Dominic’s story

Never in my life have I been so scared of something as I was for her. I didn’t even know her name. I knew nothing about her, only that I felt desperate to save her and that she absolutely had to live.

I came to see her every day. Every day I am worried about her. They had initially moved her to the ICU and were there for over a month now. I kept talking to Declan and today I had another meeting with him. I was hoping for good news.

I was spending most of my time in a chair in front of the ward. I’ve given up my acting life and put all my projects on standby. But I was still practicing my lines at home. Getting into the skin of another character helped me immensely, and I felt it was the only way I could cope with all this.

Sometimes I was losing my hope that she would ever open her eyes. She had tests after tests, but she still wouldn’t open her eyes.

I bowed my head, wishing God could hear me. And just then there was a tap on my shoulder that made me glance at the chair beside me. A sad-eyed, middle-aged woman was looking at me.

“Are you feeling alright, son?” The woman’s voice echoed in my head but it seemed to caress my soul. Despite that she had a particular sadness in her gaze.

Maybe she was here for the same reason, but even so, she was concerned about me.

“I’m only a little troubled...” The words got stuck in my throat. I could barely speak them out.

“You brought her on time, don’t you worry!”

“I hope so... wait, how would you know that? I’ve been coming here for over a month...”

“Son, even if it was a month, the whole hospital knows that the actor Dominic Stone brought in an injured young woman”

I was watching her with interest because I hadn’t really paid attention to that detail. I was so drawn into this vortex of pain that the outside world no longer existed.

She smiled kindly at me.

“Well, I only hope it was not too late...” I said with regret in my voice.

“Have faith, my son, that God will let nothing bad happen to her”

I felt bad that this woman was taking care of me and I didn’t even ask her name or how she was feeling.

“And yourself, ma’am...”

“Adams. Eve Adams is my name. My sister Pauline is here. She had a stroke a few days ago, but the doctors say it would not be much now. Not a hope there. She’s almost gone... I just came to say goodbye to her...”

Teardrops fell from the poor woman’s eyes. I’d forgotten what physical pain meant. After he turned me, I didn’t experience it anymore.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Adams...” That was all I could say to her. What else could I have said? How to comfort the heart of this woman whose loved one was dying?

“That’s fine. I’ve already made my peace with God. I am not upset” I still wish I had known what to say to her. One thing was certain.

“People were not supposed to suffer this way!” And I was really speaking from the heart.

“It’s okay to be angry, but once we accept God’s will, what He has in store for us, life becomes easier to live... without our loved ones. But it will not be your case.” Then she turned her sad eyes away and buried them in her palms. I then heard soft sobs.

“Sometimes it’s just too hard to understand...” I continued, thinking about the woman I had saved who was probably in excruciating pain.

“It is, my dear, but there must be some happiness for us mourners beyond the grief. At least a closure... I must go now. It’s time!”

“Mrs. Adams...” I felt the need to tell her I would be there for her if she needed something.

“Yes, son...”

“Please, take good care of yourself and thank you for your kind words. Here’s my business card... if you need anything, please call me!”

“I am the one I should thank, young man. You’ve made my suffering easier. God bless both you and the young lady you came with!”

With those last words, that brave lady went to say her farewells to her sister. My heart clenched at that thought. How in the world could you say goodbye to someone you care deeply about? Your flesh and blood?

The night was so hard, but I couldn’t move from that chair until she got better. The good news finally came sometime after midnight. She finally started breathing on her own, but Declan kept her in ICU for a week more while the danger passed completely. I finally was hopeful about her recovery chances. However, not entirely. Declan brought me bad news.

“Dominic, you came in every day for the last two months now. In fact, there were nights when you slept right in this chair. I admire your strength, but I keep wondering why you do this? I know you bro...” and he came close to my ear so only I could hear him. “You’re not like that. What the hell is wrong with you?”

In the last two months, her recovery has been slow but not complete. She had now been awake for about a week and kept asking for me. Or at least of the one that saved her. When I brought her in, Declan did a detailed CT scan, and now he covered her eyes in bandages. He must have seen something he shouldn’t have...

