See You Around~ Grester (completed)

Chapter Thirty-Four

Chester's POV

We had discussed this a thousand times before and each time my answer was the same- no. She attempted to drill into my brain that she would be okay, that it would be fine. She wanted to go on a business trip, for three weeks in another state. I had told her no, that it was unsafe for her to do this alone, that she would be putting herself in danger but she refused to listen.

"You can come if you want, I'll see if I can make that possible." Grace said one evening.

"Don't you understand Grace? I'm not letting you go to another state for three weeks when you're ill and need my care!"

"I'll be fine! It's only a small business trip." She was sat on the bed staring at me as I paced back and forth.

"That you don't have to do! You don't need to go. I don't want you to go, I don't want you putting yourself in danger. It's not healthy and if you leave then there won't be a second where I'm not worrying for you. I need you here."

She looked at me, her eyes softening. Her face suddenly went pale, loosing all its colour it had before. Her hands began to shake. I ran up to her in confusion and guilt. Her eyes were bloodshot and she wasn't responding to my calls. I shook her arm frantically, trying to get a response out of her but her eyes were fixed on the opposite wall.

I didn't know what to do, it was as if she was in some alternate universe. Panic was rising inside me; my breath was shortening and I choked on my words as I repeated Grace's name. Nothing. It was as if she wasn't really here, but she was sitting in front of me; frozen.

I put my hands under her legs and slowly picked her up- her limp body falling into my arms. She had never been this light before; it was as if I was carrying a small child. I buckled her into the seat of the car, her frame falling against the side, she had no control of her movements. It was as if she was in a deep sleep.

I drove frantically, my hands shaking as they clasped the wheel. I kept glancing at Grace, she wasn't moving. We stopped at some traffic lights and I immediately put my hand on Grace's wrist; feeling for a pulse. It was weak but it was there. It was there and that was all that mattered.

We entered the emergency room, Grace's lifeless body across my shoulder. Doctors came rushing, all looking at each other as if they knew something I didn't. She was taken from my embrace, my arms falling to my sides as tears began to build up in my eyes. They wheeled her away into another room; far from me. They told me I couldn't go in, not yet. I sat in the hospital chairs, fiddling with my thumbs. I kept staring back at the room where she lay, wondering what was happening. Doctors emerged from the room, sometimes their faces were full of panic and sometimes they seemed like they had this all under control.

I couldn't help thinking that this was all my fault, that I was the reason Grace was in that hospital bed. I should never have challenged her, I should have never encouraged an argument. This was all my fault. If I had tried to see where she was coming from, if I had tried to understand then maybe everything would be okay. This is all my fault.

"Chester See?" The nurse said, walking up to me. I rose.

"Yes?" My voice was croaky, a desperate accumulation of panicked words.

"You can see her now."