For The Love Of A Snake

Chapter 31: In and Out

I awaken to yelling. At first I'm too far out of it to know who is speaking. I can tell its the guys but their voices are foggy in my ears as if I was underwater so I'm unable to point out who is saying what.

You have to let me see her!

No Sebastian. You are still unstable. You'll hurt her.

You don't deserve her Sallow. You've done nothing but treat her like crap. You'll kill her one of these days and I won't allow it to happen. Don't you see what you do to those who love you? After your uncle? After Anne? Now you've done this to Ruby and little does she know how or why she's in pain.

Screw you both. I wouldn't be here if I didn't love her. She loves me too, she knows I would have done this intentionally. Who are you to say you won't allow it to happen Biggs? You think she'd really trust you over me?

Sebastian, you are the last person she needs to see right now. As your best friend please listen to me. If you love her you'll leave or at least wait outside the room until we feel like she's strong enough to see you. Stop picking a fight with Jaxon. We all just want what's best for her.

I'm able to start piecing the voices to their bodies now as I come to. My vision is coming back and the sun pierces into my irises. I blink to adjust and see three shadows behind a curtain. They are clearly the source of the voices I had been hearing. I'm able to weakly peep out some words hoping to grab their attention. "Guys..." my voice croaks and just speaking causes me to start to feel a bit dizzy. My mind isn't in a capable place. I can't really remember anything as to how I've ended up in a hospital bed. However, this isn't the Hogwarts hospital bed; even in my groggy mind set I am able to recognize that.

The curtain peels back to show Sebastian peeking through, his face stern, but shocked as he sees my eyes are opening on and off. "Ruby!" He scrambles over to me with the other two guys quickly following behind him. Even though I'm out of it I do know that something deep inside me doesn't want to be near him right now. As his hand touches the skin on my wrist and instant shock of pain runs through my body sending me in convulsions. The pain sears through me and I can't help but scream out. Ominous leaves to get the nurse or doctor as Jaxon runs over to the other side of me and holds my hand while Sebastian retreats his hand from my skin. Instantly as Jaxon now rubs my hair comfortingly the pain eases. Tears strolled down my face involuntary as my body still shivers from what had just happened. "Get your hands off of her punk!" Sebastian swats at Jason's hands his face angry and enraged.

"Screw you Sallow. I care for her more than I think you realize!" Jason's voice snapped back to him, now he was angry with Sebastian. I wanted to stop them from fighting but I couldn't do anything, my body felt frozen in this moment.

"You don't need to care for her! I'm her boyfriend!" Sebastian quickly stood up puffing his chest towards Jaxon and then swatting his hand away from me. Jaxon stood up at this and was clearly ready to fight.

"I do have to care for her because all you do is hurt her! She deserves better. She deserves someone who will love her through anything and everything! You couldn't even stay with her because you were too far into your own shit show" Jaxon snapped. I hadn't seen him this angry in a long time and was beginning to worry they would be fighting over top of my weak body in any second.

"How do you know what she needs?! You literally almost killed her a few months ago!" Sebastian cut him like a knife with his words. Even though I wasn't all there I could see the tears well up in Jaxons eyes.

"You don't think I regret that every single waking moment of my life? I was under an Imperious and even then I still think back and wonder if I somehow could have avoided it! I'm in love with her Sebastian and because of you I don't know if I'll ever get the chance to show her. That kills me" Jaxon spoke with so much emotion I could have cried myself if I wasn't blurring in and out of reality.

"How dare you say that you are in love with her. You don't even know her" Sebastian had walked over to him shoving him back into some equipment on a metal tray.

"Are you sure you even know her?!" He yelled back but didn't push him in return.

"Yes" Sebastian now backed away a bit and turned his gaze to me. My eyes fluttered on and off and I hated how I felt. Even though they both were here I felt so alone.

"What's her favorite flower? Or something she wants? What are her dreams and wishes? Her fears? Do you know any of that? Because I do" his statement made me listen deeper than before. Did he know these things about me?

"I...I" Sebastian was clearly befuddled by Jaxons questions.

"Tulips, specifically deep purple ones. She always stops to look at them outside if she passes by them. She desperately wants the cloak on display in Hogsmede, the midnight colored one made of fleece. She dares to dream of living a normal life and having a family like the one her parents had. She's terrified of making the wrong move, terrified of getting stuck in a place that doesn't allow her to get her dream. I learned all this about her in a week. You've been around her for months and haven't even cared to notice. It makes me sick that she's hung up on you" He spat out. His words lingered in the room for a while without any response from Sebastian. I held onto Jaxons words determined to remember them when I came out of whatever was happening to me. I hoped that I'd remember anyways,or if I didn't I hoped he would remind me of how much he cared.

The boys both sat down beside me again while Ominous and a doctor entered the room. The doctor immediately came over to me and felt my head. "She's fevering again" the man with glasses said as he checked the tube attached to my arm. "Who would like to stay with her tonight? Only one of you can stay". The doctor then added some more fluid to my tubing and then left leaving the boys to decide who would stay. Before they could argue I used whatever energy I had to reach my hand out towards Jaxon. He was the one I wanted by my side. He was the one who I knew would take care of me. I knew Sebastian would be mad but I didn't dare sit alone in a room with him. His touch alone sent me into severe pain.

"Wow. You've sure done it Biggs. Even turned my own girlfriend against me" Sebastian snapped angrily while leaving his chair. Ominous quickly went to his side to try to talk some sense into him.

"Sebastian she's sick. She's in pain. Your still unstable. It's for the best anyways. Plus she may not even know who she's reaching for" he patted him on the shoulder reassuringly.

"Whatever" Sebastian violently shook his hand off and left the room. Ominous let out a sign and began to follow after him.

"Ruby if you can hear me, get better soon. Jaxon keep in touch please. I may be the only one here that's not in love with her romantically but I do love and cherish her deeply. Please take care of her" Ominous's voice was sorrowful as he chased after Sebastian.

"I will, don't worry" Jaxons voice had come back to the calm level it was normally at. The room then became silent. As my eyes began to close I looked up towards Jaxon. He smiled down at me and began to rub my hair again. His touch was relaxing, it eased my pain. As the world became black once again I could feel his lips peck my forehead gently while he whispered to me. "Don't worry. I'm here for you now".