“If I tell you I don’t know what’s wrong with me either, would you believe me? It’s like my whole body’s screaming, calling out for her...”

“It could be her...”

“She could be... I don’t know yet, but I feel something…”

“I totally respect your decision not to tell her who her rescuer was, even though she asks the nurses every day, you know.” I didn’t even know if this thing made me happy.

“That’s right. She didn’t see me when I saved her. She didn’t even get the chance. I keep looking for the ones who ordered this. My revenge will be severe.”

Declan always listened to my decisions and threats. Since he was the only one who knew my secret, I felt the need to confide in him. Then he immediately changed the subject.

“Dominic, in a week, if everything goes well, I will discharge her” The news was wonderful, but I still had thousands of questions that needed to be clarified. But one thing I knew for sure.

“I know... I’ll come and pick her up and then maybe tell her who I am...”

“It will be a pleasant surprise for her, I’m sure. You also need to know a few more things about her condition so you can prepare for what’s coming.” Precisely, these kinds of warnings didn’t sit well with me. Something seemed to tell me it would also be a bit of all this.

“What now, Declan?”

“Sit down. We need to talk some more.”

I sat in a chair in his office, preparing myself for the discussion. I was fully aware of what was to come, but I didn’t know if I was also prepared to hear the harsh truth.

“Dominic, what this woman has been through has left a nasty mark on her. Since she had no papers on her, and I had to put a name on the register of admissions, I made up one for her, Corrine. Now that she woke up she could tell me her real name, Rebecca Holland. But there are two things you’ll have to know and accept. First, just as you first told me and the way we brought her here, Miss Holland is paralyzed from the waist down. Add to that the fact that she witnessed the murder of the man she was with, and the psychological shock she suffered went further than I could have ever imagined. At the last CT scan, I could see slight disturbances in the nerve that gives her vision. You know I did one when we brought her in two months ago, and I’ve seen something wrong ever since. It’s also the reason I performed the surgical procedure. I’ll keep her bandages on this week, and when you come to pick her up, we’ll see if the blindness isn’t permanent.”

It was like listening to a horror story and no matter how hard I tried to tear myself away from it, I couldn’t.

“What do you mean, Declan?” Although I was afraid of the answer, I took a chance and asked.

“I mean that the shock was so great that it affected her eyesight. And although she hasn’t opened her eyes yet to be able to say that for sure, but just based on the changes in her eyes seen on the CT scan at that moment, Miss Holland definitely suffered this due to post-traumatic shock. In other words, I’m ninety percent sure she can’t see anything around her, but it could not be permanent. That would be psychological blindness.”

This news dropped like a bomb on me. Both paralyzed and blind.

I kept repeating this because nobody prepared me to face such a reality.

“Paralyzed... blind...” I mechanically kept on saying, and this time I was the shocked one.

“It could be a temporary condition, Dominic. But I need to know if you’re ready to help her. Clearly, in the situation she’s in, she can’t handle herself. When I tested her feet for sensory sensitivity, though, she wasn’t completely unresponsive, which is a good sign. Therefore, I like to call it temporary paralysis. She might come out of it. And with her vision, it will be the same. Blindness is not physical like I already said, but definitely psychological. So another excellent piece of news”

“That’s great to hear, Declan! I’ll still be here every day, as usual, and before you discharge her, I’ll tell her who I am”

“It’s quite possible she won’t believe you, Dominic. Your notoriety in the film industry will make her question whether you really want to help her or simply take advantage of her condition.” The thought scared me a little. But I knew how I felt, so I was going to be there for her.

“I’m somehow aware of that, Declan. I’ll be patient with her. You have my word. Plus, you’re the one who can back me up. One more question, which has been bothering me...”

“I’m listening...”

“The man she was with. Do you know anything about him?”

