Linc lay in the bed with a smile on his face. He was sure Becky and Rob would get back together. If not, then he was a poorer judge of character than he thought he was. He wondered what his own future held. Working as a carpenter might not be on the cards for him if he couldn't get flexibility in his leg again. A tear trickled down his face. Rob wasn't going to be on the scene to help him this time, and the support he'd gotten from Becky would now come long distance.

A soft knock sounded on the door. Linc quickly dried his eyes just as the door opened a crack.

"Hello. Linc. Are you awake?"

He'd know that voice anywhere. "Emma."

"Yeah." She popped her head through the opening. "It's me."

"Come in, come in." Linc's heart leapt. Emma had come to see him. Surely, it must mean she still cared. He shuffled up in the bed. A pain caught him in the leg, but he wasn't going to let Emma see him in distress. He clamped his jaw against it and pushed down on the bed with his palms so he could sit up further. She wasn't going to see him at his weakest, especially now that she was here.

The memory of him crying like a baby, pleading with her not to break up with him, flashed across his mind. No girl wanted to see a man beg like that, and he was a man now, had to be, and he was going to prove he was the best guy she'd ever have in her life.

"I've been waiting out in the hall," Emma said.

"Have you?" Linc noted that she was clutching her hands together and fiddling with her fingers.  Maybe she was scared he was going to tell her to piss off. This thought had Linc's heart soaring. He'd never tell her to piss off, and she knew it, so maybe she was here to beg him to forgive her for breaking his heart.

"Yes. I didn't want to intrude while all your family were here." She sighed, hung her head a little, and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I saw everyone leave." She lifted her gaze and gave him a whimsical smile. "Your sister ran out, looking pretty upset. I thought for a moment something had happened to you, but when no doctor or nurse came running, I thought maybe she was upset with you."

"No." Linc shook his head. "Nothing like that. She and Rob had a bit of a bingle." Chuckling, he added, "It's a wonder you didn't hear it." He moved to reposition himself. A pain shot up his thigh to his ribcage, and then jumped to his head. "Ah..."

"Are you alright?" Emma rushed to the side of the bed and clutched his forearm. "Should I ring for someone?"

"Nah... "Linc gasped back the pain and pressed his fingers to his forehead. "Give me a minute. Just a minute. I'll be fine." He took a deep breath through his nose. Maybe he'd moved too soon. Maybe he should have stayed lying flat on the bed. The hint of a smile lifted the sides of his mouth as he thought, all this pain to impress a girl. Linc took another breath and closed his eyes. He'd do it again if it meant she'd continue to hold onto his arm.

"Do you want some water?" She moved to the wheeled bed tray, poured a glass, and then held it towards him. "Should I hold the back of your head or something so you can drink it?"

"No!" Linc snapped.

"Oh." Emma frowned and lowered the glass a little.

"Sorry," he murmured. "It's just; I'm not a cripple, Emma." He could see pity on her face, and it was the last thing he wanted from her.

"I never said you were." Emma put the glass on the bedside cupboard. "I was just trying to help, but here you are, doing exactly as you've always done. Playing Mister Independent." She shook her head with determination. "You've never let me in. Do you realise that? I don't know anything about you."

"Yes, you do." Linc scowled. "I tell you everything." He paused and added, "Told. I always told you everything."

"Obviously not, Linc." Emma folded her arms over her chest and put her weight on one hip. "I had to hear the doctor say you'd had problems with your leg before and that you have a metal rod in it. Then I heard your parents tell the doctor about a car accident you'd been in," her voice rose in pitch as she continued, "And then I find out they aren't even your real parents and that they are your brother's parents and that your sister had been dating him, your brother. What the fuck, Linc? It's all so... wow... fucked up."

"It's not like that." Linc reached out and took her hand. "I'm sorry. I haven't told you stuff about my past because the past is the past, but I've always told you everything from the moment I met you because you're my future, Emma."

She yanked her hand from his grasp. "No I'm not."

"Well why are you here?" A heavy weight beared down on Linc's chest making it hard for him to breathe.

"To see if you're okay." She held her palms out to him. "I'm not that heartless. Trin rang and told me you'd had an accident so I came to the hospital and they told me you were in a coma." Emma sighed and let out a deep breath of air. "I loved you, Linc. If you were going to die I wanted to be here because you were an important part of my life."

"Loved?" Linc's brow furrowed. "Were?" He swallowed a lump caught in his throat. "So if I died you could say you were here for me at the end? Is that right?"

"I guess." Emma  quickly shook her head. "No. Like. I mean. Not like that. It's just..."

"Forget it, Emma. I'm not dead so you can leave. Go get on with your life." He slid down in the bed, put his hands together on his chest like a cadaver in a coffin and closed his eyelids.

"I don't understand why you're upset."

Linc opened his eyes and stared at her. "If it was you in this bed, Emma, I'd be here because I'd be waiting for you to live, not waiting for you to die."

"I was here for that too." Tears filtered through her lashes and ran down her cheeks. "I was praying for you to wake up, Linc. I wasn't wishing for you to die."

"Well... I guess that's okay then. You can go. I'm going to live."

"What were you expecting from me?" Emma wiped her palms down her face.

"I don't know." Linc shrugged. "It's all good. Thanks for being here."

"I'm sorry, Linc." Emma sniffed back a breath. "I'm sorry if me coming here gave you hope that I wanted to get back together. You're my friend. My best friend but we can't be more than that and it would be so unfair on you, on both of us, if that's what happened because of an accident. It would be false and for all the wrong reasons."

"Yeah." Linc nodded. His hurt and anger dissipated. He reached out to her and she took his hand as he said, "You can't blame a guy for hoping, can you?"

She gave him a smile, and then kissed his forehead. "I wish you all the best with everything, Linc. You're a great guy and you deserve someone who will love you like you want to be loved." Emma touched her head to his. "I know she's out there just waiting for you to meet her." She let out a little giggle, lifted her head, stroked his cheek and said, "Just make sure she isn't allergic to anything before you buy her something to eat."

"Will do." Linc couldn't say more. He forced a smile, knowing this was the end. The real end of his relationship with her and he realised he was okay with it but, putting that full stop on the page titled Emma hurt so bad. He held the smile as he watched her close the door before grabbing the pillow and covering his face so he could howl into it.

Poor Linc :(

It hurts to break up with someone you love but staying with someone because you don't want to hurt them isn't good for either person. ♥♥♥

Bingle - a small collision, fight, argument or upset.

Photo copyright-Linus Lindberg