WestFiction- "Forever in My Heart" by Sue

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FOREVER IN MY HEART

by Sue

It was late. 2 am to be precise. The BMW purred it’s way along the country lanes. Inside, Shane was driving carefully. Beside him sat his girlfriend Elise. She was quietly chatting about their night out.

“Oh Shane. That was such a great night. I still can’t believe you and Mark had this all planned.”

Shane smiled at her as she continued,

“You should have seen the look on the face of the waiter when you and Mark both got down on one knee and proposed to me and Emily. I thought he was going to die of laughter. I thought it was very sweet though.”

In the back of the car were Mark and Emily. They were fast asleep, cuddled up together, practically lying down on the seat. The boys had planned long and hard to get both girls together at the restaurant. After their proposals had been accepted they had spent the rest of the evening discussing a double wedding.

The car continued to snake it’s way home. Suddenly, out of the darkness, came an old battered van, swerving all over the road. Shane tried desperately to avoid it but it clipped the front of his car. His beautiful BMW shot over the edge of the road and down the embankment that ran alongside the road. It rolled over a couple of times before coming to a stop against a large tree. Shane remembered shouting out for Elise before darkness engulfed him. An eerie silence followed, broken only by the sound of sobbing coming from Elise. She sat in the darkness, Shock etched on her features, too afraid to move.

Slowly Shane began to come round. He felt pain shoot through his leg when he tried to move. He could hear Elise crying.

Gritting his teeth he turned towards her. She was holding her arm awkwardly and blood seeped from a cut on her head.

“Baby, are you o.k?” he asked.

“I think so, but my arm hurts” she whispered. “What about the others?”

As quickly as he could Shane turned in his seat. There was silence in the back. Mark and Emily were still lying together, as if frozen in time, but they were no longer cuddled up. Neither of them had been wearing their seatbelts and had been tossed about in the back like dolls.

“Mark” Shane said “Mark, can you hear me?”

“Oh my God” said Elise, “are they…?”

“I don’t know” whispered Shane, fear making his voice shake.

He fumbled in his pocket for his mobile, not taking his eyes off the still form of Mark. Frantically he called for help.

20 minutes later, the first ambulance arrived at Sligo General Hospital, carrying Shane and Elise. By the time the second ambulance arrived, four sets of anxious parents were sitting in the waiting room, praying that their children were alive.

After about half an hour the door opened and Dr. Hanlon came in. Worried faces met him. Dreaded, unasked questions filled the air. Dr. Hanlon clasped his hands together and started speaking.

“I’m not sure how much you have been told but Shane’s car left the road and went down the embankment. The car itself was not too badly damaged, but two of the occupants were not wearing seatbelts. This undoubtedly added to the injuries sustained. Shane is going to be fine. He has a broken leg and cuts and bruises.”

A sigh of relief came from the Filans.

“Elise will also make a good recovery. She has a broken arm and she is also very upset. It seems she remained conscious throughout the accident and is therefore naturally traumatized. We have sedated her.” Elise’s parents hugged each other.

A brief silence followed. Dr. Hanlon looked at the Feehilys, who by now knew that Mark and Emily must be badly hurt.

“Would you like to talk in private?” he asked.

“No” said Marie. “We are all family here.”

Dr. Hanlon glanced round the room and then he continued.

“Mark has a broken ankle and internal bleeding. He is still unconscious and he is in surgery at the moment. We will know more when he wakes up.”

Marie began sobbing and Oliver held her tightly. Finally, Dr. Hanlon turned to Emily’s parents.

“I am so very sorry. I am afraid Emily died on the way to the hospital. She had severe head injuries but I can assure you she would not have suffered.”

Emily’s mum collapsed in her husband’s arms, crying uncontrollably. Emily’s dad closed his eyes. Their only child was dead.

Dr.Hanlon cleared his throat.

“The nurses will take you to your children.”

Half an hour later, Marie and Oliver sat by Mark’s bedside in intensive care. He had just returned from surgery and was now lying perfectly still, surrounded by machines and drips. Marie was weeping quietly, holding his hand. Mark’s thick, dark lashes fanned his pale cheeks. An ugly bruise crept into his hairline. Oliver watched silently as the machines recorded Mark’s vitals.

Down the hall, the Filans watched over their youngest son as he slept. He had cried himself to sleep when they told him about the others.

The night passed slowly into day. Shane woke up and remembered the awful events of the previous night. He wanted to see Elise and Mark. A nurse helped him into a wheelchair and pushed him to Elise’s room. She was sitting up in bed talking to her parents. Her face was pale and her eyes were red from crying. Her arm was in a sling.

“Oh Shane” she cried , and fresh tears flowed.

“Hush baby, it will be o.k.” he said, his own tears returning.

“Can we go and see Mark?” Elise asked.

Shane looked at the nurse who said she would find out. She returned a few minutes later and said that Dr.Hanlon said it would be alright. Supported by her parents, Elise and Shane made their way slowly to intensive care. Marie and Oliver looked up as they entered.

“How is he?” whispered Shane.

“No change” Oliver replied, trying to cover the worry in his eyes. They persuaded Marie and Oliver to take a break and soon Shane and Elise were left alone with Mark. Elise broke down again and Shane held her as best he could, his own eyes filling with tears again as he looked at all the drips attached to his friend.

I should have made sure they were wearing their seatbelts, he thought to himself. He went as close as he could to the bed.

“Hey Marky” he said in a shaky voice.

“I know you love sleeping but it’s time to wake up now”

Silence, except for the machines. Elise took Mark’s hand carefully and then gently stroked his pale cheek.

“Please Mark, wake up”.

