Unforeseen: A Hollywood Story

Chapter Twenty-Four: For You

{CHAPTER MUSIC SELECTION: To Build A Home by The Cinematic Orchestra - Lyrical Version}

The ambulance roars down the winding roads of the mountain, but you hardly notice the sharp curves or remember the steep cliffs just inches away from you.

You focus only on Matthew. Even though the paramedics are all huddled around him, you keep your hand in his limp one, choking back sobs as you listen to all the negative things the paramedics are saying.

"HE'S RESPONDING!" One of them shouts suddenly.

You hear a sudden gasp of air, and you realize Matthew is conscious. Shoving the paramedics aside, you push through to look at Matthew.

"Oh my god, Matthew," you squeak, holding his hand tighter. "Can you hear me? Hey...hey, look at me, sweetie?"

But he doesn't respond. He looks like he's struggling to breath.

"Miss, get back. He can't breath," one of the paramedics says gruffly. "The ribs have punctured his lungs. He can't inhale. Get him on some oxygen now!"

The paramedics knock you aside again, and your hand loses grip with Matthew's. You whimper, trying to reach for it again but failing because of the paramedics surrounding him.

"NO!" you hear Matthew's weak voice drift over. You perk up, thinking you heard it, but when you look up, all the paramedics have stopped.

"He's responding. Get her over here," one of them says, motioning for you. In an instant, you're up and standing by his bed. Tears pour down your face as you take his hand, feeling him squeeze it ever so slightly.

"Matthew..." you choke out.

"It hurts," he says, barely audible. His expression is filled with pain, and his eyes are brimming with tears.

"I know," you whisper, trying to keep yourself from hyperventilating. "But you're gonna make it. You just hold on, okay?"

He nods up at you, squeaking out, "I shouldn't have run off."

"Shhhh, shhhhhh," you say through your tears. "Darling I'm so sorry. I'm so, so, so sorry about all of this..."

"I want the pain to go away," he gasps. "I can't feel anything." His hand tries to grip yours tighter, and you can't even imagine the pain he's in.

"Stay with me, okay? Don't let yourself close your eyes, okay?" you say to him, your voice filled with pure fear.

His eyes meet yours, and the pain in his break your heart. "I wish I could take all this away from you. I'd take it all if I could," you whimper.

"I wouldn't let you," he says weakly, trying to smile but ending up coughing violently.

"Shhh," you murmur, stroking across the top of his hand. "Just focus on me. We'll be to the hospital soon."

"I'll never hear the end of this from Shemar," Matthew says softly. "Or anyone."

"Who cares," you say, shaking your head. "Don't worry about them. Right now we worry about you, and getting you better."

"I can't," he whispers sleepily. "I can't stay awake, Y/N..."

"Don't you give up on me," you cry in panic, watching his stats go lower.

"You're the best thing that ever happened to me," he whispers as his eyes roll back in his head. His stats start going off the charts, and the paramedics move in again, pushing you away from Matthew.

"NO! MATTHEW! MATTHEW PLEASE!" you scream, but your voice is drowned out by the yelling of the paramedics.

"YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME!!!!!!" you scream at the top of your lungs, breaking down into hysterical tears. "WAKE UP!!!!!"

The beeping of the machines continues for five minutes before the paramedics manage to stabilize him, but he's unconscious again. One of the paramedics looks at you, shaking his head. He looks exhausted. "It's amazing he was able to speak."

You hold back another sob, looking at poor, innocent Matthew laying there on the bed, covered in blood, with all kinds of machines hooked to him.

"Is he going to make it?" you ask the dreaded question. "Can he come back from this?"

"It's too soon for us to say. We can't see the damage inside him yet. Once the surgeons see him at the hospital, they'll know more. It'll take a while to know for sure. His brain is losing oxygen fast, and we can't say the outcome is looking good, miss," they reply.

You bite your lip hard to stop from saying anything more, and you feel blood trickle down your chin from biting too hard. You don't care, though.

Ignoring the paramedics, you get up and lean over Matthew. You kiss his forehead, not caring that there's a whole ton of dried blood there. Leaning down to his ear, you whisper, "I need you to come back to me." You slide your hand up into his knotted hair, massaging his head softly.

His face twitches slightly, but he doesn't respond.

"I'm going to be right here, through every single second. Don't think I'll ever leave," you whisper again. "I'm not giving up on you."

You take a deep breath, squeezing your eyes shut as tears roll down your cheeks steadily.

"You're still so beautiful when you cry," Matthew whispers suddenly, though still barely audible.

Your eyes snap open, and you look down to meet his weak gaze. A smile breaks across your face as you see the soft twinkle in his eye that so well defines him.

"You heard me," you murmur, feeling a huge wave of crying welling up in you.

"I always hear you," he says quietly. "You're the one thing I could hear through this whole nightmare..."

Tears brim up more in your eyes, spilling over the edges slowly. "Please don't shut your eyes again..."

"I'll hold on for you," Matthew whispers drowsily. "I'll always hold on for you..."

Maybe there was a glimmer of hope that he was going to get through this.