70. I am never letting you go

The whole rescue mission took 5 hours, which felt like a lifetime. The worst, excruciating five hours of my life, I never knew that waiting could be terrifying, dreading and could manifest into physical pain. I began to feel like my heart was beating directly from my throat, I couldn't cry, breathing was painful. Nothing compared to the feeling of relief that washed over me the moment I heard the noises from the police radio announcing that they found her and were headed to the hospital. We couldn't get out of that apartment fast enough. Although I felt relieved, not knowing if Walter was okay still had me in a chokehold, of course, I was happy Angela was found, but what about Walter? Was he fine? What took them so long? And Khalinda? Was she in jail?

The police officer drove us to the hospital where Angela's parents were already waiting with their luggage. I looked around and there was no sign of Walter, but I spotted one of the task force people by the vending machine and instantly ran to him, I couldn't mask my worries anymore, my voice was trembling, "Where is Walter!?! The guy you left with? The civilian?", I explained further seeing the confused look on his face, but despite my description, he still looked lost which only agitated me further. I held his hand, now tears streaming down my face, I needed to see Walter, well, at least know he was okay, but this man who was supposed to know something, was not saying anything, 'could it be that something happened to him?', my brain instantly went on a frenzy, playing all the scenarios I tried to keep buried, everything that could have gone wrong, maybe being accidentally caught in the crossfire or Khalinda stabbing him then stab herself, I was freaking out and there was no stopping the train of madness I was on. I fell to my knees, and I couldn't speak anymore, I saw Rachel bent down to help me up, but I couldn't even stand, I was so out of it, that I didn't even notice that she followed me. My legs felt like liquid, the room was spinning and my heart was beating uncontrollably, "Where is he? Walt-", that was the last thing I mumbled before everything turned dark and silent.

When I came around, my eyes opened to a drip attached to my wrist and a doctor that hovered around me and I instantly knew I was in a hospital bed. Within a few seconds, my memory flooded back along with a familiar stinging pain in my heart and I sprung up, "Where is Wa-?", my words were interrupted by his appearance from a door holding a white plastic, my eyes welled up, "You cruel son of a b-". Walter threw his arms around me, "I am glad you are okay. I am really, really glad you are okay. You scared me-".

I began to sob, tears falling uncontrollably, "It's all your fault. How can you scare me like that? I thought you were de-". I couldn't even say the word without choking, I hugged him tighter and closer, tears still flowing and it was like he knew I needed that because all he did was allow me to cry my eyes out on his shoulder. I was really scared, I was afraid but as I cried, I felt all that fear leave my body and I was finally calming down. All I could think of was Walter was okay, he was okay and he was in front of me, holding me, I held him even tighter, "I am never letting you go, you hear me, never!", I said in a trembling voice.

He finally pulled me back, his eyes teary as well, and gently wiped my wet cheeks, "Thank you Thandie." he then kissed me, before pulling me in his arms again, with a gentler voice, he whispered, "Thank you".

Seeing that I was not okay, he climbed up to the small hospital bed with me and I slowly dosed off in his chest, all that emotional high left me exhausted and with a faint headache. I refused to let him out of my sight, but he somehow managed to escape because when I woke up, I was alone again. I tried to get up but I saw him run out of the bathroom in the hospital room to help me up. That's when it dawned that I was not in an ordinary hospital room because of the small couch in the room and the flower pot in the middle of the coffee table, forget that, I had a private bathroom and flat-screen TV, "Walter, who is paying for all of this?", I suddenly asked making him chuckle, "Don't worry about that. Go take a shower, I brought clothes and a toiletry bag.", I obliged. When I came out of the shower I found food on the table, and I also felt stable enough to ask about the rescue mission, especially after seeing the bandage on his arm, I didn't notice it before and I am glad because that would have pushed me over the edge.

Walter told me that things got violent and he didn't want to get into detail about it, I gladly respected his decision. I figured it was too traumatic because his face got grimmer but he managed to tell me that Angela lost a lot of blood and as a result, she slipped into a coma but the doctors are optimistic. Khalinda was taken into interrogation, however, there was a possibility she wouldn't be arrested but sent to an even more secure psychiatric facility, but that would depend on the results of the psychological tests. I never felt as angry as when he told me that, after all that she did, she might actually be sent to the same institution she managed to escape from. I could see that Walter felt the same, but something felt different about him.

"Thandie, my marriage with Angela will be annulled. Both the families agreed and we feel is for the best.", he said suddenly in a depressed tone.

I imagined that moment a couple of times because that meant we would finally be together, and in my imagination, Walter was smiling and we celebrated by spending the rest of the day all coiled up in bed. However, not only was the location far from what I imagined, but Walter was not smiling, he looked very sad, 'Did he not want to leave her?', I instantly thought with the smile on my face fading. 

He took both my hands to say something but he choked and kissed me instead, even the kiss felt sad, I pulled away instantly, "What's happening?", 

"I love you Thandie". He blurted out, and I was shocked, however, I knew there was more to his statement because his face became even more gloomy, and I didn't think it would get any darker. So I braced myself for the worst because I learned is never a good thing when a person professes their love with a frown.