“Unfortunately not, I’m still investigating. But he has a familiar face. Anyway, the police are on the case. So far, there’s no evidence that she was there as well. But it may be a matter of time before they find out. I’ve got something on him, though. I’ll email it to you.”

“Thanks Declan, I’m really curious to know who that man was and what role he played in her life?”

Dominic’s story

The past week was a living hell. Between my acting and coming to see Miss Rebecca, my life had been like a roller coaster. I took this decision to keep working, as I knew I was going crazy if I didn’t. To my amazement, I didn’t feel tired at all, as I was coming to the hospital during the day and doing my shows and interviews at night. In fact, it motivated me, and my audience felt it. They frequently stopped me and asked how things were going. It was like Miss Rebecca was part of my life, part of my fans’ lives. Not a performance went by without them asking me about her health. When I would sign autographs, their concern for her was still there.

Eventually, that day came. I was still drinking my espresso in the kitchen, wondering how I should approach this problem. All week I’ve been on guard, running scenarios about how I’m going to tell her who I really am and that she was going to live with me in my house. Both me and Declan decided it was best for her. How would she react or agree to come with me? After all, she didn’t know me. It didn’t matter that I was a public figure. So that was not the point. This woman was about to find out things that will hurt her. Her life would change forever, and the only person on whom she would rely would be me.

I was so excited to see her again and, this time, talk to her too. In the last two weeks, the bruises have healed. Her angelic appearance aroused me in a way that no woman ever could. I know she still had a long way to go, but I would be with her every step of the way. I would be on her feet and her eyes. And it could not be any other way. She was my Luna.

She didn’t know it yet, and I didn’t think she even knew what that meant. I watched her every day as she transformed from the fragile lady I brought into a strong one, willing to go forward, to fight her own battles. I had also seen her sob. Maybe she remembered something, or maybe she was just feeling overwhelmed by it all. Sometimes I felt the urge to hold her, to tell her I would be here for her and that everything would be okay. Then reality would strike and I tell myself to be patient. She needed time and space.

I also did some research on her. She was the agent of a successful model. Before all this happened, she would organize interesting runway events for her client, and things looked good. I also found some disturbing facts about the man who was with that night. That was Tom Fletcher, an architect. And with the things Declan sent me in my email, I figured out he was her fiance. I still didn’t know why those werewolves killed him, though. They were planning their future together, but life and destiny had other plans for them. So at this point, I didn’t even know if I felt mercy or relief for what happened to that guy.

“Are you ready, Dominic?” Declan asked me half-heartedly, writing in the papers on his desk. Maybe it was the discharge form. “Today is an important day for Miss Rebecca. I’m going to take her bandages off,” he continued, raising his eyes at me for a second.

“I’ll never be more prepared,” I replied, perhaps equally worried.

I had arrived early because I had run out of patience and because every pore in her body was calling me to be with her. Her every breath filled me with desire, even from a distance. Without ever touching her, my body reacted in a way that if at first I couldn’t fully explain it, now I was living it to the fullest.

“Then let’s go to her ward,” Declan concluded, heading down the corridor until we reached the front of the room.

Rebecca’s story

I felt like it had been so long since I hadn’t been able to use my legs and it was getting frustrating. At least, that’s what my doctor told me. I was nevertheless lucky to have stayed alive, but to whom should I thank for this miracle? I should have thanked God for sure. And to the one who, as in a dream, took me in his strong arms and pulled me out of that hell. What Declan, my doctor, told me made me think a lot and worry. I had no recollection of what had happened, but I was told I was with someone else, a man to be exact, but I didn’t know what had become of him. I kept thinking that if I was out walking with him at night, we might have a closer relationship. But now I needed to focus on my recovery and why I got attacked in the first place. Because if there was one thing I didn’t believe, it was that the attack was random.

It was still a miracle that I survived the ordeal and that someone was there to save me. But who was it? All I recalled was a pair of powerful arms and an aromatic scent of tobacco and musk. It had to have been a man. I would have to find him and thank him, even if it seemed impossible to move right now.

