The rhythmic, insistent beeping of a heart monitor was the first thing Emma heard as her eyes slowly fluttered open. She squinted against the hospital's blinding fluorescent lights, her vision blurry and unfocused. She was lying in a hospital bed, an oxygen mask covering her nose and mouth, the dry air inside it a strange comfort. Her head felt heavy, and a dull ache throbbed through her body.
Her eyes turned to the right. She was hooked up to a heart monitor and several other machines, their soft whirring and constant beeping a chilling soundtrack to her waking. She was alive. She turned her eyes to the left and saw a nurse in the doorway, blocking someone from entering the room.
"I told you, sir, only blood-related family is permitted into the room, and her parents said to not let anyone enter without their consent," the nurse said, her voice firm and low. "They went to grab something to eat in the cafeteria. However, you're allowed to wait in the hallway."
The male voice on the other side of the door let out a frustrated huff. "I've been here multiple times in the last two weeks with them, so that clearly doesn't apply to me." As her vision finally focused, Emma realized the man was Blake. He tried to step past the nurse again, but she held her hands up to keep him back.
"Well, that wasn't my shift, sir. Now, if you're going to make this hard, I'll call security to escort you out." Emma's hand twitched slightly on the bed. She didn't want Blake to go. She had thought she was going to die that night, alone in the cold pool without seeing him one last time. Neither of them seemed to notice her small movement and continued their standoff.
"Sir, it's been two weeks. I'm sure you can wait until her parents get back. It's not like she'll wake up at this very moment or anything." The nurse said in a reassuring, but condescending, tone.
"B-lake," Emma mumbled through the mask, her voice hoarse and barely audible. A few tears streamed down her cheeks. Blake's eyes, wide and filled with a raw exhaustion she hadn't seen before, finally met hers.
"Emma..." he whispered in disbelief. The nurse tried to stop him, but he easily pushed past her, not caring about her pleas to stop. He fell to his knees at Emma's bedside, scanning her face. "Oh, Emma..." Tears filled his eyes as he held one of her weak hands in both of his. "I'm here, Em. I'm right here." He brought her hand to his lips, kissing it softly.
The nurse looked shocked to see Emma awake, so shocked she forgot all about Blake not being allowed in the room. "Oh my goodness, she's awake! I have to go get the doctor!" She ran out the door, calling for a doctor.
Blake didn't even know what to say as he looked into his girlfriend's teary eyes. "You're awake..." he muttered, his voice choked with emotion. He laid his head on the bed, letting out a shaking, ragged breath. After a moment, he lifted his head, pushing his hair out of his eyes.
"Remember before your birthday when we raced cars... and I won? I had a wish, a prize I never used..." he said, his voice shaky.
Her throat was so dry she couldn't speak, but she gave him a small nod. She had thought he'd forgotten about that; it had been months ago "I wish... for you to make it through this. To spend another day with me tomorrow." A tear rolled down his cheek as he looked down at the bed, his hand still holding hers.
Her breath caught in her throat. She looked at his face; he looked so tired, with dark circles under his eyes, like he hadn't slept properly in days. She could smell the faint smoke on him, letting her know he'd been smoking a lot more than usual. A pit of guilt formed in her stomach.
"You have to do this for me. It's against the rules if you don't. Promise me, okay?" he said, looking back at her before laying his face on the bed and rubbing his thumb over her hand. She gave a weak nod, unsure if she would be able to keep that promise. The guilt was suffocating her for going to the party, for drinking, and for letting all this happen.
She couldn't fully reassure him with words because she didn't know what tomorrow would bring. She didn't even know if she would make it through tonight with how much pain she was in.
The beeping on the heart rate monitor began to pick up loudly, alerting Blake. His head shot up from the bed, and he looked at her with concern as doctors began to rush into the room.
"You need to leave the room, son!" one of the male doctors yelled, pushing his hands against Blake's chest. But Blake stood frozen in place as doctors looked over the heart monitor, taking out a large syringe with a clear liquid. His ears began to ring as the doctor turned him around and quickly pushed him toward the door.
"Wait! Wait, let me stay, please! Let me stay with her, please! Emma, please don't leave me! Please keep your promise!" he yelled, his voice cracking with desperation. Emma could only watch with glazed vision as the doctor forced him out the door. Her head turned to the other side, watching a female doctor attach the needle with what she assumed was medicine to the tubes attached to her arm.
The doctor slowly pushed the end of the syringe down and looked down at Emma. "It's okay, miss. Please relax. This will help you sleep comfortably while we work." Emma's eyes began to feel heavy, blinking a few times before finally closing completely into a deep, peaceful sleep.
YOU ARE READING
It Started With Hello
Romance***** Emma Pear knew she wasn't the most popular girl in high school. Her nose was usually buried in a textbook, and her grades were as spotless as her reputation for always following the rules. "Nerd" was a label she'd long since embraced. Her pare...
