The only one

Chapter 17

I was laying down. I don't know where. I opened my eyes, but the light was so bright that I had to squint. Finally when I got a clear view of where I was, I understood that I was in the same place again.

The hospital.

Then I remembered everything that had happened.

Where's Marcus?

I began to panic, I shot up quickly, the bright lights blinding me.

"Where is he!? Where is he?!" I repeated. I pressed the button over and over again, hoping a nurse would show up already.

I tried to get out of bed but then I realized that my foot was in a cast and my head was wrapped in linen cloth.

A nurse rushed in. Nurse Daniella. When I saw her face, I knew right away she would help me.

"What's the matter?" she said in a calm voice.

I try to get up, pushing myself off the bed, but there were wires and tubes and casts all pinning me down.

"I n-need to s-see h-him" I stutter trying to say everything all at once but not seeming to get it all out.

"Where's M-Marcus? I ask quickly.

As an answer, she pulled the curtain that was on the other side of my bed, revealing Marcus, laying in another bed.

I pulled the wires off, but not all of them would leave me alone that easily. I looked over at Nurse Daniella, she rushed over and helped my get the rest of them off, but told me that I had to put them back in by tomorrow.

I had to walk carefully on my foot because of the injury. But I hopped as quickly as I could to his side of the room. Next to his bed there was a chair so I plopped onto it, not looking away from him.

"Wake up, wake up, wake up" I chanted under my breath.

He wouldn't.

"Is he going to be okay?" I ask the nurse.

"Don't you worry, he will be just fine. It just might take him a while" she replied and with that she left the room reminding me to click the button on my bed, or his bed, if we needed anything.

I sat for a while waiting for him to wake up.

Hours past but he still wasn't awake. Around ten thirty, I began to get tired. My eyes were gradually getting heavier. Outside it was raining hard and the sound of the falling drops made me get sleepy.

He began to move, but he still wasn't awake. his face looked almost scared. He began to mumble under his breath, and it got louder and louder. After that he started to shout and scream. He would say words that I couldn't comprehend but he would end the sentence with, "PLEASE STOP" every time.

"Marcus! Marcus!" I yelled in attempt to wake him. Normally I would just shake him to make him wake up, but he had at least three times the wires and tubes that were on me. I was frightened that I would hurt him.

His eyes shot open, alarmed, he looked from left to right, but when he saw me he relaxed a bit. Then he began to cry. Not dramatically, he didn't make any noise. There were just tears going down his face. I decided to speak up.

"It's okay. It was just a dream. Everything is going to be okay" I said barely in a whisper.

"Not okay. Not a dream.Real" he muttered.

"No it was a bad dream and you are going to be okay. I promise" I whispered softly.

"Please don't leave me" he begged still crying.

"I'm not going anywhere" I promised. He gave me a small smile in reply.

It wasn't a real smile.

Then he noticed that he wasn't the only one that had wounds.

"What happened to you?!" He asked shocked.

"I had a little accident. But it doesn't matter, how are you feeling?" I asked sympathetically.

"I'm fine" he answered not looking up.

"You don't have to lie to me" I whispered, repeating the line that he said when we met.

"I'm sorry" he said simply, not meeting my eyes, as if he was nervous to talk to me.

"Why are you sorry" I questioned.

"For everything" he said, his voice cracking. The moment his voice cracked was the same second my heart broke. The worst sound ever made by a person was the little crack in there voice meaning they are about to cry. It means there is something unbearable going on in their lives that I can't fix. The silent cries are the worst ones. The ones where you are up when everyone thinks you're asleep, with the tears rolling down your Rosie red cheeks. When you can feel it in your throat and your eyes get blurry from the tears. The one where you have to hold your breath to keep you from screaming, even though you want to so bad. When you have to hold on to your stomach to keep quiet.

The ones that make you realize what your life has really become.

I have been through this multiple times, and watching Marcus go through it was like someone pulled out my heart, tore it in half, threw it on the floor, stomped on it, kicked it, and finally sliced it in a million small pieces with a knife.

I began to cry too.

When he saw me crying, he wiped his tears and tried to control the tears.

"Please don't cry" he said gently.

"Sorry" I replied "I look terrible when I'm crying" I uttered

"You're beautiful, even when you're crying" he assured me. I smiled at that. He was so sweet.

"It's cold in here" he said "can you go get my sweatshirt?" He asked me pointing to where it was.

I retrieved his sweatshirt and put in on his lap and sat back down. Without a word he took the sweater and put it on me, without breaking eye contact.

"Thanks" I whispered. He smiled in reply, still not completely real.

I tried to move my chair over by pulling on the bed. Instead I accidentally hit his arm.

I gasped, scared that I hurt him.

"I'm so sorry, are you okay?" I asked.

He chuckled.

"I'm fine, touching me isn't going to hurt me, don't be so scared" he told me.

He put his hand out in front of me, indicating for me to hold it. Gently I held his hand. Our hands fit together like puzzle pieces. They were perfectly intertwined. He put our hands next to him on the bed.

He tried to pull my chair closer to the bed, but he was too weak from all the scars and the blood that he lost. His cheeks turned bright red in embarrassment. I got up and pushed the chair over, never letting go of his hands.

He patted his chest trying to get me to lean on him. I looked at him nervously, still scared to hurt him. He reached his other hand out and gently allowed my head on his chest. It was surprisingly comfortable. The feeling gave me chills that ran down my spine.

Marcus got tired and fell asleep, I was tied but my brain wouldn't turn off. Me leaning on him and his arm around me protectively. His sweater kept me warm all night. It took me a while to fall asleep because in that moment, no dream could ever compare to my reality at this second. Hopefully my life and his would stay like that. But for now the smile stayed on my face even after what I had been through.

It was a real smile.