Chase Me || Calum Hood

1.9

{Delilah}.

Walking back, we found Michael anxiously pacing back and forth in front of the door to Calum's room. He was unsettled and lost in thought, not noticing our arrival until Luke placed his hand on his shoulder, making him jump a little. "Mike, you ok?" Luke asked him in concern, his eyebrows furrowing together as he stared at him. Michael quickly broke from concentration, nodding without reassurance to say he was fine.

"What is it?" I questioned Michael, wondering what had gotten him so worked up.

"It-it's nothing." Michael began only to be cut off by Luke.

"Michael." He spoke, a warning tone clear in his voice, his way of pushing him for the truth.

Michael sighed deeply, pulling at his coloured hair in frustration. "I want to see him, I really do, but..." He trailed off unsure whether or not to continue.

"Michael," I sighed. "It's ok." I consoled him, understanding how he felt.

"I'm just scared, you know? What if thats the last time I see him? What if the last memory I have of him is him lying almost lifeless on a hospital bed? I couldn't live with that, its too much." He admits, fear shining in his eyes as a few tears roll down his cheeks.

"I know mate, but no matter what happens, Calum needs us right now. If he knows you're in there, maybe that will help him wake up quicker. Maybe he can't even hear us, but he wouldn't want you to be afraid to see him." I can hear the hurt in Luke's voice and I can't tell if that's from talking about Calum, or seeing Michael cry. Both are heartbreaking.

Michael began to nod slowly, realising that what really counted was being there for him, despite how scared he was himself. He slowly walked past us, entering the room quietly with a look of bravery on his face. The look was one of fresh tears on his face, and bloodshot eyes from crying so much, but with the faintest of smiles resting on his lips as he stepped inside to be by his friend's side. That was bravery.

It was getting late, and I knew that Luke wanted to see Calum too before he left for the night. I didn't know how long he would take, I didn't care for that matter, but I knew Michael needed a little bit of privacy as he was in the room with Calum, so Luke and I sat ourselves down on the chairs outside and waited patiently for our turn. My eyes began to grow heavy and after several minutes it began to be a struggle to keep them open. Without realising, I lowered my head, resting it on Luke's shoulder right before my eyes closed and I fell into a deep sleep.

{Luke}.

After 10 or so minutes, Delilah had fallen asleep, her head resting on my shoulder. I was glad to see her finally getting some rest as she had had no way near enough in the past 5 days. It didn't sound like a long time - 5 days, but it was a long and exhausting hell of a ride. I know that those 5 days would have gone a lot slower if we lost Calum, and with every day he was unconscious for, the chances of him waking up decreased. That was one of the things Delilah wasn't aware of, but it was best she didn't know. The thought would have crushed her more than me, and I know that she would have counted each day as one step closer to losing him.

How awful it must be to count down the days to losing someone.

After half an hour or so, Michael came out of Calum's room. It seemed that talking to Calum had helped and that he had lost a little bit of the fear that was once clouding his eyes. I think the thought of losing him wasn't something he could handle, not that anyone of us could for that matter, but it seemed that now hope was overruling his fear. It reminded me of that quote: "hope is the only thing stronger than fear". It sure was right in Michael's case, anyway.

He said his goodbyes to me, walking away with more of a smile on his lips. It was the first time he seemed even the slightest bit happy ever since the accident, and I prayed to God that no one would take that away from him, especially not Calum.

I carefully stood up, not wanting to wake Delilah. A part of me didn't want to move as she looked peaceful, but I really did need to see Calum. I grabbed one of the extra blankets from his hospital room and gently covered Delilah with it, seeing her adjust to the blanket quickly, grabbing onto it unconsciously. Once I was sure that Delilah would be ok for a while, I walked back into Calum's room, my eyes still not used to the sight of him so broken.

The heart monitor was still beeping with every breath he took, and his chest rose up and down slowly; being the only signs that he was alive. I wish I knew if he could hear me not. More importantly, I wish I knew what to do to get him to wake up.

I was well aware that everyone who had came in to see him had spoken to him, begging Calum to stay with us. No doubt either, that they would have told him how much it hurts to see him like this. Believe me, I'd said it to him, too. I knew that if there was anything that would keep Calum fighting, it was Delilah.

I didn't have one clue as to what I was going to say to him, I just spoke and prayed that whatever I said would get him to wake up.

"Calum, it's me again, mate." I told him with great exhaustion in my voice. I took his hand and gave it a firm squeeze - something I had began to do whenever I walked in to see him. "I need you to listen to me."

I waited for a few seconds, almost like I was waiting for him to reply, to let me know to continue, but I don't think I'd hear anything from Cal unless I said this to him.

"How much do you love Delilah?" I asked him. It seems a pretty stupid thing to ask, but I knew that if he could hear me, he'd tell himself how much he loved her. I continued. "What would you give up just for her to be happy?" I asked several similar questions, never hearing a response.

Sighing, I began to explain myself. "You're not seeing her like we are, Calum. You haven't seen the look in her eyes whenever someone mentions your name, or the way her whole body shakes when she sees you.

You really don't want to see how much pain she's in, because it's hell for her. You need to wake up Cal. If not for you or us; do it for her.

You can't leave her like this."

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