared up a smidgen."
"So you getting upset means that he finds out we are seeing each other?" I query as it still isn't making sense in my head but i'll catch up eventually.
"There must've been something in my face as he looked into my eyes and he just knew. He didn't even say anything he just came over and punched me in the face." Corey explains, swallowing harshly afterwards as the emotion comes back to him.
"Oh my god, is that why your face is looking a little puffy? I thought it was just a lack of sleep," I ask, poking him in the face where it's swollen and he hisses out in pain. "Did he say anything to you?"
"Just that he doesn't want me seeing you after I leave here." He says hesitantly.
"Well lucky for us, that isn't his decision to make." I inform him with a smile.
"You're right." Is all he says and I still feel like he's holding back from telling me something. I hope he doesn't take what Willem says to heart and that he will not do as he is told because Willem will grow up eventually.
I feel an instant wave of nausea and before I can even announce to Corey that I feel sick he is shoving a cardboard sickness bowl into my face. I empty the water I just drank into the bowl and I feel slightly better for it.
Corey stands beside me, holding my hair back with one hand and then holding the sick bowl to my face with the other, just in case I have to be sick again.
Thankfully, it was just a little blip and I don't feel like I have anything more left to come out, he strokes my sweaty hair and my family chooses this moment to walk in the door.
Corey straightens up when he hears the door open but he wasn't quick enough as they all saw the way he was touching my hair lovingly. Willem hasn't looked at me once since we have been here, his hard gaze has been set on Corey who has gone stiff, unsure of what to do.
No words are spoken but Corey bends down to give me a gentle kiss on my lips before slipping past my family members to get out of here. He passes my brother who is glaring at him, passes my dad who is staring wide-eyed as he is unsure of what's going on and he passes my mum who gives him a small smile.
"Thank you for everything." She whispers to him as he passes and he sends her a small nod in reply and the whole time Willem is sending mental daggers into the back of his head.
I hate the way my mum worded that. She made everything sound so...final.
My mum watches the door to make sure it's fully closed before speaking, "So, how are you?"
"There was no need to punch him, Willem." Is the first thing I say, ignoring my mum's question.
"I don't want to speak about him. Answer mum's question." He tells me, sounding a lot meaner than he usually is towards me.
"I feel fine. My stomach is starting to hurt now that everything is wearing off but I don't feel like I'm dying anymore." I answer my mum's question at last, trying to turn the topic of conversation back off Corey like Willem wanted.
"That's good to hear." Willem says and he sounds so distant towards me and it's never been like this so I don't know how to react or what to do.
I love my brother and I never wanted to do anything to hurt him but when I'm with Corey I forget that I am the girl who is having all of this happen to her.
I hate that I hurt him, especially when I was only trying to be happy myself.
My family stays around me, talking amongst themselves for a while and I can't say I'm really listening. My eyes have been closed, trying to relax in my post-surgery state as I tune out their voices.
A knock comes at the door and it startles me slightly as I was half conscious.
"Hello, Nadia, I've just come to do your observations again." The nurse informs me as she walks into the room wheeling a blood pressure machine next to her.
"We better be off anyway," My mum announces. "We packed you some clothes and toiletries and one of us will be here to visit you tomorrow."
I go to open my mouth to ask if Corey can come but Willem is quick to know what I'm about to say as he says, "No, he can't."
"You don't have to leave on my account, I'll only take a second." The nurse inputs, sensing some sort of hostility in the room.
"She needs her rest anyway, don't you, sweet?" Dad chimes in, giving me a quick kiss on the top of my head.
My mum does the same and Willem stays back, only giving me a short nod. It breaks my heart that he's not being his usual self with me and it hurts even more that it's all my fault.
"Will..." I plead.
He sighs, walking over to me with uncertainty and kisses me on my head just like my parents did and he doesn't say anything as he follows behind them.
As they are walking out of the room the nurse passes me a little box and I open it to find wrapped chocolates inside.
"Are these a complimentary gift or something?" I ask her, curious as to where they have come from.
"They were outside your door when I walked in. I figured it was from your boyfriend from earlier." The nurse tells me, smiling widely as she thinks about the romance of it all. I'm thankful she didn't give them to me when my family were in the room as I think it's obvious that there is some sort of bad blood between them and Corey.
My heart swells that he did actually get me the chocolate I wanted. Even though I had forgotten that I asked for that, I'm surprised he remembered, even though I shouldn't be because he always seems to remember the little things about me.
The nurse does what she needs to do and when she leaves I eat the chocolate with teary eyes as I want this all to be over with.
I get over one thing and then something bigger happens and I can't help but think, when will it all be over? When will I finally have answers?