Lost in thought, I flinched when I heard the door open. It was a strange feeling not seeing the one who had entered. It was very frustrating. Luckily it was my doctor, and as I inhaled with all my being, that musky scent again, and I became increasingly nervous. It was the same one I had carried in my mind since the night of the attack.

“Good morning, Miss Rebecca!” Declan greeted me and I could swear he had a smile on his face, too.

“Good morning, doctor!” I replied, trying to look up a little, but I couldn’t see anything under these bandages. Instead, the masculine fragrance of whoever he was with washed over me in a growing surge.

“How are you feeling today?” he seemed worried, and I heard and felt him approach me. “Today we’re going to remove this blindfold.”

“Better than yesterday, so it must count for something...” I couldn’t explain why I was in such a bad mood. Maybe because something was about to happen that would determine my very existence. I was still trying to ignore the man next to the doctor, but Declan wasn’t making it any easier.

“I am so glad you are feeling better, Miss Rebecca. There’s someone here to see you...” And so it began...

“It is a pity I can’t see him...” perhaps the regret in my voice was very visible, but I couldn’t help it. “

“So you did figure out he’s a man...” And again I felt that wide smile on Declan’s face. So I had to explain myself somehow.

“Musk...” I added briefly, cursing my current condition.

“Oh, yes, that’s right!”

I expected that man to come closer. My heart was no longer at my control. It had its own agenda now. Erratic throbbing followed by heavy hyperventilation. The doctor must have seen the problem. “Are you all right, miss? I can ask him to come back later, if it makes you feel uncomfortable!” I didn’t like the idea, so I reacted immediately.

“No, Declan, it’s alright. I’m fine, it’s just... He’s so very familiar...” And of course he was. I was one hundred percent sure he had been the one saving me.

His manly presence invaded my senses the moment he approached me. I was on high alert. I wish I could see him. To be able to gaze into his eyes and thank him for saving me, for giving me back my life. Maybe even hug him, melt into his muscular arms. Because even though I couldn’t see him, I could feel his presence. I could sense his manly posture, and the second he was inches from me, I began losing my head. I just wanted to surrender myself into those same strong arms that took me out of the hell I went through, surrendering my entire being to his possession. He was imposing. I just knew he was. His musky fragrance flooded me from the inside out, and all I did was inhale his it, wanting to remember it forever. And then...

“It is so good to finally meet you, Miss and that you are feeling alright!”

His voice, his low, husky voice, soothed my ears. I felt so relaxed by his sweet, gentle voice. Of course, he was happy. He did save me.

“The pleasure is all mine...”

And it really was. If it wasn’t for this man, I wouldn’t be here thanking him.

He extended his hand to grasp mine. Touching him meant reviving all my emotions and feelings that had long been dormant. There was no way I could explain my feelings for a person I didn’t know. When I put my hand in his, the trauma my body was dealing with immediately spoke its own word. Everything hurt. The grimaces on my face didn’t show very well, but you only had to look at my mouth to realize how much it hurt. But it was still me who spoke. “Oh my God, sir, I’m so sorry about that...” I didn’t even really know why I was sorry. Maybe because the physical pain mixed with the pain inside and the desperate cry of wanting this man so much didn’t sit well together.

“Miss Holland, it’s all right, it’s nothing, really!” He reassured me, but without breaking our hands.

Goosebumps formed at his touch, allowing a sweet sense of belonging. It was that sense that I belonged to him somehow for saving me from the claws of death. Shivering chills ran through my body from head to toe without me being able to stop them. They were out of my control. This man had a serious voice when he spoke to me. Only by hearing him I could feel reassured. This is how I felt when I was around him. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be here talking about it. Then it all changed... “Let me introduce myself, Miss Holland. I am Dominic Stone”

Upon hearing his name with its tremendous meaning and resonance, I burst out into a frenzied laughter. I could only imagine the look on their faces. And I definitely caught him off guard. “Did I say something wrong, Miss?” His voice changed, but not that much. It was somehow shocking.

