Fallen (Undergoing editing)

Chapter thirty-nine:

I floated up from my sleepy fog, my eyelids so heavy I had to pry them apart to squint through the dark room.

Lamps were lit, illuminating the room enough so I could tell I was back in the infirmary. A thin white blanket was draped over my chest and a monitor stood beside my bed, beeping softly, echoing my heartbeat.

I felt weak with a hint of nausea, and the pounding in my head didn't help in the slightest. I groaned, trying to lift myself up on the pillow, but I froze when I gazed at the dark figure that sat in the corner of my eye.

He was slumped in a chair awkwardly, eyes closed, chest rising and falling in smooth strokes, dark hair falling in his face, sleeping obviously.

Demetrius.

Instantly the heart monitor picked up pace, echoing the speeding up of my heart. I watched him with a weak tremble in my arms as I held myself up. Slowly, I lowered myself back down against the pillows, watching as he stirred, nose twitching and eyes coming alive. I forced my eyes closed, pushing myself back into the darkness as I feigned sleep, cracking my eyes open only a little to watch. Demetrius groaned, eyes dark drained eyes flashing over to the monitor, watching it carefully as he yawned and stretched in the chair, his joints cracking as he stretched his long legs from underneath the chair where they'd been curled, dormant. Sitting in that wooden chair, he stared blankly, with a contemplating expression before he stood and walked to the edge of the bed.

I still peeked through the slits of my eyes at him as he gazed from the monitor back to my hand that lied palm upward by my side atop the sheets. His hand twitched at his side as if he were silently battling himself to not touch me. Coming to reason, hesitantly, he brushed his knuckles against my hand, holding it softly. His hand was both reassuring and cold against my fingers. It took every ounce of power inside of me to not hold his hand back, or twitch from his touch.

"You came."

Demetrius jumped at the sound of my voice, snatching his hand away like I'd smacked it. I was shocked too. The words didn't seem like they were mine. My voice was all weak and croaky. I sounded like an old lady. It was really unattractive.

Demetrius withdrew his hand back to his side, and blinked at me, his face white. "How long have you been awake?"

I shrugged and wiggled up into a sitting position. Demetrius inched towards me as if to help, but he backed off when I looked at him, forcing his gaze away to the monitor.

"Not long." I looked to him, swallowing, but my mouth was dry. "How long have you been here?"

"Since they told me you were in here." His dark eyes bounded back to me. "Alice told me you called for me when you'd fallen."

I stiffened, feeling the monitor give away my stress. I remembered how I'd wanted to be wrapped in his arms, saved by him. I didn't know why, I just needed him. I'd wanted him. I'd bet everything he'd be there for me.

And he wasn't there.

"Yeah so?" I tried to push the hurt out of my voice, but it was hard. "I probably was hallucinating."

"You also called my name in your sleep."

"Again, I was dreaming," I growled, his persistence to prove something was grating on my nerves. As light headed and weak I felt already, I didn't have room for this.

"I don't think—"

"I DON'T NEED YOU DEMETRIUS!" I roared through clenched teeth, my fists pounding down on to the bed. Demetrius stared bleakly at me, shadows appearing under his eyes in a sickly manner. "I don't need you to save me or hold me or love me—I don't need any piece of it! I'm tired of needing someone, needing to be protected!" I glowered beating the side of the beat with my white-knuckled fists. "It's been me and me alone who's gotten me this far, nobody else. It—it should've stayed that way." I sniffed.