Break Me // ONC 2022

CHAPTER TEN

The hospital is filled to the brim. People are rushing in looking for loved ones. There are a lot coming in in body bags from finding them after the nightmare of the last few days. One woman is down on her knees crying. Her husband is somehow alive, but barely and in surgery.

My stitches were done a half an hour ago and while it completely sucked, it doesn't amount to the pain Jaime is feeling. They took him back for x-rays a while ago and now I'm waiting behind a curtain for his return.

I also saw Grandma. Not my best moment. In the midst of the chaos I broke down right there. It was just me and her and the nurse who guided me in the right direction.

The nurse rolls Jaime back in with a dopey smile on his face. It's nice to see because I never thought I'd be able to again. I'm reeling over the fact that his dad was standing in front of me. How was that even possible? Was it a dream? I've always questioned the world around me, but are there other threats out there? Not like your normal everyday ones, but magical, paranormal ones that we aren't aware of? I got to live, the monsters are gone, but for some reason I don't feel relaxed. These stories should be just that, stories, but as I've learned over the last few weeks, they are far from stories, they are our reality.

A hand grips my shoulder. I was so lost in my own head, I didn't notice the male nurse leaving, and placing the moveable bed beside me. I glance up from the uncomfortable hospital chair and give a quick smile.

"Did I lose you again? Where'd you go? "

"You don't want to know. You should be resting, not worrying."

He squeezes my shoulder. "Nore. Look at me."

"I am."

"No, you're staring off at the curtain behind me. Your eyes are hazing over. What happened is a lot to take in, and it's okay to not be okay right now."

I lower my head, staring down at my leg. My jeans are covered in dirt and muck still. I pick at the dried mud, feeling a tear fall.

"I saw her," I whisper. "She's really gone." My lip trembles, and I'm a mess all over again.

"Oh, Nore. I'm so sorry I wasn't there."

I swipe at my tears, attempting to keep them at bay, but they keep rolling on in as if they have a mind of their own.

"It's, I don't really want to talk about it. I need time to process."

I'm here when you're ready to talk. God knows I'll be chewing your ear off when I'm ready. Well - if it's okay."

I chuckle lightly, and wipe some more. "Yeah. It's okay. I uh- I saw something out there."

The first part of this confession makes my chest tighten to the point of pain. I grip my chest, trying to make my heart stop pounding. I fill my lungs with much needed air, taking several deep breaths before the words tumble out.

"You were dead. I swore you were. And then this man came wandering out of the woods. Something felt familiar about him. He stopped in front of me, told me you were okay, and when I turned you were breathing again. You were okay."

The next few words get trapped in a knot at the base of my throat, while I allow a few more tears to fall. He grabs hold of my face, lifting it so that I can see his eyes. I melt into them.

"He said -" I blink upward, trying to stop the tears. "He said his name was Trent."

He stares at me, Owl-eyed, while still gripping my chin in his hands. His thumb pads across my jawline. Breathing in deep pains him. He grimaces, then pulls his hand away. Instead, I reach out for him and hold his hand.

"How?"

"I don't know. Maybe I was dreaming, but it felt real. He told me my parents were proud, told me it would all be over, and that you and I should live our lives day by day."

His eyes are glassy, tears pooling at the edges. He wipes them away, sniffling, but trying not to overwork himself. "I believe you. My dad, he was a special man. I wouldn't put it past him to show up. A guardian angel, he always has been."

He pauses for a few moments, reflecting. His tears stop. "When I woke up, I thought I felt him. Is it weird, that there were times I'd be doing things and swore he was there? Like I'd see his grin in my mind, feel the warmth of someone's hand on my shoulder."

I shake my head. "That's not weird at all."

He smiles. "Come here."

"I'll hurt you."

"You can't hurt me. Not after what we went through," he says, scooting over.

There's not much room, but I manage to squeeze in beside him. While chaos ensues around us, the sounds of people chatting, doctors being paged, the stomping of feet on the other side of the closed curtain, I still manage to close my eyes. His breathing slows before mine, but he whispers something before sleep consumes me. "When we get out of here, the first thing I want to do is kiss you. If you'll still have me after I rebelled and helped you."

I chuckle softly into the side of his chest, and whisper, "Yes." Then drift off into sleep after a long twenty-four hours awake.