“You would have to excuse my audacity, please, but Dominic Stone? I mean the actor Dominic Stone?”

“Him, in person!” he spoke to me resolutely.

“Oh, no! Doctor Declan, please tell me this is a joke” I kept placing this on a stupid thing of the destiny.

“I am afraid it isn’t, Miss Rebecca. He really is Dominic Stone, the actor. And I am saying this because he is actually my friend, so we have no reason to lie to you”

“Right, and I’m Cinderella!” I burst out, changing my position in bed. I just could not believe that the great actor saved me from my death.

Again, I was laughing, but this time not so loud. “I would really like to believe you, but in what mind does it fit that the great actor Dominic Stone saved an ordinary woman like me?”

“Right into a stubborn little head like yours!”

Rebecca’s story

Coming so close wasn’t exactly a good idea, which is why he could definitely hear my heart beating like crazy. I couldn’t see him because of the bandages, but I was greedily inhaling his delicious aroma.

“Dominic Stone...” I repeated his name, and he immediately turned away from me. I couldn’t describe the feeling of abandonment I immediately felt.

“Therefore, you know me,” he reinforced the idea by hearing his name from my mouth. It wasn’t intentional, just an involuntary reaction, though. But my reaction was totally unexpected, even for me. I could say I was rude about it.

“Show me someone who doesn’t know you, Mr. Stone! And you’re here because...”

“It’s Dominic actually and I’m taking you home with me so I would answer your question without too many detours,” he concluded, and I even felt a victory glow on his face.

I shifted on the bed, barely restraining myself from laughing. At the same time, I was also nervous. I didn’t want to seem rude, but who would have thought that not only had the great actor saved me from the big bad wolves, but that he had invited me to stay in his house as well?

“I’m sorry I reacted this way, but you know I am, at this point, a person with special needs. Just look at me. I can’t walk, I can’t see... to hell with it, if I could just see you, so I know you’re telling me the truth...”

- And I’m sorry too that you don’t believe me, but I trust that in time you will. The simple truth is that you’re coming home with me because you need my help. "

What he just told me not only made me think seriously, but it made me even more intrigued. It wasn’t like I didn’t have someone to take care of me. I could afford to pay for the most expensive treatments and nurses to help me.

“I don’t need anyone’s help, least of all yours. I can take care of myself,” I explained at length, trying hard to keep myself from bursting. Who did he take me for?

“I’m aware of that, Miss Holland, but it is possible that the attack I saved you from cannot be accidental, so I will not risk your life. Therefore, you are coming with me!”

“Then why can’t I remember the attack? How do I know it’s not made up by you?”

When I asked this, the room filled with a heavy silence. Frankly, I didn’t like it one bit. But just then Declan explained.

“Miss Holland, the reason you don’t remember the attack is due to post-traumatic shock, which seems to have caused more damage to your body than I expected. You are currently suffering from what I call selective amnesia.” This news fell like a bombshell and although I couldn’t see the faces of the two men, I could feel their eyes on me.

“Selective amnesia? Can you be more specific?”

“It means that there are specific parts of your life, most of them distressing, that you may not remember. Your mind is selecting memories in order to protect you. Therefore, your brain has blocked out the moment of attack”

“Protect me from what, doctor?” I already didn’t like the way Declan was expressing himself and I felt like my problem was going to cause me a lot of trouble in the future. And it was something I couldn’t allow.

“If you remember all the bad things that happened to you all at once, your mind might not be able to cope and it can collapse. The brain thus developed a protective barrier. In other words...”

“I’ll go crazy...” I added it in shock over the verdict.

“In a way, Miss Holland. I’m so sorry to bring you such terrible news”

Was he really? It didn’t really matter now that I still had a bandage over my eyes that he hadn’t removed yet. God knew what was waiting for me.

“Enough chatter, it’s time to tell you Miss Holland that I won’t leave you alone!” that male voice intervened and every time I heard it sent shivers through my body.

