You and I

Chapter 22

"Rowan are you ok?" I asked.

Right as the words left my mouth, Rowan dropped to the ground.

"Rowan!? Rowan?" I knelt down next to her and started shaking her.

Sabrina ran over. "Oh my gosh!!! Rowan???" She put her quivering hand over her mouth in shock.

Then Corey came over. "W-, what happened??? Wait, I think she passed out from the heat. It's pretty hot out and she's wearing black and long sleeves."

"Your right." With my shaking hands I unbuttoned Rowans costume, relieved to see that she was wearing a tank top and shorts underneath.

Once I took off the costume, I realized that I had just revealed Rowans burns. Gasps around the room were heard, but I ignored them.

"Oh my gosh her burns are bleeding!!! She just had a heat stroke and she's losing blood!!! We have to get her to the hospital!!!" Sabrina said.

At first I moved very slowly, still scared of Rowans appearance. Was she going to die?

But eventually I calmed down and picked Rowan up and carried her to my car. I couldn't help but feel guilty because I knew that the hospital was the last place Rowan wanted to be. But I knew it was for the best.

I laid Rowan down in the back seat and quickly  hopped in the front. I drove off to the hospital as fast as I could.

Once I got there I opened the back door and picked Rowan up again.

Then I felt her move a little bit and then her eyes fluttered open. I rush of relief flew over me.

"Rowan are you ok???" I asked.

"Um, uh, wait, where are we? No, your not taking me to the hospital are you? What happened? Ow my head!!!" Rowan started crying in frustration.

"Rowan I'm just gonna bring you into the hospital and they'll fix you right up. Then you can come out and there'll be no more hospital." I said, trying to persuade her that going into the hospital wasn't that bad.

"Don't you understand? People have died there!!! Maybe even in the same room I get assigned to!!! Knowing that, how am I supposed to recover? That place doesn't help me at all!!! Peyton I'm fine really!!! I just had a heat stroke and I lost a little blood. All I have to do is get in a cool area and bandage my burns. Problem solved. Please, don't take me in there." She pleaded.

"Rowan, I can't let you get by that easy. I'm sorry." I carried her to the doors and said, "Could I please have help?"

"No, Peyton, please!!! Don't let them take me!!!" She fought against the nurses and doctors. One of them brought out a needle.

"Peyton, don't you even care about me?" She said.

Her words stung. Of course I do. Why else would I bring her to the hospital?

"Don't you see that the only way I'll get better is if I'm at home? Please, Peyton, please!!!" She kept fighting, but then she reached out her hand for me.

Before I could take it, or say anything, one doctor inserted a needle in her arm, and she slowly fell asleep. Then they laid her out on a stretcher and brought her into an emergency room.

I started to worry. Did I do the right thing? Or should I have brought Rowan home? Does she really think I don't care about her? Was that the last thing on her mind?

I couldn't believe what had just happened. And so fast.

Rowan had just passed out, in the middle of the dance floor, all from the impact of a heat stroke and loss of blood. Could her frail body take that? What if that was the last time I got to see her? And she thought I didn't even care about her?

I couldn't even imagine how confused and hurt Rowan must be feeling. How much pain she must be going through.

I wanted to cry. Just cry.

Did I just lose Rowan?