They sat like this for ten minutes. Neither of them could think of anything to say. Suddenly, Mark’s long eyelashes fluttered and his intense blue eyes opened slightly.

“Emily?” he whispered.

Elise began to cry and Shane’s cheeks ran with tears.

“Emily?” Mark whispered again, his face becoming anxious.

Elise went for the doctor. He soon came in , quickly followed by Mark’s parents.

“Hello Mark. Try not to talk, you are very weak”.

Mark opened his eyes wide.

“Where’s Emily?” he repeated, his breathing becoming erratic. Dr. Hanlon checked Mark’s vitals, concern on his face. He looked at Marie and Oliver who nodded fearfully.

“I’m so sorry Mark. Emily died.” He said quietly.

Mark stared back at the doctor, his blue eyes full of tears and pain. Shock drained his face of what little colour he had. Dr. Hanlon quickly injected something into Mark’s arm and Mark moved his head restlessly.

“Mum” he whispered. Marie ran to her son’s side and held him gently as his heart broke in two.

It was a week later. Shane and Elise had both been released from the hospital after two days. Mark’s condition had deteriorated for a while after the shock of losing Emily. Shane and the other lads visited him every day and he slowly began to improve. Four days after the accident he was moved to a private room.

Now it was the day of Emily’s funeral and Mark was insisting that he was going.

“Now Mark” began Dr. Hanlon, “you are not well enough to go. You have had surgery and are not yet strong enough to leave your bed, let alone go gallivanting across the countryside.”

Mark drew his brows together and glared at the doctor.

“I hardly call going to my fiancée's funeral ‘gallivanting’” he said, his voice shaking with emotion.

“Forgive me” said the doctor. “I didn’t mean it like that, but you must understand, I have to put your health first. That is my main priority.”

Mark continued to glare and the doctor could tell from his colour that his temperature was rising. Mark began to fidget as pain assaulted his body from his various injuries.

“Please” he whispered. “I have to go , to say goodbye”.

Dr. Hanlon watched as Mark struggled against the tears that threatened to fall. He knew that Mark would not rest unless he let him go. Finally he said

“O.K. Mark. You win, but I’m coming too so that I can keep an eye on you.”

Mark smiled his thanks and promised to try and sleep before it was time to get ready.

Five hours later the small group filed into the church. Shane and Mark sat in their wheelchairs. The rest of the boys and their partners were there as well. They were shocked to see how ill Mark looked.

Throughout the short but beautiful service Mark sat staring at Emily’s coffin, unable to believe she was gone. Shane was worried about him.

“Are you o.k. Marky?” he asked.

Mark just shook his head in reply. He looked around the church. They should have come here together to be married, not like this.

The small group moved on to the cementary. As Emily’s coffin was slowly lowered into the cold, hard ground Mark wanted to throw himself on top of it and go with her. Then the lads began to sing

“Goodbye to you my trusted friend..”

Mark turned to look at them and the tears poured down his cheeks. Emily’s parents threw their flowers onto the coffin and hugged Mark before leaving the graveside. Mark stared down at the single red rose that lay in his lap. Slowly he picked it up. He closed his eyes and kissed the delicate petals before throwing it into the grave. He looked across at the lads and tried to join them singing as best he could.

“With the flowers everywhere

When you see me I’ll be there”

His voice broke and he slumped forward in the wheelchair. Dr. Hanlon and Marie rushed to his side. His face was deathly pale and his whole body shook with emotion as the tears fell.

“Please mum, I want to go home” he mumbled.

Marie glanced at the doctor who decided it would be best if Mark were in familiar surroundings. Slowly the solemn group made it’s way out of the cemetary towards the waiting cars.

Once back at Mark’s house, Dr. Hanlon insisted that Mark go to bed. He was emotionally and physically drained and the pain he was in showed clearly on his face. The doctor gave Mark something to make him sleep. Mark lay in his bed and watched drowsily as Shane was wheeled in. Once they were alone Shane spoke

“How ya doin’ mate?”

“I still can’t believe she’s gone. I really loved her so much” replied Mark, his eyes filling up.

“I know, but she’ll always be here” said Shane, gently putting his hand over Mark’s heart. Mark struggled to keep his eyes open.

“Thanks Shane” he murmured.

Shane watched tearfully as Mark gave into the drug and his heavy lids closed. He held on to Mark’s hand and suddenly felt the strength flow through them both. He heard Emily’s soft voice singing

“When you see them, I’ll be there”

Shane sighed. “I know you will Emily” he said. As the tears he had been holding fell he sat and watched over his sleeping friend.

Shane felt at peace. He knew it would be hard and that it would take a long time, but he felt in his heart that Mark would smile again.

Epilogue

It was a year later. It was Shane and Elise’s wedding day. Everyone was worried about how Mark would cope with what would have been his wedding day too. Mark had taken a long time to recover after the accident. Surprisingly, he had agreed to be Shane’s best man. Now he was standing beside him waiting for Elise to arrive.

“Are you o.k?” asked Shane, looking anxiously at him.

“Yeah sure” replied Mark, touching his heart. Shane saw the gesture and smiled to himself.

The music began and the bridal party made it’s way slowly down the aisle. Mark saw Elise’s sister, Rachel, in her bridesmaid’s dress. She looked stunning.

“Wow” he thought and then he immediately felt guilty. This should have been his wedding day too. He stood and watched them approach.

“Pretty girls are everywhere”

He heard a soft voice singing. He looked around. Everyone was watching the bride. Suddenly Mark touched his heart.

“Thank you Emily” he whispered, his eyes filling with tears.

His eyes returned to Rachel and he smiled….

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