“I see, Mr Stone…” I approved by looking at him, but the bandages still bothered me.

“So you do know me...” His voice got a tone lower.

“Who doesn’t? Are you here because...” I had to acknowledge the actor’s notoriety but there was no guarantee that the man in front of me, whom I couldn’t see, was actually Dominic Stone.

“I have only one reason for being here. I’m taking you home with me!”

That news fell like a bomb to my ears. I shifted on the bed, struggling to keep myself from laughing. I was not trying to sound rude, but who would have thought that not only did he not save me, but Dominic Stone, the man an army of women sigh for, came to take me home? To what purpose? And then I burst.

“I’m deeply sorry, but you are aware that I am a person with special requirements at the moment, right? What I mean is I can’t walk, apparently I can’t see either... damn, if I could only see you so I would know you are telling me the absolute truth”

“I am sorry too that you don’t believe me, but God knows, in time, you will. Still, the truth is you’re going home with me because you need help and I can provide you with that help.”

He spoke with such certainty and determination that for a moment I felt that this was what I was supposed to do, go to this stranger’s house. But my mind was still in a fog. I still didn’t fully know what had happened to me. I just didn’t trust a stranger. Even if he was the one who saved me, because it was pretty obvious that he did.

“What will happen to my family?” I had a sister that could be worried sick.

When I questioned this, the room filled with a harsh stillness. Frankly, I didn’t like it. But then doctor Dominic interfered again, explaining.

“Miss Holland, I am aware you have a next of kin, and I am aware she is not here, in New York. Rest assured that I will call her and explain about your situation. I have to, being your doctor. As for Dominic here, he saved you and to be honest you would need some help in the near future, so he is the only one now that can do it”

I’ve often heard men support each other’s opinions, but this was a unique situation. Or at least that’s what I was trying to convince myself. I said it with my own mouth. I couldn’t walk, I couldn’t feel my legs, I wasn’t sure I could see either.

Although I hated to admit it, Dominic was right. And whether he was the actor was less important. This man had saved me from the clutches of death. It was impossible. He could hurt me.

I wanted so much to remember the attack, to know who did it and why? And more importantly, to know if I was with anyone else. But the memories were so distant.

“Doctor, if you want me to go to his house so badly, then you’d better take the bandages off as soon as possible,” I said, perhaps a little more determined than I would have expected. I could almost hear his smile.

“Ok, your wish is my command. In fact, that’s exactly what I intended to do, so I came prepared” Even the cheerfulness in his voice surprised me. Maybe I really got seriously injured and my recovery was this doctor’s victory.

As soon as I heard the clink of utensils, I knew it was the big moment. The moment of truth. If I said I wasn’t nervous, I’d be lying. I was. A lot depended on my vision.

Somehow behind the bandages, I closed my eyes as I felt the cold stainless steel on my cheek, cutting the piece of cloth covering my face.

I could feel my heart beating like crazy and even expect either joy or disappointment. From two precise cuts, the bandage fell gently caressing my cheeks. Now there were the patches remaining stuck to my eyes. My breathing quickened and as I felt Declan’s deft hands, I was one step closer to the truth. As soon as he peeled off my white patch, I expected everything to be dark until my eyes got used to the light. Declan himself was keen to assure me of that.

“Miss Holland, don’t be scared. You won’t see anything at the moment. It’ll take ten minutes, a quarter of an hour tops to figure out the result. In the meantime, allow me to use the medical flashlight...”

I had calmed down listening to the doctor, but I had to admit I was afraid. Time passed rather quickly, and the room had become quiet. I still couldn’t see anything, and I was panicking.

“Doctor, what’s going on? Why can’t I see yet?” I panicked, turning my head left and right as if searching for the perfect position for my eyes to receive vision.

“Let me look...” And Declan approached again with the flashlight. “Do you feel that? Does it bother you?” he asked curiously, but I didn’t even know what I was supposed to feel.

“I don’t... I can’t see... What is supposed to bother me?”

“The light! Something’s wrong, Miss Holland!”